THE WHITELEY MURDER (1907) — The Crime That Shook Edwardian Britain
News of the Times | Episode 593 | 1907

In January 1907, William Whiteley — London’s famous “Universal Provider” and the man who transformed British shopping — was shot dead inside his own department store.
The killer? A well-dressed young man who calmly announced he was Whiteley’s illegitimate son.

What followed was one of the most sensational murder trials of the Edwardian age: a story of hidden relationships, vast wealth, respectability, scandal, and a public so captivated that hundreds of thousands signed a petition to save the killer from the gallows.

In today’s episode, we uncover:
• The moment gunfire shattered Britain’s most modern store
• The extraordinary claim that turned a murder into a national reckoning
• A tangled family history of secrecy, money and legitimacy
• How the press shaped public outrage — and unexpected sympathy
• Why the Whiteley case still echoes through British legal and social history

Plus:
A remarkable Further Particulars story — when a runaway horse smashed through a Moorgate jeweller in 1922 and left London’s pavement literally covered in diamonds.

👤 Narrated by Robin Coles 

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 
🎞️ Long-form historical crime compilations: Final Sunday of every month 

📚 Related cases from the archive: 
1907: Monte Carlo Trunk Murder |  EP284
https://youtu.be/oTOwoof-jKs
1907: The Croydon Killer |  Ep287
https://youtu.be/JOcmekUMZjw
1907: Camden Town Murder Mystery |  EP326
https://youtu.be/glZvLvCJVZY

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