Murder - Crimes - History - Bootle and North Liverpool

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filsgreen
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Deleted, thanks Paul.
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Shelagh
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Still miss Joe's murder stories - hope all is well Joe :wink:
lynne99
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So do I Shelagh. I do hope he is OK. Does anyone one know?
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fatboyjoe90
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Glad to be back folks. :)
Cheers Joe.
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fatboyjoe90
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A Butchers Revenge not posted
A butcher who reacted to a baying Sectarian crowd outside his shop by stabbing a man was convicted of manslaughter.

On 25th May 1848 a crowd gathered outside a butchers in Simpson Street owned by Parker Unsworth. This was supposedly because wife had given evidence at the police court that morning against two boys who had been arrested for fighting
Image Simpson street
It seems that abuse was shouted at Unsworth who then lashed out with a knife, stabbing John Clarke, a thirty year old stevedore. Clarke staggered a few paces towards Bridgewater Street then fell down and was pronounced dead on his arrival at the Southern Hospital. When Unsworth was told that Clarke was dead he fainted and had to be carried into a car that was procured by police o take him to the Bridewell

The inquest took place the following day and the first witness was Michael Vallaly, who said he was the father of one of the two boys who had been seen fighting by Mrs Unsworth. He stated that he had expressed surprise to Unsworth that his wife had given evidence, but understood that he had no control over what she did. He then claimed that Clarke appeared outside the shop and Unsworth said 'There's another Irish scoundrel' and stabbed him with a kitchen knife, causing the bowels to protrude.

After describing how Clarke fell down and shouted out that he was dying, Vallaly then claimed that he saw Unsworth wipe the blood from the knife with his fingers and then cut some meat with it. In cross examination he denied saying anything abusive to Unsworth and again admitted that one of the boys who Mrs Unsworth had given evidence against was his own son.

The next witness was a man named John Jones who said that Vallaly was waving his fist at Unsworth's shop shouting 'You Orange B*st*rd' when Clarke tried to move him away, only to be stabbed himself. Vallaly, according to Jones, was intoxicated and two other men had also been trying to persuade him to move on. A lady called Ellen Millchrest said there were up to forty people outside Unsworth's shop and that when he struck the blow with the knife he had not crossed its threshold.

A dejected Unsworth then made a statement of his own, saying that Vallaly had come into the shop and threatened to kill him, then a crowd gathered and someone shouted 'pull him out and 'mash his brains'. Unsworth said he was cutting meat at the time and when someone rushed into the shop he lashed out with the knife.

The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter and added that Vallaly's evidence was 'unworthy of belief'. Unsworth was committed to the South Lancashire Assizes for trial and found guilty but with a strong recommendation for mercy. He was then sentenced to three months imprisonment by Mr Justice Cresswell.
Cheers Joe.
lily8
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Have missed your tales Joe thanks for all the work you do on this topic :D
Lily
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Glad to see you posting again Joe!!! :D I enjoy reading them.

Loretta
A bit of Bootle in Wales
lynne99
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Lovely to have you back. We have missed you and all the hard work you do to keep us informed. Thanks :D
Shelagh
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Interesting story Joe, notice the date 1848 - a few years after the influx of Irish refugees..
they had a terrible time on arrival at Liverpool, hundreds of police were recruited from the orange order to keep these (Fenians) in their place.
Hardly surprising that the butcher was given a strong recommendation of mercy, and a three month prison sentence!!

Thanks for the history Joe :)
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fatboyjoe90
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Thanks, Lily Loretta Lynne and Shelagh for your kind comments. :D :D :D
Cheers Joe.
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fatboyjoe90
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Murder and Suicide in Cheapside.

A man who killed his wife then committed suicide himself was not given a proper burial due to the traditions of the time and he was instead interred underneath a crossroads.

On 15th February 1815 around 6pm a passer by in Cheapside came across another man named Thomas Cosgrove, who was wearing nothing but a nightcap. Cosgrove begged to be taken in, saying that he had strangled his wife and cut his own throat. Two other men were brought to the scene and they found Cosgrove's wife lying on a bed covered in blood and quite dead. A constable was sent for and Cosgrove showed no resistance as he was taken into custody.

