IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 4 - 10 NOVEMBER 1924
This week's many stories include the talk on converting Muslims to Christianity, the mysterious slam-door finger injury at St Helens Station, a review of the local elections in St Helens, the unfairness of the gambling laws, the Post Office thief and the prosecution for wife desertion that failed when it was proved that bigamy had been committed.
The main danger of the old slam-door system on trains was that anyone could open them at any time. That allowed passengers to get on and off carriages while they were moving, a practice that led to many injuries and deaths. But when Mary Johnson of North John Street boarded a train to Manchester at St Helens Station it was quite stationary. However, she still lost the tip of a finger because the man she believed to be a porter, despite him not wearing any uniform, had slammed the door of her compartment shut before Mary had got herself safely inside.
On the 5th in St Helens County Court Mrs Johnson brought an action against the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company claiming £10 damages. Her solicitor explained that after her finger had got caught in the door, his client had fainted and the man who had carelessly shut it had summoned a uniformed member of staff and they both took the injured woman into the guard's van for treatment.
Mrs Johnson stated that when her finger was trapped she had shouted to the man responsible: "Oh, you fool. Look what you have done to my finger!" But evidence was given for the railway company that none of their platform staff had been out of uniform and the identity of the door slammer was a mystery. And so the judge said he was extremely sorry for the woman but he could not find the company to have been to blame.
When John Myerscough of Lee Street in Sutton appeared in the Police Court on the 6th he made a valid point about the inequity of the gambling laws, saying: "When a collier goes to work, he leaves his little bet at home, and naturally expects his wife to bring it along. He can't send it by telephone, like people who are better off and have turf accounts. I plead for leniency, and ask if it is so terrible a crime to enter for men who cannot afford to do their betting legally."
Mr Myerscough had been taking bets in Lee Street, mainly from women on behalf of their miner husbands. Gambling was permitted on racetracks and via licensed agents. Colonel Michael Hughes of Sherdley Hall often had his land agent place bets of as much as £20 on the horses that he owned. But for the working class putting coppers on a horse was illegal and those like John Myerscough who took their bets on the street were heavily fined and he was ordered to pay £10.
Also on the 6th there was another accident at Eccleston Lane Ends when a tram and a heavy motor wagon belonging to the Holt Lane Stone Company of Rainhill came into collision in St Helens Road. There was what was described as a very dense fog and the collision near the waterworks badly damaged both vehicles.
The St Helens Reporter on the 7th described more "missionary work among the moslems". I'd always assumed that missionaries in foreign countries converted so-called "heathens" with no religion to Christianity. The reality from various talks given in St Helens by such missionaries was that their work in Asia, at least, primarily involved converting Muslims to the Christian faith. In the 1920s that was still seen as a laudable aim and the Reporter explained how the Rt Rev Bishop Linton of Persia and Rev P. Stevens from a Chinese Mission had given talks at the St Helens Parish Church.
By that, I think, they meant the Assembly Hall of the Town Hall, as that was the church's stand-in venue until their new building could be constructed to replace the one ravaged by fire. Bishop Linton described what it was like for a "Mahommedan" to become a Christian, explaining how natives were reluctant to sacrifice what they had been taught, saying:
"They want to have a hand in both in the form of a compromise but there must be no compromise in coming over to the Christian faith." The bishop also explained how a female missionary had seemingly disappeared after being sent out to the Persian Gulf. In fact she had disguised herself as an Arabian woman and the bishop said she was one of the "heroines who go out into the darkness of the Moslems to spread the gospel".
The Reporter described the local elections that had taken place on the previous Saturday. Being held three days after the "excitement of the General Election", interest had been reduced and only a little over two-thirds of the electorate in the seven contested wards had voted. I think today they would be thrilled to receive a near-70% turnout in local elections! Although "clean on the whole" there had been a few dirty tricks employed.
