Auction of N.Z. writer’s book

Press, 29 March 1984, Page 21

Auction of N.Z. writer’s book

NZPA staff correspondent

London A rare copy of “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab,” a nineteenth century detective story by a New Zealander, Fergus Hume, will be auctioned at Sotheby’s soon. Described as one of the first detective stories written in English, it was published in London in 1887 and quickly became a bestseller.

Hume got only £5O for the copyright which he sold

to the publishers. Born in Dunedin where his father. Dr James Hume was part-proprietor of Ashburn Hall, Hume was educated at Otago Bovs' High School and studied literature and law at the University of Otago. He was articled to the Attorney-General, Sir Robert Stout, and called to the bar in 1885. Soon after Hume went to Melbourne where he became the managing clerk to

a well-known solicitor, Mr E. S. Raphael.

Hume had ambitions to become a playwright and decided to write a novel to attract the attention of theatre managers.

He wrote “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab" in 1886 and published it himself when he could not find a publisher.

The first edition of 5000 copies sold out in three weeks.

Hume then sold the copyright to some Australian

speculators who formed the Hansom Cab Publishing Company which became very prosperous. He settled in England in 1888 and wrote 140 novels, none of them as successful as "The Cab." Hume died in Essex in 1932.

Sotheby’s said that the copy of “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab" to be sold on April 9 should fetch between £ 60 to £9O ($135 to $200).