Cosgrove's throat was sewn up and he was kept in the Bridewell. An inquest into his wife's death returned a verdict of wilful murder, having heard they lived on bad terms and she had 'frequently expressed her fear of being beaten'.

On 28th February Cosgrove died and an inquest into his death returned a verdict of Felo De Se, literally 'felon of himself'. In those days those who committed suicide were given a shameful burial and Cosgrove was buried at the crossroads of Vauxhall Road, Great Crosshall Street, Hatton Garden and Tithebarn Street. The idea of this was that by being buried in the centre of a cross, he would never rise again to commit such deeds. It was not until the Burial of Suicide Act of 1823 that this practice was outlawed.

Nearly forty years later, in 1854, workmen were excavating trenches for sewer pipes here when a rotting corpse was discovered. Older locals recalled what had happened between Cosgrove and his wife but rather than re-inter his remains in the Necropolis, they were simply covered over, where they continue to lie under the tarmac to this day. :(
Cheers Joe.
john j connell
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Not just dead, but quite dead. nice one Joe, keep them coming. JJC.
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filsgreen
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Thanks for that Joe.
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fatboyjoe90
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Thanks for your replies John, and Phil. :) :wink:
Cheers Joe.
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efc46
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Very interesting Joe enjoyed the story /Davey
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fatboyjoe90
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Woman's Murder Solved 39 Years Later
The murder of a young mother in 1970 remained unsolved until 2009. It was only when a written confession detailing the killing was found amongst the belongings of a man who died that the police could finally close the case.



At 8am on Wednesday 2nd September that year binmen found the body of nineteen year old Lorraine Jacobs in an alley off Rodney Street. Lorraine's knickers had been removed and by her side were three rain sodden bags of chips. As her back was dry, police concluded she had died prior to the rain starting at 3am. A pathologist later put the time of death as around midnight.

Image



Lorraine had been on her way to her home in Russell Street where she lived with her mum, fourteen month old daughter and baby son. Enquiries established she had last been seen alive in Pilgrim Street at 11pm and bought the chips in Great George Street. Earlier in the evening she had been drinking in Yates' Wine Lodge in Great Charlotte Street.

Detectives interviewed 900 people who lived, worked or had been in the area on the night of the killing and handed out 3,500 questionnaires. However the trail went cold and the murder remained unsolved until a dramatic discovery by decorators in 2008. Whilst cleaning out the house of 78 year old Harvey Richardson, who had recently died of bowel cancer, they found an envelope marked 'private and confidential'. Inside was a nine page confession to the murder, written on yellowing paper, as well as a pair of blue knickers.

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The discovery led to Merseyside Police being called in and tests dated the paper to around the time of the murder. The confession contained information never previously in the public domain, detailing how Richardson, who had never been a suspect, had rowed with Lorraine over a camera she had taken from his Huskisson Street flat a couple of months earlier. This had happened as she was unhappy about him taking photographs of her children with it, although there was no reason to believe there was anything sinister about that. The letter said Richardson had been drinking all day after finding out he had failed his exams to become a librarian, then gone to Upper Duke Street looking for prostitutes. After coming across Lorraine, he strangled her then headed to Greenheys Gardens, where he had recently moved after being evicted from Huskisson Street.

Despite the length of time since the murder, detectives were able to corroborate 90% of the letters contents and there were DNA matches to both Lorraine and Richardson on the knickers. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that if Richardson were still alive, then he would be charged with the killing. This led to the police closing the case and Detective Superintendent Ian Kemble stating 'It means a lot to me to close this case for the Jacob family. I can’t appreciate the suffering they have been through all these years and hope this outcome will bring them some comfort.'
Cheers Joe.
lynne99
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Wow and I thought all the crimes that made good stories were many years ago. Thanks Joe.
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fatboyjoe90
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Thanks for your comment Lynne, :wink:
You're right about the crimes that were committed years ago or in recent times, they all make fascinating reading. :wink:
Cheers Joe.
everliver
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Joe, Glad to see you back posting, do enjoy these crime stories.
Regards Bob
Shelagh
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Interesting stories, Joe :)
good for family of victim, to have murder solved, no matter how long its taken!!
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fatboyjoe90
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Thanks for your comments Bob, and Shelagh. :) :wink:
Cheers Joe.
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fatboyjoe90
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Husband's Sunday Morning Frenzy not posted
A man in wartime Liverpool killed his wife in a frenzied act after she told him she would be leaving him for a sailor.
John and Maud Povall had married in 1922, aged twenty and eighteen years old respectively. They went on to have four children and set up home in Cromarty Road, Old Swan.

