Sweeney v. Capital News Pub. Co.

CAVANAH, District Judge.

The plaintiff, a Congressman representing a district in the State of Ohio, brings this action to recover damages against the defendant for an alleged libel in publishing a newspaper article which he claims to be libelous per se. No special damages are alleged, and the inquiry on the motion to dismiss is whether the words of the article, on their face, without explanation or extrinsic proof, would tend to impeach the honesty, integrity, virtue or reputation of the plaintiff and thereby expose him to public hatred, contempt and ridicule as defined by the statute of this…