Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1901 — Must Pay for Newspapers. [ARTICLE]

Must Pay for Newspapers.

The circuit court of Kosciusko county, this state, has just rendered a decision of considerable interest to newspaper subscribers. The Northern Indianian, a newspaper in that county, brought 'suit against William Duvall to obtain the money do it on a subscription covering fifteen years and three months, and the court awarded the newspaper $22.85, the total amount due The'evidence brought out the fact that Duvall ordered the paper in 1882 and continued to take it from the postoffice until December, 1897, when he ordered it discontinued and failed to make a settlement. During the period of delinquency a statement of his account wnssent him semi-annual-' ly. He was also personally seen several times by a representative of the paper and told the latter that he did not intend to pay, giving as a reason that he had never ordered the paper. When placed upon the witness stand Duvall displayed a receipt lor four months’subscription, at the same time declaring he ordered the paper for that length of time only, yet continued to take it from the post office. The court held that as long as Duvall took the paper from the postoffice he received property of value and was therefore made liable for the payment of that property. The bill and costs amounted to SSO and Duvall will have to settle. The suit is interesting from the fact that every newspaper lias subscribers who are willing to take and read the paper, but who either refuse positively to pay for the paper or who are a long time liquidating their bills. The decision will have a tendency to make such persons more prompt in the payment of newspaper debts as they are subject to collection by law if not disposed to pay without such process.