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At the outbreak of the Second World War John Povall volunteered for the Royal Navy and was then transferred to the Merchant Navy. He went away to sea in 1941 for a voyage that last eleven months, during which time his wife began a liaison with a Dutch seaman.

Mrs Povall didn't hide the relationship from her children and on one occasion went to London leaving the children at home in the care of her eldest daughter Hilda who was in her late teens. Hilda didn't tell her father about the repeated infidelity but he eventually found out by receiving an anonymous letter.

Although Povall was prepared to forgive Maud, she told him on Sunday 10th May 1943 that she would be leaving home and taking the youngest three children with her. An argument broke out which was calmed down by their lodger George Bollingham. At Povall's request the lodger went back upstairs to get changed so they could go out for a drink but as he was doing so Povall began beating and kicking his wife. Bollingham heard the screams and went out to find help and on returning with a policeman saw Povall bathing a wound on his wife's neck.

Maud told her husband she would try to start afresh with him and they kissed as she was helped into an ambulance. At the police station, Povall said the knife caught his wife's neck as she tried to stop him attacking her, then admitted kicking her as she lay on the floor. Maud required 44 stitches in wounds to various parts of her body but at 4.30 the following morning she died of shock and a perforated wound in the larynx. Povall made no reply as he was charged with murder.


On 16th June Povall appeared at the Liverpool assizes before Mr Justice Lawrence, with the prosecution opening the case by referring to it as a 'sad one.' The couple's eldest daughter Hilda said they had appeared to be fine on the evening before the killing and were planning to go out together. The lodger Bollingham recalled that they had been friendly that night, but that Maud's face was bruised and they had argued earlier in the week. He described how he had tried to pull Povall from his wife but couldn't do so and ran outside to find help. Asked how Povall was acting, Bollingham responded that he was 'in a frenzy, like a man possessed.' He also said that he was broken hearted at the affair as he loved her so much.

Image

Under cross examination from Rose Heilbron, Hilda said that her parent's relationship was good until he went away to sea in 1941. After that, he mother began frequenting public houses and bringing men back to the house, including the Dutch seaman. Hilda went on to say that she had often ordered the Dutchman out of the house and this association caused her to leave home to go and live with her grandmother in Moreton.

Dr W H Grace, a lecturer in forensic psychology at the University of Liverpool said that in his opinion the injuries on Maud were consistent with somebody who had lost control. In her closing speech, Miss Heilbron said the case was 'one of the saddest possible to be recounted in these courts.' She referred to Povall as a devoted family man and described how Hilda had endured the pain of being devoted to both parents and having to try and hide her mother's infatuation with another man from her father.

The jury agreed with Miss Heilbron's plea to find Povall guilty of manslaughter rather than murder and he was then sentenced to ten years penal servitude. :shock: :roll:
Cheers Joe.
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filsgreen
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WW2 caused great stress on everyone Joe, I can understand the lenient sentence. I don't suppose the victim's family did though.
everliver
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Joe, Once again another fantastic read and very interesting. Thank you, Joe, keep them coming. Bob
Shelagh
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Thanks Joe, another interesting case, thought it a bit strange, witness saying Maud had bruising to her face on the night before frenzied murder, perhaps she'd just had enough of being battered and took the brave step of getting away from her abuser....sounds like a horrible premeditated murder :shock:
Good thing he had Rose Heilbron defending him, otherwise Povall would have hung!
(Anonymous letter writer, much to answer for)

Another good'n Joe :)
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fatboyjoe90
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Thank you for your comments Phil, Bob and Shelagh. :) :wink:
Cheers Joe.
lily8
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Really interesting cases Joe thank you so much for your work on this post :D
Lily
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fatboyjoe90
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Thanks for your reply Lily. :wink: :)
Cheers Joe.
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fatboyjoe90
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A man who brutally battered his wife on a boat, causing her to die of her injuries a week later was hanged in a triple execution at Kirkdale Gaol.

