IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (9th - 15th NOVEMBER 1920)
This week's stories include the Glaswegian sailor who jumped through a police station window, the Wilson Street couple accused of impersonating voters, how motor vehicles interrupted the marking of Armistice Day and there's good news about the new Windlehurst council estate.
Whist drives were incredibly popular in St Helens with almost 200 held in the Town Hall during 1919. On the 9th the St Helens and District Chamber of Trade held a "select" Whist Drive and Dance. Tickets were a pricey 5 shillings, which no doubt helped to make the event select and keep out the riff-raff! In comparison, the cheapest tickets for performances at the Hippodrome were sixpence and at the Theatre Royal they could be as low as fourpence (plus Entertainment Tax, which was usually twopence).
The monthly meeting of Rainford Urban District Council took place on the 9th and a recreation ground was on the agenda. The Clerk to the council was instructed to arrange a meeting with the Earl of Derby's agent. Lord Derby owned much of the land in the village and the councillors wanted to know if he would be prepared to let them have some acres (preferably at a rock bottom price), which could be used for recreation. The councillors also decided to send a deputation to Lime Street to discuss with the superintendent in Liverpool the unsatisfactory train service connecting the village with St Helens.
It is two years since I first described St Helens Corporation's grand plans to purchase Sir David Gamble's Windlehurst estate (pictured above) and build large numbers of badly needed homes. These would be constructed between City Gardens and Windleshaw Road and be the first large council estate in St Helens. However so far not a brick had been laid. That was because the council could not come to terms with the house builders over prices. The cost of building new homes had skyrocketed through war-time inflation and the builders were now asking over £1,000 a house. But there was good news announced at the St Helens Town Council meeting that was held on the 9th.
It was stated that a deal had been done with Robert McAlpine and Son and it was hoped that work on building the first batch of homes at Windlehurst would begin later this month. The Corporation also announced that they were issuing housing bonds to pay for the scheme in which 6% interest would be paid to investors over 5 years. This was following the successful war bonds initiative that had raised much cash to finance the fight against the Germans.
The war was referenced in large newspaper adverts that were published this week promoting the bond issue. These said: "Thousands gave their lives, thousands risked their lives that we might live. Many heroes today are homeless. Money buys bricks! Bricks build houses! No money, no houses! Don't build castles in the air. Build houses on earth."
On the 10th Thomas and Ellen Higgins from Wilson Street (near Boundary Road) were both charged in St Helens Police Court with impersonating a voter during the recent council elections. The couple had been to a polling booth in North Eccleston ward and passed themselves off as William and Mary Greaves – who were Thomas's father-in-law and Ellen's mother. However the Presiding Officer at the polling booth knew Mrs Greaves well and when he heard Ellen Higgins give her mother's name, he had the couple arrested.
The miner Higgins was only entitled to vote in parliamentary elections and told the court that his father-in-law was indisposed and he was doing him a favour. However impersonation at a polling booth was considered a serious offence and Thomas Higgins was committed for trial at Manchester Assizes, although the charge against his wife was dismissed. Higgins pleaded guilty at the Assizes but said he thought that voting by proxy was allowed. The judge said he was satisfied that there had not been any "mischievous intention" and bound him over "to come up for judgement when called upon". In other words the offence would be taken into account if he were ever in court again.
It was Armistice Day on the 11th or Remembrance Day, as we normally know it. As the war had only been over for two years, the day – with its two-minute silence – then had a more relevant meaning for many. The Reporter wrote:
"This silence, impressive in its intensity, and arousing a depth of emotion in every patriotic house, was general throughout the town, from eleven o’clock to two minutes past. It was witnessed in the streets, in the works, the schools, and wherever man or woman might be, in memory of the brave fallen, who sacrificed their all for their brethren and their beloved country. At a few seconds before eleven o’clock, works' hooters sent out the warning to be ready, and on the stroke of eleven, dead silence fell upon the town. Not a movement in the street, not a footfall on the pathways, as men, bareheaded, stood out the solemn two minutes of devotion."