Cllr Archibald Dodd was furious with a "most scurrilous leaflet" published by his opponent that insinuated he was an atheist, Bolshevist and seditionist. And during the campaign a female candidate called Litherland, who had been getting into a car in Waterloo Street, was struck on the back of the neck by a quantity of mud wrapped in newspaper. Mrs Litherland – the candidate for Central Ward – was uninjured apart from being rather dazed and suffering a headache.
John Woodward the Labour councillor for Parr was re-elected with an increased majority and in his victory speech said: "Despite the fact that our opponents had many motorcars and closed carriages, Labour had stuck to its guns and went to the polling booths on shank's pony."
His beaten opponent, Joseph Marsh, said the day would come when the Conservatives would "rattle" Parr away from the Labour Party and he complained that too much nationality had been brought into the election with many Irish voting for Labour. And it was stated that on the Town Hall steps when a Conservative had waved the Union Flag, threats had been made.
"Attempted Theft of Treasury Notes" was the headline to a Reporter article on a post office worker accused of stealing. Bank notes were often called Treasury notes in the 1920s and Frederick Reynolds of Windleshaw Road hung his head in the dock this week when charged with stealing two £1 and 5x 10 shilling notes.
Superintendent Dunn told the magistrates in St Helens Police Court that the Post Office had received complaints that letters had not been received and suspicion had fallen upon Reynolds. And so last Sunday test letters containing money had been posted and on the following morning the contents of all three were found in Reynolds' possession. The man had made a statement to the police admitting taking the money and a remand of eight days was granted for further enquiries to be made.
Men alleged to have deserted their families and left them penniless were still being brought to court. It was not so much the desertion but the fact that the authorities wanted to reclaim the cash that the Relieving Officer had spent on the men's wives during their absence. But when Michael Maloney appeared in St Helens Police Court this week he had a good excuse.
That was that when he had married Maud Copeland at St Mark's Church in 1920 his new "wife" was already married. Whether he knew that at the time was not clear but a married man was responsible for his wife's children from a previous marriage – but not if her previous husband was still alive! The allegation was that Maloney had received £200 in compensation from Pilkingtons after an accident and had decamped leaving his family without income. Nearly £100 of relief money had been paid to the woman but as the evidence of the legality of their marriage was in doubt, the man was discharged and the case against him dismissed.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the jazz music in the Town Hall that disturbed councillors, the Armistice Day service in Victoria Square, the annual police ball and the Australians attempting to lure St Helens folk down under.
On the 5th in St Helens County Court Mrs Johnson brought an action against the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company claiming £10 damages. Her solicitor explained that after her finger had got caught in the door, his client had fainted and the man who had carelessly shut it had summoned a uniformed member of staff and they both took the injured woman into the guard's van for treatment.
Mrs Johnson stated that when her finger was trapped she had shouted to the man responsible: "Oh, you fool. Look what you have done to my finger!" But evidence was given for the railway company that none of their platform staff had been out of uniform and the identity of the door slammer was a mystery. And so the judge said he was extremely sorry for the woman but he could not find the company to have been to blame.
When John Myerscough of Lee Street in Sutton appeared in the Police Court on the 6th he made a valid point about the inequity of the gambling laws, saying: "When a collier goes to work, he leaves his little bet at home, and naturally expects his wife to bring it along. He can't send it by telephone, like people who are better off and have turf accounts. I plead for leniency, and ask if it is so terrible a crime to enter for men who cannot afford to do their betting legally."
Mr Myerscough had been taking bets in Lee Street, mainly from women on behalf of their miner husbands. Gambling was permitted on racetracks and via licensed agents. Colonel Michael Hughes of Sherdley Hall often had his land agent place bets of as much as £20 on the horses that he owned. But for the working class putting coppers on a horse was illegal and those like John Myerscough who took their bets on the street were heavily fined and he was ordered to pay £10.
Also on the 6th there was another accident at Eccleston Lane Ends when a tram and a heavy motor wagon belonging to the Holt Lane Stone Company of Rainhill came into collision in St Helens Road. There was what was described as a very dense fog and the collision near the waterworks badly damaged both vehicles.
