Hoax's End

What began as a grand and intricate caper, a hoax of hoaxes hatched on a Spanish island, ended last week in two Manhattan courtrooms. Author Clifford Irving, his wife Edith and Researcher Richard Suskind were sentenced to jail terms for fabricating an autobiography of Howard Hughes and selling it to the McGraw-Hill Book Co. for $750,000. In a federal court, Irving was given 30 months, Edith two months, with Edith going to jail first so that their two children will not be deprived of both parents at one time. Suskind, who helped with the research on the bogus manuscript, got six months in a state court. The trio has returned none of the money paid to them by McGraw-Hill, and are obligated to repay the $766,000, which includes expenses, that the company says is owed them. In addition, each of the Irvings was fined $10,000. Presumably Irving still intends to pay for his folly by writing a book about how the threesome did their nonbook. Thirty months should be plenty of time.

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