Which wife of Josep Smith was Orwell talking about?
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 6:41 pm
I write as I Please
"The Decline of the English Murder"
George Orwell
"...or Joseph Smith playing 'Nearer, my God, to Thee' on the harmonium while one of his wives was drowning in the next room."
Context:
Orwell was talking about readers who said that "you never seem to get a good murder nowadays." He listed the "great period in murder" as between 1850 and 1925 saying the best and most successful stories were that of "Dr. Palmer of Rugely, Jack the Ripper, Neill Cream, Mrs. Maybrick, Dr. Crippen, Seddon, Joseph Smith, Armstrong, and Bywaters and Thompson."
Is there any truth to his statement about Joseph, playing the harmonium has "one of his wives" drowned? I've never heard it before.
.
"The Decline of the English Murder"
George Orwell
"...or Joseph Smith playing 'Nearer, my God, to Thee' on the harmonium while one of his wives was drowning in the next room."
Context:
Orwell was talking about readers who said that "you never seem to get a good murder nowadays." He listed the "great period in murder" as between 1850 and 1925 saying the best and most successful stories were that of "Dr. Palmer of Rugely, Jack the Ripper, Neill Cream, Mrs. Maybrick, Dr. Crippen, Seddon, Joseph Smith, Armstrong, and Bywaters and Thompson."
Is there any truth to his statement about Joseph, playing the harmonium has "one of his wives" drowned? I've never heard it before.
.