IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (5th - 11th SEPTEMBER 1922)
This week's stories include the Co-op's bread short-measure dilemma, the daughter and dad betting operation in Phythian Street, the severe storm that struck St Helens, the boys obstructing the railway line at Marshalls Cross, the man with impulsive insanity who threw a stone through a police window and the St Helens MP accuses the government of causing "idleness, misery, privation, and starvation."
We begin on the 7th when a garden party was held in the grounds of the St Helens Parish Church vicarage in Rainford Road. Canon Albert Baines was the Vicar of St Helens with a vicarage – but no church, as the fire of 1916 had destroyed much of the historic building in Church Street. As a result Sunday services were being held in the assembly rooms of the Town Hall until a new church could be built on an adjacent site. There were maypole and so-called ribbon dance performances by the children and the usual stalls.
Also on the 7th, seven boys appeared in the St Helens Children's Court accused of trespassing on the railway line. In fact the lads had done much more than trespass. Det. Maddocks gave evidence of seeing the boys slip down the embankment near to Marshalls Cross Bridge and place small obstructions on the line to see what effect passing trains would have on the objects. A representative of the railway company said that the obstructions had been placed on the main line between Liverpool and Manchester on which express trains travelled at 60 to 70 miles an hour.
The Chairman of the Bench lectured the boys on the gravity of the offence and warned them that they would be dealt with more severely if brought before the court again. They were each fined 5 shillings. Two other boys were fined for trespassing on the railway at Boardmans Lane, with a constable telling the court that he'd seen them throw stones at a signal. The railway company said they suffered much damage at that locality and there'd been a number of prosecutions.
On August 22nd the worst fire for several years had struck St Helens when the Co-op's bakery in Eccleston Street had gone up in flames. The Reporter then wrote: "The big blaze attracted thousands of sightseers from all parts of the town, and many young men volunteered their services." Until a new bakery in St Helens could be established, the Co-op had arranged for their supplies of bread to be baked by their Leigh society and its bakery was working 24 hours a day churning out 140,000 loaves a week.
It wasn't until the 1930s that sliced bread became available in Britain. A century ago, loaves were sold unwrapped and uncut and its sellers were required to have scales in order that bread could be weighed for the customer. Just how many people wanted their 2lb loaf weighing to confirm that it really was 2lb, I have no idea. But every now and then the authorities would make test purchases of bread and bring to court sellers who they accused of cheating their customers.
This week on the 8th, the St Helens Co-operative Society appeared in the Police Court charged with exposing for sale loaves that were not of the proper weight. In their defence the Co-op claimed that their bread lost some weight while being brought to St Helens from Leigh. To that explanation, one of the magistrates asked if allowance was made at the bakery for such loss and it was stated that they used ¾oz of extra dough to compensate. But it had clearly not been enough and the Co-op was fined 20 shillings.
Many shopkeepers in St Helens displayed their wares outside their premises, often hanging items from above their front door or shopfronts. That was ideal for opportunistic thieves who could be away down the street with the goods before they were missed. John Morris was described by the police as a "persistent shop door thief" when he appeared in St Helens Police Court. The man of no fixed abode had stolen seven pairs of socks from outside Thomas Woods' clothes shop in Market Street.
Only five minutes after the shopkeeper had placed a bundle of socks outside his shopfront, a neighbouring trader called Liptrot had seen John Morris take down the socks, place them under his jacket and stroll away. He performed what we might call a citizen's arrest and escorted Morris into the shop where the thief asked to be let go. Instead, the police were called and in court it was revealed that Morris had only been released from prison a few days earlier after committing a similar offence. In fact there were 33 convictions against him, mainly for theft, and he was sent back to prison for another two months.
The St Helens Reporter on the 8th described a recent storm that had hit the town: "A thunderstorm of exceptional severity broke over St. Helens shortly after three o’clock on Friday afternoon and lasted for an hour and a half. Whilst at its height the lightning was of the most vivid description, and the thunder crashed overhead in shocking fashion. The rain poured down in torrential amount, and at times large hailstones pelted down mercilessly. The drains were unable to carry off the water, which overflowed in channels, and the roadways had the resemblance of rivers."
