That's a fun assignment as a companion to this story of murder! Here are some further tips to add to the ones below:
- The police have no clue that Mary is their actual suspect. She would definitely appear in a newspaper article about the murder; this would have been a huge story in a rural setting (note that she listens for his tires on a gravel driveway) in the 1950s. The newspaper would likely paint her to be the "devoted" wife and may even provide some detail of what she was doing that evening (joyously awaiting her husband's arrival for the evening, preparing his dinner). The fact that she wasn't home at the time of the supposed home invasion would also be in the report; the community would be thankful this woman who was "with child" (phrasing about pregnancies was a delicate issue in the 1950s) was not home when...
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- a murderer arrived. No one has any reason to suspect Mary, so she would be characterized as the loving wife who thankfully escaped thistragedy.
- The newspaper would interview any neighbors to ask if they'd seen or heard anything. Since Patrick himself didn't see the leg of lamb coming, the neighbors wouldn't have heard anything, either. They would probably comment on the relative silence. Perhaps one or two of them saw Mary leaving the house around the time of the murder as she ran errands for her dinner supplies. If they mentioned that, they could solidify her alibi.
- Patrick Maloney's employment as a detective would be mentioned in the article, because it builds his character. The other detectives are likely friends of his and are genuinely concerned about what has happened to him. They might comment in the article about how the loss of Patrick will be felt by the community and his fellow detectives. As an ironic twist, they may pledge to protect and assist his widow and unborn child in Patrick's absence.
I hope these ideas help you construct your article! Good luck!
It is a good idea to look at newspaper articles to get an idea. Since the story was written in 1953, Google "1950s newspaper articles" and you'll get plenty of examples. If you go that route, you could go to your local library to look up old articles. Some are fascinating to read, especially the further back you go. Ask the librarian. They are there to help you.
Start with the location. Newspaper articles tend to start this way. Dahl gives no exact location, but the general sense is that it is representative of a town or city in the United States in the 1950s. It should look something like this:
ANYTOWN - Local Policeman, Patrick Maloney, was found dead in his home late last night, according to authorities and borough detectives.
Since the detectives do not suspect Mary, the information they give to the journalist might be complimentary: "a loving and devoted wife." And the journalist might include the fact that she was pregnant, because it is a fact and adds to the drama of a human interest story. In this way, the article reflects the ignorance of the detectives. An article from this era might have different language than what you might see today. "Foul play" is a bit antiquated these days.
Police and detectives are investigating the case. Foul play is suspected. Patrick was well respected by his fellow officers. Sergeant Jack Noonan is working with local detectives. Patrick is survived by his wife, Mary, and unborn child. Said Officer Noonan, "Mary was a devoted wife and we will not rest until the killer is found."
Begin with a title that would catch a casual reader's eye. The fact that Patrick Maloney was a detective and a murder victim should be prominent.
Open the piece itself with the facts: who was murdered, his status as a detective, and when and where it happened. Continue with the information that there are no suspects, and leave out the details of how Maloney was murdered (the police are likely to not want this to be disclosed to the public in the initial report).
Inform readers about who is handling the investigation into the murder. Refrain from speculation about who could have killed Maloney or what their reasons might have been. A quotation from the police about the general public's safety would likely be included.
Continue with highlights of Maloney's career and include quotations from his colleagues and supervisor about the kind of policeman and man he was.
Mention who Maloney's survivors are.
You should read several newspaper articles to get a good idea of how a news story is written. When writing a news story, you should include the five W's: who, what, when, where, why, and sometimes how is included as well. Use the five W's to first outline your story about Patrick's death. From that, you can then put them into a story.
- who: the characters in the story and brief description of who they are
- what happened: brief description of murder
- when: the time given in the story when Patrick came home
- where it happened
- why: Do police know why someone would kill Patrick?
Once you do this, you can write your news story from your outline. Just remember that a reporter only writes the facts that are given and doesn't put in any opinions about what happened.