In Victoria Square (shown above in the late 1920s) the Mayor, councillors, magistrates and Corporation staff stood on the Town Hall steps to take part in the ceremony. However the 1920s was fast becoming the era of the internal combustion engine and so it was perhaps predicable that motor vehicles would break the silence.
The Reporter described how just before the expiry of the second minute, a motor car had "…dashed across the square, followed immediately by a lumbering motor lurry, right past the Town Hall entrance itself. It was a pity they could not have been stopped before reaching Victoria Square, as their passage through it, amid the dead silence which prevailed but for the sound of their throbbing engines, introduced an incongruous and painfully disturbing element."
Motor cars were having an impact on the people of St Helens in many ways – some deadly. Mary Carrigher had died after a collision in Park Road and her inquest took place on the 11th. The driver of a taxi gave evidence that the 12-year-old from Ross Street had stepped out into the road when his car was just five yards away. He said he did attempt to avoid the girl but his car knocked her back on the pavement and although he had lights on his vehicle there was not much light in the street. The Coroner, Frank Jones, said he had recently noticed while driving through St Helens and Warrington that the public lighting was very poor after lighting-up time. The inquest jury returned a verdict of misadventure.
The annual St Helens Police Ball took place at the Town Hall during the evening of the 11th. As guests were arriving in their best bib and tucker, an exciting drama took place – a man threw himself through a plate glass window! Alexander Chalmers had been arrested on suspicion of breaking and entering the Abbey Hotel in Dentons Green and stealing a bottle and a half of vermouth, along with some cigarettes.
Two detectives had brought the Glaswegian sailor from custody in Leigh to the police station at the Town Hall. But as soon as he got inside, the "tall powerful-looking young man" – as described by the Reporter – leapt onto a desk and dived headlong through a window. The drop outside was seven or eight feet but Chalmers landed seemingly unscathed and quickly bolted across Victoria Square. However the sailor picked a bad time to make his bold escape attempt with lots of bobbies arriving for their ball. Numerous police chased after Chalmers and caught him before he had gone 100 yards and returned him to custody. In January 1921 the 31-year-old would be sent to prison for 18 months.
This is how the St Helens Reporter described the case of a man called John McKenzie who appeared in the Police Court on the 15th: "John McKenzie, stoker, of no fixed abode, was charged with having been drunk and disorderly in Church-street the previous day. The prisoner was seen by P.C. Tinsley in a very drunken condition. He was shouting at the top of his voice and using most filthy language. When witness remonstrated with him he said “I have a perfect right to walk the street and do what I like”. When charged at the police office he said, “I don't care what you do with me; you may kill me if you like.” The prisoner was fined 5s."
A century ago electric lamps on the front and rear of vehicles were still in their experimental phase and the majority of owners used acetylene gas lamps, which often went out during a journey. That gave drivers of motor vehicles an opportunity to be creative in their excuses for not having lights when stopped by the police. I recently mentioned how a motorcycle driver had blamed his lady friend in his sidecar for sitting on the gas connecting tube.
In another case in the Police Court, a car driver from Warrington who was charged with not having a red rear light in Church Street blamed St Helens Corporation for the poor state of the roads. Frank Foulkes told the court that they were "very bumpy, and the jolting must have put the light out". Surprisingly his excuse was accepted and the case was dismissed upon payment of costs.
Next week's stories will include the striking St Helens cloggers, a plaque for the Queen's Park tank, the Pilkington hostel boys in trouble and the rapturous rhythms of a new waltz are demonstrated at the Town Hall.
Whist drives were incredibly popular in St Helens with almost 200 held in the Town Hall during 1919. On the 9th the St Helens and District Chamber of Trade held a "select" Whist Drive and Dance. Tickets were a pricey 5 shillings, which no doubt helped to make the event select and keep out the riff-raff! In comparison, the cheapest tickets for performances at the Hippodrome were sixpence and at the Theatre Royal they could be as low as fourpence (plus Entertainment Tax, which was usually twopence).
