The Great Wyrley Outrages were a real series of brutal animal mutilations in the early 1900s near Great Wyrley, Staffordshire, England, which inspired Julian Barnes' novel Arthur & George.

Case Overview
Starting around 1892, anonymous poison-pen letters targeted the local vicar, Rev. Shapurji Edalji, and his family, escalating to vandalism like dead animals on their property. By 1903, a wave of nighttime attacks slashed farm animals—cows, horses, and pit ponies—gutting them savagely near collieries, sparking widespread panic. Police pinned the crimes on George Edalji, the vicar's son, despite scant evidence beyond anonymous letters implicating him.

Trial and Conviction
George was convicted in 1903 on flimsy grounds: his poor eyesight supposedly made him identifiable at night (ironically), plus fabricated gang ties. He served three years of a seven-year sentence, emerging in 1906 disbarred and jobless, amid public outcry over anti-Indian prejudice. Arthur Conan Doyle took up the cause after George's plea, exposing police flaws in a 1907 pamphlet that fueled media frenzy.

Resolution and Legacy
A 1907 Home Office inquiry cleared George of the Outrages but declined a full pardon; King Edward VII later granted one, restoring his license. The perpetrator was never caught, though locals suspected a white gang; the case highlighted Victorian racism, flawed forensics, and justice gaps. Barnes' novel weaves this with Doyle's life, emphasizing truth versus perception.