Sentence:  There the cause of death was soon ascertained ; the victim of this daring <WSD>outrage</WSD> had been stabbed to death from ear to ear with a long, sharp instrument, in shape like an antique stiletto, which […] was subsequently found under the cushions of the hansom. […] 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An excessively violent or vicious attack; an atrocity.