The monthly meeting of Rainford Urban District Council took place on the 9th and a recreation ground was on the agenda. The Clerk to the council was instructed to arrange a meeting with the Earl of Derby's agent. Lord Derby owned much of the land in the village and the councillors wanted to know if he would be prepared to let them have some acres (preferably at a rock bottom price), which could be used for recreation. The councillors also decided to send a deputation to Lime Street to discuss with the superintendent in Liverpool the unsatisfactory train service connecting the village with St Helens.
It was stated that a deal had been done with Robert McAlpine and Son and it was hoped that work on building the first batch of homes at Windlehurst would begin later this month. The Corporation also announced that they were issuing housing bonds to pay for the scheme in which 6% interest would be paid to investors over 5 years. This was following the successful war bonds initiative that had raised much cash to finance the fight against the Germans.
The war was referenced in large newspaper adverts that were published this week promoting the bond issue. These said: "Thousands gave their lives, thousands risked their lives that we might live. Many heroes today are homeless. Money buys bricks! Bricks build houses! No money, no houses! Don't build castles in the air. Build houses on earth."
On the 10th Thomas and Ellen Higgins from Wilson Street (near Boundary Road) were both charged in St Helens Police Court with impersonating a voter during the recent council elections. The couple had been to a polling booth in North Eccleston ward and passed themselves off as William and Mary Greaves – who were Thomas's father-in-law and Ellen's mother. However the Presiding Officer at the polling booth knew Mrs Greaves well and when he heard Ellen Higgins give her mother's name, he had the couple arrested.
The miner Higgins was only entitled to vote in parliamentary elections and told the court that his father-in-law was indisposed and he was doing him a favour. However impersonation at a polling booth was considered a serious offence and Thomas Higgins was committed for trial at Manchester Assizes, although the charge against his wife was dismissed. Higgins pleaded guilty at the Assizes but said he thought that voting by proxy was allowed. The judge said he was satisfied that there had not been any "mischievous intention" and bound him over "to come up for judgement when called upon". In other words the offence would be taken into account if he were ever in court again.
It was Armistice Day on the 11th or Remembrance Day, as we normally know it. As the war had only been over for two years, the day – with its two-minute silence – then had a more relevant meaning for many. The Reporter wrote:
"This silence, impressive in its intensity, and arousing a depth of emotion in every patriotic house, was general throughout the town, from eleven o’clock to two minutes past. It was witnessed in the streets, in the works, the schools, and wherever man or woman might be, in memory of the brave fallen, who sacrificed their all for their brethren and their beloved country. At a few seconds before eleven o’clock, works' hooters sent out the warning to be ready, and on the stroke of eleven, dead silence fell upon the town. Not a movement in the street, not a footfall on the pathways, as men, bareheaded, stood out the solemn two minutes of devotion."
The Reporter described how just before the expiry of the second minute, a motor car had "…dashed across the square, followed immediately by a lumbering motor lurry, right past the Town Hall entrance itself. It was a pity they could not have been stopped before reaching Victoria Square, as their passage through it, amid the dead silence which prevailed but for the sound of their throbbing engines, introduced an incongruous and painfully disturbing element."
Motor cars were having an impact on the people of St Helens in many ways – some deadly. Mary Carrigher had died after a collision in Park Road and her inquest took place on the 11th. The driver of a taxi gave evidence that the 12-year-old from Ross Street had stepped out into the road when his car was just five yards away. He said he did attempt to avoid the girl but his car knocked her back on the pavement and although he had lights on his vehicle there was not much light in the street. The Coroner, Frank Jones, said he had recently noticed while driving through St Helens and Warrington that the public lighting was very poor after lighting-up time. The inquest jury returned a verdict of misadventure.
The annual St Helens Police Ball took place at the Town Hall during the evening of the 11th. As guests were arriving in their best bib and tucker, an exciting drama took place – a man threw himself through a plate glass window! Alexander Chalmers had been arrested on suspicion of breaking and entering the Abbey Hotel in Dentons Green and stealing a bottle and a half of vermouth, along with some cigarettes.
