Yancey v. Gillespie

Boiled down to its essence, the article complained of says the editor is informed the city council, by a vote of four to two, with the verbal backing of the mayor, has purchased a “shabby” lot in Gastonia for $3,000; “that the purchase is not a bargain,” but is a “wasteful and non-arbitrated use of public money”; that the editor of the paper believes the deal smells. The clause underscored is the only reference to the plaintiff. The article charges that a majority of the council had the verbal backing of the mayor; that is, that he approved the action of the council in making the purchase.…