The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-02-04
CONVICTED OF LIDEL|NG KING.
IMPRISONMENT FOR ACCUsER OF
BRITISH MONARCH.
One Year Sentence for Man Found
Guilty of Circulating Paper Con-
tanning story OF Alleged Morgan
attic Marriage OF George " to Eng
iish Admlral's Daughter--King Re-
grets Law Prevents Him from Ap-
pesring Personally and Testifying.

grets Law Prevents Him from Ap-
pesring Personally and Tcstifying.
London. Feb. 1.-The report oft re-
peated that King George. while a ca
det In the royal navy. made a NOR
ganatic alliance with the daughter Of
Sir Michael Culme Seymour. was Civ
ven complete official denial In The
highest Court OF England today. Ed
ward +. Mylius the local agent and
distributor OF the Liberator. a Re-
publican paper. published In Paris.
which revived the tale last November.
was tried on a charge OF seditious IL
bel. promptly convicted and given a
maximum penalty OF twelve ,nths'
Imprisonment.
In pronourcing sentence Lord Chief
Justice Alverstone said that the pun
ishment was inadequate for one who
had chosen weapon for q personal
attack upon his Majesty. from the use
Of which every honorable man would
recoil. The story OF the now ex-
pioded romance had been current for
a long time.. -but IL became specially
Irritating TO British sensibilities fol-
lowing King Georges accession.
As published by Edward II. James.
editor Of the Liberator. it set forth
that during tho life Of the Duke Of
Clarence. his eldest brother. and be-
fore George became heir to the
throne. the future King visited Malta,
where he fell In love with and mar
ried Mary Elizabeth Culme-Seymour,
eldest daughter OF the admiral, who
was then stationed at Malta as COM
mander-in-chief of the Mediterranean
squadron. This was supposed to be
In 1890; but the admiralty records
showed that the King did not hold an
appointment on any ship that visited
Malta between the fall of 1888 and
the summer Of 1893. The marriage
records OF the Island OF Malta were
produced to prove that no such mar
riage had been recorded.
Admiral Culme-Seymour swore that
his two daughters. one OF whom had
since died. never had had an oppor-
tunity to meet his Majesty. The Ad-
mirafs three sons gave similar testi-
mony. and finally the daughter in
question. who Is now the wife Of
Capt ~. Napier. entered the box and
declared that she had seen the King
but three times In her life.
Mylius offered no testimony and
did not examine the Crowns witnesses.
He confined his defence, which he con-
Quoted himself. to technicaiities, as
serting In the absence OF his ac-
cuser.
Sir Rufus Isaac. the Attorney Gen.
eral who led the prosecution In his
closing speech. denounced the de-
fendant as the circulator OF a base
libel. The Attorney General conciud-
cd MS appear To the jury by saying
that IL was not the Throne VIII. IN re-
quired defence. but that his Majesty
had sought the protection OF the
Court as a man. husband and father.
The proceedings came to a dra-
matte close. when. after sentence had
been pronounced. Sir Rufus read a
letter from King George in which the
writer set forth that only the advice
OF the officers OF the Crown had pre-
vented him from appearing personally
In the Court room and publicly brand
ing as untrue the allegation that ne
had ever entered into any marriage
alliance other than that contracted
with Queen Mary.