ISO JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



Shortly after his release from prison, Dr. 

 Shorthouse attended an Epsom meeting. He 

 came up to me in the little unsaddling enclosure. 

 " Is Sir Joseph here ? " he asked. " Yes," I 

 replied. ** I want to see him very particularly." 

 At that moment Sir Joseph, who had been stand- 

 ing at the top of the stairway leading down from 

 the Jockey Club Stand, began to descend the 

 steps. Dr. Shorthouse went to meet Sir Joseph 

 and raised his hat as he approached with a 

 marked display of politeness. I expected there 

 would be a row, but there was nothing of the 

 kind. The Doctor, I afterwards learned, told 

 Sir Joseph that he admired him as a man, declared 

 that few would have had the courage to take the 

 proceedings he did in defence of his good name, 

 and so on. Everybody in the enclosure was 

 watching the pair, and there was general astonish- 

 ment and satisfaction when they were seen to 

 shake hands. Henceforward they were the best 

 of friends. So ended an episode that was a 

 disgrace to journalism, but which served to reveal 

 in a striking way the strength of character of the 

 two men chiefly concerned. Sir Joseph did not 

 want Dr. Shorthouse to suffer imprisonment, 

 and tried his utmost to secure the defendant's 

 release after the trial. He personally appealed 

 to the Home Secretary to quash the sentence, 

 but without avail. 



Sir Joseph always held very decided views 