Two detectives had brought the Glaswegian sailor from custody in Leigh to the police station at the Town Hall. But as soon as he got inside, the "tall powerful-looking young man" – as described by the Reporter – leapt onto a desk and dived headlong through a window. The drop outside was seven or eight feet but Chalmers landed seemingly unscathed and quickly bolted across Victoria Square. However the sailor picked a bad time to make his bold escape attempt with lots of bobbies arriving for their ball. Numerous police chased after Chalmers and caught him before he had gone 100 yards and returned him to custody. In January 1921 the 31-year-old would be sent to prison for 18 months.
A century ago electric lamps on the front and rear of vehicles were still in their experimental phase and the majority of owners used acetylene gas lamps, which often went out during a journey. That gave drivers of motor vehicles an opportunity to be creative in their excuses for not having lights when stopped by the police. I recently mentioned how a motorcycle driver had blamed his lady friend in his sidecar for sitting on the gas connecting tube.
In another case in the Police Court, a car driver from Warrington who was charged with not having a red rear light in Church Street blamed St Helens Corporation for the poor state of the roads. Frank Foulkes told the court that they were "very bumpy, and the jolting must have put the light out". Surprisingly his excuse was accepted and the case was dismissed upon payment of costs.
Next week's stories will include the striking St Helens cloggers, a plaque for the Queen's Park tank, the Pilkington hostel boys in trouble and the rapturous rhythms of a new waltz are demonstrated at the Town Hall.
This week's stories include the Glaswegian sailor who jumped through a police station window, the Wilson Street couple accused of impersonating voters, how motor vehicles interrupted the marking of Armistice Day and there's good news about the new Windlehurst council estate.
Whist drives were incredibly popular in St Helens with almost 200 held in the Town Hall during 1919.
On the 9th the St Helens and District Chamber of Trade held a "select" Whist Drive and Dance.
Tickets were a pricey 5 shillings, which no doubt helped to make the event select and keep out the riff-raff!
In comparison, the cheapest tickets for performances at the Hippodrome were sixpence and at the Theatre Royal they could be as low as fourpence (plus Entertainment Tax, which was usually twopence).
The monthly meeting of Rainford Urban District Council took place on the 9th and a recreation ground was on the agenda.
The Clerk to the council was instructed to arrange a meeting with the Earl of Derby's agent.
Lord Derby owned much of the land in the village and the councillors wanted to know if he would be prepared to let them have some acres (preferably at a rock bottom price), which could be used for recreation.
The councillors also decided to send a deputation to Lime Street to discuss with the superintendent in Liverpool the unsatisfactory train service connecting the village with St Helens.
It is two years since I first described St Helens Corporation's grand plans to purchase Sir David Gamble's Windlehurst estate (pictured above) and build large numbers of badly needed homes.
These would be constructed between City Gardens and Windleshaw Road and be the first large council estate in St Helens.
However so far not a brick had been laid. That was because the council could not come to terms with the house builders over prices.
The cost of building new homes had skyrocketed through war-time inflation and the builders were now asking over £1,000 a house.
But there was good news announced at the St Helens Town Council meeting that was held on the 9th.
It was stated that a deal had been done with Robert McAlpine and Son and it was hoped that work on building the first batch of homes at Windlehurst would begin later this month.
The Corporation also announced that they were issuing housing bonds to pay for the scheme in which 6% interest would be paid to investors over 5 years.
This was following the successful war bonds initiative that had raised much cash to finance the fight against the Germans.
The war was referenced in large newspaper adverts that were published this week promoting the bond issue. These said:
"Thousands gave their lives, thousands risked their lives that we might live. Many heroes today are homeless. Money buys bricks! Bricks build houses! No money, no houses! Don't build castles in the air. Build houses on earth."
On the 10th Thomas and Ellen Higgins from Wilson Street (near Boundary Road) were both charged in St Helens Police Court with impersonating a voter during the recent council elections.
