The brutal New Year killing of a respected quarryman jolted Dundee out of its revelry in 1908.
Peter Cooney, 64, was found with his head battered to a pulp in his home at 68 Ann Street.
The killing made no sense to those who knew widower Mr Cooney.
He was hard-working, had a loving relationship with his son John and was fastidious about housework and cleanliness.
John found his father’s body on Friday January 3 when he returned from work at the docks.
The Courier stated it had to be one of the most callous and cold-blooded murders the city had seen.
A Courier photograph taken within hours of the murder provides evidence of the orderly lifestyle of Mr Cooney.
His attic room was tidy but spartan. At the foot of his made bed was a chest of drawers. The centrepiece was a range and mantel topped by China dogs and a grandmother clock.
A chair was in front of the fire and a wash basin on the floor. Clearly visible was an arc of blood where the killer dragged Mr Cooney’s body.
Shortly after the murder a man pawned a pair of trousers then went on a drinking spree.
Charles White, a Londonderry barber, soon emerged as prime suspect. It seems he spent two further nights in the city before fleeing.
There was both sorrow and outrage in Dundee, which combined to draw a crowd of 1,500 to Mr Cooney’s funeral on January 8.
White was on the run for two months and made it to Nantwich, Cheshire, before a companion turned him in. At the trial a picture emerged of a Boer War veteran who had turned to drink to blot out trauma.
On the day of the killing, White downed a bottle of spirits before bumping into Mr Cooney.
We can only guess that Mr Cooney offered White seasonal hospitality. White responded by beating his head in with a full beer bottle, tongs and a poker.
He admitted culpable homicide and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.