Evening journal., 1911-02-01
One YEAR FOR
LTBELING KING
Anarchist Paper Revived Story
Of Georges Alleged Nor
N GanatiC Marriage
THERE WAS NO DEFENSE
OFFERED AT THE TRIAL

BY United Press Leased Special Wire.
LONDON, Feb. Edward +. My"
Illus was today found guilty in the
Kings Bench Court ON three charges
of criminal libel against King George
and was sentenced to one years i'm
prisonment.
Mylius' offense consisted in reviving
in the Liberator, an Anarchistic paper
nuhlished in Paris, of which he was
the London correspondent, the story
of the Kings alleged morganatic
marriage I'm Malta in 1890 to a daugh-
fer of Admiral Sir Michael Culme-
Seymour.
Following the sentencing Of Mylius,
Attorney-General Isaacs read this let
ter to the court:
81 am authorized by the King to
state publicly that he was never mar
ried to anyone except the present
Queen. The King would have at
tended the trial TO testify TO this ef-
feet II the law officers had not adyis-
ed that this course would have been
unconstitutional
AS authority for this letter, it was
signed by the King himself.
King George did not appear at the
trial. Attorney General Sir Rufus
Isaacs explained the Kings non-ap-
pearance by stating that his inca
pacity to be a witness was not mere
ly waivable privilege but consti-
tutional prohibition which he was un-
able to disregard, however much he
may have wished to.
No Foundation For Story.
The whole foundation of the oft-told
story of the morganatic marriage was
swept away by the testimony of Adj
miral Seymour himself. He testified
that he was assigned to the command
of the Malta feet in June, 1898, and
left England to assume command on
July 6, 1898, the same day on which
the King was married to Princess Vic
toria Nary, the present Queen. He de-
nicd that be or his family we're in
Malta at the time OF the alleged mar
riage.
The admiral testified that he re-
manned in Malta three years and thai
his wife and daughters visited hin
there each winter, the younger daugh
ter dying there in 1885.
''All this time my daughters saw thl
King, who was then the Duke OF York
only once, and that was at garden
party" Seymour said. 81 am sure tha
neither Of my daughters ever address
ed the King"
Mrs. Mary Grace Napier, the eldei
daughter of Seymour, corrobOrated he
fathers testimony. She swore that sh'
was never married but once and theI
to Captain Napier. Captain Napier. ac
cording to newspaper accounts of thu
alleged morganatic marriage appear
ing in 1899 was the assumed name o
the Duke OF York, but this Mrs. Napie
denied.
Sir Arthur Bigge, the Kings pri
vate secretary, testified perfunctoril,
that ne was a witness of the marriag
of the King and the Queen His testi
mony completed the Crowns case
Mylius refused to avail himself of tn
opportunity TO crOss-cxamine the wit
nesses. He had no witnesses Of hi
own and the testimony of Bigge thu
marked the end of the trial.
offered no Defense.
The utter collapse of the defens
made the rendition of the verdict littl
more than a formality. In sentencin
the prisoner, Lord Chief Justice Alver
stone censured him severely for hi
"wanton revel in such base libel"
Mylius received the sentence wit
apparent Indifference.
Mylius explained his refusal to OF
fer any defense on the ground tha
the absence OF the King made it i'm
possible for him TO present his cas-
adequately.
And then it would be no USE h
added. "Indisputable proof would
of no avail"