
Deadly Swindle
An 1890 Murder in Backwoods Ontario That Gripped the World
Ian Radforth(Author)
University of Toronto Press
Published on 8. October 2024
Book
Hardback
314 pages
978-1-4875-6023-2 (ISBN)
Description
In February 1890, in a remote swamp in rural southwestern Ontario, two woodsmen discovered the frozen body of a well-dressed young stranger killed by two bullets to the back of the head. Before long, police laid a murder charge on Reginald Birchall, a handsome young gentleman from London just arrived in Canada to conduct an emigration scam. Although accused of the cold-blooded murder, Birchall charmed everyone he met and delighted in the attention lavished by the press of Canada, the United States, and Britain. In Deadly Swindle, Ian Radforth tells the fascinating story of one of Canada's most sensational murder cases and shows how the regional and international press ran with it.
The book draws an intriguing picture of social life in late nineteenth-century Canada, as well as a vivid and learned portrait of the workings of the criminal justice system at this time in the country's history. A lively narrative, Deadly Swindle is based on extensive research, notably in Victorian newspapers, and is strengthened by a thorough knowledge of press history and the legal processes of the day.
The book draws an intriguing picture of social life in late nineteenth-century Canada, as well as a vivid and learned portrait of the workings of the criminal justice system at this time in the country's history. A lively narrative, Deadly Swindle is based on extensive research, notably in Victorian newspapers, and is strengthened by a thorough knowledge of press history and the legal processes of the day.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
517 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4875-6023-2 (9781487560232)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Ian Radforth is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Toronto.
Content
List of Principal Characters in the Benwell-Birchall Case
1. Introduction
2. The Murder Mystery
3. Arrests at Niagara
4. The Net Tightens
5. In Woodstock
6. Pelly's Story
7. The Great Detective?
8. The Trial Begins
9. The Defence and Conclusion
10. Aftermath of the Trial
11. Birchall's Own Story
12. Pleading for Mercy
13. The Hanging
14. A Compelling Story
Epilogue
1. Introduction
2. The Murder Mystery
3. Arrests at Niagara
4. The Net Tightens
5. In Woodstock
6. Pelly's Story
7. The Great Detective?
8. The Trial Begins
9. The Defence and Conclusion
10. Aftermath of the Trial
11. Birchall's Own Story
12. Pleading for Mercy
13. The Hanging
14. A Compelling Story
Epilogue