Beware of False News

I have always known that you should not believe everything you read in the newspapers. Here below is a story that illustrates this and it is a warning to family historians that you should always try to double check your facts.

While looking through some American Newspapers this week I was rather surprised to come across the following item of news reporting the death of Dion Titheradge, the famous actor and playwright. I was surprised because the year of the article was 1918 and I knew Dion died on 16 November 1934.

Boston Globe 20 January 1918

“Dion Titheridge, brother of Madge Titheridge and well known to the speaking stage and the screen, was killed in action while serving in the British Army somewhere on the French front. Titheridge had a long stage experience, and appeared with Triangle in many productions. His last release was “The Whip” in which he acts the role of the jockey, a part he played on the speaking stage.”

And the same story appeared a few days later in another American paper.

Middletown Times Press on 2 February 1918

“Dion Titheridge who was a brother of Madge Titheridge, noted actress, died in the service of the British army. He acted with Sir Beerbohm Tree at His Majesty’s Theatre in London, and with Laurette Taylor in one of her noted productions. He also played with Triangle forces. A letter from him was received at the Triangle Culver City studios a few days before his death.”

As I knew Dion died in 1934 I knew these two articles had to be “false news”. In World War 1 Dion was in the British Army, in The Royal Field Artillery. However, he did not leave England until June 1918 when he was posted to Salonika. In February 1918 his army records show he was in Bulford Camp on Salisbury Plain in England.

It is hard to know how the story started since Dion was not in France so the story could not have arisen due the confusion of battle. It is unlikely that he was confused with another individual with a similar name since there were no other Titheridge or Titheradge whose first name begins with D; no one with the surname who was killed in the early months of 1918, and no one else with the family name with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

It would appear that similar articles did not appear in English or Australian newspapers.  The American newspapers also spelt his surname incorrectly using "idge" instead of "adge".

The reports in the American newspapers were eventually corrected on 26 January 1918 by the New York Times under the headline

Dion Titheradge Not Killed in War

“Reports published several weeks ago that Dion Titheradge, the actor, had been killed in France are now declared to have been unfounded. Friends of Titheradge last night received a cablegram from the Eccentric Club, London in which it was declared that the actor was well and uninjured. Titheradge last acted with Laurette Taylor in “The Harp of Life”


So, a happy ending to the story but a warning to family historians – Don’t believe everything you read