Triple Gallows at Newgate: The Shocking Crimes Behind the 1896 Hanging | Scotland Yard Casebook
News of the Times | Episode 573| 1896
In June 1896, a grim crowd gathered outside Newgate Prison for a rare and chilling spectacle: three men hanged side by side, their fates sealed by two of the most brutal murder cases in Victorian London.

This episode dives deep into the shocking crimes that led to that triple execution:

🗝️ Muswell Hill: The savage killing of 79-year-old Henry Smith, a reclusive engineer who wired his garden with explosives and dined at ten.
🔨 Turner Street, Whitechapel: A violent rooftop escape, a double murder, and a criminal so brazen he nearly flattened a child in his flight from justice.

From ingenious burglar alarms and dark lanterns to courtroom betrayals and rooftop plunges, we follow Scotland Yard’s relentless pursuit across counties — and through some of the bloodiest pages of the 1890s press.

📜 Featuring rare newspaper sources, forensics from the dawn of modern policing, and a finale worthy of a gothic novel — this is Victorian crime as you’ve never heard it.

🎩 FURTHER PARTICULARS
Also in this episode:
A retired greengrocer seeks peace, quiet, and boiled vegetables.
Instead, he gets a pawned shawl, a hostage chair, and a surprise marriage proposal.

He came for lodgings. She came for commitment.
Someone’s not getting their sideboard back.

📚 Subscribe for three new historical crime stories every week — or join us on Patreon for ad-free access to hundreds more:
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👤 Narrated by Robin Coles

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday

📚 Related cases from the archive:
1896: Amelia Dyer - The Ogress of Reading | Ep93
https://youtu.be/-jYmy7tyowc

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🕯 About the Channel
We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrators specialising in 18th to early 20th century British true crime. Each episode is based entirely on archival material — from coroners’ in

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Too Drunk to Hang? The Brutal 1909 Murder That Changed British Law
News of the Times | Episode 572 |1909
In this gripping true crime episode, we head to the shadowy backstreets of Edwardian Leeds to uncover the harrowing case of Thomas Mead, a gasworker whose drunken, brutal attack on his partner Clara Howell shocked the nation — and forever altered British legal history.

When Mead claimed he was “too drunk to form intent,” the courts were faced with a pressing question: can murder be excused by drink?
The result? A landmark ruling in R v Mead (1909) that helped close a long-abused legal loophole — the so-called drink defence.

Was it rage? Was it the bottle? Or was it the end of the line for “I didn’t mean to” as a courtroom strategy?

🕰️ Join us as we explore:
A chilling crime scene concealed with old rugs
A killer who couldn't stop confessing — with increasing bravado
And a court case that became a legal turning point for crimes committed under the influence

🔍 Plus — in today's Further Particulars:
A moonlit walk, a suspiciously firm handshake, and the most humiliating proposal in County Durham.
Yes, it’s the Victorian romance that wasn’t — featuring Gentle Johnny, one “fine-looking girl,” and a final twist that left the whole village howling. Bring your own shawlet.

📌 Like, subscribe, and share with that one friend who hoards Edwardian newspaper clippings and corrects courtroom dramas for fun.
Help us thwart the YouTube algorithm — which, much like Thomas Mead, doesn't take criticism well unless it’s delivered with numbers.

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🕯️ News of the Times
Presented by Robin Coles —
Assistant Keeper of the Gavel Wax,
Deputy Sub-Inspector of Improper Bonnets,
and Honorary Secretary to the Society for the Prevention of Overly Dramatic Elopements.

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🔪 Six Failed Attempts to Kill His Mother-in-Law | The Spitalfields Hatchet Attack of 1874
News of the Times | Episode 571| 1874
Notorious November

London, 1874. A quiet Spitalfields lodging. A knock at the door. And a furious son-in-law armed with a pistol, a hatchet, a knife, a shoemaker’s last, a bag of stones, and — why not — some gunpowder for flair.

What followed was one of the most bizarre and dogged murder attempts ever committed in Victorian England. George French tried six separate times to kill his mother-in-law — and failed every single one.

In this darkly absurd episode of News of the Times, we dive into a case that scandalised the papers and baffled the courts. From misfiring pistols to blunt-force absurdity, it’s a tale of revenge, resilience, and wildly incompetent villainy.

⚖️ Featuring:
Inspector Abberline (yes, that Abberline — of Ripper fame)
A pistol loaded with a stone
A heroic shoemaker named Orton
A mother-in-law who refused to die politely

🎩 Further Particulars Teaser:
And if you think your vegetables are simply salad ingredients, you may want to think again.

