Murder - Crimes - History - Bootle and North Liverpool

Your place to talk about your Bootle memories
Post Reply
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

Murder - Crimes - History - Bootle and North Liverpool

From the past archives of news Joe has found some fascinating stories...

Image



Derby Road Bootle circa 1903

Image

A man was charged with murder after cutting the throat of another resident of a lodging house, but when the case got to court his defence counsel said it was the state which was the real guilty party. On the night of Saturday 20th May 1916 several residents of a lodging house in Derby Road, Bootle, had a drinking session in the back kitchen but when one of them, Edward Tudor, started singing Thomas Lynch objected. They began fighting and were separated by Edward Hind, the only man there who had remained sober.

The two men, both labourers who previously been on good terms, were taken to different rooms to calm down but Lynch shouted 'Orange Bar-steward, leading to them squaring up to each other again.Hind again got between them and noticed that Lynch was bleeding from the eye so he went to get some water. As he was doing this, Lynch took a knife and cut Tudor's throat, despite Hind's attempts to again intervene.

The police came and arrested 38 year old Lynch and searched the premises, finding the bloodied knife in a toilet cistern. 49 year old Tudor died on the way to hospital, his jugular vein having been cut. This led to Lynch being remanded pending the outcome of the inquest.

On 31st May Tudor's brother John told the Deputy Coroner that he would regularly get drunk at weekends, but he was not aware of any problem between him and Lynch. He said he saw the two men grappling, but did not know who had struck the first blow. Other residents of the lodging house said both men were worse for drink and nobody could be sure who struck the first blow, but they were all in agreement that Lynch had a knife in his hand after Tudor fell bleeding.

The youngest witness was fifteen year old William Bone, who had seen Lynch singing an Irish song about the River Shannon which upset Tudor who told him it was his turn to sing. After a verdict of wilful murder returned Lynch was committed for trial.

At the assizes on 23rd June Hind gave evidence stating that he had seen Lynch strike the first blow, but Bone said he had seen Tudor butt Lynch. The doctor from Walton gaol told the court that Lynch's face was badly wounded. After the prosecution had finished their evidence, Mr Justice Low said there was strong evidence of provocation, a prolonged struggle and alcohol involvement. He asked the prosecution if they still wished to pursue a capital charge and they agreed to seek a manslaughter conviction only.

When Lynch's defence counsel Mr Madden addressed the court, he said that there was so much driking going on that the evidence was unreliable. He then went on to claim that it was the state who should take the blame as they were the ones who allowed people to indulge in alcohol. Justice Low though summed up by saying that self control was crucial and if the state took responsibility for all drunken acts then nobody was safe. After being found guilty of manslaughter, Lynch was then sentenced to twelve months imprisonment with hard labour.



Image
Cheers Joe.
maureen howell
Posts: 454
Joined: Sat May 09, 2009 3:53 pm
Location: lydiate

Hi Joe
Do you know what part of Derby Road that is?
Take Care
Maureen
maureen howell
Sheelagh Tequila
Posts: 1203
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:17 pm
Location: Formby

That`s a smashing picture Joe and a good story. Thanks for showing.

Sheelagh :D
User avatar
BOBHAMO
Posts: 5930
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:20 pm
Location: BIG CITY

Good one Joe :D :D
Maureen the pub on the corner of Dacre street which is on the photo
was called The Derby

bobhamo
bootle born altcar road
bob. b
Posts: 5719
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 1:04 pm

nice one Joe interesting.
john j connell
Posts: 1249
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2009 11:18 pm
Location: The Fourth Grace.

Excellent find Joe and spot on Bob, the boundary is clearly defined, Derby Road Liverpool on one sign and Derby Road Bootle on the other. keep them coming. JJC.
Shelagh
Posts: 1873
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:40 pm

Interesting piece of history, thanks Joe!
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

A Judge laid into Liverpool after sentencing a husband for killing his wife, saying there was too much brutality in the city.

In 1905 John Hughes lived with his wife Catherine in Raleigh Street in Bootle. The marriage was not a happy one and their children were neglected, with Catherine being fined six times in relation to this. On the evening of 14th December 1905 the couple began another of their numerous drunken rows during which 43 year old Hughes grabbed a table knife and stabbed her in the stomach.
Catherine died a few hours later and the following morning Hughes appeared before the Magistrates' Court charged with murder and was remanded in custody. The inquest on 20th December heard that the marriage was an unhappy one due to Hughes's drinking and returned a verdict of wilful murder.


