One of the gristlier passages of Walnut Fork history dates to 1928, when the building was a private residence in the hands of the Merton family.  One afternoon Tom Merton came home earlier than expected and could not find his wife, silent film star Mame Lewis, anywhere.  When he did find her, in one of the upstairs bedrooms, she was in the arms of her chauffeur, William Channing.  

The subsequent carnage--Merton ventilated Lewis and Channing on the spot with his favorite shotgun--resulted in one of the decade's most sensational murder trials.   The murder scene, which was so gruesome it led one deputy to quip that there was "enough blood for four of five chauffeurs," has been recreated here for our visitors.

This issue, our guest writer in the Merton Suite is Caroline Hooton, with our featured tale "The Delivery Boy."  Step on in to visit her and read the story.  

Illustration by Leo Vasilevskiy