A declaration which alleges that the de fendant charged the plaintiff, an attorney, with being guilty of "sharp practice," which is averred to mean disreputable practice, charges a libelous imputation; 4 M. & W. 446.
An advertisement describing a horse as stolen and naming the supposed thief is libel lous; Simmons v. Holster, 13 Minn. 249 (Gil.
232) ; so of a newspaper article setting forth that the plaintiff was living in extreme pov erty and destitution ; Moffatt v. Cauldwell, 3 Hun (N. Y.) 26; and of words which tend to impeach the honesty, and integrity of ju rors in their office ; Byers v. Martin, 2 Colo. 605, 25 Am. Rep. 755; the publication of false and malicious statements about a church member, accusing him of disturbing the peace of the and censuring him therefor, is actionable in itself ; Over v. Hil debrand, 92 Ind. 19 ; and the publication of the suicide of a man falsely charging that it was induced by the actions of his wife; Bradley v. Cramer, 59 Wis. 309, 18 N. W. 268, 48 Am. Rep. 511.
A publication in a newspaper of symp toms of a patient who had taken a certain patent medicine, such article being used as an advertisement, is libellous where it tend ed to hold the person up to contempt and ridicule; Stewart v. Specific Co., 76 Ga. 280, 2 Am. St. Rep. 40; a letter from the publish er of a newspaper, or an article published in a newspaper in the form of a letter from the publisher to the proprietor of a medicine, , saying: "Your advertisement will not be re ceived in the columns of the. L. although you offer us big pay. We have repeatedly ad vised our readers that by the manufacture and sale of such medicines the public are swindled out of their money," was held libel lous per se; Dr. Shoop Family Medicine Co. v. Wernich, 95 Wis. 164, 70 N. W. 160.
A publication stating that a man has been arrested on account of his criminal evidence in a certain case is libelous ; Godshalk v. Metzgar, 23 W. N. C. (Pa.) 541; or that he would be an anarchist if he thought it would pay ; Lewis v. Daily News Co., 81 Md. 466, 84, Atl. 246, 29 L. R. A. 59; and a publication charging that a breach of promise suit was about to be brought against a person is libel lous, the plaintiff having been at the time and a number of years before a married man with a family ; Morey v. Morning Jour nal Ass'n, 123 N. Y. 207, 25 N. E. 161, 9 L. R. A. 621, 20 Am. St. Rep. 730.
The following have also been held libel lous : Falsely charging that the plaintiff was of unsound mind ; Totten v. Pub. Ass'n, 109 Fed. 289; falsely charging that another is guilty of a crime ; Palmer v. Mahin, 120 Fed. 737, 57 C. C. A. 41; Abraham v. Bald win, 52 Fla. 151, 42 South. 591, 10 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1051, 10 Ann. Cas. 1148 (also ground for a criminal prosecution ; State v. Haskins, 109 Ia. 656, 80 N. W. 1063, 47 L. R. A. 223, 77 Am. St. Rep. 560) ; charging that a per son has been bribed to testify as a witness ; Atlanta News Pub. Co. v. Medlock, 123 Ga. 714, S. E. 756, 3 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1139; charging that a school director lets contracts and furnishes supplies Where there is a statute forbidding school directors to be in terested in the erection of schoolhouses; Woolley v. Publishing Co., 47 Or. 619, 84 Pac. 473, 5 L. R. A. (N. S.) 498; charging a per son with graft ; State v. Sheridan, 14 Idaho 222, 93 Pac. 656, 15 L. R. A. (N. S.) 497; charging one as a habitual drunkard in a petition for appointment of a guardian, if made without probable cause; Thompson v. Rake, 140 Ia. 232, 118 N. W. 279, 18 L, R. A. (N. S.) 921; charging one with betraying his trust as a delegate of a fraternal order, in favor of a rival branch; Doherty v. Lyn ett, 155 Fed. 681; charging that a woman was the mistress of the plaintiff ; Dempster v. Mann, 157 Fed. 319; using plaintiff's pho tograph to illustrate, an account of an Italian bandit ; De Sando v. Co., 88 App. Div. 492, 85 N. Y. Supp. 111; falsely charg ing that plaintiff's husband had instituted divorce proceedings against plaintiff ; O'Neill v. Star Co., 121 App. Div. 849, 106 N. Y. Sum. 973; representing an author as a liter ary freak and ridiculing his private life; Triggs v. Pub. Ass'n, 179 N. Y. 144, 71 N. E. 739, 66 L. R. A. 612, 103 Am. St. Rep. 841, 1 Ann. Cas. 326; a newspaper. article regard ing a suicide fiend, although the name used is that of the plaintiff ; Wandt v. Hearst's Chicago American, 129 Wis. 419, 109 N. W. 70, 6 L. R. A. (N. S.) 919, 116 Am. St. Rep. 959, 9 Ann. Cas. 864; referring in a newspaper to a woman as a negress; Express Pub.. Co. v. Orsborn (Tex.) 151 S. W. 574; charging the sale of adulterated food as pure food; Dabold v. Pub. Co., 107 Wis. 357, 83 N. W. 639; Witte v. Weinstein, 115 Ia. 247, 88 N. W. 349.