The only serious flooding occurred by the bridge at Peasley Cross (pictured above) and for a time the road was completely blocked by water. And 100 years later, the same problem exists! The unfortunate folk that lived in the appropriately named Watery Lane in Sutton always suffered at times of heavy rain and they endured the usual flooding. The children in the town’s schools should have been let out at 4 o’clock but due to the intensity of the thunderstorm were kept in until five. The Reporter commented that during the storm their "minds were kept occupied as pleasantly as possible". And so were their feet, as in some instances dancing took place.
During the evening of the 8th, the Labour MP for St Helens, James Sexton, addressed a meeting at St Helens Town Hall, along with Ben Tillett (MP for Salford North) and Ernest Bevin. The latter would be British Foreign Secretary for six years from 1945 and the so-called Bevin Boys during WW2 that worked in the coalmines – rather than the armed forces – were given his name. Sexton accused the Coalition Government of winning the war but losing the peace, adding:
"The Versailles Treaty is largely responsible for the present chaotic state of Europe and the wholesale unemployment in our own country. In the housing problem, the Government has made great pretences but no real progress. Many people cannot get houses, and those who have them have to pay war rents in peace time. If the Government had been in earnest and had dealt properly with the housing question, it would have gone a long way to ease the unemployed problem. Instead of peace and happiness in the country we have idleness, misery, privation, and starvation."
Also during that evening, a stone was thrown through a window of the police station at St Helens Town Hall. A hurried search in Victoria Square revealed John Sparks had been the assailant with the man having travelled from Thatto Heath to perform the deed. However, it has not been the first time that the middle-aged Sparks had chucked a missile through the bobbies' window. He had done the same thing in April but then had thrown a knife. There was no evidence that Sparks having had a grudge of any sort against the police.
In court on the following day, a doctor stated that the defendant was suffering from what he called "impulsive insanity". In 1921 Sparks had spent several months at Rainhill Asylum but was now living with his sister and her family in Emily Street in Thatto Heath. Concern was expressed at the hearing that the man's nephews and nieces might get hurt if one of these uncontrollable impulses came on and he began throwing stones and knives around the home. So it was decided that Sparks would be certified for 14 days – what we would call sectioned – in order that his case could be looked into.
A father and daughter appeared in St Helens Police Court on the 11th charged with using their house for the purpose of betting. The assumption had been that colliery worker William Adamson from Phythian Street had been the main party responsible, with the man persuading his daughter to become involved. But it turned out to be the other way round, with Winifred Davies roping in her Dad – if only to use his home to receive bets.
The court was told that the police had raided their house a fortnight earlier and a cloth bag containing betting slips and £2 in cash was handed to the police. The father told the police that he wanted to take responsibility for the gambling operation but Winifred said: "Let me explain. My father knows nothing about it. He cannot read or write. I took the slips and money and received a shilling in the £ commission." It was stated that the pair were very poor and had been employed by a prominent bookmaker.
Adamson said her daughter's husband was a man with only one leg and that she worked in order to earn a little more money. The father added that he had the "fear of the law in my heart every day", and had often said to his daughter, "Winnie, you are bound to be caught. Somebody will give you away, sure." Mrs Davies was ordered to pay £10 and Adamson £5 and probably the bookie involved paid both fines.
Next week's stories will include the opening of the first car park in St Helens, the donkeyman exposing donkeys for hire in the street, the death of Edith Hughes of Sherdley Hall and the pinching of Corporation water by steam lorries.
We begin on the 7th when a garden party was held in the grounds of the St Helens Parish Church vicarage in Rainford Road. Canon Albert Baines was the Vicar of St Helens with a vicarage – but no church, as the fire of 1916 had destroyed much of the historic building in Church Street. As a result Sunday services were being held in the assembly rooms of the Town Hall until a new church could be built on an adjacent site. There were maypole and so-called ribbon dance performances by the children and the usual stalls.
