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transport which would take him to spend the next few days at the lock-up in Framlingham.

3
    THE AFTERMATH
    Even in 1887 the media was quick to take up a ‘good story’. Although without the sophistication of twenty-first century communication methods, the telegraph service and the telephone were in operation, though the latter was rare in country areas. Thus, by Sunday afternoon, at least two reporters for the East Anglian Daily Times were in the village to cover the murder. One of them chose to concentrate on providing local colour by describing the atmosphere of the place:
    Upon driving into Cretingham on Sunday afternoon, there were but few indications that the parish had been the scene of a tragedy which is almost unique in the annals of crime. At the Vicarage the blinds were drawn, and at the back of the house two or three policemen were standing about; here and there, down the long street (if such the scattered houses may be called), groups of villagers were discussing such details of the occurrence as they had been able to gather; and it is hardly necessary to say that there was no service in the parish church. That this latter circumstance was due to the facts that the vicar had been murdered and that his curate was in custody were considerations which might have occasioned a good deal of excitement. But, truth to tell; the whole affair was apparently regarded with phlegmatic indifference. The only perceptible effect of the tragedy upon the ordinary routine of parochial life was that, after the dinner hour, there was a larger gathering than usual at the Bell Inn.
    Cretingham is a small parish, containing barely 350 inhabitants, lying about 4 miles WSW of Framlingham and ENE of Debenham. The nearest route from Ipswich runs through Tuddenham, thence for some distance in the direction of Debach Post, turning off sharp to the left near Clopton Crown. Almost the first house to be seen, upon entering the parish from this direction is the square, red bricked vicarage, standing somewhat back from the main road, and partially hidden by shrubs and trees. It is an unpretending edifice, the porch over the front entrance facing south and even at this time of the year bright with roses and clustered over with foliage. The red brick, of which the house is built, and the tiled roof have weathered into a warm red, and the whole place has a pleasing and picturesque appearance not at all suggestive of the horrible associations with which in future it will be invested....
    . . . although it is at some distance from the centre of the street, the situation is by no means lonely. Two or three houses, one of them used as the Post office, stand close by, and there are several cottages, at short intervals, all the way down to the church. Most of these tenements are old fashioned, with thatched roofs and although the gardens were gay with autumn flowers, Cretingham does not have the appearance of being a very flourishing place. On Sunday afternoon, however, the weather was wretchedly dull, and everything was seen at a disadvantage. The church, which stands on an eminence halfway down the village, has a lofty tower, built of flint, with nave, chancel and south porch... Just at this time the interior, which is yet furnished with the ancient square pews, is decorated for harvest thanksgiving. Upon all the window sills there are flowers, fruit and vegetables but the doors were locked and no opportunity was afforded of making any inspection except through the windows.
    These paragraphs, setting the scenes, as it were, are not to be taken as mere space fillers until further information could be obtained. On the contrary, by breakfast time on Monday morning, the story of the murder filled two and a half columns of the broadsheet. Under the triple headlines of:
    H ORRIBLE T RAGEDY I N S UFFOLK
    T HE V ICAR OF C RETINGHAM M URDERED BY HIS C URATE
    A RREST OF THE M URDERER
    appeared details of the case which had been revealed to the police. Describing