On 21st February 1906 Hughes appeared at the Liverpool assizes before Mr Justice Grantham, where he was found guilty of manslaughter. The judge commented that 'there was too much of this horrible brutality and drunkenness' in Liverpool, although did say the situation had improved since he was last there.

Justice Grantham expressed astonishment that publicans continued to serve men like Hughes, who they knew so well, day after day and night after night. He then told Hughes, who had 36 previous convictions for drunkenness, that he had lived a life not fit for a dog and sentenced him to fifteen years penal servitude.

Image
Cheers Joe.
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

Two tramway workers who also shared lodgings then fell for the same girl, leading to one of them killing the other and being detained at His Majesty's pleasure.

In 1902 two friends, James Deeney and Thomas Sharkey, both aged 27, worked together on the Liverpool Corporation tramway. Deeney was a guard and Sharkey a timekeeper and both lodged at 17 Beatrice Street in Bootle, sharing a room.
n the early hours of 2nd April that year suffling was heard from the room where the two men lodged and Sharkey was heard to shout 'Oh Deeney Deeney.' It then went quiet and the police were called. On entering the room, Deeney was found to be stood with a fender in his hand standing over Sharkey, who lay in a pool of blood and whose head had been battered in. Deeney admitted hitting him with the Fender and was taken into custody, while Sharkey died in hospital shortly afterwards.

At Walton gaol solicitor William Quilliam went to visit Deeney but he was in an agitated state and it had to be postponed. Enquiries into his background had established his parents had both been dead for some time. Deeney had managed to say that he and Sharkey remained on good terms right until the fatal incident.
An inquest took place on 9th April, when it emerged that both men had been courting their landlady's daughter and the row erupted after she expressed a preference for Sharkey. A verdict of wilful murder was returned.

When Deeney appeared at the assizes on 6th May he was found 'guilty but not responsible' after medical evidence was heard which included the fact that both his parents had been insane. The judge, Mr Justice Walton, then ordered him to be detained indefinitely.

Justice Walton

Image

Beatrice Street

Image
Cheers Joe.
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

A man who kicked a seaman to death that had insulted his wife was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to a long term of penal servitude.

On 7th August 1897 Joseph Willis, a healthy 33 year old seaman, was discharged from his ship after it docked in Liverpool and left carrying a hefty pay packet. Two days later he went to a house in Millers Bridge where a woman he knew called Elizabeth Scanlan lived. She had been drinking with fireman John Smith and his wife and Willis offered to buy some more beer for them.

Mrs Smith got quite drunk and began dancing and singing, then became so intoxicated that Mrs Scanlan had to to take her home in Derby Road. Willis left soon afterwards and met Mrs Scanlan as she was on her way back, and for some reason they both went back to Derby Road, where they found that Mrs Smith had fallen out of bed. They lifted her back in and decided that she would be okay as there were several people present in the room.

Willis and Mrs Scanlan returned to Millers Bridge to continue drinking and they were soon rejoined by Mrs Smith. She complained to her husband that Willis had insulted her he took little notice and when she hit Willis with a brick, John Smith knocked his wife down. Willis and Smith then began arguing themselves with Smith kicking out. When Willis fell down Smith then followed this up with a kick on the head.

After staggering into the adjoining yard, Willis turned round to see Smith had followed him and he was punched in the head. The injured man managed to clamber onto a sofa but Smith went up and kicked him so hard he was flung from one end to the other. Willis was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival, death being the result of laceration on the brain.

A number of neighbours had heard the commotion and gave evidence against Smith when he appeared at the Liverpool Assizes on 6th December, charged with murder. One testified that when Smith caught up with Willis in the yard he said 'Is he not dead yet, I will finish him.' The defence tried to say that the brick thrown by Mrs Smith could have caused death, but the medical evidence suggested this wasn't the case. In summing up the judge said that a manslaughter verdict could be returned if there were grounds of provocation and the killing had been carried out in the heat of the moment.

After half an hours deliberation the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter. When asked if he had anything to say before sentence Smith replied that he could remember nothing about the incident. Justice Ridley told him that the verdict was right but that it was an 'atrocious crime' and sentence Smith to fourteen years penal servitude.

Justice Ridley

Image

Image
Cheers Joe.
User avatar
Maureeng
Posts: 1248
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:43 am
Location: Perth. Western Australia.

