LIBELLING THE KING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1043, 4 February 1911, Page 5

LIBELLING THE KING.

MYLIUS'S antecedents; By Telecrarli-Press Association— Copyright London, February 2. MyliuSj who has been sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment for libelling the King, calls himself French, but tho police believe that he is a Greek. His family is well off. Ho has been in the habit of haranguing crowds in Hyde Park, preaching Republicanism. Later. It has been ascertained that Mylius is English. He was formerly a copyist in tho Civil Service. PREVIOUS REFUTATIONS OF THE SLANDER. ,r A LIE FROM BEGINNING TO END." Some seventeen years ago (writes the Auckland "Star") Mr. W. 'J\ Stead, that most indefatigable of latter-day journalists, conducted an investigation on his own account which satisfied him absolutely that there was not the least foundation for tho story regarding tho alleged Malta marriage. Ho had heard all the details of the romance minutely described on the authority. of "somebody's cousin/' who never materialised—tho csremony celebrated by an Anglican cl aplain in the presence of tho whole ship's' company, tho wedding profession* under tho crossed swords, tlio-delightful domestic life of the erring Prince and his victim; then the terrible shock of his hrother'-s death, tho command to marry Princess Mary, tho tears of his mother, the stern resolve of tire imperious old Queen', and then finally the banishment of tho Admiral's hapless daughter to somo secluded fastness in the wilds'of ' Scotland, where ultimately she died insane. It is a very complete .and circumstantial story, and Mr. Stead made up his mind, on public grounds, that it ought to bo. sifted to tho bottom. As usual, Mr. Stead went about his work in a very thoroughgoing fashion. He put the case, first, before Sir Henry Ponsonby, who was for so many years the confidential private secretary of Queen Victoria. The old courtier ridiculed the tale, but urged Mr. Stead to follow the story up instead of leaving it to future generations h worry over. Mr. Stead the& approach* od a distinguished member of tho peerage, and through him submitted to the then Prince of Wales, father of Prince George, a series of questions "precise, categorical, and covering the wholo ground from A to Z." From the Prince of Wales Mr Stead received "a most definite and emphatio repudiation of the whole story." Where, asked the Prince of Wales, was tho mai'riaee register? Who was tho clergyman? Would an Admiral tolerate the clandestine marriage of his da.uphter with a prince of tho blood in. defiance of the law, and'without the knowledge of the Prince's parents? The Prince of Wales pointed out .other inherent improbabilities in the tale, and ended by eivincr Mr. Stead his positive assurance that the story was 'fa lie from beginning to end. and also so ridiculous that it could not. impose upon anvbndy who had tho slightest knowledge of tho Royal Family nr tho Navv or the Church." But after Mr. Stead had satisfied himself, the Archhishjm of Canterbury took up the quest. The Primate, bein? callcd upon to marry Prinee George and Princess Marv. naturally felt compelled to oq into the mat-tor of the alleged Malta marriage: and his invosticratkns, in the eonr?? of which h* scoured tho evidence of nil the officers of the stationed at Malta it th* time, led him to this conclusion that "the yr>nn<? man had never been married before, that V.e had lived'an exemplarv Hfr>, thnt thc.wl'Me storv "Vmt thn o{ ouy children r«si»Hin«r from his nlle<*ed relations with Mi*« S was absolutely without foundation. There wero no such relations, morganatic, illegitimate, or otherwise, and there woro no children."