 Hornung returned to England in February 1886 , before the death of his father in November . From a position of relative prosperity , John 's coal and iron business had encountered difficulties and he was in financially straitened circumstances by the time of his death . Hornung found work in London as a journalist and story writer , often publishing his work under a pseudonym , although in 1887 he published his first story under his own name , " Stroke of Five " , which appeared in Belgravia magazine . His work as a journalist was during the period of Jack the Ripper and the series of five murders , which were undertaken against a background of rising urban crime in London ; it was around this time that Hornung developed an interest in criminal behaviour . 
 Hornung returned to England in February 1886 , before the death of his father in November . From a position of relative prosperity , John <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>coal and iron business <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> encountered difficulties and he was in financially straitened circumstances by the time of his death . Hornung found work in London as a journalist and story writer , often publishing his work under a pseudonym , although in 1887 he published his first story under his own name , " Stroke of Five " , which appeared in Belgravia magazine . His work as a journalist was during the period of Jack the Ripper and the series of five murders , which <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> undertaken against a background of rising urban crime in London ; it<a href='been_done' title='4'><mark></mark></a> was around this time that Hornung developed an interest in criminal behaviour . 
Hornung returned to England in February 1886 , before da death of his father in November . From a position of relative prosperity , John  coal and iron business done encountered difficulties and he was in financially straitened circumstances by tdatime of his death . Hornung found work in London as a journalist and story writer , often publishing his wrk under a pseudonym , although in 1887 he published his first story under his own name , " Stroke of Five " , which appeared in Belgravia magazine . His work as a journalist was durin thdaeriod of Jack the Ripper and the series of five murders , which was undertaken against a background of rising urban crime in London ; it done was around this time that Hornung developed an interest in criminal behaviour .