Doctor's Uncertainty Clears Suspect

When a woman died of head injuries following an altercation with a neighbour over the ownership of a beer jar, nobody was charged due to doubts over how her injuries had occurred.

On Thursday 30th May 1895 Mary Digman, the twenty seven year old estranged wife of a butcher, was found in Kempston Street with serious head injuries. She was taken to the workhouse hospital where her condition deteriorated to such an extent that the following day a magistrate and detective took dying depositions from her.

Digman told how on the previous Sunday she had been drinking in the house of a woman named Jessie Burgess when a row broke out over the ownership of a jar, which was worth 6d if returned to a public house. She stated that Burgess struck her on the head with a ginger beer bottle, causing injuries which eventually led to her collapsing in the court five days later.

Burgess was arrested in custody and initially remanded for seven days on a charge of assault. Digman lingered until the 14th June, with the inquest taking place a fortnight later before the coroner Mr Sampson. Contrary to Digman's deposition, neighbours said that a fight had taken place between the two women in she street, leading to both falling on the ground. Digman was then said to have thrown a bottle at Burgess, who threw one back hitting her on the head.

The doctor who carried out the post mortem said he could not be sure how the injury behind Digmans ear which eventially caused her death had occured. He said it could have been caused by broken glass from a bottle, but also from a fall. With this doubt now in the jury's minds, an open verdict was returned and Burgess was released.

Twelve Months For Breadknife Killing

A man who killed a baby with a knife that was intended for a woman was jailed for just twelve months, the judge accepting that no harm was meant.

On 10th April 1893 fifteen month old Richard Scott was lying in bed with his grandmother, a  Mrs Colburn, in a house where she lodged in Richmond Row. Another resident of the house named James Lavender, a twenty one year old labourer, returned home drunk and was scolded by Mrs Colburn for his intemperate habits.

About half an hour after the initial exchange of words, Lavender came back downstairs for a drink of water and was again reprimanded by Colburn and her daughter, Catherine Scott. Lavender then picked up a bread knife and lunged towards Colburn, who covered herself with the bedclothes. The blow he struck missed her completely and instead the knife plunged into the body of Richard, who let out a cry then went silent.

Lavender picked the toddler up and ran with him to the dispensary, but he was declared dead on arrival. On 15th May Lavender appeared at the assizes before Mr Justice Wills, where the jury were instructed to return a verdict of manslaughter. Despite the act of running at someone with a breadknife, the judge said that he acknowledged no serious harm was intended and imposed a sentence of just twelve months imprisonment.

A New Years Stabbing

A young couple's New Year ended up in tragedy when the woman stabbed her boyfriend after he had pushed her to the ground.

In the early hours of 1st January 1893 Margaret Ward and James Skevington, who co-habited together in Rose Place, had a row over James's friendship with another girl. They went off their separate ways but when they met up again outside their house, eighteen year old Margaret took out  a knife which she had concealed under her shawl and stabbed James three times in the chest. 

A policeman immediately arrested Margaret for wounding and recovered the knife which she had thrown away. James was taken to the Northern Hospital where he died about an hour after admission, meaning that the following morning Margaret was charged with murder at the police court, where she sobbed throughout the brief hearing. She eked out a living as a hawker and was described as being of 'the lowest class' by the Lancashire General Advertiser.

On 24th March Margaret appeared at the Liverpool assizes where the Grand Jury reduced the charge to manslaughter. Witnesses said that during the first quarrel James had knocked Margaret to the ground and that he had been very drunk. A guilty verdict was returned with the jury recommending mercy. However, the judge said he would be setting a pernicious example if he did this and sentenced her to seven years penal servitude.

Dead Baby in a Tramcar

A tram conductor had a nasty shock when he found a dead baby in a box but despite apparent strangulation the mother was found guilty only of concealment of birth.

On 3rd March 1915 a conductor on a tramcar travelling along Park Road towards Aigburth noticed a child's legs protruding from a box that had been placed under the stairs. When the car stopped at the junction with Mill Street the police were summoned and the box was found to contain the body of a newborn male child. 

A woman named Margaret Nelson admitted that the box was hers and said she was taking it to her sister's house in Shelley Street. Asked if she had a burial order she replied 'no' and was arrested while further enquiries were carried out. A post mortem found that the baby had been born about two days earlier and been strangled with a nappy, but the inquest was put on hold when Margaret was admitted to Mill Road hospital.

On 14th April twenty four year old Margaret was discharged from hospital and immediately arrested, fainting when she was told she would be charged with murder. She had to be carried into the dock at the police court where she was remanded for seven days.

