IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 1 - 7 APRIL 1924
This week's many stories include the dog attack on a Prescot boy, the obstinate Whiston tenant that threatened bloodshed if evicted, the man alleged to have given his wife 5 black eyes in 20 months of marriage returns to court, the boy suffering from Saint Vitus Dance that died in Rainhill Asylum and the sentencing of the Higher Parr Street ear biter.
What the Reporter unfortunately described as the "family squabbles" of Thomas Grice and his wife Mary were resumed in St Helens Police Court this week. I don't think a wife's allegation of receiving five black eyes from her husband in just twenty months of marriage would be reported as simply a squabble today. I described the case a fortnight ago in which Thomas Grice of Borough Road was summoned to court for the desertion of his wife. In other words Mrs Grice sought a separation order with maintenance payments.
However, the husband denied all the claims of violence in spite of Mary's sister and brother-in-law corroborating his wife's account and he put the blame on her family for his marital trouble. The magistrates were always reluctant to grant separation orders to young couples and the case had been adjourned for a fortnight to see if reconciliation could be obtained. John Holmes was the Police Court Missionary, an early form of probation/social worker.
Holmes told the court that Mr Grice had obtained a home for his wife but she was refusing to live with him and he said he saw no reason why the couple could not live comfortably together. That was in spite of the man's past record of violence against his wife and new information that had come to light that Grice was the father of another young woman's child who was also bringing a case against him. Mary was being painted as the difficult person in the marriage and she told the court that she was so frightened of her husband that she would never go back to him.
In the end the revelation about the baby probably tipped the balance and the magistrates decided to grant the separation order. The husband was told to pay his wife 22s 6d per week maintenance, as well as court costs and advocates' fees. The decision enraged Grice who told the Bench: "That is not fair, and I will take it to a higher court. I am only charged with desertion, and I have offered her a home." Such threats of appealing against magistrates' rulings were sometimes made in the heat of the moment but were rarely carried through, in part because of the expense.
The distressing movement disorder known today as Sydenham's chorea was still largely called Saint Vitus Dance one hundred years ago. These days powerful drugs can control its symptoms but in the 1920s they only had mild sedatives. Despite not being a mental health condition as such, several patients suffering from chorea were sent to Rainhill Asylum.
Joseph Fawcett had been one but he only lasted four days before dying and his inquest took place on April 1st.
The 18-year-old's mother Mary had been to the police to complain of ill-treatment after noticing bruising on her son's body. But the medical superintendent at Rainhill, Dr Edward Reeve, said the lad's limbs had been in constant motion and the bruises had been superficial ones caused by friction. "It was the most terrible case of chorea I have ever seen in the course of twenty-four years' experience," explained the doctor.
"His movements were terrible to witness, and we were powerless to do anything. The most powerful sedatives had no effect." The doctor that had carried out a post-mortem on Joseph described the bruises as typical of those caused by chafing and rubbing and said death had been due to chorea, accelerated by heart failure and haemorrhage.
It was not always easy for landlords to evict tenants who did not pay their rent. Many were unemployed or on part-time hours and the housing crisis meant finding alternative accommodation was hard. If tenants were evicted then it was likely that the outstanding rent would never be paid and so landlords often played a waiting game, hoping their tenants' personal circumstances would improve and the back rent would eventually get paid.
But some would take advantage of their reluctance to evict and Richard Allen had clearly had enough of his tenant's prevarication. In St Helens County Court in East Street (pictured above) on the 2nd he sought possession of his house in Whiston from Patrick Byrne. It was alleged that Byrne had told an agent of the landlord that if the bailiffs were sent in "there will be bloodshed". The owner, Richard Allen, was an ex-serviceman and said he did not see why he should have other people living at his expense.
His tenant owed him £20 despite him and his son both working and he said the defendant had recently sold some pigs. Patrick Byrne admitted receiving £14 for his pigs but he had not paid a penny out of the cash towards the rent. He did claim some hardship during the last coal strike, saying a cart in which he used to carry coal had fallen to pieces and his horse had died. The judge described the man as "very obstinate". Although he made an order for possession of the house, it would be suspended if Byrne immediately paid £2 10 shillings and court costs and then made weekly payments of 10 shillings until the rent arrears had been wiped out.
