The Swamp of Death

Book excerpt: Just over one hundred years ago, three young men, all under 25, set out from England for the Canadian backwoods but within days of arriving one was dead and another arrested for murder. The details of the case, and the corrupt trial that followed, captured public attention to a quite incredible extent. The age of mass media was dawning, and newspapers with the submarine telegraph at their disposal turned the story into an international cause celebre. But while everyone had their say, some essential questions remained unanswered: who actually killed Frederick Benwell, and was murder part of the original plan?