6 Or. 212 | Or. | 1876
Tbis is an action for slander for words spoken by defendant, saying that plaintiff Ann B. Leverich was a tbief, and other words of like import. Tbe plaintiff recovered a judgment in tbe court below, and tbe defendant appeals to tbis court.
On tbis trial of tbis case in tbe circuit court, plaintiff, Ann B., was a witness. And defendant to sbow that ber moral character was bad,’ and to sbow that sbe was not worthy’of belief as a witness,' offered in evidence a letter
And we think our statute has adopted the same rule (Civ. Code, sec. 830, cited above.) There are also exceptions to the charge of the court to the jury which were argued by the counsel: 1. The court charged the jury, “That they could consider the acts and manner of the defendant at the time of making the charges and speaking the words complained of, both on the question of malice and as to the amount of damages the plaintiff was entitled to recover.”
The evidence having shown the defendant, pretending and perhaps believing that the plaintiff, Ann E., had stolen certain articles from his store accused her of it, and asserting that she had them hid under her dress, attempted to take them from her in an immodest and violent manner, and did take from her certain articles, which she had bought and paid for at other stores. We think the case was such on the evidence as to make the charge of the court in this respect justifiable and pertinent, for the jury on the questions of malice and damages have a right to consider the motives and conduct of the defendant in speaking the words. We have considered all the questions raised by this bill of exceptions and do not find any error.
The judgment of the court below will therefore be affirmed.