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Minor Shot A Man In A Fit Of Paranoia
Rather than settle in a posh area when he left America, William Minor sought shelter in Lambeth, a section in south London. As Simon Winchester put it, the squalid locale afforded Minor “easy access to easy women.” That overcrowded, filthy, and crime-ridden part of the city was hardly a healthy venue for someone attempting to overcome a delusional mentality. As violent as Lambeth was, however, guns were not common there. Minor changed that posthaste.
It was barely two in the morning on February 17, 1872, when the sleeping denizens of Lambeth were awakened by unfamiliar sounds - gunshots breaking through the night. Minor had killed brewery worker George Merrett, who was on his way to work. The former surgeon thought Merrett was a home-intruder, although the man had never even set foot in the premises. During his trial, Minor's landlady testified that no strangers had broken the lodging's locks.
Minor’s stepbrother George also testified about William’s erratic behavior, so the judge ruled against him. He found the once esteemed man to be criminally insane. Minor was then transported the Broadmoor Asylum.
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