Baby's Body in a Suitcase

In the 1920s a woman carried the body of her stillborn child in a suitcase for seven years before her secret was discovered. When the case came to court she was not given any sentence, with the judge saying she had suffered enough.

In December 1930 Nora Pulson and her husband William returned to Liverpool for the birth of what friends and family others assumed was their first child. The couple had left in the summer of 1926 to be married in Kent and then settled in Coventry.  

After giving birth in a nursing home, 33 year old Nora stayed with a lifelong friend Constance Hockenhull in Manston Road, Kensington for a number of weeks. 

On 29th January 1931 Constance began tidying up the room where Nora stayed and opened a suitcase to put some clothes. Wrapped in some cloth was what she initially thought was a turnip but was instead a baby's skull. A horrified Constance ran out of her house in shock and by the time she was ready to return, found the case had gone. A note had been left by Nora saying she would be in touch in a few days.  

When Constance did not hear anything for ten days she contacted her father, who immediately bought in the police. Detectives visited Nora at her lodgings at 70 Needham Road and she told them that the suitcase was under the bed upstairs. Initially Nora said she had given birth to a stillborn child in 1926 whilst living in Coventry with William, who confirmed this. 

Further enquiries in Coventry established that Nora gave birth to a child in October 1926, who lived for twelve days. The death was registered and a burial took place.  Confronted with his information, Nora admitted having given birth to the stillborn child in 1924 whilst living with her sister and father in Garmoyle Road Wavertree, then put it in a trunk and took it with her when she left home two years later. At that time, she explained, she was engaged but they could not afford to marry as William was unemployed. 

When asked what he knew about the birth out of wedlock, William confirmed that the child was his and that he had been told by Nora she had a stillbirth. He said he had never seen the body and maintained he had no idea that she had been carrying it in a suitcase for so long and that 'no intelligent man would connive at such madness.' Asked why he lied over the birth in Coventry, he said it was to protect his wife's good name. 

At an inquest, Nora's father said that that he had never met her husband until his daughter returned to Liverpool a few months earlier. He had not known about the baby who died in Coventry and she had managed to hide her pregnancy in 1924. A pathologist said that it was impossible to say whether the baby had been born alive. Nora and her husband both swore on oath that the second statements they had made to the police were true and apologised for the upset caused to friends and family. 

An open verdict was returned, but the Coroner advised Nora she still could face action in the criminal courts. Nora was charged with concealment of birth and committed to the assizes for trial. On 13th April she pleaded guilty. In mitigation, her defence counsel Basil Nield told the court that Nora's father had been in an eminently respectable position, was of strict principles and that she had been terrified he would find out about the pregnancy.

In ordering that Nora be bound over for twelve months, Mr Justice Wright told her "Your case is a very unusual one. There is no reason to think that the child had a separate existence and although you acted very foolishly and wrongly I think the fact you have been brought before the court is sufficient imprisonment.". Nora died in North Wales in 1953.

A Child's Very Suspicious Death

The body of a child was exhumed in 1839 due to her mother's suspicions she had been poisoned. However despite evidence of foul play, there was no arsenic found in the corpse.

On 16th September that year three year old Jane Nixon of White Mill Street, off Copperas Hill, died after spending the last 48 hours vomiting. The family's physician, Dr Garthside, had diagnosed cholera and Jane was buried in St John's churchyard.

A few weeks later Jane's mother Margaret made an astonishing discovery in the cupboard of a former lodger - a half full bottle of white fluid. This was something which she remembered seeing on the table on the morning of 14th September when the lodger (who was not named in news reports) had given Jane her breakfast.

Margaret had a horrible feeling that her lodger may have poisoned Jane, as she had been given notice to quit for having male visitors stay over night which was against house rules. Margaret took the bottle to a chemist, who confirmed that it was arsenic. The Coroner Philip F Curry ordered that Jane's body be exhumed from her grave. Dr Garthside and another surgeon examined the contents of the stomach but could find no trace of arsenic at all.

An inquest took place in November. In summing up, Mr Curry said it was the most suspicious case he had ever dealt with and that all the evidence regarding the lodger and bottle of arsenic pointed to murder. However the facts were that no arsenic was found in the body. He concluded by saying that the case was beset by suspicions, but the jury had to give their verdict based on the testimony heard. After then minutes deliberation, the jury returned a verdict that Jane died a natural death.

Drunk Taxi Driver Guilty of Manslaughter

A taxi driver that knocked down a pedestrian whilst under the influence of alcohol was convicted of manslaughter when the victim died of her injuries.

On Christmas Eve 1952 Martha Bretherton, did some last minute shopping but was knocked down as she crossed West Derby Road heading for her home in Schomberg Street. The vehicle that struck her was a taxi cab with two passengers inside and was being driven by 61 year old William Herbert Watts, who immediately pulled over. 