In Monmouth, 1833, a turnip mysteriously resembling a local murder suspect’s severed hand was discovered growing in a field.
Coincidence? Or the first known vegetable-based witness statement?

Either way — check your root cellar.

👤 Narrated by Robin Coles

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday

📚 Related cases from the archive:
1874: FRANCE Murderous Mother Daughter Love Triangle | EP377
https://youtu.be/22HllMIaXH4
1874: The Case of the Vengeful Grandmother | EP489
https://youtu.be/DTRHrVKn1SE
1874: The Baffling Case of Margaret Ball - Found Hanging — But Did He Kill Her? | EP527
https://youtu.be/qFitIfeXqDI

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🕯 About the Channel
We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrators specialising in

Hear about our ad-free archive on Patreon – 650+ episodes and counting! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/c/NewsoftheTimesHistoricalCrime

Fancy a chuckle between corpses? Discover our first lovingly illustrated volume of wildly unreliable memoirs.

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Found Headless on the Marshes: Scotland Yard Casebook 1865
News of the Times | Episode 570| 1865
Welcome to another chilling episode of News of the Times.

In 1865, a gruesome discovery on the Plaistow Marshes stunned Victorian London: a man’s headless body, dumped in the reeds — his head buried nearby in a shallow grave. The case would soon unravel into an international mystery of betrayal, greed, and grim disposal methods, involving a heavy-set Prussian, a suspicious German companion, and two locked boxes hiding grim secrets.

⚖️ Was it cold-blooded murder? Or a calculated plot that spiralled out of control?

In this episode:
The shocking crime scene that drew thousands to an East End hotel
The eerie clues uncovered in the marshes — from a bloody hatchet handle to a discarded white-handled knife

The suspects' descent into suspicion, and the trial that captivated the public

A community left reeling, and a crime that has haunted the area for generations

🕯️ Step into the gaslit streets and eerie marshes of 1860s East London, where not all those who vanish stay buried…

👻 And in today’s Further Particulars…
As if Victorian true crime wasn’t theatrical enough — we’re off to Covent Garden, where the lights were low, the waltz was in full swing, and the only thing more shocking than the price of champagne… was the ghost in full armour who decided to join the party.

Yes — not your usual moaning hallway phantom. This one hovered across the dancefloor like Siegfried on a celestial zipline, causing the conductor to drop his baton and the drummer to question his life choices.

Because nothing says sophisticated London evening like a haunted opera house and a ghost in metalwork.
Do stay tuned… 🎭🕯️🫖👻

👤 Narrated by Robin Coles

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday
🎞️ Long-form historical crime compilations: Final Sunday of every month

❤️ Support Independent History
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🕯 About the Channel
We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrators specialising in 18th to early 20th century British true c

Hear about our ad-free archive on Patreon – 650+ episodes and counting! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/c/NewsoftheTimesHistoricalCrime

Fancy a chuckle between corpses? Discover our first lovingly illustrated volume of wildly unreliable memoirs.

Grab it here: https://ko-fi.com/s/b406f6f11e

Support us on Patreon for ad-free early access and exclusive bonus episodes.

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The Dundry Hill Murder: The Wedmore Brothers and the Death of Sarah Waterman, 1861
News of the Times | Episode 569 | 1861
In the winter of 1861, a savage crime shocked the quiet hills near Bristol.

George and Sarah Waterman, an elderly couple known for their quiet life and kindness, were attacked in their own cottage — ambushed by two masked men. The intruders came armed, posing as a local policeman to gain entry, and what followed was a scene of unimaginable brutality.

Sarah Waterman was left with her skull nearly shattered. George, bloodied and barely alive, was tied to a bacon rack and left to die.

The twist? The attackers were not strangers. They were family.

This is the chilling case of the Wedmore brothers — Charles and Matthew — whose descent into greed and violence ended with a double hanging that drew thousands to the prison yard at Taunton.

It’s a tale of rural isolation, broken kinship, and justice that came only after one of the most appalling home invasions of the Victorian age.

🕯️ And in tonight’s Further Particulars…
A devil in white. Rubber trousers. A glowing turnip. And a cry of “chick, chick.”

In 1867 Broughty Ferry, terror had a new name — Spring Legs. Part ghost, part gymnast, and part candle-powered performance artist, he leapt through gardens, haunted windows… and met his match in a well-aimed flowerpot.

