A. B. Piddington and W. H. Ifould correspondence relating to borrowing of Encylcopeadia Americana from library, 18 December 1934

MLMSS 9763

fonds

18 December 1934

1353302

0.01 metres of textual material (1 folder)

At the time this letter was written, W. H. Piddington was representing Czech journalist and communist Egon Kisch, who had just been sentenced to be deported after failing a ‘dictation test’ in Scottish Gaelic, and convicted of being a prohibited immigrant. Piddington argued a writ for Kisch’s release before the High Court on 17, 18, and 19 December 1934.

In his book ‘Australian landfall’ Kisch said of Piddington that he ‘could be a sketch by Dickens, a grey-haired old gentleman, thin as a rake, but inside him there burns a volcano, which soon will erupt and spit fire for four months.’

References:
Australian Dictionary of Biography http://adb.anu.edu.au/ (accessed 21 April 2016), and information provided by donor.

Letter on Northfield Chambers letterhead from A. B. Piddington asking W. H. Ifould to borrow the volume of Enyclopaedia Americana titled ‘Celtic Language and Literature’, and on same paper, response from W. H. Ifould declining to do so unless Piddington returns another book. On verso are handwritten notes from Piddington to himself, relating to dialect and language. Folder also contains explanatory notes from donor.

Copyright status:: In copyright - This collection has multiple rights owners
Research & study copies allowed: Applies only to material in which the author has been deceased for more than 50 years

Case citation R v Wilson ex parte Kisch (1934) 52 CLR 234