Jap Herron

Jap Herron is a book written by Missouri writer, Emily Grant Hutchings, that was published in the fall of 1917.

The story is first set in the little river village of Happy Hollow in Missouri during an unspecified time period after the Civil War.

A synopsis can be found here.

The novel is virtually unknown today, and would have been completely forgotten save for the story behind (and around, and after) it. Hutchings, along with spiritualist Lola Hays, claimed to have communicated with the spirit of Mark Twain via a Ouija board, and that it was actually Twain who wrote the book, post mortem.

The New York Times published a less than flattering review of Jap Herron on September 9, 1917. Shortly after, Twain's daughter Clara Clemens and Harper and Brothers publishers, who had owned the sole rights to Mark Twain's works for 17 years, went to court to halt the publication.

The newspapers followed the story for several weeks and expected a Supreme Court legal showdown but the case never went to trial. Mitchell Kennerley had taken on a position with the prestigious Anderson Galleries. Incorporated art auctioneers had no time or taste for a lawsuit. So Kennerley and Hutchings agreed to halt the distribution of the book and quietly withdraw the book from publication. Most of the copies were destroyed so copies are rare, especially those with the original dust jacket.

Here is more information about the Ouija Board Lawsuit.

The whole story can be found here.


 * Babies Ever After: The book ends with Jap's wife Isabel Granger giving birth to a baby boy she names Jasper William.
 * Gray Eyes: Jap.
 * Have a Gay Old Time: Jap was once a common nickname for Jasper.
 * Only Known by Their Nickname: The main character's real name is Jasper James Herron, but he's called "Jappie" sometimes, especially by Agnesia/Mabelle, and is best known by the nickname "Jap."
 * Redheaded Hero: The main character.
 * Unfortunate Name: Jap's sister, Agnesia changes her name to Mabelle after being called "Magnesia" by the villagers.
 * Youthful Freckles: The main character again.