Death by Umbrella: the Brollies of Doom

The “Umbrella Murder” is the most famous incident involving the misuse of a brolly, and took place on the streets of London in 1978. Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian novelist and playwright who defected from the communist state to work for the BBC World Service, met The Reaper after being stabbed with an umbrella containing a poison pellet whilst he was waiting at a bus stop on Waterloo Bridge. It’s reported that a man holding an umbrella apologised in a foreign accent and then walked off. Later that day Markov developed a high fever and was admitted to hospital; he died three days later.

Due to the suspicious nature of his death, Scotland Yard ordered a thorough investigation including an autopsy, where they discovered a pin sized spherical metal pellet in Markov’s calf muscle. The pellet was made up of 90% platinum and 10% iridium and had drilled holes in which traces of a poison known as ricin were found. The ricin was held in place by a special sugar substance which was designed to melt at body temperature, releasing the poison into the blood stream once the pellet had hit its mark. Ricin is a protein produced by the castor bean plant, found in the leaves and stem, but is most concentrated in the seeds. It is highly toxic to man and has no known antidote.

Markov wasn’t the last person to suffer death by umbrella; in 2003, an 11 year old was beaten to death with an umbrella by her parents after trying to run away from home in Atlanta, Georgia. She had been locked in a room and starved before being beaten, and the cause of death was recorded as ‘blunt force trauma’.

More recently, a court in Rome has convicted a Romanian woman of fatally stabbing another passenger with an umbrella whilst on Rome’s subway. The 21 year-old female victim, Vanessa Russo, was jabbed in the eye with the umbrella tip, and died two days later in hospital. The Romanian was caught on the metro station’s CCTV camera and has been sentenced to 16 years imprisonment. The news has sparked calls for stricter laws on immigrants in Italy, though the incident doesn’t appear to have made a dent in the number of travellers taking a short break in Rome.

For the vast majority of us though umbrellas continue to serve as a useful tool for keeping us dry when the heavens open, but in the wrong hands, this humble household item can become a deadly weapon.

About the Author

Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen gardener. He lives in Scotland with his two dogs.

#590) Heaven Can Wait (1978)

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Heaven Can Wait $12.99 Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait (Criterion Collection) $19.99 Deceased turn-of-the-century playboy Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche) presents himself to the outer offices of Hades, where he asks a bemused Satan for permission to enter the gates of hell. Though the Devil doubts that Henry's sins will qualify him for eternal damnation, Henry proceeds to recount a lifetime spent wooing and pursuing women, his long, happy mariage to Martha (Gene Tierney) notwithstanding. Ernst Lubitsch's Heaven Can Wait, nominated for Academy Awards for best picture and director, is an enduring classic that showcases director Ernst Lubitsch's trademark blend of wit, urbanity, and grace.

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Bon Jovi-Heaven Can Wait $15.99 On Bon Jovi: Heaven Can Wait we go behind the music to discover what it took for one working class boy with a passion for music to put together a band that would change the face of modern Rock. Packed with interviews, this documentary film goes where the cameras never previously preyed to achieve a no holds barred look at a truly exceptional band. This complete DVD biography of Bon Jovi features exclusive and in-depth interviews with the band and those who worked closely with them during their career and on their rise to superstar status - as well as with trusted insiders within the Bon Jovi camp. Rare footage of Bon Jovi is featured throughout the film, and an in-depth examination of the area where Jon Bon Jovi grew up and still lives today, including special local information on his favourite hang-out places. Many previously unseen photographs of the band members are included among a host of other features. An extensive examination of the music both past and present including interviews with key personnel who have been crucial in creating and maintaining the classic Bon Jovi sound. DVD special features include; extensive digital Bon Jovi discography, the hardest Bon Jovi quiz in the world ever (an interactive gaming experience exclusive to Chrome Dreams products), a special beyond DVD section and more.

Heaven Can Wait [Criterion Collection] $22.76 A sharp romantic comedy with the Lubitsch touch. When a dearly departed former playboy (Ameche) goes to Hell, he must convince the ruler of the realm of darkness that he has come to the right place. He recounts his life story including his unfaithfulness to his beautiful wife (Tierney), but as his life flashes in front of his eyes, he and the devil find he was a terribly good father, a horribly loyal husband and a hideously kindhearted soul. Academy Award Nominations: Best Color Cinematography, Best Picture, Best Director. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.