Also on the 7th, seven boys appeared in the St Helens Children's Court accused of trespassing on the railway line. In fact the lads had done much more than trespass. Det. Maddocks gave evidence of seeing the boys slip down the embankment near to Marshalls Cross Bridge and place small obstructions on the line to see what effect passing trains would have on the objects. A representative of the railway company said that the obstructions had been placed on the main line between Liverpool and Manchester on which express trains travelled at 60 to 70 miles an hour.
The Chairman of the Bench lectured the boys on the gravity of the offence and warned them that they would be dealt with more severely if brought before the court again. They were each fined 5 shillings. Two other boys were fined for trespassing on the railway at Boardmans Lane, with a constable telling the court that he'd seen them throw stones at a signal. The railway company said they suffered much damage at that locality and there'd been a number of prosecutions.
On August 22nd the worst fire for several years had struck St Helens when the Co-op's bakery in Eccleston Street had gone up in flames. The Reporter then wrote: "The big blaze attracted thousands of sightseers from all parts of the town, and many young men volunteered their services." Until a new bakery in St Helens could be established, the Co-op had arranged for their supplies of bread to be baked by their Leigh society and its bakery was working 24 hours a day churning out 140,000 loaves a week.
It wasn't until the 1930s that sliced bread became available in Britain. A century ago, loaves were sold unwrapped and uncut and its sellers were required to have scales in order that bread could be weighed for the customer. Just how many people wanted their 2lb loaf weighing to confirm that it really was 2lb, I have no idea. But every now and then the authorities would make test purchases of bread and bring to court sellers who they accused of cheating their customers.
This week on the 8th, the St Helens Co-operative Society appeared in the Police Court charged with exposing for sale loaves that were not of the proper weight. In their defence the Co-op claimed that their bread lost some weight while being brought to St Helens from Leigh. To that explanation, one of the magistrates asked if allowance was made at the bakery for such loss and it was stated that they used ¾oz of extra dough to compensate. But it had clearly not been enough and the Co-op was fined 20 shillings.
Many shopkeepers in St Helens displayed their wares outside their premises, often hanging items from above their front door or shopfronts. That was ideal for opportunistic thieves who could be away down the street with the goods before they were missed. John Morris was described by the police as a "persistent shop door thief" when he appeared in St Helens Police Court. The man of no fixed abode had stolen seven pairs of socks from outside Thomas Woods' clothes shop in Market Street.
Only five minutes after the shopkeeper had placed a bundle of socks outside his shopfront, a neighbouring trader called Liptrot had seen John Morris take down the socks, place them under his jacket and stroll away. He performed what we might call a citizen's arrest and escorted Morris into the shop where the thief asked to be let go. Instead, the police were called and in court it was revealed that Morris had only been released from prison a few days earlier after committing a similar offence. In fact there were 33 convictions against him, mainly for theft, and he was sent back to prison for another two months.
The St Helens Reporter on the 8th described a recent storm that had hit the town: "A thunderstorm of exceptional severity broke over St. Helens shortly after three o’clock on Friday afternoon and lasted for an hour and a half. Whilst at its height the lightning was of the most vivid description, and the thunder crashed overhead in shocking fashion. The rain poured down in torrential amount, and at times large hailstones pelted down mercilessly. The drains were unable to carry off the water, which overflowed in channels, and the roadways had the resemblance of rivers."
During the evening of the 8th, the Labour MP for St Helens, James Sexton, addressed a meeting at St Helens Town Hall, along with Ben Tillett (MP for Salford North) and Ernest Bevin. The latter would be British Foreign Secretary for six years from 1945 and the so-called Bevin Boys during WW2 that worked in the coalmines – rather than the armed forces – were given his name. Sexton accused the Coalition Government of winning the war but losing the peace, adding:
"The Versailles Treaty is largely responsible for the present chaotic state of Europe and the wholesale unemployment in our own country. In the housing problem, the Government has made great pretences but no real progress. Many people cannot get houses, and those who have them have to pay war rents in peace time. If the Government had been in earnest and had dealt properly with the housing question, it would have gone a long way to ease the unemployed problem. Instead of peace and happiness in the country we have idleness, misery, privation, and starvation."