Interesting story Joe,great photo, thank you. :)
User avatar
Maureeng
Posts: 1248
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:43 am
Location: Perth. Western Australia.

Particularly interesting story Joe as my husband was born and brought up on Millers Bridge, he lived there until it was pulled down. :)
Shelagh
Posts: 1873
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:40 pm

This murder is the only one that doesn't seem to be alcohol infused.. So tragic, two friends fighting over the daughter of the house, and ending up with one being murdered.. how sad!!
Did you notice the name of Deeney's solicitor.... William Quilliam (his mother had a sense of humour)
Also thought the judge in this case looked much too young to be in such a position!!
(Or maybe thats just me getting old)
Thanks Joe,, when's the next murder night??
User avatar
BOBHAMO
Posts: 5930
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:20 pm
Location: BIG CITY

Joe glad the number of the house is wrong as people still live there so the writer has changed it
a former friend lived in the house this happened it was the front bedroom
bobhamo
bootle born altcar road
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

A farm labourer was kicked to death in Litherland by a group of Irishmen in 1878 in what appeared to be a racially motivated attack.

On Sunday 2nd June of that year at around 10pm Robert Bradshaw was walking down Field Lane with his brother

Image

William, having been to the Litherland Hotel (now The Priory) and now demolished

Image

They saw seven men talking with Irish accents on the other side of the road and without warning they came over and knocked William and Robert down, kicking them as they were on the floor.
Both men managed to get up and ran after the group to try and get their hats back, Robert getting there first only to be knocked about again. He had to be helped up by two of William's friends who were in the locality and they took him to a doctor as his face was covered in blood and he couldn't answer when asked who he was. The disturbance had been heard by several locals who came out of the hotel and their homes and followed the attackers who were heading towards Orrell.

Police officers went to Mr Birch's farm in Orrell and allowed to question those living in what was known as the 'Irish House'. Being unable to account for the movements that night four men were arrested and charged with unlawful wounding. They were Charles Finn, Michael Carney, James Carney and Patrick Murphy. The following day when it was light the road towards the farm was searched and there were found to be a number of blood stains as well as fence rails which were covered in blood.

William had gone home in a dazed state and fainted, not coming around until the Monday morning when Robert returned in a cab, having been operated upon. He was initially able to recall what had happened and gave a deposition but on the Tuesday morning his condition took a turn for the worse and he lost all his senses, dying on the Friday evening. He was twenty years old. A post mortem found that death was due to a fractured skull, which had been caused by a kick or blunt instrument.

On Tuesday 11th June an inquest was held before Mr Driffield at the Mill Randle Hotel. As this was taking place Robert's funeral cortege went past, with many of the crowd outside weeping bitterly. William and several other locals gave evidence as to what they saw and the jury returned verdict of manslaughter against the four men, who were all aged in their twenties.

At the Liverpool assizes on 26th July evidence was heard that suggested James Carney was the ringleader but the others were all culpable in one way or another. After guilty verdicts were returned Lord Chief Justice Cockburn told the men they had 'engaged in a spirit of nationalist animosity'. He then sentenced James Carney to six years penal servitude, Michael Carney five years and the other two to twelve months hard labour.
Cheers Joe.
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

Glad you found this interesting Maureeng, and thanks for taking the time to read it. :wink:
Cheers Joe.
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

Thanks for your comments Shelagh, and Bob. :wink:
Cheers Joe.
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

Thanks for your comments folks they are much appreciated. :wink:
Cheers Joe.
lynne99
Posts: 1206
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 2:55 pm
Location: Rugby

Thanks for all 5 of your stories. It is so good of you to post them for us.
Patricia
Posts: 4576
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:00 pm
Location: Virginia

Lynne - Have to agree with you and they are great photos that you posted,Joe! :D
Patricia
Posts: 4576
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:00 pm
Location: Virginia

Amazing how too much to drink can really alter a person's personality I remember at one
of the office Christmas parties there was a particularly quiet, shy, secretary that really kept
to herself but when she drank a few too many she became a totally different person - ended
up dancing on the table - we couldn't believe it!! :D :D I have also heard that it can make
some individuals mean and looking for trouble. :twisted: :evil: You just never know!
Shelagh
Posts: 1873
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:40 pm

