[419]. Only the opinion of the court is given.
[420]. Jones v. Davers, Cro. Eliz. 496; Price v. Jenkings, Cro. Eliz. 865; Amann v. Damm, 8 C. B. N. S. 597; Kiene v. Ruff, 1 Ia. 42; Hurtert v. Weines, 27 Ia. 134; Mielenz v. Quasdorf, 68 Ia. 726; Economopoulos v. A. G. Pollard Co., 218 Mass. 294; Wormouth v. Cramer, 3 Wend. 394 Accord.
See Bechtell v. Shatter, Wright, (Ohio) 107. Conf. Anon., Moore, 182; Gibs v. Jenkins, Hob. 335; Zenobio v. Axtell, 6 T. R. 162; Jenkins v. Phillips, 9 Car. & P. 766; Hickley v. Grosjean, 6 Blackf. 351; Keenholts v. Becker, 3 Den. 346; Rahauser v. Barth, 3 Watts, 28; Zeig v. Ort, 3 Chandl. 26; K. v. H., 20 Wis. 239; Filber v. Dautermann, 26 Wis. 518; Simonsen v. Herald Co., 61 Wis. 626; Pelzer v. Benishy, 67 Wis. 291.
[421]. Anon., Sty. 70; Force v. Warren, 15 C. B. N. S. 806; Desmond v. Brown, 33 Ia. 13; Marble v. Chapin, 132 Mass. 225, 226; Cameron v. Cameron, 162 Mo. App. 110; Traylor v. White, 185 Mo. App. 325; Broderick v. James, 3 Daly, 481 Accord.
Mailing of post card. Three views have been expressed as to whether the mailing of a post card is a publication.
(1) The mailing is a publication. Sadgrove v. Hole, [1901] 2 K. B. 1, 4, 5 (semble); Logan v. Hodges, 146 N. C. 38; Spence v. Burt, 18 Lanc. L. Rev. 251; Robinson v. Jones, L. R. 4 Ir. 391 (semble); McCann v. Edinburgh Co., L. R. 28 Ir. 24, 28 per Palles, C. B.
(2) The mailing is prima facie a publication. Odgers, Libel and Slander (4 ed.), 153, 281.
(3) The mailing is prima facie not a publication, i. e., is not a publication unless evidence is given that the post card was read in transitu. Steele v. Edwards, 15 Ohio Cir. Ct. 52, 58.
Publication in ignorance of the libel. The dissemination of a libel by a carrier or newsvender or a public library, who neither knew nor ought to have known of the libel and who had no reason to suppose that the newspaper was likely to contain libellous matters, gives no cause of action. Emmens v. Pottle, 16 Q. B. D. 354; Martin v. Trustees of British Museum, 10 T. L. Rep. 338. But the proprietor of a circulating library was held liable for giving out a book containing defamatory statements, because his freedom from negligence did not appear. Vizetelly v. Mudie’s Library, [1900] 2 Q. B. 170. See also Morris v. Ritchie, Court of Sess., March 12, 1902, 4 F. 645.
[422]. The case has been much abridged.