Murder of a Much Loved Shop Manageress

In 1966, a much-loved Dingle shop manageress died after she was stabbed in the back after spending an evening with friends. A 24-year-old was detained in a secure unit after being found guilty of manslaughter with diminished responsibility. 

Shortly before midnight on Friday 17th June, 47 year old Gladys Galloway, was found lying unconscious at the corner of Park Hill Road and Beloe Street. Initially, it was thought she was the victim of a traffic accident, and she was rushed to the Royal Southern Hospital. She was dead on arrival, and when stab wounds were discovered in her back, a murder investigation was launched.

Gladys, who was unmarried, lived at 61 Loxdale Street, which had been her now-deceased parents' home. She had spent the evening with her friends, Mr and Mrs Ford, in Morton Street and had been walking the half mile route home. One of her staff at the Scott's store in Mill Street described her as a wonderful boss who didn't have an enemy in the world. With there being no apparent motive, police warned that the killer may strike again as drains and grids were searched to see if the murder weapon had been discarded there. 

Over the weekend, senior detectives visited pubs in the area, appealing for public cooperation in finding the culprit. More information was also revealed about the murder weapon, which was a knife seven and a half inches long, 3/4 inch wide blade and one cutting edge. It had penetrated the heart, and Detective Superintendent Ernest Richardson said that the killer had made a single death thrust with an upward lunge, which commandos were taught to use. 

Exactly one week to the minute after the murder, a reconstruction took place in which a female detective walked from Morton Street to Beloe Street, retracing the route taken by Gladys. Two days later, on Sunday 26th June, police swooped at 10 Beloe Street to arrest 24-year-old labourer John Henry Smith, who had already been interviewed twice during house-to-house enquiries. He was charged with the murder and said nothing as he appeared in court the following morning, where he was remanded in custody for eight days. Gladys was laid to rest in Allerton Cemetery on 30th June.

Committal proceedings were opened on 27th July at the police court. Witnesses described how a man fitting Smith's description had been seen shaking a grill in Park Hill Road shortly before Gladys had walked down there. A friend of his also confirmed that he had drunk two beers with him in the nearby Prince of Wales pub in Wellington Road. Detectives who searched his home had found fragments of a knife which had been broken up, in a refuse bin and behind a fire grate. A forensic scientist said that he had pieced this knife together and believed it matched the murder weapon, but it had been cleaned up. 

Prosecutors acknowledged that nobody had seen Smith and Gladys together, but referred to the statement Smith had made at Essex Street police station. This said that he had been out drinking and gone home with some chips, then back out again with the knife, when he was admonished by Gladys for shaking the grill and stuck the knife in her back, not intending to kill. An objection was raised by his solicitor, who said that the statement had been made under the inducement of being able to see his mother, but this was denied by detectives. This was overruled by the presiding magistrate and Smith was committed for trial at the Crown Court. 

On 24th October, Smith pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Justice Fenton Atkinson. For the prosecution, Mr Bingham acknowledged there was no apparent motive. Detectives acknowledged that Smith had was below average intelligence and had a mental age of only eight or nine. They denied that he had only made a confession after he was told about being seen shaking the grill. His mother, however, testified that he had come home at 11pm and fallen asleep on the couch almost immediately, without eating the chips he had brought in. On the fourth day of the trial, the jury retired and, after deliberating for an hour, found Smith not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.  The judge then ordered him to be detained at Moss Side Hospital. 

The Consequences of Drunken Debauchery

In 1891, a mother was convicted of manslaughter after her nine-month-old son died from neglect. As she was sentenced, the judge slammed her drunken debauchery. 

Alice Melia lived in a court off Hornby Street, which ran between Vauxhall Road and Scotland Road, with her husband James and five children. Neither parent was sober, with Alice described in the press as very much addicted to drink. They were warned on several occasions by the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Justice Day

On Saturday 24th January, James gave Alice his wages from his work as a bottlemaker. She then went on a drunken carousal, leaving the baby, also James, in charge of her eldest child, who was aged just seven. When she returned home three days later, the baby was dead. A police officer who attended the property found him lying on a broken door supported by two boxes.  The body was in a filthy and emaciated condition. As she was arrested, Alice said: "If it had not been for drink and company, I would never have neglected my children."