In another County Court case the father of Harold Wright of Evans Street in Prescot sued Richard Mercer from Cross Street for injuries caused to his son by what was described as a ferocious dog. The 10-year-old boy had stooped down to stroke a dog that he had previously played with when it was a puppy. But the animal jumped up, bit the boy on his face and knocked him down.
Harold was then bitten on the face for a second time and in the fall received two black eyes. The lad was under the doctor for three weeks and the judge ordered the dog's owner to pay him £7 10 shillings damages and costs. The dog had previously attacked ex-Inspector Ashcroft by jumping on his back in the street. It was then given a second chance but after this further attack was ordered to be destroyed.
The inquest on Jessie Matthews of Alice Street in Sutton also took place on the 2nd. She had been married to Robert Matthews who was a miner at Clock Face Colliery. He had been Jessie's second husband with her first spouse having died in the war. Robert told the inquest that after coming home late from a shift and chatting for some time with his wife, she had gone into their back kitchen to prepare a tub for him to have a wash. Immediately he saw blood was dripping from Jessie, although it was not until the following morning that a doctor was called in.
Later that day after complaining of pains, the 36-year-old was found to be dead. Dr Tom O’Keefe had conducted a post-mortem on Mrs Matthews and decided that death had been due to an abortion that had taken place about two months before. He said it was not possible to say how it had occurred. However, Dr O’Keefe insisted it had been natural and not induced and added that abortions often happened in women who were unaware of them and did not consult a doctor until too late.
At a meeting of the Prescot Guardians on the 3rd the housing shortage within the St Helens and Prescot district was discussed. One member said he was aware of a case were seventeen people lived in a single house that consisted of just a kitchen, bedroom and a small attic. Another guardian said he was aware of a case in which six families occupied one house, with each family living in one room and paying six shillings a week rent.
For forty years before the war, St Helens had one of the lowest levels of rates in the country. However, the unprecedented levels of inflation over the past few years had put paid to that. For the year 1913-14 St Helens householders either directly or through their rent paid 7s 9d in the £ to the council. During the last year it had been 16s 4d and this week the Town Council decided to freeze the rates for the coming year. Although a relief for many, it meant cutbacks in the provision of many services – austerity, as we would call it today.
On the 7th John Morley returned to court charged with assaulting Michael McCormick through biting his ears. Morley and another man called Drury had been refused beer at the Royal Oak in Higher Parr Street. Michael McCormick advised Drury to go home but Morley intervened and he and McCormick briefly wrestled on the ground. The 26-year-old miner at Ashtons Green Colliery ended the fight by biting parts of Michael McCormick's ears off and he was arrested at his home in nearby Trinity Street.
PC Graham gave evidence that when he went to the man's house, Morley had jumped on to a sofa, drawn a large knife and threatened to stab the first man who went near him. Dr Thomas O’Keefe said McCormick's condition had been serious at first but had improved, or as he apparently put it, was "going on all right". The Chairman of the Bench told Morley he had committed a most brutal attack and he was sentenced to two months with hard labour. That was the maximum period permitted, and the Chairman said if the magistrates had the power to impose a longer sentence, they would have done so.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the old man's suicide at the workhouse, a robot called Radiana appears at the Hippodrome, the death of the toddler son of a Saints star and the unusual council election that was held in Rainford.
What the Reporter unfortunately described as the "family squabbles" of Thomas Grice and his wife Mary were resumed in St Helens Police Court this week. I don't think a wife's allegation of receiving five black eyes from her husband in just twenty months of marriage would be reported as simply a squabble today. I described the case a fortnight ago in which Thomas Grice of Borough Road was summoned to court for the desertion of his wife. In other words Mrs Grice sought a separation order with maintenance payments.
However, the husband denied all the claims of violence in spite of Mary's sister and brother-in-law corroborating his wife's account and he put the blame on her family for his marital trouble. The magistrates were always reluctant to grant separation orders to young couples and the case had been adjourned for a fortnight to see if reconciliation could be obtained. John Holmes was the Police Court Missionary, an early form of probation/social worker.
