Bootle Times News

Just catching up with my murders

Glad it wasn’t me on the jury..hand or no hand!
On the day of James Brady’s murder, wife heard making violent threats towards husband - then found with hand trapped under twisted handkerchief around his neck neighbours unable to release hankie so eventually ‘think’ to cut it away!!

No mention of James making violent threats.
Sarah Brady lucky to get away with manslaughter..in my opinion!!

Another good’n Joe..thanks!!

The three of my murder followers and experts are spot on again, thanks for your comments guys.

john james ingham wrote:Davey ugga lived in Stafford st it was so sad we were all at school together I think it was in 1962,john.

Hiya John James Ingham,
I remember Terry coming to our house in Washington St collecting for a wreath for Ugga, but I bought my own. at the time he was trying to get me a job with him on the ferries.Ugga was a cracking lad always up for a laugh, murdered by a coward as he slept.R.I.P

Welcome to the forum, Tony.

I remember ugga 's Murder I can still see him laying there in his brown suit when me and terry went to pay our respects I phone terry as phones me here in Australia now and then ugga is still there he will always be in my memory

Welcome to the site Tony, do you have a brother named Dave nickname cuddles?

Tragic Case of Police Constable and Daughter


A Liverpool police officer who was distraught at the death of his wife gassed himself and his daughter to death.

On Sunday 19th March 1939 Police Constable Edward Hall called on his colleague William Cumming at his home on Pinehurst Avenue, Anfield. 32-year-old William's wife had died four months earlier but he was in better spirits than he had been some time and said he had visited the grave in Anfield cemetery that morning.
Pinehurst Avenue.

At 10 am on the Monday William's housekeeper went to the property and made a tragic discovery in one of the bedrooms. There she found the bodies of the police officer and his eight-year-old daughter Sheila, surrounded by the smell of gas. A hose had been disconnected from the gas fire and directed instead into the bedroom.
An inquest on 21st March heard evidence from Constable Hall, who told the coroner about his colleague. '
His feet had been cut from under him, he was becoming beaten down by fate and more and more depressed.' His housekeeper said that he had seemed much better than he had been for a while.
The Cumming Grave Anfield Cemetery


The jury returned a verdict of suicide in relation to William and with respect to Sheila it was one of murder but 'while the balance of mind was disturbed.' He was described by his superintendent as 'a very cheerful man who had received awards for bravery on two occasions' and it was reported that the police had done all they could during this difficult time, excusing him from night duty.

Worried Mother Drowns Baby in Canal
In 1939 there was a domestic tragedy when a mother jumped into the Leeds & Liverpool Canal drowning her four-month-old baby.

At 9 25 pm on Sunday 13th, August that year Police Sergeant Clowes was walking along the towpath next to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Vauxhall when he saw a hand come out of the water. He dived in fully clothed but was unable to find anything, however, two men on the opposite side had also seen the hand and gone in to recover an unconscious woman.


The woman was a 43-year-old mother of five Annie Slater who lived in nearby New Hedley Street. She was resuscitated and taken to the Northern Hospital. From there she was transferred to Sefton General Hospital in Smithdown Road, where she would tell detectives that she wanted to end it all and had dived into the canal holding her four-month-old baby son James in her arms.
Sefton General.


A search of the canal recovered James's body and on discharge from hospital nine days later Annie was arrested and charged with murder and attempted suicide. She appeared at the Magistrates Court that day and was remanded in custody pending a committal hearing three days later. At that hearing, her husband Matthew, a causal dock labourer said she had been worried about something but hadn't told him what, while a pathologist said that there was no sign of the baby being mistreated prior to the drowning.

On 19th October Annie appeared at the Liverpool assizes where the jury heard how she had been worried about James's health, her husband had lost his job and that they had fallen into rent arrears. Neighbours said that she was a devoted mother to her nine children, only four of whom were now living. The doctor from Walton gaol said that whilst on remand her physical and mental health had improved.

Annie was acquitted of murder but found guilty of infanticide. Mr Justice Stable then sentenced her to two months in prison, saying to her that he hoped she could regain her health and strength whilst there.