In court on the following day, a doctor stated that the defendant was suffering from what he called "impulsive insanity". In 1921 Sparks had spent several months at Rainhill Asylum but was now living with his sister and her family in Emily Street in Thatto Heath. Concern was expressed at the hearing that the man's nephews and nieces might get hurt if one of these uncontrollable impulses came on and he began throwing stones and knives around the home. So it was decided that Sparks would be certified for 14 days – what we would call sectioned – in order that his case could be looked into.
A father and daughter appeared in St Helens Police Court on the 11th charged with using their house for the purpose of betting. The assumption had been that colliery worker William Adamson from Phythian Street had been the main party responsible, with the man persuading his daughter to become involved. But it turned out to be the other way round, with Winifred Davies roping in her Dad – if only to use his home to receive bets.
The court was told that the police had raided their house a fortnight earlier and a cloth bag containing betting slips and £2 in cash was handed to the police. The father told the police that he wanted to take responsibility for the gambling operation but Winifred said: "Let me explain. My father knows nothing about it. He cannot read or write. I took the slips and money and received a shilling in the £ commission." It was stated that the pair were very poor and had been employed by a prominent bookmaker.
Adamson said her daughter's husband was a man with only one leg and that she worked in order to earn a little more money. The father added that he had the "fear of the law in my heart every day", and had often said to his daughter, "Winnie, you are bound to be caught. Somebody will give you away, sure." Mrs Davies was ordered to pay £10 and Adamson £5 and probably the bookie involved paid both fines.
Next week's stories will include the opening of the first car park in St Helens, the donkeyman exposing donkeys for hire in the street, the death of Edith Hughes of Sherdley Hall and the pinching of Corporation water by steam lorries.
This week's stories include the Co-op's bread short-measure dilemma, the daughter and dad betting operation in Phythian Street, the severe storm that struck St Helens, the boys obstructing the railway line at Marshalls Cross, the man with impulsive insanity who threw a stone through a police window and the St Helens MP accuses the government of causing "idleness, misery, privation, and starvation."
We begin on the 7th when a garden party was held in the grounds of the St Helens Parish Church vicarage in Rainford Road.
Canon Albert Baines was the Vicar of St Helens with a vicarage – but no church, as the fire of 1916 had destroyed much of the historic building in Church Street.
As a result Sunday services were being held in the assembly rooms of the Town Hall until a new church could be built on an adjacent site.
There were maypole and so-called ribbon dance performances by the children and the usual stalls.
Also on the 7th, seven boys appeared in the St Helens Children's Court accused of trespassing on the railway line.
In fact the lads had done much more than trespass. Det. Maddocks gave evidence of seeing the boys slip down the embankment near to Marshalls Cross Bridge and place small obstructions on the line to see what effect passing trains would have on the objects.
A representative of the railway company said that the obstructions had been placed on the main line between Liverpool and Manchester on which express trains travelled at 60 to 70 miles an hour.
The Chairman of the Bench lectured the boys on the gravity of the offence and warned them that they would be dealt with more severely if brought before the court again. They were each fined 5 shillings.
Two other boys were fined for trespassing on the railway at Boardmans Lane, with a constable telling the court that he'd seen them throw stones at a signal.
The railway company said they suffered much damage at that locality and there'd been a number of prosecutions.
On August 22nd the worst fire for several years had struck St Helens when the Co-op's bakery in Eccleston Street had gone up in flames.
The Reporter then wrote: "The big blaze attracted thousands of sightseers from all parts of the town, and many young men volunteered their services."
Until a new bakery in St Helens could be established, the Co-op had arranged for their supplies of bread to be baked by their Leigh society and its bakery was working 24 hours a day churning out 140,000 loaves a week.
It wasn't until the 1930s that sliced bread became available in Britain. A century ago, loaves were sold unwrapped and uncut and its sellers were required to have scales in order that bread could be weighed for the customer.
Just how many people wanted their 2lb loaf weighing to confirm that it really was 2lb, I have no idea.
But every now and then the authorities would make test purchases of bread and bring to court sellers who they accused of cheating their customers.
This week on the 8th, the St Helens Co-operative Society appeared in the Police Court charged with exposing for sale loaves that were not of the proper weight.