Holmes told the court that Mr Grice had obtained a home for his wife but she was refusing to live with him and he said he saw no reason why the couple could not live comfortably together. That was in spite of the man's past record of violence against his wife and new information that had come to light that Grice was the father of another young woman's child who was also bringing a case against him. Mary was being painted as the difficult person in the marriage and she told the court that she was so frightened of her husband that she would never go back to him.
In the end the revelation about the baby probably tipped the balance and the magistrates decided to grant the separation order. The husband was told to pay his wife 22s 6d per week maintenance, as well as court costs and advocates' fees. The decision enraged Grice who told the Bench: "That is not fair, and I will take it to a higher court. I am only charged with desertion, and I have offered her a home." Such threats of appealing against magistrates' rulings were sometimes made in the heat of the moment but were rarely carried through, in part because of the expense.
The distressing movement disorder known today as Sydenham's chorea was still largely called Saint Vitus Dance one hundred years ago. These days powerful drugs can control its symptoms but in the 1920s they only had mild sedatives. Despite not being a mental health condition as such, several patients suffering from chorea were sent to Rainhill Asylum.
Joseph Fawcett had been one but he only lasted four days before dying and his inquest took place on April 1st.
The 18-year-old's mother Mary had been to the police to complain of ill-treatment after noticing bruising on her son's body. But the medical superintendent at Rainhill, Dr Edward Reeve, said the lad's limbs had been in constant motion and the bruises had been superficial ones caused by friction. "It was the most terrible case of chorea I have ever seen in the course of twenty-four years' experience," explained the doctor.
"His movements were terrible to witness, and we were powerless to do anything. The most powerful sedatives had no effect." The doctor that had carried out a post-mortem on Joseph described the bruises as typical of those caused by chafing and rubbing and said death had been due to chorea, accelerated by heart failure and haemorrhage.
It was not always easy for landlords to evict tenants who did not pay their rent. Many were unemployed or on part-time hours and the housing crisis meant finding alternative accommodation was hard. If tenants were evicted then it was likely that the outstanding rent would never be paid and so landlords often played a waiting game, hoping their tenants' personal circumstances would improve and the back rent would eventually get paid.
His tenant owed him £20 despite him and his son both working and he said the defendant had recently sold some pigs. Patrick Byrne admitted receiving £14 for his pigs but he had not paid a penny out of the cash towards the rent. He did claim some hardship during the last coal strike, saying a cart in which he used to carry coal had fallen to pieces and his horse had died. The judge described the man as "very obstinate". Although he made an order for possession of the house, it would be suspended if Byrne immediately paid £2 10 shillings and court costs and then made weekly payments of 10 shillings until the rent arrears had been wiped out.
In another County Court case the father of Harold Wright of Evans Street in Prescot sued Richard Mercer from Cross Street for injuries caused to his son by what was described as a ferocious dog. The 10-year-old boy had stooped down to stroke a dog that he had previously played with when it was a puppy. But the animal jumped up, bit the boy on his face and knocked him down.
Harold was then bitten on the face for a second time and in the fall received two black eyes. The lad was under the doctor for three weeks and the judge ordered the dog's owner to pay him £7 10 shillings damages and costs. The dog had previously attacked ex-Inspector Ashcroft by jumping on his back in the street. It was then given a second chance but after this further attack was ordered to be destroyed.
The inquest on Jessie Matthews of Alice Street in Sutton also took place on the 2nd. She had been married to Robert Matthews who was a miner at Clock Face Colliery. He had been Jessie's second husband with her first spouse having died in the war. Robert told the inquest that after coming home late from a shift and chatting for some time with his wife, she had gone into their back kitchen to prepare a tub for him to have a wash. Immediately he saw blood was dripping from Jessie, although it was not until the following morning that a doctor was called in.
Later that day after complaining of pains, the 36-year-old was found to be dead. Dr Tom O’Keefe had conducted a post-mortem on Mrs Matthews and decided that death had been due to an abortion that had taken place about two months before. He said it was not possible to say how it had occurred. However, Dr O’Keefe insisted it had been natural and not induced and added that abortions often happened in women who were unaware of them and did not consult a doctor until too late.
