The Office Murder That Shocked Edwardian Britain — And the Detective Who Died Investigating It (1911)

The Office Murder That Shocked Edwardian Britain — And the Detective Who Died Investigating It | True Crime 1911News of the Times | Episode 602 | 1911On a quiet September afternoon in 1911, a respected Hastings building society manager sat down to continue his paperwork. Minutes later, gunshots echoed through the office — and one of the town’s most trusted citizens lay dying on the floor. What followed was one of the most baffling cases in Edwardian true crime history: a double tragedy involving financial ruin, contested testimony, early forensic science… and a detective who died while examining the very same revolver used in the killing. Today we uncover a murder that refused to resolve itself, leaving behind shocked witnesses, contradictory accounts, and a police force shaken by the sudden death of their own investigator.• The shooting inside a quiet Hastings office that stunned 1911 Britain• The troubled chemist whose life collapsed under financial strain and hereditary mental illness• Conflicting witness accounts and forensic evidence that transformed the case• The inquest that wrestled with accident vs. intent• The extraordinary twist: the detective found dead while preparing evidence• How uncertainty, stigma, and early-20th-century justice shaped the verdict📰 Further ParticularsWe finish with a remarkable Edwardian society lawsuit involving Lady Dean Paul — a woman for whom the courtroom was practically a hobby. Expect family quarrels, Cairo gossip, theatrical denials, and a damages award so small the judge had to squint at it.🔎Hosted by Robin Coles📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 🎞️ Long-form historical crime compilations: Final Sunday of every month 📚 Related cases from the archive: 1911: The Kidsgrove Tragedy: Murder, Madness, and the Man Who Vanished Into Himself” | EP582 https://www.patreon.com/posts/kidsgrove-murder-144289983?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link1875 - 1911: The Poison Files: Britain's Most Chilling Victorian Murder Cases | EP583 https://www.patreon.com/posts/poison-files-144027249?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link1911: Two Killers, One Scaffold: The December Double Hanging of 1911 | EP589 https://www.patreon.com/posts/two-killers-one-145441104?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link1918: Stalked by Her Brother-in-Law: The Christmas Murder That Shook Post-War Britain | 1918 | EP595https://www.patreon.com/posts/stalked-by-her-146402625?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link❤️ 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): https://www.patreon.com/NewsOfTheTimesHistoricalCrime ☕ 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 rooted in real records — welcome to the vault. 🎩 — RC & Team #TrueCrimeDocumentary #HistoricalCrime #BritishHistory #VictorianCrime #CrimeHistory #CourtroomDrama #Education #NewsoftheTimes