The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1911-02-03
PUBLISHER JAILED
IN IONDjN BECAUSE
/ He PRINTED A LIBEL
DECLARED IN A NEWSPAPER
THAT KING GEORGE Is A
BlGAMIST.
REFUTES this AGED SCANDAL
Woman in Case swears She Was
Mere Child and Met King Only
Once-Father and Brothers Sub
stantiate-Tens Scene In Court.

Once-Father and Brothers Sub
stantiate-Tense Scene In Court.
LONDON, Feb. 1.-The report Oft
repeated that King George, while a
cadet in the royal navy, made NOR
ganatic alliance with the daughter of
Sir Michael Sulme Seymour, was civ
en- complete denial In the highest
court of England today.
Edward M. Myths, the local agent
and distributor of the Liberator, a Re.
publican paper published in Paris,
which revived this tale last Novem-
Der, was tried on charge of seditious
libel, promptly convicted and given a
maximum penalty Of Twelve months
Imprisonment.
In pronouncing sentence Lord Chief
Justice Alverstone said that the pun
ishment was inadequate for one who
had chosen weapon for a personal
attack upon his majesty from the use
of which every honorable man would
recoil.
The story Of the now exploded ro-
nance had been current for a long
time, but 1t became specially irritat-
ing to British sensibilities following
Georges accession. As published by
Edward H. James, editor Of the Lib
orator, 1t set forth that during the life
time of the Duke Of Clarence, his ED
est brother, and before George be-
came heir to the throne, the future
King visited Malta, where he fell in
love with and married Mary Elizabeth
Culme Seymour, eldest daughter of
the admiral, who was then stationed
at Malta as commanderin-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
1898.
The marriage records of the Island
of Malta were produced to prove that
no such marriage had been recorded
Admiral Sulme Seymour swore that
his two daughters, one of whom had
since died, never had had an opportu'
nifty to meet his majesty. The Ad.
miral's three sons gave similar ties.
timony, and finally the daughter in
question, who is now the wife Of Capt
D. Napier, entered the witness box
and declared that she had seen the
king but three times in her. life. On
the first occasion she was seven J ears
old. She saw him again at Ports
mouth, when he called upon her IA.
Their In 1898, eight years after the al
legged marriage, and once again at a
garden party in 1908, on which occas.
ion she did not have time to address
him.
Myths offered no testimony and did
not examine the crowns witnesses.
He confined his defense, which he
conducted himself, to technicalities,
asserting that he could not be legal.
ly tried in the absence Of his accuser.
The defendant is a small man and
was nearly hidden among the tall bar
risters representing the crown. When
he read long extracts from the law in
support IF his objections to the con-
duct Of the case his voice was scarce
ly audible. He was treated by Lord
Chief Justice Alverstone with the
greatest consideration, but when Sir
Rufus Isaacs, the attorney general,
who led the prosecution, made his
closing speech the prisoner was not
spared. His voice rising with pas
sion Sir Isaac pointed his finger at
Mylius and denounced him as the cir
culator of a base libel. The attorney
general concluded his appeal to the
jury by saying that It was not the
throne which required defense. but
that his majesty had sought the pro-
lection of the court az a man, hus-
band and father.