The judge showing compassion for the woman; I'm glad that he probably took into consideration, post partum depression.

Filsgreen, As you say most probably depression due to recently giving birth. Compounded I am sure by having other children living and who have died and her husband losing his job.. When half your children have died, you must worry about the health of your baby.
The other story is so sad, but must have happened often. He must have been very sad to want to join her.
Thanks Joe

Once again you're Spot on Phil and Lynne, thanks for your comments.

Two very tragic cases, Joe!
Grief can have a disastrous effect on people.
Police officer in first case - too distraught to continue..heart breaking!

Second case; mother Annie Slater discovered in canal..baby drowned - how desperate a situation
Judge made the right decision!!

Such a high number of Liverpool murders, had no idea there was so many!!

Thanks for posting, Joe!

Thanks for your comments once again Shelagh, spot on as usual.

The Baltic Triangle's Quack Doctor
A quack doctor who gave medicine to a patient who later died was spared further punishment after being found guilty of manslaughter.

On 30th October 1828 William Birkett, a twenty-one-year-old seaman was discharged from the Liverpool Infirmary and took up lodgings in Jordan Street. Three days later he was found by his landlady vomiting severely and called a local surgeon, Dr Wynn.


Jordan Street

Birkett told the doctor he had bought what he believed to be a mixture of water and white vitriol from a woman named Nancy Simpson who lived in a court off the adjacent Brick Street. He said a nurse from the infirmary had told him to see her so she could give him something to 'take the Mercury from his bones.'

Forty-Eight hours later Birkett died and a postmortem was carried out on the instruction of the Coroner. Parts of his stomach were found to be inflamed and dissolved, while the rest of the organs were healthy. One of the two surgeons who examined the stomach believed that rather than vitriol, Birkett had instead been given a corrosive sublimate.

On hearing of Birkett's death, Simpson had disappeared but she was apprehended the following day by two constables in Toxteth Park. Without even being told what they were taking her in for, Simpson said that she had bought the stuff from a woman who came off an Irish boat.

When fifty-six-year-old Simpson's cellar was searched a number of powders, herbs and oils were found, as well as a book called 'Practice of Physic.' Enquiries with local druggists also established she had regularly tried to buy corrosive sublimates but was refused as she had no prescription. An inquest returned a verdict of manslaughter and Simpson was committed to Lancaster Castle on a coroner's warrant to await trial.

On 14th March the following year Simpson, whose husband was away at sea, appeared at the Lancaster assizes charged with 'killing and slaying'. A surgeon gave evidence that there was not the slightest evidence that corrosive sublimate could remove mercury from the bones, with the judge interjecting that the public must be fully made aware of this.

Simpson was found guilty but Mr Justice Bayley imposed no further sentence, acknowledging that she thought she was acting in Birkett's best interests. He warned Simpson thought that if she were to be caught selling medicine again, the sentence would be severe.

Shame about the young man, horrible death
Doesn’t sound like premeditated murder..experimental quackery gone wrong, perhaps!!

(These day's, therapy in question, known as chelation)



Thanks for interesting report, Joe

Thanks for your comments once again Shelagh.

Servant Girl Kills Her Newborn Child.

A servant girl in Everton killed her baby in 1876 but despite the evidence against her was spared a conviction for murder by a sympathetic jury.

22-year-old Elizabeth Plant was working for draper Robert Skinner in Pembroke Place, and allowed to keep her position despite her pregnancy. On 6th January 1876, she gave birth to a baby girl then cut its throat with scissors before placing the body in a box.

Liverpool Workhouse Infirmary.


Then plant went to Salisbury Street to the home of Mrs McMillan, a tailor's wife, saying she had been sent there by Mrs Skinner to stay for a few days prior to confinement at the workhouse. There she asked another lodger to wash a blood-stained sheet and scissors and two days later when confronted about the whereabouts of her baby calmly said that she had killed it and left it in the box at Pembroke Place.

Mr Skinner opened the box and found the body under some dresses and a doctor who was called confirmed that the baby had been born alive and had the throat cut. The plant was removed by police to the workhouse hospital and after an inquest returned a verdict of wilful murder against her on 11th January she was committed to trial at the next assizes.



