Chelmsford Public Library

Murder in the first-class carriage, the first Victorian railway killing, Kate Colquhoun

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 287-296) and index

maps

index present

non fiction

Murder in the first-class carriage

bibliography

706018486

Kate Colquhoun

the first Victorian railway killing

"In July 1864, Thomas Briggs was traveling home after visiting his niece and her husband for dinner. He boarded a first-class carriage on the 9:45 pm Hackney service of the North London railway. At Hackney, two bank clerks discovered blood in the seat cushions as well as on the floor, windows, and sides of the carriage. A bloodstained hat was found on the seat along with a broken link from a watch chain. The race to identify the killer and catch him as he fled on a boat to America was eagerly followed by the public on both sides of the Atlantic."--Publisher's website

An empty railway carriage -- City. All human life is here ; Saturday 9 July 1864 ; The Duckett's Canal Bridge ; Ferreting for detail ; Morbid, hideous, and delicious ; The smiling face of a murderer ; Something to astonish the public ; Improbable hypotheses ; Something to tell ; The wind blows fair ; Tuesday 19 July 1864 -- Voyage. Flying from justice ; A fabric built of straws ; Ninety in the shade ; Who but a madman? ; City of strangers ; The last person in the world ; No slipshod examination ; Gathering clouds ; Turning back ; The appearance of guilt ; A very public ordeal -- Judgements. I've come to tell the truth ; First judgement ; A pint of meat and vegetable soup ; The great Müller case ; The trial : first day ; The trial : second day ; The trial : third day ; The shadow of doubt ; Condemned for a thumbmark ; City of devils ; St Sepulchre's Bell -- Certainty