Lord Alfred Douglas to him in an article on Wilde. Douglas was either plaintiff or defendant in several trials for civil or criminal libel. In 1913 he was charged with libelling his father-in-law. Also in 1913 he accused Arthur Ransome of libelling him in his book "Oscar Wilde: A Critical Study". He saw this trial as a weapon against his enemy Ross, not understanding that Ross would not be called to give evidence. The court found in Ransome's favour and Douglas was bankrupted by the failed libel suit. Ransome did remove the offending passages from the second edition of his book. In the
David Douglas, Lord Reston David Douglas Bannerman David Douglas, Lord Reston Hon David Douglas, Lord Reston FRSE (24 July 1769 – 23 April 1819) was a Scottish judge and a cousin and the heir of Adam Smith. He was born on 24 July 1769, in Strathendry, the fifth and youngest son of Col. Robert Douglas of Strathendry (1716–1803) and Cecilia Craigie, daughter of Robert Craigie, Lord President of the Court of Session. He spent his later childhood with Adam Smith, who was a first cousin of his father, and received Smith's property, including his library, on his death. He attended Edinburgh High School (with