News of the Times - Unlocking the vaults of historical crime

News of the Times Episode 59e | 1835 Serial Killer Saturdays - Frances Billing & Catherine Frary This week's episode of Serial Killer Saturdays turns to 1835.  Catherine Frary and Francis Billings are best friends.  They agree to do each other's murders in a small hamlet in England.  Possibly an inspiration to the famous Hitchcock film, Strangers on a Train. Hosted by Robin Coles. #N...

News of the Times Story 168s | 1876 The Mysterious Charles Bravo Murder Case The mysterious murder of Charles Baravo is a case that remains unresolved to this day.  Florence Bravo, a woman of scandal with a strong indpendent streak finds her marriage difficult almost iimmediately.  Yet, a divorce was impossible.  Conveniently, Charles Bravo dies.  Murder is suspected, but who did it? Hosted by Rob...

News of the Times Episode 58e | 1864 - 1905 A Collection of Murderous Railway Stories This collection of stories focuses on news stories involving railways: the foirst murder recorded on England's railways, an unsolved mystery, a dead baby found in a box and more! Hosted by Robin Coles. #NewsofTheTimes #VictorianCrimeStories #HistoricalCrimeStories #Victorian Murders YouTube: https://www.yout...

News of the Times Episode 57e | 1888 Whitechapel Wednesdays - Part 6 In this episode of Whitechapel Wednesdays, Police are scrambling as they discover the identity of Annie Chapman, found a "stones throw" from the body of Mary Ann Nichols.  A mysterious menacing man is searched for and the hunt is on for Leather Apron who seems to have gone underound. Hosted by Robin Coles. #NewsofTheTim...

News of the Times Episode 56e | 1856 William Bousfield  - Family Murderer and Botched Execution The Bousfield case: sad and gory as it is clear that Bousfield slaughtered his wife and 3 small children.  However, Bousfield's manner leading up to his execution and the subsequent execution failures 3 times make this story remarkable. Hosted by Robin Coles. #NewsofTheTimes #VictorianCrimeStories...

News of the Times Story 153s | 1950 - 1953 The Korean War Remembered - Guest Host Benjy Weeks Guest Host Benjy Weeks brings his expertise on The Korean War, along with a personal association through his father, in this remembrance of the Korean War. Hosted by Robin Coles. #NewsofTheTimes #VictorianCrimeStories #HistoricalCrimeStories #Victorian Murders YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newsoftheti...

News of the Times Story 129s| 1895 The Notorious Cases of Oscar Wilde Say the name Oscar Wilde, and Lady Windermere's Fan, or The Portrait of Dorian Gray, along with a wealth of ascerbic witticisms come to mind.  He was the darling of the country, and then it all went terribly terribly wrong.  His fall from grace is recounted here. Hosted by Robin Coles. #NewsofTheTimes #VictorianCrimeStories...

News of the Times Episode 55e | 1873 Mary Ann Cotton - Serial Killer Saturdays Mary Ann Cotton is still renowned as one of England's worst serial killers.  Accurate numbers are difficult, but estimates have her killing some 20 people, including her mother, her children, stepchildren, and 3 out of 4 husbands. The reason was financial gain, but she also seems to have struck when she got tired o...

News of the Times Story 158s | 1887 Israel Lipski - The Murderer of Miriam Angel Israel Lipski has been remembered through history of having some kind of tie to Jack the Ripper.  This is true and not true.  The case occured in Whitechapel rougly 1 year before the series of ripper murders, and Lipski  had been executed.  The name "Lipski" is heard to be called out by one witness, but whet...

News of the Times Episode 54 | 1813-1923 Murder to Avoid Child Maintanance "In this collection of stories, we look at cases where children were killed specifically for the purpose of avoiding maintenance payments. In 2 of our stories, the murder takes place against the pregnant mother, with a view to avoid future child maintenance payments. The stories take place between 1813 and 1923 Hosted...

News of the Times Episode 53 | 1888 Whitechapel Wednesdays Part 5 In this episode of Whitechapel Wednesdays, police, and the press, are still coming to grips with the horrific murder of Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols.  The astonishmnet and disbelief can be heard in the newspaper stories.  Then, a new, even more gruesome murder takes place. Hosted by Robin Coles. #NewsofTheTimes #VictorianCrime...

News of the Times Episode 52 | 1887 When Obsession Turns to Murder - The Chocolate Cream Killer - Christiana Edmunds England has had wholesale poisoning before, notably of beer (Oh no! We hear you say!) and sweets sold at a market stall.  This case is different as this was intentional wholesale poisoning, both random and targeted. And through the use of chocolate creams.  Tampering with the ambros...

