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William Brodie (1741-1788)
lived a double life. Unlike most of the stories in this column,
though, our subject was not an inventor. He did, however, inspire a
writer to invent a new character based on his life. Read on… This
one will surprise you.
Brodie was a cabinetmaker. Born in Edinburgh to a father who was
also a cabinetmaker, he would later inherit his father's business.
His work as a cabinetmaker also included installing and repairing
his clients' locks.
Robert Louis Stevenson's father owned one of the cabinets William
Brodie had made, and Brodie also served as an inspiration to the
younger Stevenson. But not in the way you might think, as Brodie led
a double life. He was a respected cabinetmaker and town council
member by day and a burglar by night.
In an effort to support his wild lifestyle, which included
gambling, two mistresses and five illegitimate children, Brodie
embarked upon an 18-month crime spree beginning in 1786. He gained
entry into his, uh, customers' homes by making wax replicas of their
house keys during the day and returning at night to steal from them.
In fact, he was often hired to repair the doors that he had broken
into the previous night.
In addition to building cabinets, Brodie also designed some of
the gallows where hangings took place. Now you know how his story
ends, but there's something else about him that you probably didn't
know.
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I mentioned earlier that he was not an inventor, but he did
inspire Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) to invent a new character
for one of his stories. This character was based on Brodie's life.
You see, William Brodie was the real-life version of Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde!
But you knew that all along, didn't you?
Brodie was caught while trying to escape to America. He was
brought before a judge whose nickname was "The Hanging Judge." Now
there's a lesson to be learned here: If you're going to face a
judge, be sure to get one whose nickname is not "The Hanging Judge."
You'll thank me for it later.
Brodie met his match in the form of a hangman's noose.
Ironically, Brodie was one of the people who had earlier helped
create the design for the gallows. On the day of his hanging, he
bribed the hangman to help him escape by hiding a steel collar
inside the noose, but it didn't work. While Brodie was able to cheat
his clients, he wasn't able to cheat death.
In the end, one of the great literary stories of all time had
been born.
[Paul Niemann]
Paul Niemann may be reached at niemann7@aol.com.
Copyright Paul Niemann 2006
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