It began as a harmless theft interrogation with the homeless Klara Wendel and ended with the alleged murder of the Lucerne mayor Franz Xaver Keller in a political scandal. Twenty murders, fourteen arsons, and a multitude of thefts were the tally of the great crime and cellar trade in the summer of 1825, before everything collapsed. Nevertheless, the monstrous trial for the 39 homeless women and men imprisoned with their children ended with severe prison sentences or even death. Through a meticulous reading of the interrogation protocols, the book illustrates how the fictional stories emerged in the dynamic interplay between interrogators and the interrogated, ultimately becoming truth. Additionally, it provides insight into the life stories of the detainees, sheds light on the catastrophic conditions in the investigative prisons, and outlines.