Square Mile of Murder
Encyclopedia
The Square Mile of Murder relates to an area of west-central Glasgow
, Scotland
. The term was first coined by the Scottish journalist
and author
Jack House
, whose 1961 book of the same name was based on the fact that four of Scotland's most infamous murders were committed within one square mile of another.
in the western end of Glasgow city centre to Sauchiehall Street
and west towards the Charing Cross
area. It is nowadays bisected by the M8 motorway.
in 1980. The cast included George Baker
(as Madeleine Smith's father), Anthony Bate
(as Pritchard), Simon Cadell
, Neil Connery
, Gregor Fisher
, Rikki Fulton
, John Grieve
, James Hazeldine
, and Tony Roper
.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The term was first coined by the Scottish journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Jack House
Jack House
Jack House was a prolific and popular Scottish writer and broadcaster, with a significant attachment to the City of Glasgow.-East end:He was born in Tollcross, then technically outside of the Glasgow city boundaries...
, whose 1961 book of the same name was based on the fact that four of Scotland's most infamous murders were committed within one square mile of another.
The Area
The area stretches northwards from Blythswood HillBlythswood Hill
Blythswood Hill is an area of Glasgow, Scotland.It lies to the immediate west of the city centre and as the name suggests rises to a plateau before dipping again towards the west end area of Woodlands....
in the western end of Glasgow city centre to Sauchiehall Street
Sauchiehall Street
Sauchiehall Street is one of the main shopping/business streets in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Along with Buchanan Street and Argyle Street, it forms the main shopping area of Glasgow, containing the majority of Glasgow's high street and chain stores.Although commonly associated with the...
and west towards the Charing Cross
Charing Cross, Glasgow
Charing Cross is a major road junction in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde on Sauchiehall Street, at a major interchange of the M8 motorway. Formerly the gateway from the shopping area of Sauchiehall Street to the more prosperous Woodlands area, its...
area. It is nowadays bisected by the M8 motorway.
The murders and locations
The four murders were committed between 1857 and 1908.- The case against Madeleine SmithMadeleine SmithMadeleine Hamilton Smith was a 19th century Glasgow socialite who was the defendant in a sensational murder trial in Scotland in 1857...
was found to be not provenNot provenNot proven is a verdict available to a court in Scotland.Under Scots law, a criminal trial may end in one of three verdicts: one of conviction and two of acquittal ....
that she laced her lover Pierre Emile L'Angelier's cocoaHot chocolateHot chocolate is a heated beverage typically consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar...
with arsenic (Blythswood SquareBlythswood HillBlythswood Hill is an area of Glasgow, Scotland.It lies to the immediate west of the city centre and as the name suggests rises to a plateau before dipping again towards the west end area of Woodlands....
). - The Sandyford murder caseSandyford murder caseThe Sandyford murder case was a well-known proceeding of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United Kingdom. The case revolved around the brutal murder of one Jessie M'Pherson, a servant, in Sandyford Place, Glasgow, Scotland, in 1862...
, in which Jessie McPherson was brutally struck forty times with a meat cleaver by her former friend Jessie McLachlan (Sandyford Place). - The serial killerSerial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Dr Edward William PritchardEdward William PritchardDr Edward William Pritchard was an English doctor who was convicted of murdering his wife and mother-in-law by poisoning. He was also suspected of a third murder, of a servant, but was never tried for it. He was the last person to be publicly executed in Glasgow.-Early years:Pritchard was born in...
, known as "The Human Crocodile". His three victims included his wife, whom he poisoned, then had the coffin lid unscrewed so that he could kiss her (Berkeley Street, Sauchiehall Street). - Oscar SlaterOscar SlaterOscar Joseph Slater was a victim of British miscarriage of justice. He was born Oscar Leschziner in Oppeln, Upper Silesia, Germany to a Jewish family. Around 1893, to evade military service, he moved to London where he worked as a bookmaker using various names, including Anderson, before settling...
, who was the subject of a major miscarriage of justice in 1908 (West Princes Street).
Television Adaptation
House's book was adapted as a six-part television series by the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1980. The cast included George Baker
George Baker (actor)
George Baker, MBE was an English actor and writer. He was best-known for portraying Tiberius in I, Claudius, and Inspector Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.-Personal life:...
(as Madeleine Smith's father), Anthony Bate
Anthony Bate
Anthony Bate is an English actor.He is possibly best known for his role as Oliver Lacon in the BBC television adaptations of the John le Carré novels Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People....
(as Pritchard), Simon Cadell
Simon Cadell
Simon John Cadell was an English actor.Born in London, he was the grandson of the Scottish character actor Jean Cadell, the brother of the actress Selina Cadell, and the cousin of the actor Guy Siner. He was educated at Bedales School at Petersfield where his close friends included Gyles...
, Neil Connery
Neil Connery
Neil Connery is a Scottish retired actor and is the brother of the actor Sean Connery. Neil is known for his role in the movie OK Connery, a James Bond satire and the 1969 film The Body Stealers.-External links:...
, Gregor Fisher
Gregor Fisher
Gregor Fisher is a Scottish comedian and actor.-Early life:Fisher was born in Glasgow and following the death of his parents was brought up in Edinburgh, Langholm and Neilston and attended Barrhead High School...
, Rikki Fulton
Rikki Fulton
Robert Kerr Fulton, OBE , more commonly known as Rikki Fulton, was a Scottish comedian and actor best remembered for writing and performing in the long-running BBC Scotland sketch show, Scotch and Wry. He was also known for his appearances as one half of the double act, Francie and Josie, alongside...
, John Grieve
John Grieve (actor)
John Grieve was a Scottish actor, best known as the engineer Macphail in the 1970s BBC adaptation of Neil Munro's Para Handy stories, The Vital Spark....
, James Hazeldine
James Hazeldine
James Hazeldine was a British film, stage and television actor. He was born in Salford, Lancashire.James started his career in repertory theatre, firstly in weekly rep, then at the Manchester Library theatre and on to the Royal Court Theatre in London's Sloane Square, where he appeared in the...
, and Tony Roper
Tony Roper
Anthony Dean "Tony" Roper was a NASCAR driver. He was born in Springfield, Missouri, to Dean Roper and Shirley Medley. Growing up his family was heavily involved in auto racing. Roper started racing in 1986. For the next six years Tony raced in IMCA Modifieds and late models on Midwest dirt and...
.