Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-08
THE GEORGE ". BOOK,
How Judge Fox Obtained the Rare
Prohibited BOok-sOme EegO-
tions Which Came to
No End Looking TO Its Purchase
and PublicatiOn-A Gu
riOus History.
Louisville Commereial.

riOus History.
Louisville Commercial
According to the Associated Press
dispatches, there has been discovered
IN the possession of an Erie, Penn,
man copy OF the memoirs or scandal
Gus inner life Of King George w., for
the suppression Of which work the
British government has offered elO0O
Tor every existing copy. Ii was sup>
posed, and it is still generally believed,
that the only existing copy Of the yil>
famous volume Is Ia the possession Of
Judge Fontain 7. Fox, OF this city
Quite an interesting story is attached
10 the manner in which Judge Fox
obtained possession Of the book. In
1870 there came to this country from
London a man named Taylor, who
was classed as one of the best old
book men in the country. He wan
dered into John z. Morton Il Go. s
bookstore seeking employment, and
Mr.. Morton gave him corner of his
store in which to run an "old book"
stand, Judge Fox became one
Of Taylor's best customers, and
Taylor secured for the Judge
from England great many
valuable books that could not be had
in the United States. One day he
showed the Judge the work which the
British government is now endeayor>
ing to suppress, and asked him to buy
it, saying that the Judge would never
see another copy of it as long as he
lived. Taylor asked so much for it at
the time that Judge Fox refused to
buy it, and asked Taylor to lay it aside
and show it TO no one else that he
would see again 10 a day or two. The
work was in two volumes, the first Of
which was devoted to scandal Of King
Georges private lite, and the second
to political scandals Of his reign.
Judge Fox fnally concluded to pur-
chase the volume and he paid Taylor
some IS or Sl2 for it. Taylor would
never tell where he got the work, and
all the questions put to him by Judge
Fox concerning it were answered un.
satisfactorily. 10 1871 or ~ Taylor
died, and the firm OF Morton & 20.
wrote to London for information con-
corning him, but nothing could be
learned.
In 1865, when the report was circu
lated that the British government had
offered $1,000 for the then supposed,
only existing copy of the memoirs or
HE OF King George the Fourth, Judge
box let 1t become known that he had
the much priced copy. Tue news was
telegraped all over the country, and
then offers poured in upon the Judge
from all parts Of the globe. Frank
Plat, Of New York, offered $4,000
for It, Judge Fox replied to Mr.
Platt that he would accept the offer if
paid cash down. The Judge never
heard anything more from Mr.. Plat
The following dispatch was received
from Mr.. Medill, Of the Chicago Tri-
bune:
will you take two thousand pounds
sterling for the memoirs OF George
the Fourth 2 Answer.
S. j. MEDILL,
Managing Editor Tribune
Judge Fox answered that he would,
put lie never heard from Mr.. Medill
again. e
The following was received from st.
Louis.
will you entertain proposition to
repnblish memoirs OF George Nv.
GILBERT, Publisher.
Judge Fox wrote to Gilbert telling
him to make his proposition, but none
was ever made.
several other parties, supposed to
be agents Of the British government,
communicated with Judge Fox, but
no, definite understanding was ever
arrived at concerning the turning over
Of the book, and il Is still in J ado.
FOx's possession.
What do you value ii at21 asked
CommeTclaf reporter yesterday Of
Judge Fox. 81 7 - I ~, y
"0h, I'll take $1,000 for it, OF even
$500, replied the Judge. 1.-The book
is 50 full dragged scandal that | want
to get rid oft. 1t is not a fit associate
for my other books. But | don't
intend to either give or throw it
away 9lLlLLfl)lI fIL
Are you not afraid that a book OF
50 much value will be stolen from
your"
Il have it stored away along with
some other books, and no one but my
self knows where it is slowed"
us II genuine cory Of the work
which the British government sup
pressed"
oh yes, beyond doubt, and it has
been proved 80 to csrtiin Lcndon pub
fishers"
What do you think Of the copy
claimed 70 be in the possession Of the
u don't believe it Is a copy Of the
work at all Ny copy was undoubt-
eddy brought from London By the man
Taylor, and how he obtained posses.
sion Of it will always rem ain mystery.
but the supposttion is that newell, /
won't say what | was going to say. for
the poor fellow is dead now"