At a meeting of the Prescot Guardians on the 3rd the housing shortage within the St Helens and Prescot district was discussed. One member said he was aware of a case were seventeen people lived in a single house that consisted of just a kitchen, bedroom and a small attic. Another guardian said he was aware of a case in which six families occupied one house, with each family living in one room and paying six shillings a week rent.
For forty years before the war, St Helens had one of the lowest levels of rates in the country. However, the unprecedented levels of inflation over the past few years had put paid to that. For the year 1913-14 St Helens householders either directly or through their rent paid 7s 9d in the £ to the council. During the last year it had been 16s 4d and this week the Town Council decided to freeze the rates for the coming year. Although a relief for many, it meant cutbacks in the provision of many services – austerity, as we would call it today.
On the 7th John Morley returned to court charged with assaulting Michael McCormick through biting his ears. Morley and another man called Drury had been refused beer at the Royal Oak in Higher Parr Street. Michael McCormick advised Drury to go home but Morley intervened and he and McCormick briefly wrestled on the ground. The 26-year-old miner at Ashtons Green Colliery ended the fight by biting parts of Michael McCormick's ears off and he was arrested at his home in nearby Trinity Street.
PC Graham gave evidence that when he went to the man's house, Morley had jumped on to a sofa, drawn a large knife and threatened to stab the first man who went near him. Dr Thomas O’Keefe said McCormick's condition had been serious at first but had improved, or as he apparently put it, was "going on all right". The Chairman of the Bench told Morley he had committed a most brutal attack and he was sentenced to two months with hard labour. That was the maximum period permitted, and the Chairman said if the magistrates had the power to impose a longer sentence, they would have done so.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the old man's suicide at the workhouse, a robot called Radiana appears at the Hippodrome, the death of the toddler son of a Saints star and the unusual council election that was held in Rainford.
This week's many stories include the dog attack on a Prescot boy, the obstinate Whiston tenant that threatened bloodshed if evicted, the man alleged to have given his wife 5 black eyes in 20 months of marriage returns to court, the boy suffering from Saint Vitus Dance that died in Rainhill Asylum and the sentencing of the Higher Parr Street ear biter.
What the Reporter unfortunately described as the "family squabbles" of Thomas Grice and his wife Mary were resumed in St Helens Police Court this week.
I don't think a wife's allegation of receiving five black eyes from her husband in just twenty months of marriage would be reported as simply a squabble today.
I described the case a fortnight ago in which Thomas Grice of Borough Road was summoned to court for the desertion of his wife. In other words Mrs Grice sought a separation order with maintenance payments.
However, the husband denied all the claims of violence in spite of Mary's sister and brother-in-law corroborating his wife's account and he put the blame on her family for his marital trouble.
The magistrates were always reluctant to grant separation orders to young couples and the case had been adjourned for a fortnight to see if reconciliation could be obtained.
John Holmes was the Police Court Missionary, an early form of probation/social worker.
Holmes told the court that Mr Grice had obtained a home for his wife but she was refusing to live with him and he said he saw no reason why the couple could not live comfortably together.
That was in spite of the man's past record of violence against his wife and new information that had come to light that Grice was the father of another young woman's child who was also bringing a case against him.
Mary was being painted as the difficult person in the marriage and she told the court that she was so frightened of her husband that she would never go back to him.
In the end the revelation about the baby probably tipped the balance and the magistrates decided to grant the separation order.
The husband was told to pay his wife 22s 6d per week maintenance, as well as court costs and advocates' fees.
The decision enraged Grice who told the Bench: "That is not fair, and I will take it to a higher court. I am only charged with desertion, and I have offered her a home."
Such threats of appealing against magistrates' rulings were sometimes made in the heat of the moment but were rarely carried through, in part because of the expense.
The distressing movement disorder known today as Sydenham's chorea was still largely called Saint Vitus Dance one hundred years ago.
These days powerful drugs can control its symptoms but in the 1920s they only had mild sedatives.
Despite not being a mental health condition as such, several patients suffering from chorea were sent to Rainhill Asylum.
Joseph Fawcett had been one but he only lasted four days before dying and his inquest took place on April 1st.
