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The Mystery of a Hansom Cab

Fergus Hume

The narrative excerpts details from a newspaper report discussing the circumstances surrounding the crime, including the key witness, cab driver Malcolm Royston, who recounts how the victim was assisted into the cab by a gentleman in a light coat.

"The Mystery of a Hansom Cab" by Fergus Hume is a detective novel. The narrative excerpts details from a newspaper report discussing the circumstances surrounding the crime, including the key witness, cab driver Malcolm Royston, who recounts how the victim was assisted into the cab by a gentleman in a light coat.

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Read a passage

The following report appeared in the Argus newspaper of Saturday, the 28th July, 18—

"Truth is said to be stranger than fiction, and certainly the extraordinary murder which took place in Melbourne on Thursday night, or rather Friday morning, goes a long way towards verifying this saying. A crime has been committed by an unknown assassin, within a short distance of the principal streets of this great city, and is surrounded by an inpenetrable mystery. Indeed, from the nature of the crime itself, the place where it was committed, and the fact that the assassin has escaped without leaving a trace behind him, it would seem as though the case itself had been taken bodily from one of Gaboreau's novels, and that his famous detective Lecoq alone would be able to unravel it. The facts of the case are simply these:—

"On the twenty-seventh day of July, at the hour of twenty minutes to two o'clock in the morning, a hansom cab drove up to the police station in Grey Street, St. Kilda, and the driver made the startling statement that his cab contained the body of a man who he had reason to believe had been murdered. Being taken into the presence of the inspector, the cabman, who gave his name as Malcolm Royston, related the following strange story:—

Contents

  1. 01Preface
  2. 02Chapter I.
  3. 03What the Argus Said.
  4. 04Chapter II.
  5. 05The Evidence at the Inquest.
  6. 06Chapter III.
  7. 07One Hundred Pounds Reward.
  8. 08Chapter IV.
  9. 09Mr. Gorby Makes a Start.
  10. 10Chapter V.
  11. 11Mrs. Hamilton Unbosoms Herself.
  12. 12Chapter VI.
  13. 13Mr. Gorby Makes Further Discoveries.
  14. 14Chapter VII.
  15. 15The Wool King.
  16. 16Chapter VIII.
  17. 17Brian Takes a Walk and a Drive.
  18. 18Chapter IX.
  19. 19Mr. Gorby Is Satisfied at Last.
  20. 20Chapter X.
  21. 21In the Queen's Name.
  22. 22Chapter XI.
  23. 23Counsel for the Prisoner.
  24. 24Chapter XII.
  25. 25She Was a True Woman.
  26. 26Chapter XIII.
  27. 27Madge Makes a Discovery.
  28. 28Chapter XIV.
  29. 29Another Richmond in the Field.
  30. 30Chapter XV.
  31. 31A Woman of the People.
  32. 32Chapter XVI.
  33. 33Missing.
  34. 34Chapter XVII.
  35. 35The Trial.
  36. 36Chapter XVIII.
  37. 37Sal Rawlins Tells All She Knows.
  38. 38Chapter XIX.
  39. 39The Verdict of the Jury.
  40. 40Chapter XX.
  41. 41The "Argus" Gives Its Opinion.
  42. 42Chapter XXI.
  43. 43Three Months Afterwards.
  44. 44Chapter XXII.
  45. 45A Daughter of Eve.
  46. 46Chapter XXIII.
  47. 47Across the Walnuts and the Wine.
  48. 48Chapter XXIV.
  49. 49Brian Receives a Letter.
  50. 50Chapter XXV.
  51. 51What Dr. Chinston Said.
  52. 52Chapter XXVI.
  53. 53Kilsip Has a Theory of His Own.
  54. 54Chapter XXVII.
  55. 55Mother Guttersnipe Joins the Majority.
  56. 56Chapter XXVIII.
  57. 57Mark Frettlby Has a Visitor.
  58. 58Chapter XXIX.
  59. 59Mr. Calton's Curiosity Is Satisfied.
  60. 60Chapter XXX.

About this edition

Author
Fergus Hume
Language
English
Era
Modern (c. 1800–1945)
Reading level
Intermediate: some philosophy helps
Formats
EPUB, PDF
Length
350 pages
This edition
Modern Philosophers

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