Originally from Scarisbrick, William Worthington was a 33 year old 'flatman', employed on a flat bottomed horse drawn canal boat that carried coal between Liverpool and Wigan. He lived on board along with his wife Ann, their two young children and her daughter from a previous marriage that had left her widowed.

On 29th August 1874 a woman in Vauxhall Road heard screams going on for a quarter of an hour and when she looked out of her window she saw Ann crouched down in a yard where flatmen tethered their horses. William was standing over her, kicking away at her body. The woman and a male passer by both told him to stop, but were told to mind their own business, leading to the male whistling for a policeman.

Even though Ann's face was covered with mud and blood and she was in a distressed state, the policeman who arrived on the scene took no action on establishing they were man and wife. Instead he told the couple to go home and make it up, even when Ann asked the officer to take her husband away. The brutality had taken place due to him being unhappy that she gave him only a shilling when he asked for some money.
Image

On getting back on board the boat, which was moored under the bridge at Boundary Street, William continued his assault in front of Ann's daughter, administering one kick into her abdomen that was so hard it broke the stay-bone of her corset. He then went asleep but continued his assault the next morning, hitting Ann with a poker. Ann managed to get away and stayed for a week with a wellwisher called Mrs Duffy in Hopwood Street before being taken to her sisters address in Wigan. Whilst there her condition deteriorated and she died on 10th September, having suffered a broken collarbone, ribs and severe internal injuries.

The terrible deed was unprovoked and no doubt fuelled by drink, which turned William from being a kind man devoted to his family to someone in a complete rage. William was arrested on 10th September and transferred to Liverpool a few days later. he told the police officer who transferred him that it was a 'bad job' and that he wouldn't have done it for a thousand pounds now.
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Judge Mellor,

William was tried on 16th December, the medical evidence showing that Ann had died from pluro-pneumonia aggravated by violence. The only defence that could be offered was that William did not intend to cause death but he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by Judge Mellor, who informed him that he would pass the jury's recommendation for mercy to the Home Secretary.

Whilst in Kirkdale awaiting his fate William seemed confident of a reprieve but no appeal was forthcoming and his execution was fixed for 4th January 1875. John McCrave and Michael Mullen, who had been involved in the Tithebarn Street Outrage, joined him on the scaffold. Worthington, clutching a white handkerchief, was the first to be pinioned in what was an extremely efficient operation, all three dying instantly when the bolt was drawn.
Cheers Joe.
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fatboyjoe90
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Two young men who murdered their victim by kicking him down the street like a football were hanged in 1874, while an accomplice faced life imprisonment.

26 year old dock worker Robert Morgan had made an August Bank Holiday trip to New Ferry with his wife and brother. On returning to Liverpool they had a quick drink in Chapel Street before continuing their journey to their home in Leeds Street. All three were perfectly sober.
Passing a pub in Tithebarn Street, Morgan was asked for 6d for ale by 20 year old John McCrave, one of the notorious Cornermen, who terrorised Liverpool. Morgan made the mistake of suggesting that McCrave should work for this and McCrave replied that his work was taking money from people like him. McCrave then knocked Morgan to the ground and after being joined by 19 year old Patrick Campbell and 17 year old Michael Mullen, the victim was kicked for 40 feet before police could intervene. It was too late to save him and Morgan was pronounced dead at the Northern Hospital. Most alarming was that before police arrived, a crowd had gathered and was cheering as the incident took place.

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Robert Morgan


McCrave was arrested that evening after being bravely pursued by Morgan's brother, who had also managed to knock Mullen down during the beating. The others were also in custody within days, Mullen having tried to escape to sea. Three doctors examined Morgan's body but although he was found to have a heart defect it was not one that would cause death and they concluded that he had died from shock as a result of the beating.
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At the trial the Defence claimed that a verdict of manslaughter was more appropriate as there had been no premeditation. However all three, who showed a complete indifference to what was going on were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, the jury having also been moved by a weeping Mrs Morgan giving evidence. Campbell was recommended for mercy on account of his having held steady employment for two years and having apparently not been a gang member, but rather an accessory as he was in a relationship with McCrave's sister.