An inquest returned a verdict that the child died from inflammation of the lungs caused by want of proper nutrition and general want of attention arising from gross neglect. Alice was committed to the Assize for trial on a coroner's warrant.

On 19th March, 32-year-old Alice appeared before Justice Day. Her eldest child gave evidence, saying that he had seen her in the street on the Sunday, but she would not come home. The baby, he said, died in his arms. A doctor said that Alice had taken James to him about two weeks before his death, and he warned her that if he died, he would not feel justified in issuing a death certificate. One witness called on Alice's behalf said that the baby was a delicate one, and she had always been kind to him.

The jury found Alice guilty of manslaughter. Prior to passing sentence, Justice Day said this was a shocking illustration of the consequences of drink and debauchery. She had failed to give attention to her baby and instead indulged in hideous drinking with low women. He then sentenced her to twelve months imprisonment with hard labour. 

Double Shooting Tragedy at Tuebrook

In 1925, an unhappy marriage ended in tragedy when the husband shot his wife dead and then turned the gun on himself. 

On 18th July that year, 49-year-old Thomas Albert and his 29-year-old wife Rose rented rooms at 47 Lisburn Lane in Tuebrook, for themselves and their ten-month-old baby son. The couple had met whilst lodging together in Kensington and had the child together only to separate. Rose issued a summons against Thomas for maintenance, but in February 1925 at a court hearing in Wrexham, where her family lived, magistrates suggested the couple marry. Against the advice of her solicitor, she agreed to do so, with Thomas also being somewhat reluctant. 

Thomas, from Derby was a veteran of the South African and 1st World Wars and worked as a wallpaper salesman. His employers described him as a good worker, who had hinted at an unhappy home life.  They were arguing before they even moved into their new home, when Rose told her husband she did not have the week's advance rent that had been promised to the landlord, William Richards. 

The noise from the couple's arguing was so bad that William told them their second week would be their last there. On 25th July, William was kept awake until midnight and heard Rose crying. At 7am the following morning, a Sunday, he heard the sound of two gunshots from their bedroom. The police were called, and when they entered, the bodies of Thomas and Rose were lying on the floor, while their son was sitting on the bed unharmed. 

An inquest heard evidence from Sarah Kidd, who had previously rented rooms to the couple. She told the Deputy Coroner, Mr Mills Roberts, that Rose had described her husband as a brute, but when they moved on they seemed happy and apologised for any trouble caused. A verdict of murder and suicide was returned. 

A Greek Tragedy in Scotland Road

In 1898, a Greek man living in Liverpool was found guilty but insane after he killed his wife by cutting her throat. 

Emmanuel Mavromatis, a 50 year old cotton porter originally from Greece, had settled in Liverpool in the 1870s. In 1898 he lived in Louis Street, off Scotland Road, with his wife Elizabeth, who he had been married to for fifteen years. Things were not going well, with his wife telling friends early in the year that she wanted to seek employment as a domestic servant and leave him.

Drawing of Mavromatis
in Liverpool Echo

On the morning of Sunday, 27th April, the couple's neighbour, Samuel Widdup, heard cries of "murder" from the property, then a deathly silence. He went to investigate and was met by another neighbour, Margaret Simpson, who had also heard the cries. She went inside and saw Mavromatis coming out of the kitchen, wiping his bloodied hands on a towel. He casually said to her, "I have killed my wife."

Margaret ran outside and told a man called Hercules Shalliday, who lived opposite, what Mavromatis had said. Hercules went in and saw Mavromatis pale and trembling. When asked what the matter was, he replied "I have killed my wife, she called me a liar, me can't help it all the while bother." He then pointed to the kitchen and  said, "She is in there." Hercules could see that Elizabeth was quite dead, her throat having been cut. 

A police constable was soon at the house, and Mavromatis pointed to the fire grate, where he had discarded the bloodied knife. He remained calm and rational as he was taken to the Bridewell in Cheapside. A postmortem found that the wound was eight inches long and three inches deep. Death was due to haemorrhage. She wa buried in a public grave at Anfield Cemetery.

Little over a week later, on 10th May, Mavromatis was on trial at the Liverpool Assizes. Samuel Widdup acknowledged that he had never previously heard the couple argue or seen them in drink. PC Davies said that as Mavromatis was being conveyed to the bridewell, he had said "She talked about breaking my neck every day."

