Naulty v. Bulletin Co.

Citations

• 206 Pa. 128
• 55 A. 862
• 1903 Pa. LEXIS 661

Syllabus

<p>Libel — Innuendo—Province of court and jury.</p> <p>The purpose of an.innuendo is to define the defamatory meaning which the plaintiff attaches to the words ; to show how they come to have that meaning and how they relate to the plaintiff. But it cannot be used to introduce new matter, or to enlarge the natural meaning of the words, and thereby give to the language a construction which it will not bear.</p> <p>•It is the duty of the court in all cases to determine whether the language used in the objectionable article could fairly and reasonably be construed to have the meaning imputed in the innuendo. If the words are not susceptible of the meaning ascribed to them by the plaintiff and do not sustain the innuendo, the case should not be sent to a jury.</p>