South Yorkshire Times, Saturday December 22nd 1951

Tailpiece – Middle Name

He could neither read nor write, but when a distant relation left him a small fortune he acquired a cheque-book. Instead of signing his name on cheques he put two crosses, and the bank paid.

Then one day he handed the cashier a cheque signed with three crosses. “What’s this?” demanded the cashier. “You’ve put three crosses here.”

“I know,” was the reply, “but my wife’s got social ambitions. She says I must have a middle name.”