The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1915-10-02
THE BARD or AVON
Now It Is Alleged That Shake
speare Was IIliterate.
COULD NOT WRITE, 1T is SAID.
An Expert In Such Things Claims
That an Analysis Of tho Signatures
Left by shs immortal William strips
Him Of All Literary Credit.

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The question of who did write
Shakespeare" does not concern William
McConway, who has written mono.
graph on his Shakespeare theories, 50
much as could William Shakespeare
OF Stratford-on-Avon write at all3
Mr.. Conway Is convinced that, whoever
did write the plays, II was not the
bard OF Avon, so called. lie bases his
belief on evidence presented by GER
tain existing signatures made by vii.
liam Shakespeare and which seem 20
prove him to have been an iillterate
man.
Mr.. McConway admits that, though
so evidently illiterate. Shakespeare
possessed native ability. manifested by
his money getting faculties, and adds
the fact that as theatrical manager
Shakespeare secured 20 himself the
plays that he did and thus stamped
himself a competent man OF business
and judge of public taste But IN
regard to certain deficiencies exhibited
by his signature Mr.. McConway. after
having made study OF the character
istics of signatures, says:
observations Of the efforts aud per.
formances of illlterate men In the Ia.
borious production OF signatures has
led me to the conclusion that here was
a man ashamed OF his inability to
write. made so by his associations and
the rise In his condition OF life. seek.
Ing to cover bis intellectual nakedness
with a garment provided by a sympa.
thizing friend.
The sympathizing friend in this In.
stance 1oated into the Imagination In
the form OF some scrlvener who 'set
the copy so laboriously reproduced In
the form OF the signatures to the deed
and mortgage OF 1913 and TO tie will
of. 1916"
Mr. McConway refers TO the original
documents unearthed by Professor
Wallace In 1910, and his theory ~ that
the solicitor who drew up the.papers
OF the mortgage and OF the VIII IS the
man who made for Shakespeare a copy
OF his name, which the illiterate shnlie.
speare then followed in scrawIing. un.
certain imitation to make the sigma.
lures 10 the documents This saved
him from the humiliation OF having
TO make his X mark"
second document put In evidence
by Mr.. McConway is fragment re
iating to litigation In respect to Ger.
tain money interests IN the Globe the
alter. In this fragment appears, in two
places. the name "Wlm. Shakespeare"
written by the professional scrlvener |
who prepared the case. Mr.. McCOn. |
way points out that Shakespeare's own
signature appended Is a laborious imi-
tation. performed by a man who could
not read his chirography when he had
written II.
Mr.. McConway Is convinced that this
Icrivener is the man who made the
,opy which enabled "Willm. Shake.
peare' TO execute legal papers with
,ut the humiliation OF the * mark"
The rule OF legal procedure required
he evidence 10 be written out and
lgned by the witness before leaving
he presence OF the court
special attention Is called 10 this
ignature," says Mr.. McConway. "ns
Is much abbreviated The 'great
who had at his command,
s evidenced by his putatiye works, a
wealth OF words measuring FIVE times
he number gathered into the dlctiOn-
ry OF the time, uses but molety OF
he characters which he had been
nught to use as the Telegraph TO rep
esent his name.
1--WE are told that he was instructed Z
D appear later before the court for a .
urther examination. but the record no.
'here shows that he ever appeared. !
Though the other witnesses appeared
second time. Would they be consld- !
red cynical who might surmise that !
DO position In which Shakespeare Of !
tratford found himself when called !
pom TO attach his signature to the rec 4
ID In open court was one OF extreme Z
In that he could not 4
ithout some exposure OF ignorance Il
10 his copy TO guide his penr'-New Q
ork Sun. Il