ABSTRACT
This tale of Major George Strangwayes is the longest and most detailed in this collection. As shown by the quality of writing; biblical, classical, and Latin references; and the poetic lines that end the chapbook, it is also one of the most erudite stories, likely written by a member of the gentry order to reveal the actions of one of their own. Strangwayes’ estate was rented by his sister, Mabel, who borrowed a sum of money from him to stock and operate the farm, a loan Strangwayes was happy to provide because he expected to inherit his sister’s property and wished to see it improved. All went well until Mabel decided to marry John Fussel, who would therefore inherit her chattel property; she then denied her debt to Strangwayes, which compelled him to consider a legal remedy. Feeling that he could not succeed in court because Fussel was a talented attorney, Strangwayes killed his brother-in-law by shooting him through the window of his London lodging. In comparison to most of the other murderers in this collection, who are likened to uncivil, subhuman creatures, this author treats Strangwayes with a great deal more courtesy and empathy than is common in the crime chapbook genre. He describes Strangwayes as a gentleman of “honour and gallantry”, who had a “brave and generous soul” and a “stout and active body”. The author is also sympathetic to the fact that Strangwayes had been aggrieved by his sister and was not receiving fair treatment at law because of Fussel’s profession, factors that helped to explain why George was forced to commit his crime. Even Strangwayes’s death, which took only eight or ten minutes of pressing (it was usual for this to take hours or even days), is described as merciful, and the author believes that despite his crime Strangwayes will receive God’s grace and salvation. In this chapbook, we are also introduced to the considerable effort sometimes undertaken by the coroner’s inquest to bring a murderer to justice.