In their defence the Co-op claimed that their bread lost some weight while being brought to St Helens from Leigh.
To that explanation, one of the magistrates asked if allowance was made at the bakery for such loss and it was stated that they used ¾oz of extra dough to compensate.
But it had clearly not been enough and the Co-op was fined 20 shillings.
Many shopkeepers in St Helens displayed their wares outside their premises, often hanging items from above their front door or shopfronts.
That was ideal for opportunistic thieves who could be away down the street with the goods before they were missed.
John Morris was described by the police as a "persistent shop door thief" when he appeared in St Helens Police Court.
The man of no fixed abode had stolen seven pairs of socks from outside Thomas Woods' clothes shop in Market Street.
Only five minutes after the shopkeeper had placed a bundle of socks outside his shopfront, a neighbouring trader called Liptrot had seen John Morris take down the socks, place them under his jacket and stroll away.
He performed what we might call a citizen's arrest and escorted Morris into the shop where the thief asked to be let go.
Instead, the police were called and in court it was revealed that Morris had only been released from prison a few days earlier after committing a similar offence.
In fact there were 33 convictions against him, mainly for theft, and he was sent back to prison for another two months.
The St Helens Reporter on the 8th described a recent storm that had hit the town:
"A thunderstorm of exceptional severity broke over St. Helens shortly after three o’clock on Friday afternoon and lasted for an hour and a half. Whilst at its height the lightning was of the most vivid description, and the thunder crashed overhead in shocking fashion.
"The rain poured down in torrential amount, and at times large hailstones pelted down mercilessly. The drains were unable to carry off the water, which overflowed in channels, and the roadways had the resemblance of rivers."
The only serious flooding occurred by the bridge at Peasley Cross (pictured above) and for a time the road was completely blocked by water. And 100 years later, the same problem exists!
The unfortunate folk that lived in the appropriately named Watery Lane in Sutton always suffered at times of heavy rain and they endured the usual flooding.
The children in the town’s schools should have been let out at 4 o’clock but due to the intensity of the thunderstorm were kept in until five.
The Reporter commented that during the storm their "minds were kept occupied as pleasantly as possible". And so were their feet, as in some instances dancing took place.
During the evening of the 8th, the Labour MP for St Helens, James Sexton, addressed a meeting at St Helens Town Hall, along with Ben Tillett (MP for Salford North) and Ernest Bevin.
The latter would be British Foreign Secretary for six years from 1945 and the so-called Bevin Boys during WW2 that worked in the coalmines – rather than the armed forces – were given his name.
Sexton accused the Coalition Government of winning the war but losing the peace, adding:
"The Versailles Treaty is largely responsible for the present chaotic state of Europe and the wholesale unemployment in our own country.
"In the housing problem, the Government has made great pretences but no real progress. Many people cannot get houses, and those who have them have to pay war rents in peace time.
"If the Government had been in earnest and had dealt properly with the housing question, it would have gone a long way to ease the unemployed problem. Instead of peace and happiness in the country we have idleness, misery, privation, and starvation."
Also during that evening, a stone was thrown through a window of the police station at St Helens Town Hall.
A hurried search in Victoria Square revealed John Sparks had been the assailant with the man having travelled from Thatto Heath to perform the deed.
However, it has not been the first time that the middle-aged Sparks had chucked a missile through the bobbies' window. He had done the same thing in April but then had thrown a knife.
There was no evidence that Sparks having had a grudge of any sort against the police.
In court on the following day, a doctor stated that the defendant was suffering from what he called "impulsive insanity".
In 1921 Sparks had spent several months at Rainhill Asylum but was now living with his sister and her family in Emily Street in Thatto Heath.
Concern was expressed at the hearing that the man's nephews and nieces might get hurt if one of these uncontrollable impulses came on and he began throwing stones and knives around the home.
So it was decided that Sparks would be certified for 14 days – what we would call sectioned – in order that his case could be looked into.
A father and daughter appeared in St Helens Police Court on the 11th charged with using their house for the purpose of betting.
The assumption had been that colliery worker William Adamson from Phythian Street had been the main party responsible, with the man persuading his daughter to become involved.
