STRANGE MYSTERY OF DR MINOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16519, 20 October 1915, Page 8

STRANGE MYSTERY OF DR MINOR.

MURDERER AS A DICTIONARY • '• MAKER. SIR J. MURRAY'S UNKNOWN \ HELPER. "Stranger than fiction" is n phrase often applied to the facts of real life, and in "The' Strange Case of Dr Minor," which appears in the September number of the Strand Magazine, a story is unfolded by Mr Hayden Church which indeed reads liko -a page torn from some sensational romance. The central figure is a Dr Minor, an American, who in 1872 was tried for the murder, by shooting with a rovqlvnr. of a stoker employed at the Lion Brewery, in Belvedere road, Lambeth.. The doctor had a'delusion that he was "a marked man."

'A trip to Europe was prescribed, and, supplied with exceptional letters of introduction —including one to John Ruskin, —he went to London, and took lodgings at Tenison street, Lambeth.' But he was unable to remove the impression that he was being -persecuted, and he made ropresntations to this effect to the .police, who, /recognising him to be mentally deranged, communicated with his relatives in America. TRIED FOR MURDER.-.

In the meant.'me, however, h'b_ had committed the murder for which he was tried before Lord Chief' Justice Bovill., Ho was defended by S.r (then Mr) Edward Clarke, and his mental state being established he Was ordered to be, detained during 'her Majesty's pleasure.

It was while under detention as a criminal lunatic, that he contributed largely to the material'from which the late Sir James Murray was then compiling hie monumental dictionary. The dramatic meeting between the two is toldi. in. the following extracts from the article:— , "Sir James discovered that some of the moat valuable quotations that reached him, together .with some of the most scholarly comments thereupon, were forwarded" by a certain Dr W. C. Minor, who wrote from Crowthorne, a small village in Berkshire. This contributor's identity 'puzzled Slir James more than a little, the more so as he soon came to realise, that the latter's knowledge of philology could not be -far behjnd his own.l So. much did Sir James esteem the mysfterious Dr 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 therewith to his correspondent m Crowthorne . for his final revision, which ? more often than not, was productive '• or' some- important" addition or exceedingly illuminating criticism •or 'other comment." . DRAMATIC MEETING. Sir James invited 'his unknown correspondent to be the guiest of the university for a week, but this was declined, arid he himself was asked to be tho. guest of Dr Minor for a. day or two. "Sir James, being by this time overpoweringly curious as to his correspondent's identity, promptly accepted the prdpositionj and, a few days later, took train for Crowthorne. After a journey of a' couple of hours he arrived at the nearest railway station thereto—namely, Wellington Col-, lege—iand was met .by a liveried servant, who. asked if he were Dr-Murray,.'arid on receiving' an affirmative answer, explained that he came from Dr Minor, and led.the way to a handsome brougham drawn, by two fine horses, which was waiting near at hand. Sir James entered the brougham, and after a ride of a couple of miles found himself being driven into the courtyard of. a huge brick building of a forbidding-ap-pearance, .as to whose character he could not even make a surmise.

" ' Have the kindness to follow me,' said the servant, and he straightway, conducted the puzzled savant up a gloomy staircase and through'', a* corridor, ushering him eventually into-a well-appointed private office, at which a man of _ unmistakably official appearance was sitting at*a desk. The latter promptly arose and greeted his visitor with impressive politeness. 'Dr Minor, I ; presume?' ventured the puzzled philologist: 'No; Dr Murray,' replied the unknown; 'I am not Dr Minor, but L he is here; and," meanwhile, I don't suppose you have theslightest idea where you are. This is Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, and I am the governor.' " - < After narrating the startling details concerning Dr Minor, the governor introduced Sir James to him, and at'the end of the interview Dr Minor promised to continue to the best of his ability his work for the dictionary. Di* Minor is still alive in America. -.-'-. Sir Edward Clarke tells Mr \ Church that Dr Minor remained in Broadmoor for nearly 25 years, and then, largely in order that iic might, carry on his 'work-for Sir James Murray under the best possible auspices, 'he was taken to the great privates sanatorium at Virginia Water, where; he had bis library and was extremely .comfortable. "Several yearis ago, in the preface .to the dictionary," adds Mr Church.. " Sir James placed it on record' that Dr Minor sent in- ' betweeri 5000 and £000 quotations.' "