The police were sent for and Watts was taken into custody, where a doctor deemed him as unfit to have proper control over a vehicle. By the time he was fit to be interviewed, he had little recollection of what had happened. The passengers, one of whom had arrived at Lime Street on a train from London, said that earlier in the journey he had mounted a pavement and nearly collided with oncoming traffic whilst overtaking a tramcar.

Martha, who was 71, remained in hospital for five weeks with fractures to her leg, arm, jaw and a haemorrhage. She passed away as a result of her injuries on 30th January 1953. Watts, who had already been remanded on bail charged with drink driving and dangerous driving was rearrested and placed before the magistrates court charged with manslaughter. He was remanded on bail again, but this time with a surety of £20.

At the Liverpool Assizes on 2nd April, Watts pleaded not guilty to the charge. Rose Heilbron Q.C. prosecuting told the court that on getting out of the taxi Watts was unsteady on his feet and smelt of drink. In his own evidence, Watts claimed that Martha had dashed from the pavement in front of his taxi and he could do nothing to avoid her. However he was fond guilty of manslaughter, with the charges of drink driving and dangerous driving remaining on file. 

As he was sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment and disqualified from driving for fifteen years, Watts was told by Mr Justice Cassells "You drove your taxicab when You were not fit to drive, and unfit to keep up with the ordinary happenings on the road. It is a pity that you, with your long experience of driving, should have indulged as you must have done in order to get into that state. By your conduct an elderly woman has had her life brought to an end. The court cannot, pass lightly over such conduct."

Cab Drivers Death Over Fare Argument

A cab driver died when he was poked in the eye following an argument over a fare, but the three year jail sentence for his attacker was reduced on appeal. 

On the evening of 12th May 1913 cab driver Sydney Macdonald was waiting for a fare by the Adelphi Hotel when he got into a verbal argument with Thomas Sykes, a 45 year old office clerk. Witnesses differed with their versions of what happened, but it was agreed that Macdonald ended up with a laceration in his eye caused by Sykes' umbrella. 

Macdonald, who was aged 28 and lived at 4 Dorset Avenue in Tuebrook, was taken to the Royal Infirmary for treatment on the cut. His vision was unaffected but the following day he began to suffer from delirium tremens and two days later he was uncontrollable. In the early hours of the 16th he suffered convulsions and died. A postmortem concluded that death was as a result of delirium tremens, provoked by the eye wound. 

An inquest took place on 26th May, where Macdonald's widow described him as "moderate in his habits" and that he had "never been worse for drink." Another cab driver  thought that Sykes had poked McDonald in the eye with the umbrella after he refused to take a fare for two young women. However a bystander believed Sykes was calling McDonald "Flash Alex" and struck him. Under cross examination, two surgeons accepted that drink played a part in the delirium tremens, but that death was accelerated by the wound. After returning a verdict of manslaughter, Sykes was committed for trial.

Sykes faced trial on Friday the 13th June and unusually for the time, gave evidence himself. He claimed that the women were in need of help and that others had pushed him to the front to get Macdonald to take the fare. He accepted that although he had the umbrella under his arm, he had no idea that it had injured Macdonald. 

The jury considered what Sykes had to say but also took on board the medical evidence, leading to them returning a verdict of guilty. On being sentenced to three years imprisonment, Sykes fainted in the dock. The following month, Sykes' sentence was examined by the Court of Criminal Appeal who ruled it too severe and it was reduced to just twelve months. 

Harrington Dock Killing

In 1955 a fight between two dock labourers ended in one of them dead, but the jury accepted the plea that the accused acted in self defence and acquitted him of manslaughter.

At 4.10pm on Wednesday 20th July an unconscious man was found amongst stacks of timber that had been unloaded from a freighter at East Harrington Dock. The man was 41 year old William Clegg Dean, a dock night watchman who lived in a lodging house at 6 Great George Square. 

Dean was a 41 year old labourer who lived in Great George Square. He was taken to the Royal Southern Hospital where he died the following day from a fractured skull, having never regained consciousness. A murder investigation begun when police received a phone call that evening saying "If you think you are smart, investigate the murder of William Clegg Dean". At that time, few people could have been aware of the cause of death.

Hundreds of dockers were interviewed as police pieced together Dean's movements in the 24 hours previous to him being found. It was established that he had not spent the night at his lodgings, but did call in at 9.30am to collect his army pension book. Police believed he may have been attacked somewhere on Sefton Street or the Dock Road and then walked to where he was found, or been dumped there by his attacker. 

There was a breakthrough on the morning of 22nd July when Gerard Digney, a 24 year old labourer, handed himself in at Essex Street police station. He told officers he had only pushed Dean and meant no serious harm. However he was charged with murder due to the gravity of the injuries, with Digney responding "I do not understand it".  The following morning he appeared before magistrates who remanded into custody at Walton gaol. In the public benches at the court was his girlfriend, who he was due to marry the following Saturday.