Some say he was possessed. Others say he was just… Scottish.😉

👤 Narrated by Robin Coles

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday

📚 Related cases from the archive:
1868: The Body in the Cupboard: A Mystery That Baffled Victorian London | EP528
https://youtu.be/9SGIxyna1q8
1865: Bayonet Madness in Batley: A Victorian Double Murder | EP562
https://youtu.be/A08XNdHDzso

❤️ Support Independent History
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☕ Prefer a one-off thank-you? We LOVE a posh coffee indulgence! We tip our top hats:
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🕯 About the Channel
We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrators specialising in 18th to early 20th century British true crime. Each episode is based enti

Hear about our ad-free archive on Patreon – 650+ episodes and counting! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/c/NewsoftheTimesHistoricalCrime

Fancy a chuckle between corpses? Discover our first lovingly illustrated volume of wildly unreliable memoirs.

Grab it here: https://ko-fi.com/s/b406f6f11e

Support us on Patreon for ad-free early access and exclusive bonus episodes.

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If you would like to donate, we love coffee! Warmly appreciated :-) | https://www.buymeacoffee.com/newsofthetd

The Scampston Murder | The Riverbank Crime That Shocked Edwardian England (1903)
News of the Times | Episode 568 | 1903
A quiet Yorkshire village. A missing maid. A borrowed revolver.
When 16-year-old Annie Marshall failed to return after Sunday evensong in 1903, no one expected the tragedy that followed. Two days later, her body was found in the reeds of the River Derwent — shot twice, violated, and with her mouth stuffed full of grass.

The prime suspect? A jealous young farmhand with a secret, a pistol, and far too much to hide.

In this episode of News of the Times, we explore the haunting real-life story of the Scampston Murder — a case that gripped Edwardian England with its blend of rural innocence, jealousy, and unspeakable violence. From mysterious gunshots in the night to a chilling confession and a gallows sentence, this is a tale that echoes with injustice and grief.

📜 Featuring period newspaper accounts, courtroom drama, and the eerie details that captivated a nation.

🕯️ Plus: In today’s Further Particulars — a macabre ghost story involving two murderers, a corpse, and what might be Death himself on a wooden bridge. It’s crime. It’s karma. It’s Victorian fog at full blast.

👤 Narrated by Robin Coles

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday
🎞️ Long-form historical crime compilations: Final Sunday of every month

📚 Related cases from the archive:
1903: Marston Moor Murders | EP403
https://youtu.be/GmxBwDEUz1M
1896 & 1903: The Infamous Starr Murders | EP406
https://youtu.be/LqmZzLivZUU
1903 - 1919: Favourite British Edwardian Murder Tales | EP441
https://youtu.be/5fL2iyy1RSY
1903: Who Killed Mr Swann? | EP450
https://youtu.be/6WI4PhQrE6o

❤️ Support Independent History
If you enjoy our ad-free, archive-based storytelling, help us keep the lantern lit:

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☕ Prefer a one-off thank-you? We LOVE a posh coffee indulgence! We tip our top hats:
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🕯 About the Channel
We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrators specialising in 18th to early 20th century

Hear about our ad-free archive on Patreon – 650+ episodes and counting! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/c/NewsoftheTimesHistoricalCrime

Fancy a chuckle between corpses? Discover our first lovingly illustrated volume of wildly unreliable memoirs.

Grab it here: https://ko-fi.com/s/b406f6f11e

Support us on Patreon for ad-free early access and exclusive bonus episodes.

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Support the show

Thanks for listening! You can also connect with us on
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If you would like to donate, we love coffee! Warmly appreciated :-) | https://www.buymeacoffee.com/newsofthetd

The Honeymoon Poisoning: The Chilling Case of Catherine Foster
News of the Times | Episode 566 | 1846
It began as a village wedding in the golden lanes of Suffolk.
Three weeks later, the bride was on trial for her husband’s murder.

In 1846, Catherine Foster—just 17 years old and newly married—served her childhood sweetheart a dumpling for supper. By dawn, he was dead. What followed became one of the most sensational arsenic poisoning cases in Victorian England, ending with Catherine’s public execution in Bury St Edmunds.

🔍 Was it calculated murder, or a tragic case of a girl trapped by circumstance, confusion, and a pot of flour?

Featuring original period newspaper accounts, courtroom testimony, and the haunting final confession Catherine left behind, this episode takes you deep into the heart of Victorian justice—and a tale that shocked the nation.

In today’s Further Particulars:
A Victorian terrier, a suspicious hedge, and a case of canine clairvoyance that may have saved a man’s life.
Bristol newspapers assert categorically that the story is factual...

