THE LEEDS MERCURY

Leeds, Yorkshire, England

23 September 1932

(page 5)

SUSPENDED BOOK.

ACTION AGAINST AUTHOR.

In the Vacation Court to-day, Mr. Justice Lawrence had before him a motion to restrain the further publication of a book entitled “Laughing Torso,” by Nina Hamnett, published by Messrs. Constable and Company, Ltd., and printed by Messrs. Charles Whittingham and Griggs, Ltd.

Mr. C. Gallop, on behalf of Mr. Edward Alexander Crowley, living at Abermarle Court, Piccadilly, an author, the plaintiff in the action, said “Laughing Torso” was the work of Miss Nina Hamnett, who was a defendant in the action. The other defendants were the publishers and printers.

Mr. Crowley was an author who wrote under the style of Aleister Crowley, and he complained of passages in the book, “and in particular,” said Mr. Gallop, “of passages which I have not the slightest intention of reading in this court, unless obliged to do so.

“INDECENT AND VULGAR.”

“As far as I have been able to gather this is a sort of autobiographical work, 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. Mr. Crowley has sworn an affidavit that only within recent days has his attention been drawn to passages in the book, and he denies that there is a word of truth in the book.”

The present motion was only for an interim injunction to restrain the further circulation of the book until the trial of the action, or further order, but in the action, Mr. Crowley asked for the delivery up of all available copies so they could be destroyed.

Mr. Upjohn, for the publishers and printers of the book, said within ten minutes of their being served with the writ and the notice of motion Messrs. Constable suspended its publication.

PUBLISHERS’ UNDERTAKING.

He was willing to give an undertaking not to continue publication until further order, and he hoped the matter might be disposed of without further troubling the court.

With regard to the printers, they had printed and delivered to Messrs. Constable all the copies it was proposed to print. As to the future sale of the book, he was instructed that it had not been proposed to issue a second edition.

Mr. Gallop: So far as the publishers and printers are concerned I am content with the undertaking.

Mr. Martin O’Connor, for Miss Hamnett, asked that the motion against her might stand over for a week, as the solicitor instructing him had only been consulted the previous day, and it was desired to have time to consider the matter.

“If a certain course cannot be taken with regard to substantial justification,” said Mr. O’Connor, “I could not resist the granting of an injunction.”

NO FURTHER SALE.

Mr. Justice Lawrence: If the publishers give the undertaking there will be no further sale of the book.

Mr. O’Connor said Miss Hamnett was not disposing of any copies and had none to dispose of.

Mr. Gallop said if the undertaking were forthcoming he had no objection to a week’s delay, and after further discussion Mr. Justice Lawrence said on the undertaking given the matter would stand over until October 5.