On 29th July, the day before he should have been getting married, Digney was remanded in custody again. Prosecutors told he court that the fractured skull could not have been caused by the impact of Dean falling to the ground and that Digney's statement could not have been correct. 

Digney was back at the Magistrates' Court on 4th August for a committal hearing. It was heard that Dean, Digney and a third man, Thomas McDonnell, had all been working at Harrington Dock unloading timber, drinking whilst they did so. McDonnell said that Digney had made some derogatory remarks about Dean's decision to drink cheap wine, described by prosecutors as "plonk". A scuffle broke out during which Digney pushed Dean away and punched him on the jaw, causing him to fall. Digney then went to the canteen while McDonnell kept an eye on Dean, who appeared to simply be too drunk to get back up. After an hour he was moved to where he was eventually found and an ambulance called. 

After hearing all the evidence, the examining magistrate Mr Gordon ruled that there was insufficient evidence to charge with murder and reduced it to manslaughter. Digney indicated that he would plead not guilty to manslaughter but was allowed bail on two sureties of £25 each. On 3rd November Digney appeared before the Liverpool Assizes. McDonnell again testified, stating that Digney was under threat and had nowhere to turn, so throwing a punch was his only way out. This was accepted by the jury who found him not guilty. 

Daughter Killer Insane

In the mid 1800s a woman who murdered her daughter then tried to commit suicide was declared insane. 

At 8pm on 17th July 1851 a woman was seen hurrying down Queen Street with a half naked young girl. She was urged to cover her up and she did so, before throwing the poor girl down some steps and running away. A police officer was called and the girl taken to the North Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Two minutes later the same female was seen walking excitedly back and forth along the landing stage before plunging into the River Mersey. She was picked up by a boat and taken to the receiving house, where remedies were given to bring her round. She then started talking incoherently asking why she hadn't been allowed to drown and to be given some arsenic instead. 

The woman was repeatedly questioned and eventually said her name was Mary Powell, that she had murdered her daughter Mary Ann Powell by tying a pinafore around her neck. An examination of her clothing found a pawn ticket bearing the same name and she was kept under close observation until the following morning. 

Mary was resident at the workhouse and had been discharged from the asylum there two months earlier. She was the wife of a clerk who was said to have abused her. 

At the inquest a nurse from the workhouse, Catherine Powell, described Mary as being violent in manner for the first week of her admission, but that this behaviour related to family affairs. After six more weeks she was well and spent some time in the infant nursery due to her youngest child being ill. She was considered sane at the time of her discharge, having previously refused to go when her husband tried to take her out as she said he illtreated her. At this stage her husband interrupted the proceedings and was removed from the room.

The Deputy Coroner told the jury they were not there to try Mary's state of mind and they returned a verdict of wilful murder. It was also added that there should be no charges against anybody in the workhouse, who had acted in accordance with the laws laid down by the Poor Law commissioners. 

On 3rd September Mary appeared before Mr Baron Platt at the South Lancashire Assizes. The jury found not guilty on the grounds of insanity and she was ordered to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure. 

A Fatal Brick Throwing

In 1888 a man was caught up in a neighbour dispute died from his injuries after he was struck by a brick. 

On 22nd July that year George Proctor, a forty year old labourer, spent the afternoon drinking with his wife at the home of a Mrs Douglas in a court off Bevington Street, Vauxhall. Whilst there Douglas had a quarrel with Mary Winston, a 23 year old fish hawker who lived on the opposite side of the court. 

At 10.30pm George and his wife were leaving when he was struck by a brick, thrown from Winston's window. George fell down while Winston, who was married with three young children, danced and sang "I have not missed my aim".

George was carried back into the house and remained unconscious until the next morning. He went to the Northern Hospital where his wound was dressed and remained there three days before returning home to Gordon Street. 

At the beginning of August, George was still complaining of pains of his head and was admitted to Mill Road hospital. As his condition deteriorated he gave a deposition stating he had seen Winston throw the brick. He died on Sunday 5th August and was buried in Everton Cemetery. At an inquest, the doctor who had treated him prior to death said it was as a direct result of the injury. A verdict of manslaughter was returned and Wilson was committed for trial.

At the assizes court on 20th December the defence argued that Winston's windows had been broken earlier in the day by Douglas. It was also suggested that he may have been hit by a brick being thrown by one of his own friends aimed at Winston. This failed to convince the jury however and she was found guilty of manslaughter. 

In light of Whinston having already served two months in gaol on remand, she was sentenced to a further two months imprisonment with hard labour. On her release, she returned to Bevington Street where she and her husband, a dock labourer, remained together and had eight more children.