The couple had been to a polling booth in North Eccleston ward and passed themselves off as William and Mary Greaves – who were Thomas's father-in-law and Ellen's mother.
However the Presiding Officer at the polling booth knew Mrs Greaves well and when he heard Ellen Higgins give her mother's name, he had the couple arrested.
The miner Higgins was only entitled to vote in parliamentary elections and told the court that his father-in-law was indisposed and he was doing him a favour.
However impersonation at a polling booth was considered a serious offence and Thomas Higgins was committed for trial at Manchester Assizes, although the charge against his wife was dismissed.
Higgins pleaded guilty at the Assizes but said he thought that voting by proxy was allowed.
The judge said he was satisfied that there had not been any "mischievous intention" and bound him over "to come up for judgement when called upon".
In other words the offence would be taken into account if he were ever in court again.
It was Armistice Day on the 11th or Remembrance Day, as we normally know it.
As the war had only been over for two years, the day – with its two-minute silence – then had a more relevant meaning for many. The Reporter wrote:
"This silence, impressive in its intensity, and arousing a depth of emotion in every patriotic house, was general throughout the town, from eleven o’clock to two minutes past. It was witnessed in the streets, in the works, the schools, and wherever man or woman might be, in memory of the brave fallen, who sacrificed their all for their brethren and their beloved country.
"At a few seconds before eleven o’clock, works' hooters sent out the warning to be ready, and on the stroke of eleven, dead silence fell upon the town. Not a movement in the street, not a footfall on the pathways, as men, bareheaded, stood out the solemn two minutes of devotion."
In Victoria Square (shown above in the late 1920s) the Mayor, councillors, magistrates and Corporation staff stood on the Town Hall steps to take part in the ceremony.
However the 1920s was fast becoming the era of the internal combustion engine and so it was perhaps predicable that motor vehicles would break the silence.
The Reporter described how just before the expiry of the second minute, a motor car had "…dashed across the square, followed immediately by a lumbering motor lurry, right past the Town Hall entrance itself.
"It was a pity they could not have been stopped before reaching Victoria Square, as their passage through it, amid the dead silence which prevailed but for the sound of their throbbing engines, introduced an incongruous and painfully disturbing element."
Motor cars were having an impact on the people of St Helens in many ways – some deadly.
Mary Carrigher had died after a collision in Park Road and her inquest took place on the 11th.
The driver of a taxi gave evidence that the 12-year-old from Ross Street had stepped out into the road when his car was just five yards away.
He said he did attempt to avoid the girl but his car knocked her back on the pavement and although he had lights on his vehicle there was not much light in the street.
The Coroner, Frank Jones, said he had recently noticed while driving through St Helens and Warrington that the public lighting was very poor after lighting-up time. The inquest jury returned a verdict of misadventure.
The annual St Helens Police Ball took place at the Town Hall during the evening of the 11th.
As guests were arriving in their best bib and tucker, an exciting drama took place – a man threw himself through a plate glass window!
Alexander Chalmers had been arrested on suspicion of breaking and entering the Abbey Hotel in Dentons Green and stealing a bottle and a half of vermouth, along with some cigarettes.
Two detectives had brought the Glaswegian sailor from custody in Leigh to the police station at the Town Hall.
But as soon as he got inside, the "tall powerful-looking young man" – as described by the Reporter – leapt onto a desk and dived headlong through a window.
The drop outside was seven or eight feet but Chalmers landed seemingly unscathed and quickly bolted across Victoria Square.
However the sailor picked a bad time to make his bold escape attempt with lots of bobbies arriving for their ball.
Numerous police chased after Chalmers and caught him before he had gone 100 yards and returned him to custody. In January 1921 the 31-year-old would be sent to prison for 18 months.
This is how the St Helens Reporter described the case of a man called John McKenzie who appeared in the Police Court on the 15th:
"John McKenzie, stoker, of no fixed abode, was charged with having been drunk and disorderly in Church-street the previous day. The prisoner was seen by P.C. Tinsley in a very drunken condition. He was shouting at the top of his voice and using most filthy language. When witness remonstrated with him he said “I have a perfect right to walk the street and do what I like”.