👤 Narrated by Robin Coles

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday

📚 Related cases from the archive:
1844: Murder at Blaw Wearie | EP498
https://youtu.be/gB7JHFzLYzY
1841: Horfield murder | EP523
https://youtu.be/3iGILrw2yos
1842: Before the Acid Bath Killer: Death in a Victorian Workhouse | EP538
https://youtu.be/uhofUf94SqA
1836 & 1843: The Trouble with Harriet | EP398
https://youtu.be/BrZh10eMQ0s

❤️ Support Independent History
If you enjoy our ad-free, archive-based storytelling, help us keep the lantern lit:

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☕ Prefer a one-off thank-you? We LOVE a posh coffee indulgence! We tip our top hats:
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🕯 About the Channel
We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrators specialising in 18th to early 20th century British true crime. Each episode is based entirely on archival material — from coroners’ inquests to forgotten newspaper columns.

If you like your true crime thoughtful, atmospheric,

Hear about our ad-free archive on Patreon – 650+ episodes and counting! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/c/NewsoftheTimesHistoricalCrime

Fancy a chuckle between corpses? Discover our first lovingly illustrated volume of wildly unreliable memoirs.

Grab it here: https://ko-fi.com/s/b406f6f11e

Support us on Patreon for ad-free early access and exclusive bonus episodes.

https://www.patreon.com/c/NewsoftheTimesHistoricalCrime

Support the show

Thanks for listening! You can also connect with us on
Our YouTube Channel: | https://www.youtube.com/@newsofthetimes
Our Facebook Page: | https://www.facebook.com/News-of-the-Times-101108282697405
Have a question or comment? Get in touch with us at newsofthetimespodcast@gmail.com
If you would like to donate, we love coffee! Warmly appreciated :-) | https://www.buymeacoffee.com/newsofthetd

The Limehouse Mystery — The 1867 Case That Divided Victorian London
News of the Times | Episode 565 | 1867

A young woman found dead.
A slashed throat.
And a chilling claim from her lover — that she did it to herself.

But the neighbours heard something different: a scream in the night, the unmistakable cry of murder.
By the time the police arrived, her body was already cold… and the timeline didn’t match his story.

In this gripping case from Limehouse, 1867, we revisit the murder trial of a lighterman accused of killing his sweetheart in a cramped East End bedroom. With blood on the walls and suspicious wounds of his own, the suspect insisted it was suicide — but the evidence pointed elsewhere.

🔎 Was it murder, self-inflicted tragedy… or a calculated cover-up involving the entire household?

Join us as we unpick the contradictions, follow the inquest testimony, and explore a case that shocked Victorian London to its core — complete with ghostly rumours, courtroom theatrics, and one very unsettling post-mortem.

👤 Narrated by Robin Coles

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday
🎞️ Long-form historical crime compilations: Final Sunday of every month

📚 Related cases from the archive:
1876: The Butler, the Gun, and the Judge: A Shocking Welsh Murder in 1876 | EP526
https://youtu.be/Wx1uLMVe8Sk
1874: The Baffling Case of Margaret Ball - Found Hanging — But Did He Kill Her? | EP527
https://youtu.be/qFitIfeXqDI
1872: Pushed to Her Death: Murder on London Bridge | EP529
https://youtu.be/KT94zNl440g

❤️ Support Independent History
If you enjoy our ad-free, archive-based storytelling, help us keep the lantern lit:

👉 **Patreon** – Full archive, early access, bonus compilations (and it keeps us independent):
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☕ Prefer a one-off thank-you? We LOVE a posh coffee indulgence! We tip our top hats:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/newsofthetd

🕯 About the Channel
We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrators specialising in 18th to early 20th century British true crime. Each episode is based entirely on archival material — from coroners’ inquests to forgotten newspaper columns.

If you like your true crime thoughtful, atmospheric, and

Hear about our ad-free archive on Patreon – 650+ episodes and counting! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/c/NewsoftheTimesHistoricalCrime

Fancy a chuckle between corpses? Discover our first lovingly illustrated volume of wildly unreliable memoirs.

Grab it here: https://ko-fi.com/s/b406f6f11e

Support us on Patreon for ad-free early access and exclusive bonus episodes.

https://www.patreon.com/c/NewsoftheTimesHistoricalCrime

Support the show

Thanks for listening! You can also connect with us on
Our YouTube Channel: | https://www.youtube.com/@newsofthetimes
Our Facebook Page: | https://www.facebook.com/News-of-the-Times-101108282697405
Have a question or comment? Get in touch with us at newsofthetimespodcast@gmail.com
If you would like to donate, we love coffee! Warmly appreciated :-) | https://www.buymeacoffee.com/newsofthetd