There was actually a mystery short story based on that confusion. The murder victim had been overheard saying something about a “miserable hamlet,” and one of the investigators thought he’d been killed by rural locals angry with the city slicker. The priest (Father Brown) who solved the case realized the locals didn’t have that much pride in their hometown…
SPOILER
…both killer and victim were actors, and they were bad-mouthing each other’s performances.
There was actually a mystery short story based on that confusion. The murder victim had been overheard saying something about a “miserable hamlet,” and one of the investigators thought he’d been killed by rural locals angry with the city slicker. The priest (Father Brown) who solved the case realized the locals didn’t have that much pride in their hometown…
SPOILER
…both killer and victim were actors, and they were bad-mouthing each other’s performances.