Friday 13th Boarding House Drama

It was a bad Friday 13th for two Scandinavian sailors in 1929 when they fought, leading to the death of one and the other being charged with manslaughter.  

On Friday 13th September that year, fifty year old Norwegian Alfred Nyberg, a fireman on board an Elder Dempster liner, arrived in Liverpool and took lodgings in Upper Pitt Street. That night there was a party in the house, at which gramophone records were played along with singing. 

Most of those present went to bed at 2am but Nyberg then got into an argument with thirty year old Swedish fireman Perly Petersen, who had been in Liverpool for a week. Petersen struck Nyberg who fell, cutting his head. Other boarders rushed Nyberg to the Southern Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival. Petersen found a policeman in Great George Square and told the office he had acted in self defence.

When he appeared before magistrates the following morning charged with manslaughter, Petersen was granted bail on sureties of £25. A week later, Petersen was back before the court for a committal hearing. He said that he had objected to Nyberg removing food from the pantry without permission and a quarrel ensued, during which the Norwegian had scratched his face. With no witnesses to the incident, and it being acknowledged Nyberg was in poor health anyway, it was determined there was no case to answer. Petersen sobbed bitterly as he was released from the dock to waiting friends.  

A Warning to Drunkards

When a man killed his brother with an iron scraper following a drunken argument, he was found guilty of manslaugther. Despite his remorse the judge showed no leniency and sentenced him to fifteen years in gaol. 

On 9th September that year two brothers who worked as ship scrapers, John and William Birmingham, argued over money at the court where they both lived in Chadwick Street, Vauxhall. They had both been drinking and William claimed that John owed him a small sum, but he denied all knowledge of it. 

They exchanged blows but 36 year old John then went inside and came back out with an iron scraper. A neighbour wrestled it from him John as he tried to strike William but he went back in and found another one. This time John laid a violent blow just above William's right eye and he fell down immediately. He was rushed to hospital and John was arrested and charge with assault.

The following morning at the police court John was remanded for a week. He said to the bench "I am sorry it was all over half a crown". William's skull had been fractured and he lingered in the Northern Hospital until 17th September when he passed away, aged 26. He was buried in a paupers grave at Ford Cemetery.

John was further remanded pending the inquest, responding with "I'd as soon see myself dead as my brother." Before the coroner Clarke Aspinall, medical evidence was heard that death was directly as a result of he injury inflicted and a verdict of wilful murder was returned. 

When John was brought back to court for  committal hearing, he cried throughout the proceedings. William's widow Sarah refused to testify against John, saying they had always been the best of friends and this was the first time they had ever fought. In committing John to the Assizes, the Stipendiary Magistrate Mr Raffles said "This is a very lamentable affair that would have never occurred but for that cursed drink which brought ruin and misery to thousands."

At the assizes on 21st December prosecutors described it as a painful case. It was accepted that John expressed immediate regret for what happened and that he had accompanied his brother to hospital, making no attempt to escape. The jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. 

In being asked if he had anything to say before sentencing, John cried bitterly and replied that he was very sorry it happened. The judge was having no sympathy however. Describing it as a most aggravated case, Sir George Hayes said he had to send a warning to drunkards and imposed a sentence of fifteen years imprisonment. John was in total shock as he was removed from the dock.

Killing Over a Shilling

In 1868 a man borrowed 4d to make a part payment of a shilling debt he owed to a friend. When challenged over the reason he borrowed the money, he stabbed his friend to death and was gaoled for twelve years after being found guilty of manslaughter. 

At 5.45pm on Tuesday 27th October that year three friends - Edward Donovan, Richard Corbitt and  William Braithwaite, were walking down London Road when a complete stranger brushed against Braithwaite, much to his annoyance. Donovan was amused by this and some words were exchanged between them, but they soon made up and all three went to Corbitt's house in Thurlow Street, off Richmond Row. 

On arrival, Braithwaite asked to borrow 4d from Corbitt. Donovan immediately asked for that money as part payment of a shilling debt he was owed by Braithwaite, who complied. An argument then broke out in the back yard between Corbitt and Braithwaite, who was now quite drunk. This led to Donovan fetching Corbitt's wife to call her husband away. He then went inside to her, but as Braithwaite left the house he stabbed Donovan just below the breast. 

Donovan ran a few yards before falling down. Two police officers who were in Christian Street were summonsed to the scene and they found him in a dying state. The 22 year old was pronounced dead by a doctor who arrived shortly afterwards. On being told that Braithwaite lived in Portland Street, two officers went there and took him into custody. Braithwaite had by then sobered up a little but replied that he knew nothing about any death.

