The past few weeks have busy if not increasingly hectic for me, and I have in hand an ever-growing amount of email that I’ve not replied to or to followed up on as I’ve agreed to. To remedy the situation, I think I’ll take this week on the blog to get catch up on as many of these as I can.

   Some of these have been inquiries, and if I’ve been able to answer, I have. Some I haven’t been able to answer, such as this from John Herrington, over in the UK:

Hi Steve,

    Once again a plea for help.

   I desperately need to find out if the New York Herald Tribune carried an obituary for one of its journalists who died in November 1935. Do you know anyone in New York who uses the library’s research resources who might be willing to have a look for me? The morgue for the paper is held at the Long island division of Queen’s library, though I can find no reference to it on their website.

   Many thanks,

         John

>> I asked John for more details, and (if I understand correctly) his question concerns a mystery novel that was (apparently) never published, but later became the subject of a court case brought by the author’s widow against publishers Ward Lock and Gilbert Collins.

   Here’s John again:

“Harold Elliot Scarborough committed suicide by jumping off the liner Bernegaria when it was off the Isle of Wight in November 1935. I have tracked down some information on him, but an obituary would be useful, and I am wondering if the Tribune carried an obituary.

    “I do have a local paper report on the suicide. Apparently Scarborough was seen to put his passport and wallet down on the deck of the liner before leaping overboard. At the time of the article his body had not been found. It also says he and his family were living in Hampstead.”

   If anyone’s in a position to help, please email me, and I’ll pass the word on to John, who can then provide you with more details.

   John has also asked me to repeat a similar request from him posted in late March. One tentative offer to help seems to have fallen through, thus this second posting:

    “I have been doing some research on the elusive Dorothy Feilding/A. Fielding and have discovered that papers relating to her are held in the collection of papers of UK literary agent A.P. Watt which are held in the library at Chapel Hill in North Carolina.

    “I asked the library but they are not willing to look themselves!! A pity as there might be vital clues about her. They suggested using a professional searcher, but I don’t want to pay up front for possibly a zero result – plus paying anyone might be difficult as I do not use credit cards.

    “Don’t suppose you know anyone who might have access to the library who might be willing to have a look?”