The St Helens Reporter on the 7th described more "missionary work among the moslems". I'd always assumed that missionaries in foreign countries converted so-called "heathens" with no religion to Christianity. The reality from various talks given in St Helens by such missionaries was that their work in Asia, at least, primarily involved converting Muslims to the Christian faith. In the 1920s that was still seen as a laudable aim and the Reporter explained how the Rt Rev Bishop Linton of Persia and Rev P. Stevens from a Chinese Mission had given talks at the St Helens Parish Church.
By that, I think, they meant the Assembly Hall of the Town Hall, as that was the church's stand-in venue until their new building could be constructed to replace the one ravaged by fire. Bishop Linton described what it was like for a "Mahommedan" to become a Christian, explaining how natives were reluctant to sacrifice what they had been taught, saying:
"They want to have a hand in both in the form of a compromise but there must be no compromise in coming over to the Christian faith." The bishop also explained how a female missionary had seemingly disappeared after being sent out to the Persian Gulf. In fact she had disguised herself as an Arabian woman and the bishop said she was one of the "heroines who go out into the darkness of the Moslems to spread the gospel".
The Reporter described the local elections that had taken place on the previous Saturday. Being held three days after the "excitement of the General Election", interest had been reduced and only a little over two-thirds of the electorate in the seven contested wards had voted. I think today they would be thrilled to receive a near-70% turnout in local elections! Although "clean on the whole" there had been a few dirty tricks employed.
Cllr Archibald Dodd was furious with a "most scurrilous leaflet" published by his opponent that insinuated he was an atheist, Bolshevist and seditionist. And during the campaign a female candidate called Litherland, who had been getting into a car in Waterloo Street, was struck on the back of the neck by a quantity of mud wrapped in newspaper. Mrs Litherland – the candidate for Central Ward – was uninjured apart from being rather dazed and suffering a headache.
John Woodward the Labour councillor for Parr was re-elected with an increased majority and in his victory speech said: "Despite the fact that our opponents had many motorcars and closed carriages, Labour had stuck to its guns and went to the polling booths on shank's pony."
His beaten opponent, Joseph Marsh, said the day would come when the Conservatives would "rattle" Parr away from the Labour Party and he complained that too much nationality had been brought into the election with many Irish voting for Labour. And it was stated that on the Town Hall steps when a Conservative had waved the Union Flag, threats had been made.
"Attempted Theft of Treasury Notes" was the headline to a Reporter article on a post office worker accused of stealing. Bank notes were often called Treasury notes in the 1920s and Frederick Reynolds of Windleshaw Road hung his head in the dock this week when charged with stealing two £1 and 5x 10 shilling notes.
Superintendent Dunn told the magistrates in St Helens Police Court that the Post Office had received complaints that letters had not been received and suspicion had fallen upon Reynolds. And so last Sunday test letters containing money had been posted and on the following morning the contents of all three were found in Reynolds' possession. The man had made a statement to the police admitting taking the money and a remand of eight days was granted for further enquiries to be made.
Men alleged to have deserted their families and left them penniless were still being brought to court. It was not so much the desertion but the fact that the authorities wanted to reclaim the cash that the Relieving Officer had spent on the men's wives during their absence. But when Michael Maloney appeared in St Helens Police Court this week he had a good excuse.
That was that when he had married Maud Copeland at St Mark's Church in 1920 his new "wife" was already married. Whether he knew that at the time was not clear but a married man was responsible for his wife's children from a previous marriage – but not if her previous husband was still alive! The allegation was that Maloney had received £200 in compensation from Pilkingtons after an accident and had decamped leaving his family without income. Nearly £100 of relief money had been paid to the woman but as the evidence of the legality of their marriage was in doubt, the man was discharged and the case against him dismissed.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the jazz music in the Town Hall that disturbed councillors, the Armistice Day service in Victoria Square, the annual police ball and the Australians attempting to lure St Helens folk down under.
This week's many stories include the talk on converting Muslims to Christianity, the mysterious slam-door finger injury at St Helens Station, a review of the local elections in St Helens, the unfairness of the gambling laws, the Post Office thief and the prosecution for wife desertion that failed when it was proved that bigamy had been committed.
