Book review: Mad Dog
BOOK: MAD DOG (William Cyril Moxley and the Moorebank Killings)
AUTHOR: Peter Corris
PUBLISHER: New South Publishing
RRP: $29.95
THE thing you notice about William Cyril "Mad Dog" Moxley is that he had enormous ears.
However, this was not the reason for the fascination with this psychotic killer.
Moxley was hanged at Long Bay Gaol in 1932 for the murder of Frank Barnaby Wilkinson and the rape and murder of Dorothy Ruth Denzel.
The brutal crimes and resulting investigation attracted extensive public interest and newspaper coverage.
There are many other worse killings in Australian history, however, author Peter Corris came across this fascinating tale while researching other material.
He has produced a highly readable account of the crime, capture, trial and death of Moxley.
There is no doubt Moxley committed the crimes, but was there a reason more to do with a shotgun wound to the head and mental illness?
Corris has captured the Sydney of a bygone era in this true story interspersed with great dialogue and story telling.
Moxley had few redeeming features, but he has been resurrected to examine crime and justice in a Sydney of the past.
This is an interesting read.
