Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1907 — ANOTHER LIBEL CASE ENDED. [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER LIBEL CASE ENDED.

Bessie Cronin of Libel Salt Fame Loses Out Again for the ’Steenth Time. White County Democrat. ' The case of Miss Bessie Cronin against H. J. McSheehy, of the Logansport Chronicle, was called before Judge Hanley, of Rensselaer, Thursday morning and for the first time in the history of the White Circuit Court a woman appeared as her own attorney in a case where she was plaintiff, Miss Cronin examined the jurors, agreed to a trial before a jury of nine and made the statement of her case when the jury had been accepted. She also called her witnesses to the stand and propounded the questions; and took the witness stand herself, when she played the roll of plaintiff, attorney and witness, asking and answering questions in direct examination and vigorously objecting to what she considered improper questions propounded to her on cross examination. Almost the entire local bar were interested spectators to the novel scene, and more than one local lawyer felt like volunteering bis services to help the fair plaintiff through her "legal tangle. Judge Hanley even suggested that he would appoint an assistant but she declined such aid. She was not equal to the emergency, however, being unable to get the evidenoe properly presented, and on the instructions of the court the jury returned a verdict for the defendant. f . Her two suits against the Logan* sport Journal and the Reporter were set for trial the same day bnt on affidavit of Miss Cronin that she was sick and unable to proceed with the trial these cases were were continued to September term.