"When charged at the police office he said, “I don't care what you do with me; you may kill me if you like.” The prisoner was fined 5s."
A century ago electric lamps on the front and rear of vehicles were still in their experimental phase and the majority of owners used acetylene gas lamps, which often went out during a journey.
That gave drivers of motor vehicles an opportunity to be creative in their excuses for not having lights when stopped by the police.
I recently mentioned how a motorcycle driver had blamed his lady friend in his sidecar for sitting on the gas connecting tube.
In another case in the Police Court, a car driver from Warrington who was charged with not having a red rear light in Church Street blamed St Helens Corporation for the poor state of the roads.
Frank Foulkes told the court that they were "very bumpy, and the jolting must have put the light out".
Surprisingly his excuse was accepted and the case was dismissed upon payment of costs.
Next week's stories will include the striking St Helens cloggers, a plaque for the Queen's Park tank, the Pilkington hostel boys in trouble and the rapturous rhythms of a new waltz are demonstrated at the Town Hall.
Whist drives were incredibly popular in St Helens with almost 200 held in the Town Hall during 1919.
On the 9th the St Helens and District Chamber of Trade held a "select" Whist Drive and Dance.
Tickets were a pricey 5 shillings, which no doubt helped to make the event select and keep out the riff-raff!
In comparison, the cheapest tickets for performances at the Hippodrome were sixpence and at the Theatre Royal they could be as low as fourpence (plus Entertainment Tax, which was usually twopence).
The monthly meeting of Rainford Urban District Council took place on the 9th and a recreation ground was on the agenda.
The Clerk to the council was instructed to arrange a meeting with the Earl of Derby's agent.
Lord Derby owned much of the land in the village and the councillors wanted to know if he would be prepared to let them have some acres (preferably at a rock bottom price), which could be used for recreation.
The councillors also decided to send a deputation to Lime Street to discuss with the superintendent in Liverpool the unsatisfactory train service connecting the village with St Helens.
These would be constructed between City Gardens and Windleshaw Road and be the first large council estate in St Helens.
However so far not a brick had been laid. That was because the council could not come to terms with the house builders over prices.
The cost of building new homes had skyrocketed through war-time inflation and the builders were now asking over £1,000 a house.
But there was good news announced at the St Helens Town Council meeting that was held on the 9th.
It was stated that a deal had been done with Robert McAlpine and Son and it was hoped that work on building the first batch of homes at Windlehurst would begin later this month.
The Corporation also announced that they were issuing housing bonds to pay for the scheme in which 6% interest would be paid to investors over 5 years.
This was following the successful war bonds initiative that had raised much cash to finance the fight against the Germans.
The war was referenced in large newspaper adverts that were published this week promoting the bond issue. These said:
"Thousands gave their lives, thousands risked their lives that we might live. Many heroes today are homeless. Money buys bricks! Bricks build houses! No money, no houses! Don't build castles in the air. Build houses on earth."
On the 10th Thomas and Ellen Higgins from Wilson Street (near Boundary Road) were both charged in St Helens Police Court with impersonating a voter during the recent council elections.
The couple had been to a polling booth in North Eccleston ward and passed themselves off as William and Mary Greaves – who were Thomas's father-in-law and Ellen's mother.
However the Presiding Officer at the polling booth knew Mrs Greaves well and when he heard Ellen Higgins give her mother's name, he had the couple arrested.
The miner Higgins was only entitled to vote in parliamentary elections and told the court that his father-in-law was indisposed and he was doing him a favour.
However impersonation at a polling booth was considered a serious offence and Thomas Higgins was committed for trial at Manchester Assizes, although the charge against his wife was dismissed.
Higgins pleaded guilty at the Assizes but said he thought that voting by proxy was allowed.
The judge said he was satisfied that there had not been any "mischievous intention" and bound him over "to come up for judgement when called upon".
In other words the offence would be taken into account if he were ever in court again.
It was Armistice Day on the 11th or Remembrance Day, as we normally know it.