The main danger of the old slam-door system on trains was that anyone could open them at any time.
That allowed passengers to get on and off carriages while they were moving, a practice that led to many injuries and deaths.
But when Mary Johnson of North John Street boarded a train to Manchester at St Helens Station it was quite stationary.
However, she still lost the tip of a finger because the man she believed to be a porter, despite him not wearing any uniform, had slammed the door of her compartment shut before Mary had got herself safely inside.
On the 5th in St Helens County Court Mrs Johnson brought an action against the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company claiming £10 damages.
Her solicitor explained that after her finger had got caught in the door, his client had fainted and the man who had carelessly shut it had summoned a uniformed member of staff and they both took the injured woman into the guard's van for treatment.
Mrs Johnson stated that when her finger was trapped she had shouted to the man responsible: "Oh, you fool. Look what you have done to my finger!"
But evidence was given for the railway company that none of their platform staff had been out of uniform and the identity of the door slammer was a mystery.
And so the judge said he was extremely sorry for the woman but he could not find the company to have been to blame.
When John Myerscough of Lee Street in Sutton appeared in the Police Court on the 6th he made a valid point about the inequity of the gambling laws, saying:
"When a collier goes to work, he leaves his little bet at home, and naturally expects his wife to bring it along.
"He can't send it by telephone, like people who are better off and have turf accounts. I plead for leniency, and ask if it is so terrible a crime to enter for men who cannot afford to do their betting legally."
Mr Myerscough had been taking bets in Lee Street, mainly from women on behalf of their miner husbands.
Gambling was permitted on racetracks and via licensed agents. Colonel Michael Hughes of Sherdley Hall often had his land agent place bets of as much as £20 on the horses that he owned.
But for the working class putting coppers on a horse was illegal and those like John Myerscough who took their bets on the street were heavily fined and he was ordered to pay £10.
Also on the 6th there was another accident at Eccleston Lane Ends when a tram and a heavy motor wagon belonging to the Holt Lane Stone Company of Rainhill came into collision in St Helens Road.
There was what was described as a very dense fog and the collision near the waterworks badly damaged both vehicles.
The St Helens Reporter on the 7th described more "missionary work among the moslems".
I'd always assumed that missionaries in foreign countries converted so-called "heathens" with no religion to Christianity.
The reality from various talks given in St Helens by such missionaries was that their work in Asia, at least, primarily involved converting Muslims to the Christian faith.
In the 1920s that was still seen as a laudable aim and the Reporter explained how the Rt Rev Bishop Linton of Persia and Rev P. Stevens from a Chinese Mission had given talks at the St Helens Parish Church.
By that, I think, they meant the Assembly Hall of the Town Hall, as that was the church's stand-in venue until their new building could be constructed to replace the one ravaged by fire.
Bishop Linton described what it was like for a "Mahommedan" to become a Christian, explaining how natives were reluctant to sacrifice what they had been taught, saying:
"They want to have a hand in both in the form of a compromise but there must be no compromise in coming over to the Christian faith."
The bishop also explained how a female missionary had seemingly disappeared after being sent out to the Persian Gulf.
In fact she had disguised herself as an Arabian woman and the bishop said she was one of the "heroines who go out into the darkness of the Moslems to spread the gospel".
The Reporter described the local elections that had taken place on the previous Saturday.
Being held three days after the "excitement of the General Election", interest had been reduced and only a little over two-thirds of the electorate in the seven contested wards had voted.
I think today they would be thrilled to receive a near-70% turnout in local elections!
Although "clean on the whole" there had been a few dirty tricks employed. Cllr Archibald Dodd was furious with a "most scurrilous leaflet" published by his opponent that insinuated he was an atheist, Bolshevist and seditionist.
And during the campaign a female candidate called Litherland, who had been getting into a car in Waterloo Street, was struck on the back of the neck by a quantity of mud wrapped in newspaper.
Mrs Litherland – the candidate for Central Ward – was uninjured apart from being rather dazed and suffering a headache.
