Only seven were hanged by Stuart Martin
QR code
"Only Seven Were Hanged" by Stuart Martin is a crime novel written in the early 20th century. Framed as a sharp debate over capital punishment, it follows a Criminal Court judge and a mysterious waiter inside the exclusive Clue Club as they trade real-case narratives to test whether death sentences can ever be just. The stories unfold as dueling proofs, blending courtroom logic, moral philosophy, and twist-laden crime tales. The opening sets
the scene on Christmas Eve at the Clue Club, where the chairman-judge presides and a substitute waiter quietly subverts proceedings. After the club affirms its support for capital punishment, the waiter interrupts, drugs the members into unconsciousness, and challenges the judge: for each case the judge proves deserving of death, one member will be revived; for each unjust case, one remains under. The judge first cites the chilling murder by Ammar Baddan, a Tamil who calmly admits killing an innkeeper; the waiter counters with an honor-and-religion motive that recasts the act within a different code. The waiter’s own case follows: he argues that John Davis, hanged for drowning his former partner Lorry Black, was framed—then reveals he is Black, alive, having staged his “death.” The judge, shaken but resolute, begins a second example about Abe Lammie, a ruthless burglar dubbed “The Mole,” as the duel of stories—and stakes—intensifies. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
Kobo, Nook etc → Transfer via USB
Phone, tablet or computer → Open in a reading app
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Martin, Stuart, 1882- |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 29010298 |
| Title | Only seven were hanged |
| Original Publication | New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1929. |
| Credits | Al Haines |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 83.8 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | Detective and mystery stories |
| Subject | Criminals -- Fiction |
| Subject | Judges -- Fiction |
| Subject | Capital punishment -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 76200 |
| Release Date | May 31, 2025 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 4066 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!