Morley Swingle to read at Mark Twain home

Morley Swingle, who classifies himself as a sort of Mark Twain aficionado, will be at the famed author's home in Hannibal, Mo., on Wednesday to share passages from his book, "Scoundrels to the Hoosegow."

Swingle, prosecuting attorney of Cape Girardeau County and author of two other books — "The Gold of Cape Girardeau" and "Bootheel Man" — will travel to he Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum to talk about "Scoundrels." The book gives accounts of 30 stories involving instances that he has encountered during his legal career.

"I am excited about going there," Swingle said. "He is my favorite writer of all time."

The lawyer/writer said Twain has always been a sort of hero to him. His daughter, Olivia, is named for Twain's wife. In the new book, Swingle makes 14 references to Mark Twain. And as he was deciding on the title of his book, Swingle said he searched for something with wit that he thought Twain would appreciate.

Swingle said he has used a passage from Twain's "Life On the Mississippi" in the courtroom. He had a defendant read a passage from the novel so that the jurors could get a sample of her voice. The jurors could then determine whether her voice matched a recording that was a piece of the evidence.

"While some guys like to play golf, I have always enjoyed writing," Swingle said.

"If I ever get to the point that I can support my family on writing alone, I plan to just write," Swingle said.

The event is free and open to the public. The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum is at 208 Hill St., Hannibal, Mo.