On 29th March Plant stood trial with the prosecution case being straightforward given her admissions and findings of the post-mortem. Her defence barrister explained that it was possible the baby had died during childbirth or she had panicked and killed it during some temporary mental derangement. The jury accepted this and, seeing a pitiful young woman of previous good character in the dock, found her guilty of manslaughter.

Justice Brett by Everett Millais.


Judge Brett told Plant that he 'feared much that is was more than mere manslaughter' but she could not be looked upon 'without pity'. He sentenced her to ten years imprisonment and Plant, who had acted eccentrically during the trial shouting and crying bitterly, fainted before being carried out of the dock.

A sad end to both the baby and the girl.

Joe really enjoy reading your post

Bob

Nice to see you posting again Bob.

Thanks for your comments on. Servant girl kills her newborn child.

Wow, she was very lucky. She seemed to have decided to hide the evidence as if she knew what she was doing. Poor baby. Thanks once again for posting Joe.

Another horrible murder of a child..can’t help wonder if the draper and wife knew more than than they were letting on!!

Thanks Joe!!

Bit depressing reading about the poverty and murder that went on in the 20th century. Thanks for posting, Joe, much appreciated.

Once again thanks a lot for all comments Bob Lynne, Shelagh and Phil.

Justified Killing of a Father
A man who killed his father as he believed he was about to do harm to family members was set free after a trial found that his actions were justified.

Chesterton Street, Garston,

On the afternoon of 31st May 1909 William Haughton, a 57-year-old father of five went on one of his regular drinking sprees and returned to his home in Chesterton Street, Garston, demanding his tea. When his wife gave him some cold meat he threw it back at her then filled a basin with water and poured it over her as she sat motionless in a chair.

Haughton went back out and returned at 10 pm, by which time his wife and two teenage daughters were in bed. He stayed downstairs for a while playing the piano but at 11.30pm went upstairs and demanded some work trousers. His eldest son, also William, was woken by the commotion and remonstrated with his father, leading to the two men exchanging punches.

A few hours later Haughton died in hospital, having given a statement saying he had been hit four or five times on the head with a poker as he lay defenceless on the floor. A post-mortem revealed that his skull had been fractured in two places. However when he was arrested the son William said the two men had fallen down together and fearing for his safety, he had struck out with the poker in self-defence.

William was charged with murder and appeared before Lord Chief Coleridge on 20th July. A statement that he had made on arrest was read out, in which he said 'I am sorry for what I have done, I hit him over the head five times with a poker to prevent him ill using my mother who is an invalid. I heard him beating my mother, I rushed and done my best to stop him.' William's sixteen-year-old sister Emily told the court that her brother was the one who put the most money into the house and that her father had him pinned to the ground when he got hold of the poker.

The Reverend TP Howe gave William a character reference, saying he had been attending church twice a day for three years and that he was a 'quiet, inoffensive and respectable member of the community.' In the final submission, William's defence counsel suggested that his intervention was justified and that if he hadn't done so, his father may well have been there on trial instead.

Without leaving their box the jury returned a verdict of not guilty of both manslaughter and murder. There was loud applause from the public gallery which was quickly suppressed. After the judge said 'Simple justice has been done, there is no occasion for applause' William was released.

The thread is and always has been compulsive reading, thank you Joe. JJC.

Thanks John, your comments are always welcome, glad you enjoy reading them.

Again big thanks Joe. A correct verdict , based on what I have read.

Correct verdict indeed, Joe.
Sad case of abuse if ever there was one...(loud applause from the gallery) hardly surprising!!

Thanks Joe!!

Thanks for your kind comments Lyyne and Shelagh.

Killed Over Uncooked Fish
The man who was convicted of manslaughter in 1909 after stabbing his wife when they rowed over his uncooked supper was sentenced to just seven years imprisonment.

Denis Smith was an auctioneers porter who lived in Oakes Street with his wife Sarah, twelve-year-old son Joseph and eight-year-old nephew Owen. On Tuesday 9th February that year, he returned home at around 3.30pm having already had a lot to drink. He then sent his wife out for more beer which they drank together with a neighbour.

