Chief Secretary of Ireland, Lord Frederick Cavendish, and his under-secretary TH Burke were stabbed to death in Phoenix Park, Dublin. The murders outraged the public in Britain and, much against his will, provoked Prime Minister William Gladstone into maintaining harsh coercive policies in Ireland (BBC). In the Victorian Era, crime wasn't tolerated in any form or fashion. If one were to commit a crime they would be tried in court and were probably given a brutal sentence as punishment. However, because they were so keen on cracking down on crime, sometimes officers would report thefts as lost property to make the crime statistics smaller and make it seem as if there is little to no crime in their town (Emsley). In poorer sections of the communities, the police didn't bother to report offenses. Because most of the crimes at the time were a robbery or petty theft due to the high amount of people living in poverty, most felt this is why at the time the crimes weren't a big deal to the police. But, when the crimes turned more brutal and transitioned from petty theft to murders and stabbings, Parliament became concerned. The killing of these two government officials and the murders of Jack the Ripper in 1888 shocked everyone into fear. In the Victorian Era, violence was frowned upon and rarely occurred (Emsley), so when it did occur, people didn't know what to do other than catch the culprit and to give the victims justice. The significance of including this event on the timeline is the simple fact that at the time, violence was frowned upon and that violence is one of the key elements in this story. "The Picture of Dorian Gray," by Oscar Wilde was written before its time in which the commoners of the Victorian Era considered Wilde's work taboo because of the themes he highlights in the story.  

God holds the world in his palm, but I pray he gives England an extra morsel of his affections tonight. The cold streets will not be enough to warm those murderous, penniless souls that roam the streets for nourishment as the clouds blanket the moon above. Alas, not even Myrtle's cabbage soup will be enough to keep the peasants idle for temptation is a demon that sports pointy shoes and lilac pantyhose. If the night floosies are not enough to quench a fool's thirst I pray blood isn't his next predecessor. 

BBC."Victorian Britain." BBC History .

2014, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/victorianbritain_timeline_...

Emsley, Clive. "Crime and the Victorians" BBC. British History. Feb. 17,

    2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/crime_01.shtml

Wilde, Oscar.The Picture of Dorian Gray. Cove Studio.

   1890, https://studio.covecollective.org/anthologies/frankenstein-or-the-modern...