John Woodward the Labour councillor for Parr was re-elected with an increased majority and in his victory speech said:
"Despite the fact that our opponents had many motorcars and closed carriages, Labour had stuck to its guns and went to the polling booths on shank's pony."
His beaten opponent, Joseph Marsh, said the day would come when the Conservatives would "rattle" Parr away from the Labour Party and he complained that too much nationality had been brought into the election with many Irish voting for Labour.
And it was stated that on the Town Hall steps when a Conservative had waved the Union Flag, threats had been made.
"Attempted Theft of Treasury Notes" was the headline to a Reporter article on a post office worker accused of stealing.
Bank notes were often called Treasury notes in the 1920s and Frederick Reynolds of Windleshaw Road hung his head in the dock this week when charged with stealing two £1 and 5x 10 shilling notes.
Superintendent Dunn told the magistrates in St Helens Police Court that the Post Office had received complaints that letters had not been received and suspicion had fallen upon Reynolds.
And so last Sunday test letters containing money had been posted and on the following morning the contents of all three were found in Reynolds' possession.
The man had made a statement to the police admitting taking the money and a remand of eight days was granted for further enquiries to be made.
Men alleged to have deserted their families and left them penniless were still being brought to court.
It was not so much the desertion but the fact that the authorities wanted to reclaim the cash that the Relieving Officer had spent on the men's wives during their absence.
But when Michael Maloney appeared in St Helens Police Court this week he had a good excuse.
That was that when he had married Maud Copeland at St Mark's Church in 1920 his new "wife" was already married.
Whether he knew that at the time was not clear but a married man was responsible for his wife's children from a previous marriage – but not if her previous husband was still alive!
The allegation was that Maloney had received £200 in compensation from Pilkingtons after an accident and had decamped leaving his family without income.
Nearly £100 of relief money had been paid to the woman but as the evidence of the legality of their marriage was in doubt, the man was discharged and the case against him dismissed.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the jazz music in the Town Hall that disturbed councillors, the Armistice Day service in Victoria Square, the annual police ball and the Australians attempting to lure St Helens folk down under.
That allowed passengers to get on and off carriages while they were moving, a practice that led to many injuries and deaths.
But when Mary Johnson of North John Street boarded a train to Manchester at St Helens Station it was quite stationary.
However, she still lost the tip of a finger because the man she believed to be a porter, despite him not wearing any uniform, had slammed the door of her compartment shut before Mary had got herself safely inside.
On the 5th in St Helens County Court Mrs Johnson brought an action against the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company claiming £10 damages.
Her solicitor explained that after her finger had got caught in the door, his client had fainted and the man who had carelessly shut it had summoned a uniformed member of staff and they both took the injured woman into the guard's van for treatment.
Mrs Johnson stated that when her finger was trapped she had shouted to the man responsible: "Oh, you fool. Look what you have done to my finger!"
But evidence was given for the railway company that none of their platform staff had been out of uniform and the identity of the door slammer was a mystery.
And so the judge said he was extremely sorry for the woman but he could not find the company to have been to blame.
When John Myerscough of Lee Street in Sutton appeared in the Police Court on the 6th he made a valid point about the inequity of the gambling laws, saying:
"When a collier goes to work, he leaves his little bet at home, and naturally expects his wife to bring it along.
"He can't send it by telephone, like people who are better off and have turf accounts. I plead for leniency, and ask if it is so terrible a crime to enter for men who cannot afford to do their betting legally."
Mr Myerscough had been taking bets in Lee Street, mainly from women on behalf of their miner husbands.
Gambling was permitted on racetracks and via licensed agents. Colonel Michael Hughes of Sherdley Hall often had his land agent place bets of as much as £20 on the horses that he owned.
But for the working class putting coppers on a horse was illegal and those like John Myerscough who took their bets on the street were heavily fined and he was ordered to pay £10.
Also on the 6th there was another accident at Eccleston Lane Ends when a tram and a heavy motor wagon belonging to the Holt Lane Stone Company of Rainhill came into collision in St Helens Road.