The defence counsel, Mr Segar, described Mavromatis as a temperate and industrious man who had lived in perfect happiness with Elizabeth until the previous year. However, he suffered a head injury when a bale of cotton fell in him. This caused dizziness, and he was further injured when he fell into a cellar. The doctor who had treated him for concussion testified that he did not believe Mavromatis to be of sound mind. Dr. Wigglesworth of the Rainhill Asylum gave evidence of his examination of the prisoner at Walton gaol. In his opinion, he was suffering from delusions and not feigning it. He believed that Mavromatis knew what he was doing when he killed his wife, but did not think that he was doing wrong.

In addressing the jury in his summing up, the judge said that the question for them was whether Mavromatis knew if he was committing a criminal act. Without leaving their box, the jury returned a verdict of guilty but insane. Mavromatis was then detained at Her Majesty's pleasure. He died in 1918 at Rampton Criminal Lunatic Asylum in Nottinghamshire.

Genoa Tragedy for a Garstonian

In 1903, in the Italian port of Genoa, a Garston man who stood up to a fellow sailor who had a knife was stabbed and died from his wounds. 

On 6th May that year, the steamer Regnant left Garston for Swansea, where she took on a cargo of coal before sailing to Genoa. On 31st May, the crew were given shore leave, which was usual for a Sunday. Jack Davies, who was a fireman on the vessel, went to a bar with four of his colleagues and the donkeyman, a Greek who was only known by his Christian name of Antonio.

Entrance to the cemetery where Jack was buried

When a quarrel broke out between Antonio and one of the firemen, the Greek pulled out a knife. Jack attempted to calm things down, but the barman took a revolver from under the bar and threatened to shoot Antonio. This quelled the disturbance, and they all returned to the ship.

As the firemen were taking tea together, Antonio came out of his cabin and could be seen to be still in an excited state. All except Jack ran away, but when one of them shouted to him, "Jack, he has a knife", he replied, "Never mind; stand up like a man and face him." Initially, it looked like Antonio would walk past, but without warning, he gave Jack a backward lunge in the chest. Jack fell down, and Antonio then thrust the knife, which was hidden up his sleeve, into his heart and calmly walked off the ship.

The wound was bleeding profusely and within fifteen minutes, Jack had passed away. An Italian police officer, seeing blood on Antonio's hands and clothes, acted quickly and took him into custody. 

On 2nd June, Jack was buried in the English portion of the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno, where a service was conducted by the chaplain of the English Mission. The second officer, Mr R.Jones, attended on behalf of the crew. 

When the Regnant arrived back in Garston on 24th June, there was a huge shock at the news of Jack's death. He was around 40 years old and well known locally, having spent much of his life at sea and also worked in the graving dock and shipbuilder's yard. He was a member of the Royal Naval Reserve, and a friend described him as "a quiet harmless little fellow and the best man who ever took up a shovel."

Fatal Accident at a Shooting Gallery

When the proprietor of a shooting gallery was shot dead in 1904, no charges were brought against the man who pulled the trigger. 

On the evening of 12th March that year, Ernest Lacy attended a shooting saloon in Mill Street with two friends. The proprietor was 66-year-old Adolph Fleisher, who was originally from Leipzig in Germany and had moved to Liverpool in 1870. 

Lacy took two shots at a row of pipes, and as he was aiming for another, Adolph shouted, “Look out there.” Lacy fired at exactly the same time Adolph entered the line of fire. He fell instantly and was immediately attended to by his wife, Eliza. Lacy put the gun down and walked to the couple, but returned to his Menzies Street home after a few minutes, as Adolph was still alive. 

Adolph was taken to the Northern Hospital in Great Howard Street, where doctors were unable to extract a bullet that had lodged in his brain. He lingered in a semi-conscious state until 21st March when he passed away. Whilst Adolph was in hospital, police tried to trace Lacy without success.

On 24th March, Lacy read an account of Adolph’s death in a newspaper and he immediately handed himself in to the office of the Coroner, Mr T. E. Sampson. The inquest took place on the same day, and Lacy was able to state what had happened and also explain that he had been unaware of the seriousness of Adolph’s condition. Various other witnesses testified that Adolph stooped down as he walked in front of Lacy. This led to a verdict of death by misadventure.