Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-01
ACCUSED HIM OF BIGAMY
French Papers Charge Disproved by
Admiral Seymour's Testimony.
HIS MAJESTY NOT IN COURT
Prosecution "Not to Defend Mon
archy, But to Protect a Husband
and Father"

| LONDON, February 1.-After brief pro-
ceedings today a special jury before Lord
Chief Justice Alverstone cleared King
George of imputations against his per-
sonal character by finding Edward +
Myths guilty of circulating libel.
Mylius was sentenced to one years i'm
prisonment
After sentence had been passed, Sir
Rufus Isaacs. the attorney general. read
| a letter signed by King George and au-
| thorizing the attorney general to state
| publicly that the writer had never been
| married except to Queen Mary; had
never gone through a ceremony of mar
! riage except with the queen. and that he
would have attended the proceedings TO
| give evidence to this effect except for the
advice Of the law officers of the crown
that it would be unconstitutional for him
| to do SO.
The Charge Against Myths.
Myths was charged with distributing in
England copies of the Liberator, a Paris
| publication edited by Edward III. James,
and in " hich it was alleged that his mai
| esty while Prince of Wales had con-
| tracted a morganatic marriage with the
elder daughter of Admiral Sir Michael
Seymour at Malta in 1890
The crown called the admiral as a wit
ness, and he testified that the daughter
in question. now the wife of Capt Napier
of the British navy, had never seen his
majesty until 1898. when the king called
upon the witness at Portsmouth. His
only other daughter died in 1895, and for
three years preceding her death had been
with her father at Malta. where lie was
commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean
squadron. : re king had not visited Malta
while his daughters were there, and the
younger daughter had never spoken to
him.
Admiral's Daughter Testifies.
Admiral Seymour was followed in the
witness box by his daughter, Mrs. Napier.
She testified that she married Capt.
Napier in 1899 and had never been mar
ried previously. She had seen the king
when he was a cadet on the training ship
Britannia in 1879, when she was seven
years Of age She had seen him again at
Portsmouth in 1893. and also saw him at
a garden party in 1903, but did not speak
to him. Her first visit to Malta was five
months after King George and Queen
Mary were married.
The admirars three sons were also
called, and all swore that neither of their
sisters had been at Malta previous to
1893
Books Of the admiralty were placed in
evidence to prove that the Prince of
Wales had not held an appointment on
any ship which went to Malta between
October. 1883. and July, 1888. The mar
riage registers of Malta were produced,
and they showed that no one by the
name of Seymour had been married there
between 1855 and 1908. This closed the
case for the prosecution.
The prosecution was conducted by Sir
Rufus Isaacs, the attorney general, as
sisted by Sir John A. Simon, solicitor
general, and Attorneys Roylatt and Muir.
Conducted His Own Defense.
Myths had no counsel looking after
his own defense. He depended chiefly
on the assertion that private papers that
might be used against him had been un-
lawfully seized and he demanded their
return. This was refused
The defendant had also sought to nave
the king suhpOenaed as a witness but
this refused on constitutional
grounds. He then demanded the kings
presence in the courtroom. asserting
that he could not be legally tried in the
absence of his accuser Lord Chief Jus
tice Alverstone again ruled against the
defendant, declaring that the defendant
knew perfectly we'll that under the con-
otituaiO1 1iio IHdJCSty cOulu not De
present.
In dramatic speech Sir Rufus char
acteriZed the story Of the morganatic
marriage as absolutely false, regretted
that his majesty was not permitted to
personally facA his slanderers. and con-
Guided with the declaration that the suit
had not been brought to protect the mon
archy, but that King George had sought
the protection of the court as man. a
husband, and a father.
IT did not take the iury ,onU =, ca
Myths guilty Of circulating a libel. and
the court forthwith condemned him to
one years imprisonment.
Revived an Old Story.
The Liberator Is a small sheet pub
lished In Paris, Its editor being Edward
II. James. who formerly was a legal
practitioner in the United States.
copy Of this paper circulated in this
country contained alleged seditfous
statements and revived the story. which
the Archbishop Of Canterbury once de-
MED from the pulpit, to the effect thu,
his majesty, while Prince of Wales.
contracted Il morganatic marriage wiz
the daughter of a British admiral -
Malta.
1t is assumed that the government.
took this unusual step in bringing the
present proceedings less to p,,nisS ~
author and circulator of statemants
and opinions offensive to the crows
than to set at rest for all time tha
story Immediately involving the person
of the king.
The public was admitted to tho
courtroom. but the police took ever,
precaution to bar suspicious characterS
Among the notables present was IIona
Secretary Winston Churchill.
Demands His Private Papers.
After the formalities Of opening the
proceedings were concluded, MyIius he.
gan his case by demanding the return =,
his private letters. which he asserted had
been seized in gross violation of his leca,
rights. He then said:
II wish to ask whether the king !.
present. / demand his presence because
every accused person has the right n
be confronted by his accuser, and. sec.
ondly, because in q libel action the prose-
cutor must be in court in order that the
defendant may see him. and. thirdly, be-