Seiglitz

This is an appeal by the defendant from a judgment in favor of the plaintiff for damages in the sum of one thousand dollars and costs in an action for slander.

Appellant and respondent were both engaged in the jewelry business in Calexico, Imperial County. Respondent’s business was called the “Williams Jewelry Company,” and respondent employed his brother, George Williams, in the capacity of manager. Respondent and appellant were advertisers in the “Semi-Weekly Plain Dealer,” a newspaper published in Calexico, and with which one Frank W. Roach was connected. Upon an occasion in the month of December, 1918, appellant called at the office of the “Plain Dealer” for the purpose of discontinuing his advertising in and his subscription to the paper. He had a conversation with Mr. Roach at that time in which he assigned as the' reason for his action that he did not care to support anyone who was supporting his competitors, the Williams Brothers. It was during this conversation that the alleged slanderous statements were made. The alleged slander consisted in appellant having said, speaking of and concerning respondent and his brother, that “they are not men who are entitled to support;…