The Smith family was very proud that their ancestors had come over on the Mayflower, so they hired best-selling author Frank McCourt to research and write a book about their family history.

Horror of horrors! They discovered that great Uncle Fess had died in the electric chair for committing a murder. They were devastated.

They didn't want that in the book, but they didn't want to leave him out either.

McCourt said, "Leave it to me."

When the book came out, the section about Uncle Fess read like this: "He was a man who occupied a great seat. He was attached to his position very firmly. His death came as a great shock."