The 18-year-old's mother Mary had been to the police to complain of ill-treatment after noticing bruising on her son's body.
But the medical superintendent at Rainhill, Dr Edward Reeve, said the lad's limbs had been in constant motion and the bruises had been superficial ones caused by friction.
"It was the most terrible case of chorea I have ever seen in the course of twenty-four years' experience," explained the doctor.
"His movements were terrible to witness, and we were powerless to do anything. The most powerful sedatives had no effect."
The doctor that had carried out a post-mortem on Joseph described the bruises as typical of those caused by chafing and rubbing and said death had been due to chorea, accelerated by heart failure and haemorrhage.
It was not always easy for landlords to evict tenants who did not pay their rent.
Many were unemployed or on part-time hours and the housing crisis meant finding alternative accommodation was hard.
If tenants were evicted then it was likely that the outstanding rent would never be paid and so landlords often played a waiting game, hoping their tenants' personal circumstances would improve and the back rent would eventually get paid.
But some would take advantage of their reluctance to evict and Richard Allen had clearly had enough of his tenant's prevarication.
In St Helens County Court in East Street (pictured above) on the 2nd he sought possession of his house in Whiston from Patrick Byrne.
It was alleged that Byrne had told an agent of the landlord that if the bailiffs were sent in "there will be bloodshed".
The owner, Richard Allen, was an ex-serviceman and said he did not see why he should have other people living at his expense.
His tenant owed him £20 despite him and his son both working and he said the defendant had recently sold some pigs.
Patrick Byrne admitted receiving £14 for his pigs but he had not paid a penny out of the cash towards the rent.
He did claim some hardship during the last coal strike, saying a cart in which he used to carry coal had fallen to pieces and his horse had died.
The judge described the man as "very obstinate". Although he made an order for possession of the house, it would be suspended if Byrne immediately paid £2 10 shillings and court costs and then made weekly payments of 10 shillings until the rent arrears had been wiped out.
In another County Court case the father of Harold Wright of Evans Street in Prescot sued Richard Mercer from Cross Street for injuries caused to his son by what was described as a ferocious dog.
The 10-year-old boy had stooped down to stroke a dog that he had previously played with when it was a puppy.
But the animal jumped up, bit the boy on his face and knocked him down. Harold was then bitten on the face for a second time and in the fall received two black eyes.
The lad was under the doctor for three weeks and the judge ordered the dog's owner to pay him £7 10 shillings damages and costs.
The dog had previously attacked ex-Inspector Ashcroft by jumping on his back in the street.
It was then given a second chance but after this further attack was ordered to be destroyed.
The inquest on Jessie Matthews of Alice Street in Sutton also took place on the 2nd.
She had been married to Robert Matthews who was a miner at Clock Face Colliery. He had been Jessie's second husband with her first spouse having died in the war.
Robert told the inquest that after coming home late from a shift and chatting for some time with his wife, she had gone into their back kitchen to prepare a tub for him to have a wash.
Immediately he saw blood was dripping from Jessie, although it was not until the following morning that a doctor was called in. Later that day after complaining of pains, the 36-year-old was found to be dead.
Dr Tom O’Keefe had conducted a post-mortem on Mrs Matthews and decided that death had been due to an abortion that had taken place about two months before.
He said it was not possible to say how it had occurred. However, Dr O’Keefe insisted it had been natural and not induced and added that abortions often happened in women who were unaware of them and did not consult a doctor until too late.
At a meeting of the Prescot Guardians on the 3rd the housing shortage within the St Helens and Prescot district was discussed.
One member said he was aware of a case were seventeen people lived in a single house that consisted of just a kitchen, bedroom and a small attic.
Another guardian said he was aware of a case in which six families occupied one house, with each family living in one room and paying six shillings a week rent.
For forty years before the war, St Helens had one of the lowest levels of rates in the country. However, the unprecedented levels of inflation over the past few years had put paid to that.
For the year 1913-14 St Helens householders either directly or through their rent paid 7s 9d in the £ to the council.
During the last year it had been 16s 4d and this week the Town Council decided to freeze the rates for the coming year.