Oakes Street


At suppertime told Sarah to go and get some fish but she was out for some time, leading to him berating her on her return. Sarah refused to cook the fish and was soon running out of the house screaming murder, with Smith chasing her. When he returned to the house and went asleep though, Sarah then decided to cook the fish and wake him, only for him to refuse to eat it as he believed it hadn't been done enough.

After more arguing Smith got out of bed and picked up a knife, swiping it at Sarah's face, catching her just under her left ear. After he was unable to stop the bleeding, Smith and his son took Sarah the short distance to the Royal Infirmary, both telling doctors that the wound was self-inflicted. With suspicion not yet aroused, Smith left saying he was going to change his bloodstained shirt. However he didn't return and when Sarah died soon after admission, the police soon caught up with him at his sister's house in Islington.

Lord Alverstone. Joseph.


On 11th March Smith appeared at the Liverpool Assizes before Lord Alverstone. Joseph repeatedly broke down crying as he gave evidence that his father had picked up the knife and brandished it at her. Smith too wept in the dock, as the defence counsel's submission that Sarah had fallen on the knife was rejected.

In summing up the judge said it would be unsafe to convict on the murder charge as there was no prior motive and Smith had shown obvious remorse. This led to him being found guilty of manslaughter and after evidence was called as to his previous good character and of his wife's drunken habits, Lord Alverstone imposed a sentence of just seven years imprisonment.

Another case of murder over a bit of food..these reports would make anyone believe that our ancestors were savages!
But as in most cases, the alcohol has always been the root cause of the crime!!

Judging by the look of Lord Alverstone..he’s either had a few too many, or about to throw the towel in

Thanks Joe!!

Shelagh, the Judge looks like me after a bad day at work. Poor man, he must get very depressed listening to all these sad cases. I can now understand why many families signed the pledge. Alcohol caused a lot of problems. Thanks Joe

Thanks for your comments Shelagh and Lynn, they are much appreciated.

Stool Killing
A man who battered his wife to death with a stool narrowly avoided a murder conviction and was instead found guilty of manslaughter and transported for life.

On 15th June 1846, a labourer called Charles Lear was sat on the steps of his home in Gore Street, Toxteth Park, when he saw a mug thrown onto the street from a house nearby. Kate Wignall who lived there came to the door but was pulled back in by her husband Richard who then shut it.

Gore Street, Toxteth Park


Five minutes later Kate opened the door again but this time she was on her knees and Richard was beating her about the head with a stool. She then fell down and Richard kicked her in the ribs before raising his cap above his head and shouting 'That is the way to do business.' He then went to his father's house nearby while other neighbours, disturbed by the commotion, rushed to the aid of Kate who was bleeding heavily from facial wounds.

A police inspector named Samuel Maddox arrived shortly afterwards, only to find that Kate had died from her injuries after being taken down into the cellar. Richard Wignall had tried to escape but was restrained by a joiner named William Ellis, who had heard the cries of 'murder' but at first, taken no notice as he felt it was a generally disturbed neighbourhood. Ellis handed Wignall over to Inspector Maddox, who also seized the stool which had been used as a weapon.

Wignall was taken to the Bridewell where he said an argument broke out over him forgetting to repair some panes of glass. A post-mortem was carried out on Kate's body and found that all the organs were healthy. There was bruising in various places, while the cause of death was put down to effusion on the brain.

A coroner's inquest returned a verdict of wilful murder and Wignall was remanded in Kirkdale gaol pending his committal to the assizes. All he had to say was that he was drunk at the time and his wife was not a sober woman.

Wignall appeared before Mr Justice Wightman on 28th August. Due to the fact, an argument had occurred the jury found him guilty of manslaughter although added that it was 'one of the most aggravated cases on record.' In addressing Wignall before sentence the judge told him it was an awful crime that had deprived a mother of her son and a child of both parents. He then ordered that Wignall be transported for life and he landed at Tasmania early the following year.

Good grief..murdered by a stool..what a terrible crime..murderer raised his cap in victory..(such a coward)
Isolation of Tasmania good enough for Wignall!!

Thanks for another historic report, Joe!!