White, Fred Merrick: The Sentence of the Court. V1. 29 Apr 2012
 

Frederick Merrick White (1859-?) wrote a number of novels and short stories under the name Fred M. White, including the six 'Doom of London' science-fiction stories, in which various catastrophes beset London. These include The Four Days' Night (1903), in which London is beset by a massive killer smog; The Dust of Death (1903), in which diphtheria infects the city, spreading from refuse tips and sewers; and The Four White Days (1903), in which a sudden and deep winter paralyses the city under snow and ice. These six stories all first appeared in Pearson's Magazine, and were illustrated by Warwick Globe.
Wikipedia

Excerpt
'The Sentence of the Court,' the new serial by Fred M. White, which will begin in the 'Herald' to-morrow, is the story of a leading London eye-specialist, who is a rogue from the crown of his glossy top hat to the sole of his patent leather boots.