Deadly Swindle: An 1890 Murder in Backwoods Ontario That Gripped the World(Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History)

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.

Table of Contents:
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

About the Author :
Ian Radforth is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Toronto.

Review :
"Deadly Swindle is a true-crime story from late nineteenth-century Ontario, very well researched and told by historian Ian Radforth. The investment fraud and related murder were well covered in the local and international press. That coverage allows Radforth to paint a new picture of the Ontario of the day -a place where both frauds and personal violence were more common than current-day Canadians imagine."--Mariana Valverde, Professor Emeritus at the Centre for Criminology and Socio-legal Studies, University of Toronto "A rigorous, deeply researched retelling of one of Canada's most famous murder trials. In this great read, Ian Radforth excels with an enticing glimpse of a sociopathic accused, a ravenous press, and a fledgling legal system attempting to professionalize itself. His fascinating account unveils the tensions between young aristocratic English 'swells' and their uncertain reception in the farms and towns of Victorian Canada."--Constance Backhouse, Professor of Law, University of Ottawa "A meticulously researched, well-told account of an atypical murder that fascinated newspaper consumers in late Victorian Canada and beyond. Radforth clearly shows that the public's fascination with the personality of an accused murderer was not an invention of twentieth-century true-crime writing."--Greg Marquis, Professor of History and Politics, University of New Brunswick Saint John "Ian Radforth declares his book is a scholarly study, and its ample supply of footnotes on criminal justice historiography, media and cultural studies, class and gender analysis supports that assertion. However, this is no dry tome. A 'compelling story' of class on trial, the Birchall-Benwell case comes alive in Radforth's writerly hands as he leads the reader to discover its previously overlooked cultural, social, and political dimensions."--Carolyn Strange, Professor of History, Australian National University