The Washington herald., 1915-11-07
Lunatic and Murderer Who
Became Great Philologist

All the world knows the high estimate
placed upon the scholarship embodied In
the great English dictionary edited by
the late Sir James A. II. Murray; but
few suspect that this ambitious work
was made possible in its present excel
lence largely through the learning and
genius for lexicography OF a murderer
confined. during his period OF editorship
on the dictionary, In the Broadmoor
Criminal Lunatic Asylum. The facts, the
Literary Digest observes. have come out
/ in the Strand Magazine through Mr..
Hayden Church. who had the advantage
of intimate acquaintance with one OF
| the parties in the case and who knows
all the circumstances at first hand. Sir
James, II must be remembered, was en-
gagged for many years in editing this
portentously long and extremely minute
and detailed dictionary OF the English
language:
1T was Sir James Murray's custom.
whenever he was ready to start on a new
word land the genesis of a single one
mostly take up several pages In the New
English Dictionary. to send 1t out to all
of his army of volunteer readers. who
forthwith supplied the earliest possible
quotation which they could discover In
which the, word in question was used
Declined Invitation TO oxford.
when this had been going on for
time. Sir James discovered that some Of
the most valuable quotations that reach
ed him. together with some of the most
scholarly comments thereupon, were for
warded by a certain DIR. w. c. Minor,
who wrote from Crowthorne, small
village in Berkshire. This contributors
identity puzzled Sir James more than
little. the more so as he soon came TO
realize that the latter's knowledge OF
the subject of philology could not be far
behind his own. So much did Sir James
esteem the mysterious DIR. Minor, in fact.
that whenever he had completely finished
his analysis of the history OF any one
word. he was in the habit of sending the
full notes connected Herewith to his
correspondent In Crowthorne for his final
revision. which, more often than not, was
productive of some important addition or
exceedingly Illuminating criticism or
other comment.
For many months this went on. Even
tually, so much did Sir James feel him
self and oxford University in the debt Of
the mysterious savant (regarding whose
social status the distinguished leXico-
grapher could not make even a guess
that he one day approached the uni
versity heads and pointed out that II
would so he considered. be graceful
and well-mertted act on their part II an
invitation were sent to the Berkshire
savant asking him to be the guest Of
the university for a week. during which |
time every possible honor should be paid
to him
The university authorities readily |
agreed and Sir James sent his invita- |
ton. which was politely declined PuZ- |
zled by this refusal. he wrote again, and |
DIR. Minor. after stating that for physi- |
cal reasons he could not avail himself
of the proffeTed kindness. suggested that
DR.. Murray should visit him instead |
What was the scholars astonishment |
when the carriage sent for him took |
him to the insane asylum! A long inter |
view with the authorities of the asylum
revealed that the scholar who had sent |
nearly 5000 quotations TO the diction- |
AIRY had been arrested for murder. had
been acquitted on the plea of insanity. .
and was at the time an inmate of Broad !