There was what was described as a very dense fog and the collision near the waterworks badly damaged both vehicles.
The St Helens Reporter on the 7th described more "missionary work among the moslems".
I'd always assumed that missionaries in foreign countries converted so-called "heathens" with no religion to Christianity.
The reality from various talks given in St Helens by such missionaries was that their work in Asia, at least, primarily involved converting Muslims to the Christian faith.
In the 1920s that was still seen as a laudable aim and the Reporter explained how the Rt Rev Bishop Linton of Persia and Rev P. Stevens from a Chinese Mission had given talks at the St Helens Parish Church.
By that, I think, they meant the Assembly Hall of the Town Hall, as that was the church's stand-in venue until their new building could be constructed to replace the one ravaged by fire.
Bishop Linton described what it was like for a "Mahommedan" to become a Christian, explaining how natives were reluctant to sacrifice what they had been taught, saying:
"They want to have a hand in both in the form of a compromise but there must be no compromise in coming over to the Christian faith."
The bishop also explained how a female missionary had seemingly disappeared after being sent out to the Persian Gulf.
In fact she had disguised herself as an Arabian woman and the bishop said she was one of the "heroines who go out into the darkness of the Moslems to spread the gospel".
The Reporter described the local elections that had taken place on the previous Saturday.
Being held three days after the "excitement of the General Election", interest had been reduced and only a little over two-thirds of the electorate in the seven contested wards had voted.
I think today they would be thrilled to receive a near-70% turnout in local elections!
Although "clean on the whole" there had been a few dirty tricks employed. Cllr Archibald Dodd was furious with a "most scurrilous leaflet" published by his opponent that insinuated he was an atheist, Bolshevist and seditionist.
And during the campaign a female candidate called Litherland, who had been getting into a car in Waterloo Street, was struck on the back of the neck by a quantity of mud wrapped in newspaper.
Mrs Litherland – the candidate for Central Ward – was uninjured apart from being rather dazed and suffering a headache.
John Woodward the Labour councillor for Parr was re-elected with an increased majority and in his victory speech said:
"Despite the fact that our opponents had many motorcars and closed carriages, Labour had stuck to its guns and went to the polling booths on shank's pony."
His beaten opponent, Joseph Marsh, said the day would come when the Conservatives would "rattle" Parr away from the Labour Party and he complained that too much nationality had been brought into the election with many Irish voting for Labour.
And it was stated that on the Town Hall steps when a Conservative had waved the Union Flag, threats had been made.
"Attempted Theft of Treasury Notes" was the headline to a Reporter article on a post office worker accused of stealing.
Bank notes were often called Treasury notes in the 1920s and Frederick Reynolds of Windleshaw Road hung his head in the dock this week when charged with stealing two £1 and 5x 10 shilling notes.
Superintendent Dunn told the magistrates in St Helens Police Court that the Post Office had received complaints that letters had not been received and suspicion had fallen upon Reynolds.
And so last Sunday test letters containing money had been posted and on the following morning the contents of all three were found in Reynolds' possession.
The man had made a statement to the police admitting taking the money and a remand of eight days was granted for further enquiries to be made.
Men alleged to have deserted their families and left them penniless were still being brought to court.
It was not so much the desertion but the fact that the authorities wanted to reclaim the cash that the Relieving Officer had spent on the men's wives during their absence.
But when Michael Maloney appeared in St Helens Police Court this week he had a good excuse.
That was that when he had married Maud Copeland at St Mark's Church in 1920 his new "wife" was already married.
Whether he knew that at the time was not clear but a married man was responsible for his wife's children from a previous marriage – but not if her previous husband was still alive!
The allegation was that Maloney had received £200 in compensation from Pilkingtons after an accident and had decamped leaving his family without income.
Nearly £100 of relief money had been paid to the woman but as the evidence of the legality of their marriage was in doubt, the man was discharged and the case against him dismissed.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the jazz music in the Town Hall that disturbed councillors, the Armistice Day service in Victoria Square, the annual police ball and the Australians attempting to lure St Helens folk down under.