The inquest took place on 21st April and heard that Margaret had been working as a domestic servant at 24 Albany Road, Kensington. Her employer said that on 28th February she had complained of a headache but did not declare that he was pregnant. When she was given some time off on 3rd March to visit her sister, Margaret said that the box contained clothing. The father was named as Joseph O'Keefe, who was in custody over another matter. He and Margaret disagreed over whether or not she had told him about her pregnancy.

The doctor who carried out the post mortem testified as to the cause of death and confirmed that the child had been born alive, and not died as a result of any neglect. The coroner's jury returned a verdict of wilful murder and Margaret was committed for trial at the Manchester assizes.

On 6th May the prosecution decided not to press with the murder charge after hearing the judges opening comments, with Mr Justice Sankey pointing out that nobody could testify to having seen the child alive. Margaret agreed to plead guilty to concealment of birth and was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment.   

Throat Cut For Not Going Home

An Everton man who cut his partner's throat and then his own was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

On 24th May 1915 Arthur Atkins had a row with Mary Dolan, a woman with whom he cohabited with in Soho Street, leading her to going out to a pub. He went and found her but she refused to return home and he then saw her talking to two other men in Springfield. Atkins went up to them and told Mary to return to their home in Soho Street, but she again refused to do so and walked off. 

Atkins caught up with thirty year old Mary and cut her throat with a razor and then its own. Hearing the screams, a woman named Mrs Dunn came out of her home and saw that Mary was already dead, but Atkins was alive with blood pouring from a wound.

A police officer was called and he accompanied Atkins to the Royal Infirmary. When he came around he asked if Mary was dead and on being told that she was replied 'Oh my God that is terrible I will tell you everything.' He admitted that after the couple quarrelled he cut their throats on sudden impulse with a razor that he always carried in his pocket. 

Atkins remained in hospital for a month and on his discharge an inquest returned a verdict of wilful murder on 25th June. The thirty seven year old was then committed to the Manchester Assizes, where he appeared on 20th July. Due Atkins acting on impulse and under some provocation, the jury found him guilty of manslaughter and he was sentenced to penal servitude for twelve years.

Killer of Newborn Baby Bound Over

A mother who threw her new born baby through a window causing death was not sent to jail due to her state of mind at the time.

On the afternoon of Friday 3rd September 1915 a police officer was called to a pubic house in Tempest Hey as there was a baby lying on a flat roof. When he got there he saw the child  lying naked but alive and covered in blood and soot. Looking through the kitchen window, he saw a  young woman sat on a chair.

The woman initially said nothing when asked what the baby was doing there, but she eventually admitted that her name was Alice Emms and she worked as a charwoman at the premises. She said that she lived at Harlow Street in Dingle and had given birth to the child that morning, then thrown it through the kitchen window.

An ambulance was called and took Alice and the baby to the workhouse hospital in Brownlow Hill. The following day the baby died and when an inquest was opened it was adjourned by the deputy coroner due to Alice having to stay in hospital for treatment. The resumed inquest the end of the month inquest saw a verdict of wilful murder being returned and Alice was committed for trial at the autumn assizes.

On 28th October Alice appeared before Mr Justice Ridley and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution accepted that at the time of the incident the unmarried twenty three year old suffered from transient mania and was not in control of her actions. After the Salvation Army said that they would take her into their care, the judge then bound her over. 

An Everton Baby Mystery

The killing of a newborn baby in Everton was never solved, detectives failing to trace the writer of a letter that was found at the scene.

On the morning of 16th April 1915 two binmen named Alfred Kelly and John Roberts found an unaddressed parcel on the steps of 2 Tynemouth Street in Everton, which was taken back to the dustcart. On cutting the leather strap that tied the brown paper together they were horrified to find the body of a newborn male baby whose throat had been cut.

Also inside was a letter written on bloodstained paper which read....

I am seventeen years old and am in service. I got into trouble through a soldier, I don't know what regiment he is in. I hope you will forgive this act of mine - from a broken hearted girl.

The gruesome find was taken to Breck Road police station, with officers there immediately calling in the CID. The note was treated with some caution, officers believing that it could easily have been written by a killer deliberately seeking to baffle them.

At the inquest on 22nd April the letter was read out by the Deputy Coroner and detectives told how exhaustive enquiries had failed to produce any results. A doctor said that the wound was two inches in length and so deep it went as far as the spine. The jury returned a verdict of 'wilful murder by person's unknown' and the mystery remains unsolved.