HIDEOUS CRIMES UNCOVERED IN ESSEX
(from the Feb 16 London Times)

Shocking and terrible crimes have been discovered at Misr House, a manor on the coast of Essex near Harwich.

Inspector Raffles of the Harwich police entered Misr House in the wee hours Feb 15 to find evidence that the stately manor has been the site of numerous gruesome murders, possibly stretching back as far as two months past. The basement of the house has been converted into a torture chamber of sorts, and upon a search of the premises, the corpse of a recent victim was discovered in the nearby marsh, said Raffles.

The victim, an unidentified man of mediterranean extraction, had apparently been tormented and killed by a knife thrust through the heart. This method of execution brings to mind the recent string of so-called Egyptian Murders which have baffled Scotland Yard of late. While it is unclear if these crimes are connected, it is true that the perpetrators of the crimes at Misr House are all Egyptians. Six house servants were taken into custody by Raffles and charged with murder most foul.

The owner of Misr House, Edward Gavigan, was appalled to hear of the hideous torments conducted on his premises. He has not been in residence at Misr House for some months, making his home in London during the winter. "I hired Egyptian servants due to my own professional interest in that country, and I had never felt that they were in any way untrustworthy. This comes as a terrible shock." Gavigan is the director of the well-known Penhew Foundation, and an expert in Egyptology.

Upon inspection of his home Sunday, Gavigan reported that several of his personal collection of Egyptian artifacts were missing. Inspector Raffles is looking into the thefts in connection with the murder case.