Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the End of the World
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the End of the World is an article published in The Times on 3 july 1931.
The article is about a legal case connected with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle after his death: his executors and his son Denis Conan Doyle are seeking an injunction against the Sunday Express and Gilbert Wright, to prevent the reproduction of a document written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle two years before his death, concerning "the future and destiny of the world." The article contains three main parts:
- The legal case itself
- Extracts from Conan Doyle's document
- The legal arguments and the judgment
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the End of the World
Law Report, July 2
HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE CHANCERY DIVISION
SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE AND THE END OF THE WORLD
DOYLE v. WRIGHT
Before MR. JUSTICE CLAUSON
His LORDSHIP gave judgment for the plaintiffs and ordered the defendants to pay the agreed sun of £10 as damages in this action, in which Lady (Jean) Doyle and Mr. Denis Doyle, of Windlesham, Crowborough, Sussex, the executors of the will of the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who died on July 7, 1930, claimed an injunction to restrain the defendants, Mr. Sydney Fowler Wright and his son, Mr. Gilbert Wright, of Berrylands, Beaconsfield, Bucks, from reproducing or issuing, or authorizing the reproduction or issuing, to the public of a document written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about two years before his death with regard to the end of the world, and delivery up of all infringing copies of the document or damages for alleged conversion.
Mr. Galbraith, K.C., and Sir George Jones appeared for the plaintiffs; and Mr. Soskice for Mr. Gilbert Wright. Mr. Sydney Fowler Wright appeared in person.
Mr. GALBRAITH, in opening the case, said that the document written by the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was published in full in the Sunday Express on July 20, 1930. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, about two years before his death, sent the document, which was marked "confidential," to five or six of his friends setting out his views with regard to the end of the world.
The first defendant, Mr. S. F. Wright, had written a novel called "Deluge," the views in which, to some extent, coincided with the views in the document. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was unacquainted with Mr. S. F. Wright, wrote to him on November 16, 1927:—
- Dear Sir, — I reading your powerful novel "Deluge" with considerable amazement. The reason for this emotion is that. I have for some years had all this information given me in my own home circle by psychic means and that I have had at least 100 corroborations from circles all over the world. I could show you this evidence. The great wind, the flood, the Mediterranean subsidence. I have it all in the same order. too. I have not given details to the world for fear of panic, but I have hinted at it in public all I dared. What I want to know is where did you get it all? I could see you on Friday at 10, or we can correspond.
Towards the end of 1927 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sent the document which he had written to Mr. S. F. Wright, but it was not to be published or broadcast, as the document at the end said.
The defendants saw the editor and other representatives of the Sunday Express on July 9, 1930, and subsequently, and the whole document was published by that newspaper on July 20, and Mr. Gilbert Wright received 25 guineas.
EXTRACTS FROM THE DOCUMENT
The typewritten document contained the following extracts:—
"These various forecasts of the immediate future of the world should be used with the utmost discretion. We have, above all, to avoid sensationalism and undignified newspaper stunts. We have to remember that there have been alarms before which have come to nothing. Also that plans may always be modified either because there is some higher tribunal at the back which overrules, or because there is some change in the human situation.
"Still, if we make every possible allowance for these things, these warnings have come unsought and often unwelcome in many quarters, and are all roughly to the same effect. They have also been accompanied by a notable increase in the seismic activity of the world. ... It is impossible, in my opinion, not to take them seriously, for they represent in themselves a psychic phenomenon for which I know no parallel.
"Our circle seems to have been chosen as the clearing house for these messages. Some have been oral, but taking the whole series, it would not be an exaggeration to say that we have had 100 messages all independent of each other. But these must be taken as supplementary to our own direct information got during the last four or five years through my wife with the aid of my own control Pheneas. These cover in detail every phase of the predicted crisis. As to time, we never have had anything really definite in our own circle, such terms as 'soon' and 'very soon' being always used. ... My American cooperators, working with a proved and excellent medium, were told on January 8 that six months of preparation from that, date could be relied on. They did not say that that was an absolute minimum. We have ourselves always been given the autumn as the time of the year.
"It would entail a period of terrific natural convulsions during which a large portion of the human race would perish. Earthquakes of great severity, enormous tidal waves would seem to be the agents. There is mention of war, but that would appear to be only in the early stages and to be in some way the signal for the crisis. ...
"The following general details may be gathered that the crisis will come in an instant, that the general destruction and utter dislocation of civilized life will be beyond belief ... that the total period of the upheavals will be roughly three years; that the chief centres of disturbance will be the Eastern Mediterranean basin, where not less than five countries will entirely disappear.
"Also the Atlantic, where there will be a rise of land which will be a cause of those waves which will bring about great disasters upon the Americans, the Irish, and the Western European shore, involving all the low-lying British coasts. ...
"I repeat that I have no certainty over these events. I can but pass on what has been passed to me, but I would not take the responsibility of doing that if I were not. deeply impressed by the facts which have actually occurred. ... Let those hear who have an ear to hear, but let it not be broadcast."
Mr SOSKICE said that he did not propose to contest the action further and would submit to an injunction, but it would be necessary to cross-examine as to damages. The plaintiffs had already received 100 guineas as damages.
Mr. S. F. WRIGHT said that he should not mind an injunction, but the question was how the document reached the offices of the Sunday Express and who was primarily responsible.
Evidence was given by the news editor and the editor of the Sunday Express, the last-named stating that the article in question would have been withdrawn if any question of copyright had been raised. Mr. GALBRAITH said that he had agreed with Mr. Soskice that there should be nominal damages of £10.
JUDGMENT
MR. JUSTICE CLAUSON, in giving judgment, said that the plaintiffs claimed an injunction to restrain the defendants from reproducing or authorizing the reproduction of the type-written document emanating from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, marked confidential, and sent to the elder defendant. After the death of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Mr. G. Wright was in communication with the Sunday Express, and also his father, Mr. S. F. Wright, with a view to the publishing of something relating to views of the end of the world, to some extent common to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the elder defendant. Mr. S. F. Wright handed to his son the document in question, and the son took it to the Sunday Express. On Saturday, July 19, 1930, the defendants were at the office of the Sunday Express, and saw a proof of the article, and knew that it was to appear in that newspaper, and the following day it did so appear. The Sunday Express infringed the copyright of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or his executors in the document: but with that he (his Lordship) had nothing to do.
The question which he had to decide was whether the defendants authorized that infringement. It was clear that both of them did, and therefore the plaintiffs were entitled to an injunction. The son stated through his counsel that he would submit to an injunction. The father hesitated to accept an injunction because he was conscious that when he knew of the publication it was not present to his mind that the copyright was infringed.
As to damages, the plaintiffs had had some damages from the Sunday Express, and the defendants were prepared to pay £10. He would grant an injunction restraining the defendants and each of them from reproducing or issuing to the public or authorizing the reproducing or issuing to the public of the document, or otherwise disputing the plaintiffs' copyright, and there would be judgment against the defendants for £10 damages, and they would have to pay the costs.
Mr. SOSKICE said that his client desired him to say that when he first got the MSS. from his father he took it to the newspaper without reading it. Later he acted in an unbusiness-like way, for which he expressed regret.
Solicitors. — Messrs. Champness, Dale and Stretton, for Sir Robert Gower, Tunbridge Wells; Messrs. R. W. Cooper and Sons.