Although a relief for many, it meant cutbacks in the provision of many services – austerity, as we would call it today.
On the 7th John Morley returned to court charged with assaulting Michael McCormick through biting his ears.
Morley and another man called Drury had been refused beer at the Royal Oak in Higher Parr Street.
Michael McCormick advised Drury to go home but Morley intervened and he and McCormick briefly wrestled on the ground.
The 26-year-old miner at Ashtons Green Colliery ended the fight by biting parts of Michael McCormick's ears off and he was arrested at his home in nearby Trinity Street.
PC Graham gave evidence that when he went to the man's house, Morley had jumped on to a sofa, drawn a large knife and threatened to stab the first man who went near him.
Dr Thomas O’Keefe said McCormick's condition had been serious at first but had improved, or as he apparently put it, was "going on all right".
The Chairman of the Bench told Morley he had committed a most brutal attack and he was sentenced to two months with hard labour.
That was the maximum period permitted, and the Chairman said if the magistrates had the power to impose a longer sentence, they would have done so.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the old man's suicide at the workhouse, a robot called Radiana appears at the Hippodrome, the death of the toddler son of a Saints star and the unusual council election that was held in Rainford.
What the Reporter unfortunately described as the "family squabbles" of Thomas Grice and his wife Mary were resumed in St Helens Police Court this week.
I don't think a wife's allegation of receiving five black eyes from her husband in just twenty months of marriage would be reported as simply a squabble today.
I described the case a fortnight ago in which Thomas Grice of Borough Road was summoned to court for the desertion of his wife. In other words Mrs Grice sought a separation order with maintenance payments.
However, the husband denied all the claims of violence in spite of Mary's sister and brother-in-law corroborating his wife's account and he put the blame on her family for his marital trouble.
The magistrates were always reluctant to grant separation orders to young couples and the case had been adjourned for a fortnight to see if reconciliation could be obtained.
John Holmes was the Police Court Missionary, an early form of probation/social worker.
Holmes told the court that Mr Grice had obtained a home for his wife but she was refusing to live with him and he said he saw no reason why the couple could not live comfortably together.
That was in spite of the man's past record of violence against his wife and new information that had come to light that Grice was the father of another young woman's child who was also bringing a case against him.
Mary was being painted as the difficult person in the marriage and she told the court that she was so frightened of her husband that she would never go back to him.
In the end the revelation about the baby probably tipped the balance and the magistrates decided to grant the separation order.
The husband was told to pay his wife 22s 6d per week maintenance, as well as court costs and advocates' fees.
The decision enraged Grice who told the Bench: "That is not fair, and I will take it to a higher court. I am only charged with desertion, and I have offered her a home."
Such threats of appealing against magistrates' rulings were sometimes made in the heat of the moment but were rarely carried through, in part because of the expense.
The distressing movement disorder known today as Sydenham's chorea was still largely called Saint Vitus Dance one hundred years ago.
These days powerful drugs can control its symptoms but in the 1920s they only had mild sedatives.
Despite not being a mental health condition as such, several patients suffering from chorea were sent to Rainhill Asylum.
Joseph Fawcett had been one but he only lasted four days before dying and his inquest took place on April 1st.
The 18-year-old's mother Mary had been to the police to complain of ill-treatment after noticing bruising on her son's body.
But the medical superintendent at Rainhill, Dr Edward Reeve, said the lad's limbs had been in constant motion and the bruises had been superficial ones caused by friction.
"It was the most terrible case of chorea I have ever seen in the course of twenty-four years' experience," explained the doctor.
"His movements were terrible to witness, and we were powerless to do anything. The most powerful sedatives had no effect."
The doctor that had carried out a post-mortem on Joseph described the bruises as typical of those caused by chafing and rubbing and said death had been due to chorea, accelerated by heart failure and haemorrhage.
It was not always easy for landlords to evict tenants who did not pay their rent.
Many were unemployed or on part-time hours and the housing crisis meant finding alternative accommodation was hard.
If tenants were evicted then it was likely that the outstanding rent would never be paid and so landlords often played a waiting game, hoping their tenants' personal circumstances would improve and the back rent would eventually get paid.
