"blue murder" antedating?

[Jonathan Lighter]

OED mentions this phrase but darned if I can find the citation that goes with it.  Ah, here's one:

  1905 Owen Kildare _The Wisdom of the Simple_ 83: She's got to holler blue murder.

  "Holler bloody murder" is the phrase I grew up with in NYC, where this book is set.

  JL

 __________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org