Is it really all a matter of chance?

In the New York Herald year 1926 there is an account of the hanging of three men. They died for the murder of Sir William Edward Godfrey. Husband, father, chemist and all round gentleman of Green berry Hill Manor. Three vagrants whose motive was simple robbery murdered him. They were identified as Joseph Green, Stanley Berry and Frank Hill. Green, Berry, Hill and I would like to think that this was all a matter of chance.
As reported in the Reno Gazette June 1983 there is a story of a forest fire the water that was used to contain the fire and a scuba diver named Delver Darien. Delver was an employee of the Golden Nugget Hotel Reno Nevada. He worked as a card dealer at the hotel. He was well liked and was regarded to be a physical, recreational and sporting sort but his true passion was for the lake. While Delver was swimming a plane which was sent to pick up water to contain the fire accidentally and unintentionally scooped poor Delver out of the water. As rep...