News of the Times Story 160 | 1834 - 1836 Incest Cases in Regency Times A highly touchy subject.  We, at News of the Times, are keen to show the range of life and crimes from Great Britain's past.  *Reported* cases of incest were very few, but these 2 cases we thought were worth reporting. Trials for this sort of crime were closed during this time, so news coverage of these types of cases are...

News of the Times Story 150 | 1899 Mary Ann Ansell - Murdering her sister in an insane asylum The lengths a woman will go to find the money in order to get married is demonstrated in this case.  Our regular listeners will have spotted the trend of killing to get the insurance payout.  The twist here is that she tried this with her sister who wan an inmate in an insane asylum. Hosted by Robin Coles...

News of the Times Episode 51v | 1923 Albert Edwards Burrows - Seral Killer Saturdays An interesting case in that his latest murder was what caught him for 3 previous murders 3 years before.  Albert Edward Burrows was also a bigamist and there was evidence of sexual assault on the little boy he murdered.  Hosted by Robin Coles. #NewsofTheTimes #VictorianCrimeStories #HistoricalCrimeStories #Victori...

News of the Times Story 161v| 1800 - 1840 Houses of Death  and the Diabolical Surgeon Healthcare in early 1800's England (Regency / Pre-Victorian) was a scary time to become ill or to have medical issues.  This epeisode explores what one could expect during this time, as well as taking a look at the famous, or is it infamous, Robert Liston, the fastest surgeon in Great Britain. Hosted by Robi...

News of the Times Episode 50v| 1679 -1879 When Reverends Go Bad This episode focuses on two quite famous cases of their day.  The Rev Robert Foulkes whose bad behaviour was renowned, but culminated in his stabbing to death his newborn son through an illicit affair he was having with his ward.  The second case of the Rev John Selby Watson, recounts his bashing to death his wife in a fit of insanity...

News of the Times Episode 49v | 1888 Whitechapel Wednesdays - Episode 4 In this episode of Whitechapel Wednesdays, Investogations are pursued as to definitively confirm the victim and her history.  Theories are produced that the murderer is actually a gang.  Much discussion and disagreement as to whether Mary Ann "Polly" had her clothes on or off when she was so brutally slashed.  And, r...

News of the Times Ep48 | 1879 When Employees Take Revenge - Catherine Kate Webster Catherine "Kate" Webster, a name still remembered today.  Although comparatively speaking, her crime was  not as extreme as some of the others we have investigated, her actions certainly show what can happen when employees take revenge. Hosted by Robin Coles #NewsofTheTimes #VictorianCrimeStories #Historic...

News of the Times Story 107| 1671 The Man Who Stole the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London Colonol Blood (often incorrectly remembered as Captain Blood) successfully stole the crown jewels from the Tower of London!  He was rewarded by King Charles II - the King he had fought against for many years!  In between those activities, he kidnapped a Duke, broke his friend out of jail and was involved...

News of the Times Story 170v | 1663 - 1829 Stories of Executioners In this episode we look at 3 executioners in England's history.  The role of executioner transformed over 100 years from executioners being shunned by the populace in general with a rather unsavoury repution, to becoming a Victorian version of a rock star.  In between, we have the story of the executioner who himself was execu...

News of the Times Episode 47v| 1881 Margaret Messenger: The 13 Year Old Serial Killer In this episode of Serial Killer Saturdays, we look at another child serial killer (the previous story being the Agnes Norman Case Episode 29) This case related to two small children deaths in one family whilst under the care of a 13 year old girl working as a servant in the family.  The Margaret Messenger case w...

News of the Times Story 169 | 1877 The Starvation Of An Heiress By The Ruthless Fortune Hunter This infamous case from 1877 captured everyone's imagination.  It was commented that the people attending the trial tended to be wealthy, and very well fed, and that women attending treated the court case as if it were a dramatic show.  Champagne and caviar were apparently shared between the many at...

News of the Times Episode 46v | 1594 - 1808 A Haggle of Witches In this collection of stories we look at stories about witches from 1594 to 1808.  The stories include the first reported witch trial in Wales, the famous Witch Finder general in England, and what happens to poor unfortunates when a village has decided a person is a witch.  This episode includes several other stories as well. Hosted b...

News of the Times Episode 45 | 1888 Whitechapel Wednesdays - Episode 3 In this episode of Whitechapel Wednesdays, another victim is found with extremely vicious slashings across the body. Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols is eventually identified, but the manner of how she got to the location where she was found remains a riddle. Hosted by Robin Coles.   #newsofthetimes  #VictorianCrimeStories #h...