At the inquest Corbitt was in the unenviable position of giving evidence that would incriminate one of his friends in the death of another. He said that they had spent the afternoon drinking and Brathwaite was in a far worse state than Donovan. Describing the incident when a man brushed against Braithwaite, he told the coroner that his friend had shouted after the man and Donovan was amused at this calling him a 'drunken tailor'. Corbitt had told Braithwaite it was wrong to borrow money from him to pay back Donovan, leading to him becoming more agitated. 

Of the fatal blow, Corbitt admitted seeing Braithwaite strike Donovan but did not know he used a weapon. He did recall however that whilst they were out drinking, Brathwaite had used a small knife to cut some cheese. Corbitt's wife Martha gave more damning evidence, saying she had seen Braithwaite open a knife just before Donovan was struck. A youth named John Davies, who was walking past and knew none of the men, said he saw Brathwaite rush at Donovan without provocation. The doctor who carried out the post mortem reported that Donovan's organs were healthy and the blow was made with such violent force that the knife had passed through an eighth inch of bone before cutting the vein.

Braithwaite, a 24 year old tailor, appeared at the Liverpool Assizes on 21st December. The only decision for the jury to make was whether it was a case of murder or manslaughter. Due to the killing having taken place in a moment of passion, he was found guilty of the lesser charge. However Justice Hayes referred to it as a most aggravated case, especially in respect of Braithwaite opening the knife. Commenting that drunkenness was no excuse, he imposed a sentence of twelve years penal servitude. 

Walton Butcher Acquitted

In 1885, a Walton butcher was charged with manslaughter after a customer he had chased out of his shop died. However, when the case was tried, he was found guilty after the jury concluded that death was a result of a fall rather than being struck.

On Saturday, 18th July that year 64 year old John Williams went to work at 5.15am as a labourer on the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. He then spent the early afternoon drinking in the Prince Leopold pub in Rice Lane. 

Around 3pm, John went to buy half a pound of steak from butcher Samuel Hockenhull's shop. John complained about the quality of the meat and was ordered out by Hockenhull, but as he was leaving, he picked up a large knife and threw it towards the counter.

Hockenhull ran out of the shop and caught up with John at the corner of Wellfield Road. Within seconds, John was on the floor with blood pouring out of a head woun,d with Hockenhull trying to raise him back up. John was taken to his lodgings in Salisbury Road and died on the Sunday evening without ever regaining consciousness.

At an inquest, Hockenhull's assistant, Andrew Hancock, described how filthy language had upset ladies who were present. He stated that John said he would go for his boss and then threw the knife. In respect of what happened on the corner with Wellfield Road, he said that Hockenhull grabbed John by the collar, and he immediately fell over. A woman standing on the other side of the road said she saw Hockenhull hit John, but her friend could only say it was a push and that she didn't actually see him fall. 

After an inquest verdict of manslaughter, Hockenhull was committed for trial on a coroner's warrant but granted bail. The case was heard before Mr Justice Manisty on 4th August. In addition to conflicting evidence from witnesses as to whether John was pushed or fell, medical reports stated that although the cause of death was a ruptured blood vessel, there was no skull fracture. John had not struck the ground with considerable force. This led to a not guilty verdict and Hockenhull was released from the dock.

Husband Tantalised to Kill Wife

A man in Everton killed his wife by cutting her throat, claiming he had done so due to her tantalising him. Although he was found guilty of the reduced charge of manslaughter, only his age led to him avoiding a life sentence from the judge. 

In early July 1892 William Williamson, a 65 year old boilermaker, along with his 55 year old wife Mary, took lodgings in Beresford Street Everton. Their landlords Michael and Margaret Riley could not help bit notice their arguing, which was usually to do with money as William was out of work.  On one occasion Mary was heard to shout "You have threatened to cut my throat many a time, why don't you do it". 

On the 18th July, the couple drank heavily and Mary repeatedly shouted "Do it, do it, do it". The following afternoon, they were drunk again and William called Margaret to their room, where Mary was lying dead on the bed with blood pouring from a throat wound. Asked why he had killed her, William replied "She tantalised me to do it" then moved towards his wife's corpse and asked for one last kiss. When William was taken into custody on a charge of murder he told the officer "I done it" and he was remanded in custody by the police court. 

William only had to wait ten days until his trial, as he appeared before Mr Justice Denman at the next Liverpool Assizes just ten days later.  He was trembling violently as he entered the dock and this first witness was Margaret Riley. Under cross examination, she admitted that she had twice seen Mary strike William and that when sober, the couple lived together happily.

There was then an extraordinary development when two members of the jury complained of feeling unwell leading to it being discharged. When replacements were brought in, the judge made it clear that they would need to be able to sit there for an hour and a half, which is how long he expected the trial to take. He then read from his notes the evidence of Margaret and asked her to confirm that she was in agreement.