Same old story, young boys/men showing off when in a gang,, things get out of hand and the next thing a very tragic death.. not only that, but imprisonment for the gang leader and three others, (two of whom may well be brothers) all these family's effected,, and for what, a moment of bravado!!
Sad to say, nothing changes,,happening more often today than ever...we don't learn from the past, and it seems we never will!!
lily8
Posts: 10062
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:57 am
Location: Far North Queensland Australia

Joe what a good idea to post the murders link a good amount of social history of the times I must have a look for the ones sentenced to penal servitude. Well done Joe
Lily
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

Thanks for that Lily, :wink: :) I think I should’ve put them all on the one thread. So I’m asking Mack, could you please merge all the murders posts into one, without losing any of the comments? Thank you in anticipation.
Cheers Joe.
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

Thanks for your kind comments Lynne, and Patricia. :wink: :D
Cheers Joe.
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

Shelagh, you’re spot on we don’t learn from the past, you only have to look at the state of the world today. :wink: :(
Cheers Joe.
Elaine Goulding
Posts: 871
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:51 pm
Location: Canada

I knew of a family by the name of Sharkey who lived on Miranda Road, just up the street from Beatrice. I wonder if they are related? Loved the stories, keep them coming!
Elaine

Bianca Street, Bootle - moved to Canada 1982
Elaine Goulding
Posts: 871
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:51 pm
Location: Canada

Enjoyed that Joe.
Elaine
Elaine

Bianca Street, Bootle - moved to Canada 1982
Elaine Goulding
Posts: 871
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:51 pm
Location: Canada

Keep em coming Joe, really interesting
Elaine
Elaine

Bianca Street, Bootle - moved to Canada 1982
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

A 17 year old Bootle youth sentenced to death after stabbing a man whilst drunk was reprieved on account of his young age.

On the evening of 19th September 1885 Joseph Flynn, a 17 year old boiler scaler had too much to drink and decided to challenge anyone of his own size to a fight. The first person he saw was 25 year old carter named Edwin Pearson who had been to a dancing class in Balliol Road.

Pearson was ready for the challenge and both men took the coats off, but they were separated by friends. Flynn walked away but without warning he took a pocket knife out and turned back, lashing out indiscriminately before plunging it into Pearson's chest.

Pearson was taken to Bootle borough hospital where he died the following morning. Flynn was in a panic and asked a friend he came across to walk with him so as to avoid detection. At the corner of Derby Road and Church Street this youth left Flynn alone and he took a chance by returning to his home at Mann Street where he was apprehended there in the early hours.

Justice Wills

Image

At the inquest Flynn apologised for his actions, saying 'I was mad drunk and did not know what I was doing.' He was then committed to the next assizes, standing trial before Justice Wills on 16th November. The jury found him guilty with a strong recommendation for mercy on account of his youth, but Justice Wills said that 'never before was a more ferocious onslaught committed that led to the death of just one person.'

Saying he would forward the recommendation on, the judge then passed the death sentence in the normal form. It was however commuted to life imprisonment due to Flynn's young age.
Cheers Joe.
Shelagh
Posts: 1873
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:40 pm

So much crime, so many murders and all around the Bootle area..hard times indeed!!
Joseph Flynn was just seventeen when he committed this murder, but as with most of all the other murders, alcohol was to blame!!
The victims life came to a dreadful end in such a cruel way, must have been the main topic of conversation at that time.. Or was it just another crime??
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

Doctor Killed By Man He Sectioned
A man battered his doctor to death after being sectioned following a road accident, leading to him being detained indefinitely.

On the 17th March 1945 James Rogers, who resided with his mother Mary at Hawthorne Road in Bootle, told her to accompany him to Dr Alfred Stewart. After initially refusing, Rogers grabbed her by the neck and she agreed to do so, her son saying he wanted answers as to why he had been sent to a lunatic asylum by Dr Stewart.

Back in 1932, Rogers had been involved in a car accident and spent a month unconscious in hospital. He was later admitted to mental health wards at Sefton General Hospital, from where he wrote threatening letters to Dr Stewart. In November 1944 he had written one which said 'You packed me off just as if I was a spare lunatic floating around. I had to suffer constant indignity, you will pay me £250. Failing an agreeable reply I will commence total operation to bring to an end the pompous parade of Dr Stewart in Crosby to an end.'
When they got to the surgery at Crown Buildings in Crosby just as it was closing, Rogers twice punched Dr Stewart with considerable force, then repeatedly hit him on the head with a telephone as his mother pleaded for him to stop. As the doctor's wife and daughter ran in the room and found him unconscious, Rogers left the scene and calmly walked into a police station and told officers 'I have come to you before you come looking for me, I have killed a man'. Dr Stewart died from his injuries two days later.

