Deadly Swindle

Book excerpt: 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.