Reputations at stake in fishy case

On the home front, the Observer spotlighted a case of slander involving a quarrel over the price of Loch Fyne herring.

At Stirling Small Debt Court, Henry Paterson, miner, Shanks Buildings, Dunipace, brought an action for £20 damages against Mr DM Stewart, fish merchant, Denny.

Mr Paterson (67) told how on May 18, 1917, he encountered Mr Stewart selling fish from his cart in Dunipace.

The miner said he had two days earlier been to Glasgow and bought Loch Fyne herring at a halfpenny a piece “and they were as good as he ever ate”.

Mr Stewart said he was charging three half pennies a piece for the herring he had on sale and, according to Mr Paterson, the fishmonger called him a liar and a swindler and insisted he had never bought herring at half a penny each in Glasgow.

Mr Paterson was so incensed by the accusation he went into Glasgow and, he said, got a receipt from fish merchant from whom he bought the herring for a halfpenny each. He later showed the chit to Mr Stewart in the hope of getting an apology but none was forthcoming.

Mr Paterson denied himself calling Mr Stewart a liar and a swindler but several witnesses said Mr Stewart levelled the same accusations at Mr Paterson.

Mr Stewart, in his evidence, said Mr Paterson had called him a “rogue” and said he was cheating people. He still maintained it would have been impossible for Mr Paterson to have bought herring for a halfpenny each on the day in question.

Sheriff-substitute Dean Leslie found in favour of Mr Stewart but granted no expenses to either side. He said it was a quarrel in the course of which both called the other a liar.

There was no evidence the pursuer had suffered damage to his reputation.