But it turned out to be the other way round, with Winifred Davies roping in her Dad – if only to use his home to receive bets.
The court was told that the police had raided their house a fortnight earlier and a cloth bag containing betting slips and £2 in cash was handed to the police.
The father told the police that he wanted to take responsibility for the gambling operation but Winifred said:
"Let me explain. My father knows nothing about it. He cannot read or write. I took the slips and money and received a shilling in the £ commission."
It was stated that the pair were very poor and had been employed by a prominent bookmaker.
Adamson said her daughter's husband was a man with only one leg and that she worked in order to earn a little more money.
The father added that he had the "fear of the law in my heart every day", and had often said to his daughter, "Winnie, you are bound to be caught. Somebody will give you away, sure."
Mrs Davies was ordered to pay £10 and Adamson £5 and probably the bookie involved paid both fines.
Next week's stories will include the opening of the first car park in St Helens, the donkeyman exposing donkeys for hire in the street, the death of Edith Hughes of Sherdley Hall and the pinching of Corporation water by steam lorries.
We begin on the 7th when a garden party was held in the grounds of the St Helens Parish Church vicarage in Rainford Road.
Canon Albert Baines was the Vicar of St Helens with a vicarage – but no church, as the fire of 1916 had destroyed much of the historic building in Church Street.
As a result Sunday services were being held in the assembly rooms of the Town Hall until a new church could be built on an adjacent site.
There were maypole and so-called ribbon dance performances by the children and the usual stalls.
Also on the 7th, seven boys appeared in the St Helens Children's Court accused of trespassing on the railway line.
In fact the lads had done much more than trespass. Det. Maddocks gave evidence of seeing the boys slip down the embankment near to Marshalls Cross Bridge and place small obstructions on the line to see what effect passing trains would have on the objects.
A representative of the railway company said that the obstructions had been placed on the main line between Liverpool and Manchester on which express trains travelled at 60 to 70 miles an hour.
The Chairman of the Bench lectured the boys on the gravity of the offence and warned them that they would be dealt with more severely if brought before the court again. They were each fined 5 shillings.
Two other boys were fined for trespassing on the railway at Boardmans Lane, with a constable telling the court that he'd seen them throw stones at a signal.
The railway company said they suffered much damage at that locality and there'd been a number of prosecutions.
On August 22nd the worst fire for several years had struck St Helens when the Co-op's bakery in Eccleston Street had gone up in flames.
The Reporter then wrote: "The big blaze attracted thousands of sightseers from all parts of the town, and many young men volunteered their services."
Until a new bakery in St Helens could be established, the Co-op had arranged for their supplies of bread to be baked by their Leigh society and its bakery was working 24 hours a day churning out 140,000 loaves a week.
It wasn't until the 1930s that sliced bread became available in Britain. A century ago, loaves were sold unwrapped and uncut and its sellers were required to have scales in order that bread could be weighed for the customer.
Just how many people wanted their 2lb loaf weighing to confirm that it really was 2lb, I have no idea.
But every now and then the authorities would make test purchases of bread and bring to court sellers who they accused of cheating their customers.
This week on the 8th, the St Helens Co-operative Society appeared in the Police Court charged with exposing for sale loaves that were not of the proper weight.
In their defence the Co-op claimed that their bread lost some weight while being brought to St Helens from Leigh.
To that explanation, one of the magistrates asked if allowance was made at the bakery for such loss and it was stated that they used ¾oz of extra dough to compensate.
But it had clearly not been enough and the Co-op was fined 20 shillings.
Many shopkeepers in St Helens displayed their wares outside their premises, often hanging items from above their front door or shopfronts.
That was ideal for opportunistic thieves who could be away down the street with the goods before they were missed.
John Morris was described by the police as a "persistent shop door thief" when he appeared in St Helens Police Court.
The man of no fixed abode had stolen seven pairs of socks from outside Thomas Woods' clothes shop in Market Street.
Only five minutes after the shopkeeper had placed a bundle of socks outside his shopfront, a neighbouring trader called Liptrot had seen John Morris take down the socks, place them under his jacket and stroll away.
