The Murchison Murders - Upfield Searches For A Plot

Upfield Searches For A Plot

Arthur Upfield had already written three novels, but was working as a fence boundary rider on the Rabbit Proof Fence in Western Australia. He had decided to write another detective novel, but with a plot difference of there not being any body for the detective to find. Unfortunately he could not think of a way to dispose of a body.

He mentioned this difficulty to a colleague, George Ritchie. Ritchie devised a disposal method: burn the victim's body along with that of a large animal, sift any metal fragments out of the ashes, dissolve them in acid, pound any remaining bone fragments into dust, then discard the remains into the wind. But Upfield then had a problem: the method was a bit too efficient, leaving the fictional detective of Upfield's book no way to detect or prove the murder. Upfield challenged Ritchie to find a flaw in the method and offered him £1 if he could. Ritchie, however, was unable to do so.

The plot of the novel hinged on this point and Ritchie one day met Snowy Rowles, whom Upfield and Ritchie both knew. Ritchie mentioned the problem to him. All of Upfield's friends and colleagues were soon aware of Upfield's difficulties with his plot.

On 5 October 1929, Upfield, Ritchie, Rowles, the son of the Inspector of the fence, and the north boundary rider for the fence, were all present at the Camel Station homestead when the murder method for Upfield's book was again discussed. Upfield himself was clear that Rowles knew of the murder method before this date, but the meeting and discussion was later used as evidence in court to prove that Rowles was aware of the method.