Fergus Hume was an early 20th English writer. Hume spent his childhood in New Zealand and then moved to Australia. In 1888 he moved to England and produced over 100 novels and numerous short stories. His mystery stories are considered to be the precursors of the modern detective story. In the 1800"s Hume"s detective stories out sold Sherlock Holmes novels. This adventure takes place on the streets of Melbourne when a driver of a Hansom cab pulls up to a police station and announces he has the body of what appears to be the victim of a murder.