He performed what we might call a citizen's arrest and escorted Morris into the shop where the thief asked to be let go.
Instead, the police were called and in court it was revealed that Morris had only been released from prison a few days earlier after committing a similar offence.
In fact there were 33 convictions against him, mainly for theft, and he was sent back to prison for another two months.
The St Helens Reporter on the 8th described a recent storm that had hit the town:
"A thunderstorm of exceptional severity broke over St. Helens shortly after three o’clock on Friday afternoon and lasted for an hour and a half. Whilst at its height the lightning was of the most vivid description, and the thunder crashed overhead in shocking fashion.
"The rain poured down in torrential amount, and at times large hailstones pelted down mercilessly. The drains were unable to carry off the water, which overflowed in channels, and the roadways had the resemblance of rivers."
The unfortunate folk that lived in the appropriately named Watery Lane in Sutton always suffered at times of heavy rain and they endured the usual flooding.
The children in the town’s schools should have been let out at 4 o’clock but due to the intensity of the thunderstorm were kept in until five.
The Reporter commented that during the storm their "minds were kept occupied as pleasantly as possible". And so were their feet, as in some instances dancing took place.
During the evening of the 8th, the Labour MP for St Helens, James Sexton, addressed a meeting at St Helens Town Hall, along with Ben Tillett (MP for Salford North) and Ernest Bevin.
The latter would be British Foreign Secretary for six years from 1945 and the so-called Bevin Boys during WW2 that worked in the coalmines – rather than the armed forces – were given his name.
Sexton accused the Coalition Government of winning the war but losing the peace, adding:
"The Versailles Treaty is largely responsible for the present chaotic state of Europe and the wholesale unemployment in our own country.
"In the housing problem, the Government has made great pretences but no real progress. Many people cannot get houses, and those who have them have to pay war rents in peace time.
"If the Government had been in earnest and had dealt properly with the housing question, it would have gone a long way to ease the unemployed problem. Instead of peace and happiness in the country we have idleness, misery, privation, and starvation."
A hurried search in Victoria Square revealed John Sparks had been the assailant with the man having travelled from Thatto Heath to perform the deed.
However, it has not been the first time that the middle-aged Sparks had chucked a missile through the bobbies' window. He had done the same thing in April but then had thrown a knife.
There was no evidence that Sparks having had a grudge of any sort against the police.
In court on the following day, a doctor stated that the defendant was suffering from what he called "impulsive insanity".
In 1921 Sparks had spent several months at Rainhill Asylum but was now living with his sister and her family in Emily Street in Thatto Heath.
Concern was expressed at the hearing that the man's nephews and nieces might get hurt if one of these uncontrollable impulses came on and he began throwing stones and knives around the home.
So it was decided that Sparks would be certified for 14 days – what we would call sectioned – in order that his case could be looked into.
A father and daughter appeared in St Helens Police Court on the 11th charged with using their house for the purpose of betting.
The assumption had been that colliery worker William Adamson from Phythian Street had been the main party responsible, with the man persuading his daughter to become involved.
But it turned out to be the other way round, with Winifred Davies roping in her Dad – if only to use his home to receive bets.
The court was told that the police had raided their house a fortnight earlier and a cloth bag containing betting slips and £2 in cash was handed to the police.
The father told the police that he wanted to take responsibility for the gambling operation but Winifred said:
"Let me explain. My father knows nothing about it. He cannot read or write. I took the slips and money and received a shilling in the £ commission."
It was stated that the pair were very poor and had been employed by a prominent bookmaker.
Adamson said her daughter's husband was a man with only one leg and that she worked in order to earn a little more money.
The father added that he had the "fear of the law in my heart every day", and had often said to his daughter, "Winnie, you are bound to be caught. Somebody will give you away, sure."
Mrs Davies was ordered to pay £10 and Adamson £5 and probably the bookie involved paid both fines.
Next week's stories will include the opening of the first car park in St Helens, the donkeyman exposing donkeys for hire in the street, the death of Edith Hughes of Sherdley Hall and the pinching of Corporation water by steam lorries.