Ranger v. Goodrich
Wisconsin Supreme Court
EEEOE to the Circuit Court for 'Washington County. The action in the court below was brought by William Ranger and Mary his wife, for slanderous words alleged to have been spoken concerning the wife by Goodrich, charging her with being “ a whore.” The first count alleges that the words charged were used by the defendant in a remark addressed to one Barnes ; the second that they were spoken to the plaintiff Mary herself, in the presence of other persons.
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EEEOE to the Circuit Court for 'Washington County. The action in the court below was brought by William Ranger and Mary his wife, for slanderous words alleged to have been spoken concerning the wife by Goodrich, charging her with being “ a whore.” The first count alleges that the words charged were used by the defendant in a remark addressed to one Barnes ; the second that they were spoken to the plaintiff Mary herself, in the presence of other persons. The answer was a general denial. On the trial, said Barnes, as a witness for the plaintiffs, testified that on the day alleged in the…
1Opinion of the Court
By the Court,
Paine, J.
There can be no doubt that the words here charged are actionable. Spoken of a married woman, they necessarily impute to her the guilt of adultery; and it is a general rule, that words charging another with a crime involving moral turpitude punishable by law are actionable. There are cases which have held that at common law similar words spoken of an unmarried woman are not actionable per se. But that was where the act charged was not punishable by law. Whether the same doctrine could prevail under our statute, which punishes fornication, it is not necessary here to…
2Cases cited4 opinions
- Hosley v. BrooksIllinois Supreme Court · 1858
- McClintock v. CrickSupreme Court of Iowa · 1857
- Brown v. BrooksIndiana Supreme Court · 1852
- Savage v. DrakeWisconsin Supreme Court · 1859
3Cited by9 opinions
- Gibson v. GibsonWisconsin Supreme Court · 1877
- Mack v. StateWisconsin Supreme Court · 1880
- Miles v. HarringtonSupreme Court of Kansas · 1871
- Geary v. BennettWisconsin Supreme Court · 1881
- Klewin v. BaumanWisconsin Supreme Court · 1881
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