y separately published work icon "For So Little" : The Story of a Crime single work   novel  
Issue Details: First known date: 1890... 1890 "For So Little" : The Story of a Crime
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Notes

  • Based on the 1885 New Zealand murder of Captain Henry Cain by his son-in-law Tomas Hall, and the attempted murder in 1886 of his wife, the author drew on knowledge of the case gleaned while she was a journalist in the country. Although found guilty of the murder and sentenced to death, Hall appealed the following year, and the conviction was overturned on a technicality. He was nevertheless found guilty of the attempted murder charge.

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Related Works

A Life's Policy Helen Davis , 1895 single work drama crime Adapted by Helen Davis from her own novel, For So Little; The Story of a Crime, (1890), A Life Policy similarly draws on the real life trial of New Zealander, Thomas Hall, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1886 for the murder of his father-in-law. He later escaped the death penalty after his conviction was overturned on a technicality. Hall nevertheless remained in prison until 1907 after being found guilty of the attempted murder (by poison) of his wife.

Although the melodrama's 1895 London debut reportedly met with a good reception, one critic suggested that this was also due to a very good cast. Several newspapers later reported that the author had received an offer from Palmer's Theatre, New York, to have the work staged there (see for example, The Press, New Zealand 9 May 1895, 2).
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Works about this Work

Musical and Dramatic Notes 1895 single work column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 6 April 1895; (p. 4)
Musical and Dramatic Notes 1895 single work column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 6 April 1895; (p. 4)
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Last amended 5 Mar 2012 13:45:54
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