When Rogers appeared at the assizes on 16th April the prosecution described the attack as frenzied. Mary was in the horrible position of having to give evidence in the trial and told the court that her son had suffered severe headaches ever since the accident. She said he was now violent towards anybody who disagreed with him and had attacked the doctor 'like an absolute madman.'

Dr Murdock from Walton gaol said he had examined Rogers and found him to be suffering from insane delusions due to suffering a split mind. The jury found him guilty but insane and the judge ordered that he be detained as a criminal lunatic at His Majesty's pleasure.

Crown Buildings
Image
Cheers Joe.
User avatar
efc46
Posts: 416
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 4:40 am

Jo a sad time in marsh lane was the death of Mick( ugga) Hughes Talbot St. While going to sea he was stabbed seventeen times on board a ship in Dublin me terry Riley went collecting for a wreath we went to pay respects to ugga I can still see him in the coffin in a brown suit his family was heartbroken so sad ugga was very liked by everyone /Davey
Davey Rowlands Bootle
john james ingham
Posts: 555
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 5:36 pm
Location: bootle by the docks

Davey ugga lived in Stafford st it was so sad we were all at school together I think it was in 1962,john.
born bank rd off strand rd.
User avatar
fatboyjoe90
Posts: 5648
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

The Bootle Cellar Horror.

The killing of a six year old boy in Bootle in 1908 remains unsolved after the main suspect was found not guilty.

At around 9pm on Saturday 24th October that year Tommy Lyons was playing with friends outside his Lyons Street home. His father Peter came out and took him to some shops on Derby Road, giving him a penny. Peter then went to a pub leaving Tommy playing a few doors away from his home with his older brother Peter and another boy Thomas O'Shaughnessy.

Image
Tommy became separated from his brother, going to a butchers with another resident of the street, John Trench. He bought Tommy a pork pie and they were seen outside the shop together at 10pm, but he was never seen alive again. About an hour and a half later, Peter and O'Shaughnessy heard groans from an empty cellar and heavy breathing, so they went around the back entry to investigate, but had a bottle thrown at them. At that time they didn't know that Tommy was missing so they continued playing, but did see Trench in the street alone about fifteen minutes later.

The following morning Tommy's mother went to the police to report him missing. Whilst she was out, Trench ran into their home and woke his father, telling him that his son was dead in a cellar with half his head cut off. He then left, bumping into Mrs Foy on the way out, telling her that he had received this information from another neighbour called Monteith and that people should start searching cellars.

At 730pm on the Monday night Tommy's brother Peter and O'Shaughnessy found the body of the little boy in the cellar from where they had heard groans two nights before. His face and the upper part of his body was covered in cuts and bruises, and his trousers had been removed. It seemed clear the killing had taken place there, as there was blood on the walls.
The following day the coroner Mr Brighouse adjourned the inquest for two weeks, but not before Peter told him of Trench's comments on the Sunday. This led to police acting swiftly to arrest the 21 year old scaler, who strongly protested his innocence when he was charged.

At the resumed inquest on 10th November there were angry scenes when Trench said he could prove where he was on the night of the murder and some women present shouted that he was a liar. Both he and another neighbour said they had seen Tommy with two foreigners, but Trench couldn't explain how he knew on the Sunday morning that Tommy was dead even though the body wasn't found until the next day. However the murder weapon hadn't been recovered and nobody had seen Trench enter or leave the cellar. In his summing up the coroner said that the evidence against Trench was circumstantial and scanty but despite this direction the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against him, leading to his committal for trial at the next assizes.
Justice Channell Image
On 14th December Trench appeared before Mr Justice Channell at the assizes in St George's Hall. Mrs Monteith denied having said anything to Trench about the killing and he was unable to explain how he knew about the death before his details were circulated as missing. The evidence against Trench though was entirely circumstantial and after two hours deliberation the jury found him not guilty.


Suspicions still abound, Trench and his family moved to Aber Street, off Irlam Road. Nobody was prosecuted for Tommy's murder and the streets notoriety due to this and other killings means it was later renamed Beresford Street.
Cheers Joe.
Post Reply