But some would take advantage of their reluctance to evict and Richard Allen had clearly had enough of his tenant's prevarication.
It was alleged that Byrne had told an agent of the landlord that if the bailiffs were sent in "there will be bloodshed".
The owner, Richard Allen, was an ex-serviceman and said he did not see why he should have other people living at his expense.
His tenant owed him £20 despite him and his son both working and he said the defendant had recently sold some pigs.
Patrick Byrne admitted receiving £14 for his pigs but he had not paid a penny out of the cash towards the rent.
He did claim some hardship during the last coal strike, saying a cart in which he used to carry coal had fallen to pieces and his horse had died.
The judge described the man as "very obstinate". Although he made an order for possession of the house, it would be suspended if Byrne immediately paid £2 10 shillings and court costs and then made weekly payments of 10 shillings until the rent arrears had been wiped out.
In another County Court case the father of Harold Wright of Evans Street in Prescot sued Richard Mercer from Cross Street for injuries caused to his son by what was described as a ferocious dog.
The 10-year-old boy had stooped down to stroke a dog that he had previously played with when it was a puppy.
But the animal jumped up, bit the boy on his face and knocked him down. Harold was then bitten on the face for a second time and in the fall received two black eyes.
The lad was under the doctor for three weeks and the judge ordered the dog's owner to pay him £7 10 shillings damages and costs.
The dog had previously attacked ex-Inspector Ashcroft by jumping on his back in the street.
It was then given a second chance but after this further attack was ordered to be destroyed.
The inquest on Jessie Matthews of Alice Street in Sutton also took place on the 2nd.
She had been married to Robert Matthews who was a miner at Clock Face Colliery. He had been Jessie's second husband with her first spouse having died in the war.
Robert told the inquest that after coming home late from a shift and chatting for some time with his wife, she had gone into their back kitchen to prepare a tub for him to have a wash.
Immediately he saw blood was dripping from Jessie, although it was not until the following morning that a doctor was called in. Later that day after complaining of pains, the 36-year-old was found to be dead.
Dr Tom O’Keefe had conducted a post-mortem on Mrs Matthews and decided that death had been due to an abortion that had taken place about two months before.
He said it was not possible to say how it had occurred. However, Dr O’Keefe insisted it had been natural and not induced and added that abortions often happened in women who were unaware of them and did not consult a doctor until too late.
At a meeting of the Prescot Guardians on the 3rd the housing shortage within the St Helens and Prescot district was discussed.
One member said he was aware of a case were seventeen people lived in a single house that consisted of just a kitchen, bedroom and a small attic.
Another guardian said he was aware of a case in which six families occupied one house, with each family living in one room and paying six shillings a week rent.
For forty years before the war, St Helens had one of the lowest levels of rates in the country. However, the unprecedented levels of inflation over the past few years had put paid to that.
For the year 1913-14 St Helens householders either directly or through their rent paid 7s 9d in the £ to the council.
During the last year it had been 16s 4d and this week the Town Council decided to freeze the rates for the coming year.
Although a relief for many, it meant cutbacks in the provision of many services – austerity, as we would call it today.
On the 7th John Morley returned to court charged with assaulting Michael McCormick through biting his ears.
Morley and another man called Drury had been refused beer at the Royal Oak in Higher Parr Street.
Michael McCormick advised Drury to go home but Morley intervened and he and McCormick briefly wrestled on the ground.
The 26-year-old miner at Ashtons Green Colliery ended the fight by biting parts of Michael McCormick's ears off and he was arrested at his home in nearby Trinity Street.
PC Graham gave evidence that when he went to the man's house, Morley had jumped on to a sofa, drawn a large knife and threatened to stab the first man who went near him.
Dr Thomas O’Keefe said McCormick's condition had been serious at first but had improved, or as he apparently put it, was "going on all right".
The Chairman of the Bench told Morley he had committed a most brutal attack and he was sentenced to two months with hard labour.
That was the maximum period permitted, and the Chairman said if the magistrates had the power to impose a longer sentence, they would have done so.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the old man's suicide at the workhouse, a robot called Radiana appears at the Hippodrome, the death of the toddler son of a Saints star and the unusual council election that was held in Rainford.