Cresson v. Louisville Courier-Journal

MACK, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal by the plaintiff, Charles C. Cresson, from a directed verdict in favor of the defendant in a libel suit. The libel is based on matter (reproduced in footnote 1), published by the defendant’s newspaper, purporting to be an account of the majority report of the committee appointed by Congress to investigate the escape of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, a draft evader. The defense is that the matter complained of is, privileged in that it is a publication made in good faith and without malice, of a fair, impartial and correct report of a document issued by a…