The next witness was another lodger named Mary Reynolds, the wife of a police constable. She described the deceased as of 'quarrelsome disposition' and this was confirmed by her husband. The arresting officer gave evidence stating that William admitted to having drank after work and killed his wife in passion.

William's defence counsel described Mary as an aggravating woman who insulted William on many occasions and said that this was more a case of manslaughter than murder. The judge then asked Margaret Riley for a physical description of Mary and she replied that she was strong and not weakly or sick. 

In summing up, Justice Denman said it was clear that William had affection for his wife except when tantalised or in drink and that drink meant people were not masters of themselves or their acts. He told the jury that for a manslaughter verdict to be returned, they must be satisfied that Mary had either struck blows or started the quarrel.

After twenty minutes deliberation, the jury put a written question to the judge as to whether they could reasonably assume Mary had struck William. He responded that it was for them to decide and not him to determine. After retiring for a short while longer, they found William guilty of manslaughter. 

In sentencing, the judge showed little mercy, telling William that the severity of the wound meant he could not claim self defence. Calling it a desperate and violent act of homicide, he said he was bound to accept the jury's manslaughter verdict and that if William were younger, he would have given him a life sentence. Due to William's previous good character and army service in the 1850s, a sentence of seven years penal servitude was handed out.

 

A Revolting Discovery in Bootle

In 1921 a woman who burnt her newborn child was found guilty of concealment of birth due to doctors being unable to agree on whether or not it had been born alive.

On 21st March that year Margaret Lynch of 15 Southey Street noticed a foul odour coming from the room of Bridget Tucker, a 24 year old factory machinist who lodged with her. She entered and opened a tin that was inside a trunk, which to her horror contained a baby's head wrapped in paper and a black stocking. 

When police were called, Bridget said that she had given birth then had put her hand over the mouth and burnt the body. Amazingly she had managed to conceal her pregnancy from both her landlady and another woman who shared the room with her.

Bridget was charged with murder but by the time of the inquest on 1st April, she had told detectives that she did not think the baby was alive. Two police surgeons said they were unable to establish whether or not the baby had had a separate existence. This led to a verdict that there was no evidence as to the child being born alive.

At Manchester Assizes on 2nd May, prosecutors confirmed that they would no longer be proceeding with the murder charge. Bridget's defence counsel told the court that she had not concealed the birth to defeat the law, but because as a lone woman from the west coast of Ireland she was unable to bear her shame and anguish about giving birth out of wedlock. 

Bridget was found guilty of concealment of birth but with a strong recommendation for mercy. The judge indicated that Bridget had suffered enough and sentenced her to seven days imprisonment, meaning she could be released immediately due to time spent on remand. Bridget fainted and had to be carried out of the dock.

Killed by a Ginger Beer Bottle

In what was described by the press as "a sordid story" and "low life tragedy", a man in Bootle was killed when his partner hit him over the head with a ginger beer bottle. She was charged with murder, but found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for ten years.  

At the beginning of August 1912 dock labourer Arthur Mallin and Mary Ellen Mason took up lodgings in Aber Street, which used to be off Irlam Road. On the 10th of the month, the couple went out drinking in the afternoon, returning at teatime quite intoxicated but on good terms. When Arthur said he didn't want to go out again, Mary hit him with a ginger beer bottle. Although he had a cut to the head, Arthur remained calm and simply went out to avoid any further confrontation. 

A few hours later Mary asked the landlady to go out with her to look for Arthur. They found him in a hotel, where he was stood at the bar cutting tobacco. Mary told him to come outside and he did, only to be dealt a blow to the face. Arthur reminded Mary that he had a knife in his hand, but she grabbed it from him along with a cap he had been wearing to hide his cut head.

When Arthur asked for his cap back Mary gave it to him, then stabbed him in the chest with the knife. Arthur staggered into an adjoining street and fell down. When a passing woman asked why Mary had stabbed him she replied "mind your own business". She then took two shillings and a watch from Arthur's pockets and kicked him, telling others looking on that he had had a fit and was shamming.  

The police were quickly on the scene to arrest Mary, while a horse ambulance was summonsed to take Arthur to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A postmortem revealed wounds to the head and also two and a half inch deep puncture wound in the chest. Death was caused by hemorrhage from the wound. 

Mary was charged with murder appeared before Lord Coleridge on 6th November that year. Medical evidence was heard that it was very unlikely that Arthur could have fallen against the knife, and also that the head wounds were caused by blows of considerable force. The jury found her guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter but she was told by the judge that her actions were a little less than murder. He then sentenced Mary to ten years imprisonment.