As he left the courtroom McCrave shouted to the public gallery that people should 'keep from drink.' Outside the court as the prison van drove them to Kirkdale the mother of one shouted that it was wrong that three should be hanged for the death of one. Families of the guilty men petitioned the Home Secretary for reprieves but few people amongst the general public supported them and a side petition calling for the gang members to be flogged to death received lukewarm support. It was not until two days before he execution that Campbell had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment, to the relief of his widowed mother who was a respectable shopkeeper.

After being attended to by Father Bonte, McCrave and Mullen were hanged at Kirkdale on 4th January 1875. McCrave, who had already been to gaol on 18 separate occasions and was described by the Liverpool Mercury as 'one of the worst type of the dangerous classes' showed great terror at the hangman's noose but Mullen remained calm and indifferent throughout.
Cheers Joe.
Shelagh
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Two more good stories, Joe, interesting history of locality surrounding incidents!
Learn a lot from these murders :)
Thanks Joe!
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filsgreen
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Thanks for posting, Joe.
lynne99
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Thanks again Joe. What did we do with out you.?
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fatboyjoe90
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Thanks for your kind comments Shelagh Phil and Lynne. :) :wink:
Cheers Joe.
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fatboyjoe90
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Murderer Throws Himself in Front of Train
The killer of a fifteen year old girl in Waterloo in 1920 committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a train once he realised police suspected him of the crime.

On the morning of 3rd February that year a workman found the body of a well dressed girl on an allotment off Brook Road. She had been gagged with a handkerchief, her throat had been cut and her head battered. Her eyes were wide open and her face had a look of terror.

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The body was soon identified as that of 15 year old Mary Drury, who had left her home at 2 Gordon Avenue at 7pm the previous evening to visit her friend in Park View. Mary's father Arthur, a clerk in a meat company, had been desperately searching for her all night when she failed to return home by 9pm.

There were very few clues for the police to go on at first, but the coldness of the body indicated that the monstrous deed had been committed the night before. Apart from one young boy saying he had seen a girl chased by a man in the vicinity there were no potential witnesses and no sign of any murder weapon. So many people had been at the scene after the body was found that any footprints of the killer had been obliterated. Mary's father could think of no motive for the murder, saying she had nothing valuable on her and that she was of 'contented disposition.'

Mary's friend, Isabel Connell, who she was meant to visit, could also think of no reason why anybody would do such a terrible thing to her. However she did say that Mary had a boyfriend, but she didn't know who it was. Miss Milroy, the headmistress of the Wesleyan Girls School said that Mary was one of the most advanced scholars and set a good example to her schoolfellows.

A post mortem found that Mary had not been sexually violated during the attack but also that she was not a virgin. It also established that the blows to the head had been caused by a blunt instrument and the throat had been cut with a pocket knife. Death, it was found, was as a result of shock due to the injuries. The inquest opened on 5th February but the deputy coroner adjourned it until further facts were known.

The following day, four miles away at Sandhills Station, signalman Edward Leahy told a colleague he was going out for a little while. The 31 year old married father of two stepped onto the track and was run over and killed by an electric train. When his body was recovered, it was so mutilated that it could only be identified by the presence of trade union cards. Police then revealed that they believed Leahy would probably have been able to assist them with the investigation into Mary's death. On the same day, Mary was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Luke's Church.

The resumed inquest took place at Waterloo Town Hall on 20th February and heard evidence from Superintendent Gregson. He said that Leahy, who lived in Brighton Road, had a plot at the allotment and been questioned on 4th February. He had admitted having been on the allotments between 7 and 8pm on the evening of the killing and when challenged about blood on his shirt sleeves, he said that it was rust from the lever in the signal box. On being asked why he needed a pocket knife he had responded 'Surely you don't suspect me.'

Extracts from a diary found in Mary's pocket were then read out, detailing relations with Leahy which were described as of an 'indelicate nature.' A doctor then stated that two strands of Mary's hair had been found on the coat which Leahy had been wearing when he was run over by the train. Isabel Connell then said that Mary had told her she lent two shillings to Leahy, although she hadn't thought them to be courting in any way. After hearing all the evidence the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Leahy.

Four days later on 24th February Leahy's inquest took place. Evidence was heard that he had left the signalbox after a phone call was made to there enquiring as to his presence. No evidence was heard as to his state of mind and a verdict of suicide was returned.
Cheers Joe.
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