THE DAILY MAIL

London, England

23 September 1932

WOMAN'S BOOK STOPPED.

'LAUGHING TORSO.'

COUNSEL AND VULGARITY.

A book entitled "Laughing Torso," by Miss Nina Hamnett, which counsel described as indecent and vulgar, was the subject of a motion before Mr. Justice Lawrence in the Vacation Court yesterday.

Mr. Edward Alexander Crowley, an author, known as Aleister Crowley, of Albemarle-court, Piccadilly, W., sought an interim injunction against Messrs. Constable and Co., Ltd., publishers, and Messrs. Charles Whittingham and Griggs, Ltd., printers, to restrain further publication of the book. Miss Nina Hamnett was also a defendant.

Mr. C. Gallop, for Mr. Crowley, said he complained of passages in the book which he (Mr. Gallop) had not the slightest intention of reading in court unless obliged to do so.

"As far as I have been able to gather this is a sort of autobiographical work," he went on, "but it includes what I suppose are intended to be interesting anecdotes about a diversity of persons, and among them Mr. Crowley. There is not a word of truth in what is written. It is indecent, vulgar, and ignorant.

PUBLISHER'S PROMISE.

"I am instructed that this book has some vogue. The sale of the first edition has been exhausted or is in the process of exhaustion, and apparently there is in contemplation a second edition."

Mr. Upjohn, for the publishers and printers of the book, said that within ten minutes of being served with the writ and the notice of motion Messrs. Constable suspended its publication. He was willing to give an undertaking not to continue publication until further order. It had not been proposed to issue a second edition.

An order was made directing the motion to stand over until October 5.