V " DARKEST ENGLAND " SCHEME 307 



tion, and re-examination, during which no 

 suggestion had been made that he had ever 

 made the untrue statement now alleged against 

 him, he asked and received leave from the Judge 

 to make the following explanation, which I quote 

 from the official report : - 



" ' Will you allow me to explain a matter men- 

 tioned yesterday in reference to a question asked 

 by your Lordship some days ago with respect to 

 one matter connected with my conduct? Your 

 Lordship asked, I think it was Inspector Borner, 

 whether I had said to him at either of our inter- 

 views that the child was sold by her parents, and 

 he replied " No." That is quite correct ; I did 

 not say so to him, and what I wish to say now is 

 that I had been specially requested by Mr. Stead, 

 and had given him a promise, that I would not 

 under any circumstances divulge the fact of that 

 sale to any person which would make it at all 

 probable that any trouble would be brought upon 

 the persons who had taken part in this investiga- 

 tion.' (Central Criminal Court Reports, Vol. CIL, 

 part 612, pp. 1,035-6.) 



" In the daily papers of the following day this 

 statement was misreported as follows : 



" ' I wish to explain, in regard to your Lord- 

 ship's condemnation of my having said " No " to 



x 2 