As the war had only been over for two years, the day – with its two-minute silence – then had a more relevant meaning for many. The Reporter wrote:
"This silence, impressive in its intensity, and arousing a depth of emotion in every patriotic house, was general throughout the town, from eleven o’clock to two minutes past. It was witnessed in the streets, in the works, the schools, and wherever man or woman might be, in memory of the brave fallen, who sacrificed their all for their brethren and their beloved country.
"At a few seconds before eleven o’clock, works' hooters sent out the warning to be ready, and on the stroke of eleven, dead silence fell upon the town. Not a movement in the street, not a footfall on the pathways, as men, bareheaded, stood out the solemn two minutes of devotion."
However the 1920s was fast becoming the era of the internal combustion engine and so it was perhaps predicable that motor vehicles would break the silence.
The Reporter described how just before the expiry of the second minute, a motor car had "…dashed across the square, followed immediately by a lumbering motor lurry, right past the Town Hall entrance itself.
"It was a pity they could not have been stopped before reaching Victoria Square, as their passage through it, amid the dead silence which prevailed but for the sound of their throbbing engines, introduced an incongruous and painfully disturbing element."
Motor cars were having an impact on the people of St Helens in many ways – some deadly.
Mary Carrigher had died after a collision in Park Road and her inquest took place on the 11th.
The driver of a taxi gave evidence that the 12-year-old from Ross Street had stepped out into the road when his car was just five yards away.
He said he did attempt to avoid the girl but his car knocked her back on the pavement and although he had lights on his vehicle there was not much light in the street.
The Coroner, Frank Jones, said he had recently noticed while driving through St Helens and Warrington that the public lighting was very poor after lighting-up time. The inquest jury returned a verdict of misadventure.
The annual St Helens Police Ball took place at the Town Hall during the evening of the 11th.
As guests were arriving in their best bib and tucker, an exciting drama took place – a man threw himself through a plate glass window!
Alexander Chalmers had been arrested on suspicion of breaking and entering the Abbey Hotel in Dentons Green and stealing a bottle and a half of vermouth, along with some cigarettes.
Two detectives had brought the Glaswegian sailor from custody in Leigh to the police station at the Town Hall.
But as soon as he got inside, the "tall powerful-looking young man" – as described by the Reporter – leapt onto a desk and dived headlong through a window.
The drop outside was seven or eight feet but Chalmers landed seemingly unscathed and quickly bolted across Victoria Square.
However the sailor picked a bad time to make his bold escape attempt with lots of bobbies arriving for their ball.
Numerous police chased after Chalmers and caught him before he had gone 100 yards and returned him to custody. In January 1921 the 31-year-old would be sent to prison for 18 months.
"John McKenzie, stoker, of no fixed abode, was charged with having been drunk and disorderly in Church-street the previous day. The prisoner was seen by P.C. Tinsley in a very drunken condition. He was shouting at the top of his voice and using most filthy language. When witness remonstrated with him he said “I have a perfect right to walk the street and do what I like”.
"When charged at the police office he said, “I don't care what you do with me; you may kill me if you like.” The prisoner was fined 5s."
A century ago electric lamps on the front and rear of vehicles were still in their experimental phase and the majority of owners used acetylene gas lamps, which often went out during a journey.
That gave drivers of motor vehicles an opportunity to be creative in their excuses for not having lights when stopped by the police.
I recently mentioned how a motorcycle driver had blamed his lady friend in his sidecar for sitting on the gas connecting tube.
In another case in the Police Court, a car driver from Warrington who was charged with not having a red rear light in Church Street blamed St Helens Corporation for the poor state of the roads.
Frank Foulkes told the court that they were "very bumpy, and the jolting must have put the light out".
Surprisingly his excuse was accepted and the case was dismissed upon payment of costs.
Next week's stories will include the striking St Helens cloggers, a plaque for the Queen's Park tank, the Pilkington hostel boys in trouble and the rapturous rhythms of a new waltz are demonstrated at the Town Hall.