The Fannish Case of Ashworth v Lindsay

The Fannish Case of Ashworth v Lindsay was a 14-page one-shot fanzine published by Mal Ashworth in March 1955 for distribution as a post-mailing to OMPA #3.

The dramatis personae were:

• Mr Mal Ashworth – Plaintiff (you may hiss!)
• Miss Ethel Lindsay – Defendant (you may cheer!)
• Mr Byron Terence Jeeves – Lawyer for the Defence.
• Mr Barry S.T.E.R Attlaw – Lawyer for the-Prosecution
• Case judged by Lord Chief Justice Charles Randolph Harris

The 'case' was based on a letter from Ashworth published in Hyphen #10 (September 1954):

For instance even your organisation had no man on the spot when Ethel Lindsay perpetrated the most serious affront to the honour of a Trufan since fandom failed to raise the 20000 snakes needed for Bloch's planned reception of you in Chicago two years ago.

This Grave Incident occurred on the Sunday evening [of Supermancon shortly after I had left. It seems that Ina Shorrock told Ethel about BEM's subscription rate for attractive young females — to wit one photo of self in a bikini. A genuine offer. Ethel naturally decided to avail herself of the opportunity and, digging out one such photo, went in search of me. She found what she thought was me and opened negotiations by proffering her photograph... It appears that the creature reeled away, gibbering unintelligibly. It also appears – and this is where the story steps over from light amusement to sheer gothic horror – that the creature was... BURGESS! It was two weeks after the Con that I first learned the devastating truth. But I am recuperating quite satisfactorily in the circumstances and and I even have hopes that I shall be completely fit again in time for next year's Convention. A pity about Ethel too; she was a nice girl and I don't think that life in a Siberian salt-mine is going to suit her temperament.

• The Fannish Case of Ashworth v Lindsay online at fanac.org.

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Publication

1955

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