Sometimes an incident associated with a murder case becomes more celebrated than the murder itself.

The untimely departure of Neville Norway from these worldly confines precipitated such a phenomenon. Today, the unusual happening is the only reason the murder is remembered.

It all took place in 1840 in Wadebridge, in the English country of Cornwall, where Neville sold lumber and general goods. The 39-year-old entrepreneur did most of his business at markets in villages which dotted the countryside.

On Feb. 8, 1840, Neville conducted business in the town of Bodwin. As usual, all transactions were for cash. During the course of a purchase, Neville emptied his purse into his palm, revealing several gold and silver coins.

Later, witnesses standing close by recalled the incident. They also recalled noticing William Lightfoot taking in the scene.

That evening, Neville Norway saddled up his horse for the lonesome trip from Bodwin to Wadebridge. Neville never made it.

When Neville’s horse showed up riderless at his home, his family was apprehensive. The discovery of blood on the saddle turned their apprehension to fear.

Servants and farmers combed the roads for the missing man. The night was pitch black. It wasn’t until daylight broke over Pencarrow Woods that someone spotted a piece of white shirt sticking out of a brook.

They had found the body of Neville Norway. He had been savagely beaten about the head. Some mystery developed when an examining physician reported he had discovered gunpowder on Neville’s neck. There were no bullet wounds about the body.

Police searched the scene. They found a pool of blood on the road, and a smoothed-out path to the stream, where the body had been dragged. They also found a tramped-down area behind a hedge with two sets of footprints, indicating Neville had been ambushed.

His turned-out pockets left no doubt as to the motive. When the police found the broken-off hammer of a pistol close by, they realized Neville most probably had some gunpowder spill on his neck while being pistol-whipped.

The citizenry of the area was incensed at the murder. Travelling the dark roads of rural England a hundred years ago was a necessity to many occupations. If one couldn’t travel in safety, the selling of farm produce would be greatly hampered.

A constable was sent down to conduct the murder investigation, who went about tracing Norway’s activities on the day of his death. He was informed William Lightfoot had been seen drooling over the late Mr. Norway’s gold coins.

A neighbour of James Lightfoot informed the constable James had arrived home late that night, and he had heard Mrs. Lightfoot crying shortly after his return. The homes of the Lightfoot brothers were searched.

In a ceiling beam in James’ home, the constable found a revolver with a broken-off hammer. A hammer found at the scene of the crime fit the revolver perfectly.

James was taken into custody. Two days later, William was in his cups at the local grog shop. While being offered sympathy over his brother’s predicament by a fellow imbiber, he let slip he, too, was involved in the murder.

At first, each man tried to cast the full blame on the other. Then they decided to tell the truth. It was a story of murder for gain.

The brothers had waited for Norway. They knocked him off his horse, and when their pistol wouldn’t fire, they beat their victim to death.

The two men were tried for murder on March 30, 1840. Thirteen days later, they were hanged before 10,000 cheering spectators.

The case should have long since passed from memory. But this was not to happen, for a psychic phenomenon, much more unusual than the murder itself, was to unfold.

Neville Norway’s brother Edmund, was a sea captain. On the night of Neville’s murder, Edmund was at sea.

Edmund went to bed early on the evening of Feb. 8, 1840. He dreamed his brother was riding his horse between Bodwin and his home in Wadebridge. Two men dragged his brother off his horse. One drew a pistol and fired twice. In the dream, Capt. Norway heard no sound from the pistol.

The two assailants dragged his brother across the road and dumped his body in a brook. In his dream, Capt. Norway observed a house on the left-hand side of the road.

At 5 a.m., Norway awoke and took command of the ship. When he relieved the Second Officer, Henry Wren, he told him about his strange dream.

Capt. Noway expressed the opinion his brother had been murdered. He told Wren he was familiar with the road leading to Wadebridge, and was puzzled by one discrepancy in the dream. He had dreamt there was a house on the left-hand side of the road. In reality, he recalled there was a house there, but it was located on the right-hand side of the road.

Capt. Norway was so affected by his realistic dream, he wrote it all out in the ship’s log. Upon his return to England, Capt. Norway found out his brother had been murdered.

As for the house being on the wrong side of the road: In Capt. Norway’s absence, the road to Wadebridge had been diverted to the right of the house, so the house now stood on the left-hand side of the road.