IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (11 - 17 SEPTEMBER 1923)
This week's many stories include the child that died after falling into boiling water, miners are told to think of their safety before placing themselves in danger, the young thief who thought he should have been flogged, the prize-winning Thatto Heath railway station, the annual exhibition of students' work at the Gamble's Art School and Pilkington's demand a subsidy to build 129 cottages in Dunriding Lane.
We begin on the 11th with a testimonial in the Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail from Albert A. Horner from Park Villas, Halsnead Park in Whiston. Newspapers a century ago contained many adverts for "medicines" of dubious benefit, which made wild, cure-all claims. Getting testimonials was easy, as people would regularly confuse the effect of taking some mixture with the body’s own natural powers of recovery. Mr Horner's photo was incorporated into an advert in which the 29-year-old extolled the virtues of a nerve tonic called Dr Cassell's Tablets. Those, he claimed, had allowed him to make a remarkable recovery from a persistent upset stomach:
"I feel that it is my bounden duty to send this unsolicited testimonial, for words cannot express my delight in the relief I have received from Dr. Cassell Tablets. For months I was a complete wreck, suffering from nervous dyspepsia. The symptoms were severe pain, sleeplessness, loss of weight, and flatulence. In addition, I was afraid to go about alone at nighttime, and I suffered from dizziness and faint feelings and used to dread meal times. I decided to take Dr Cassell's Tablets, and after the first box I experienced great relief. I continued to take the tablets, and in three months I was absolutely rid of the complaint, and I am pleased to say that I continue to enjoy the very best of health."
The lack of bathrooms in many homes in St Helens could lead to bathing in kitchens or living rooms being a dangerous business. Also on the 11th an inquest was held on Elias Marsh, the youngest of five children of Peter Marsh of Glover Street in St Helens, who had died earlier that day in Providence Hospital. The mother of the 14-month-old boy explained how she had been preparing to bathe her children and had put a pan of boiling water into a large bath that was standing on her hearthrug. Elias fell into the water and despite being fully dressed and his father rapidly removing him from the bath, the boy was severely scalded and later died.
On the same day the inquest on James Westworth of West Street in Thatto Heath was held. The 23-year-old was a haulage hand at the Alexandra Colliery (pictured above) and he had been killed on the previous day. James' job was to hook full or empty wagons on and off the rope that transported coal and pit props around the mine. The boxes at the rear end of one "train" had got stuck fast and as James tried to disentangle them the motion continued. As a result he was crushed, dying shortly afterwards. A government inspector told the hearing that the young man should have immediately moved out of the way once he realised there was a problem:
"I am always trying to impress upon them when anything goes wrong, leave it, and get out of the way; then wait until the boxes stop. Never mind trying to get it undone. Think of yourself first. You can readily replace what is broken, but you cannot replace a life again." Miners Agent Joe Tinker told the hearing that he wanted the inspector's advice followed up by mine officials, as the intensity of work below ground led to pressure for workers to fix problems rapidly at the cost of their lives.
The government had made a subsidy of £75 available for each new home that was built in order to encourage house building, although the grants had a few conditions and were not automatic. At a meeting of the St Helens Health Committee on the 12th a letter from a firm of builders was read out. They said they proposed putting up houses in Sutton but could not see their way to doing so unless the subsidy was raised to £100 per house.
The committee chairman, Alderman Henry Bates, said that the extra £25 would have to come out of the rates and so the committee agreed to stick to the £75 maximum. Pilkingtons had also written to say they were planning to build 129 cottages for their workers in Dunriding Lane but could not proceed without the grant. The committee decided to apply to the Ministry of Health to obtain the £75 subsidy for the glass firm.
A young man called William Hadden, who came from Manchester but had been lodging in Sutton, appeared in court this week charged with a number of crimes. These included breaking into Joseph Carrington's home in Robins Lane and stealing a number of watches and entering the shop of the Donegal Tweed Company in Church Street and taking a suit of clothes.
A cycle belonging to Job Jones that the man had left outside the Labour Exchange in Church Street and another bike parked outside St Helens Hospital were also nicked. The value of all the stolen items came to about £18 and when charged by the police the 23-year-old made frank admissions of his guilt, saying: "Everything is quite true. I plead guilty", and "I did it; that's all".
Hadden was remanded to the next quarter sessions for trial where the judge decided to only place him on probation for twelve months. The young man had, it seems, previously been committed to Borstal. That punishment could prove counter-productive, as mixing with other criminals taught young offenders new skills. That appears to have been what had happened to Hadden as he told the court: "If I had been given a good flogging before I heard of Borstal treatment I should not be standing in the dock today."
Summer time in 1923 ended some six weeks earlier than it does today. This message was in the Reporter on the 14th: "DON'T FORGET to put back your clocks and watches ONE HOUR before going to bed on Saturday night. Summer Time officially ends at 2-3 a.m. on Sunday."
This news snippet was also in the paper: "The Towers, Rainhill, utilised during the war as a military hospital, and stated to be in a good state of preservation, was offered for sale to the Corporation in a letter read at the meeting of the Health Committee on Wednesday. It was decided that the matter be considered at the next monthly meeting." Since 1948 the Oxley family has run the historic Tower or Towers building in Mill Lane in Rainhill as a private school.
This week the annual exhibition of students' work at the Art School in the Gamble Institute in St Helens took place. The Reporter said the exhibition afforded "considerable pleasure" to visitors and added:
"The exhibits range from ambitious work in oils to delightfully piquant and minute nature studies and such fascinating subjects as heraldry, designing, and poster work, not forgetting the tit-bits of local scenery, committed to canvas or paper by the Sketching Club members, [and] furnish many agreeable artistic surprises."
At 12:30am on the 15th PC Holland found five young miners sat under the light of a lamp in Providence Street in Parr gambling. The constable heard a voice asking: "Who's for a sixpenny bet?" They scattered as he approached but PC Holland managed to nab William McDermott from Fleet Lane. The young man refused at first to give any information about himself and then provided a false name. So he was locked up and within a few hours McDermott was in court where he was fined 5 shillings.
On the 15th the Liverpool Echo described how Thatto Heath station had won a prize: "St. Helens has often been described as a town where not a blade of grass ever grew since the big works were opened over half a century ago. Yet one of the railway stations in the borough has carried off the first prize in the station garden competition for the northern division of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.…the station, which for decorative purposes has convenient banks on each side sloping up from the platforms, has been rendered gay with plants and flowers tended with much care by the stationmaster, Mr. J. J. Gavan and an enthusiastic porter."
And finally, at the Theatre Royal from the 17th, the "screamingly funny burlesque revue" 'Scandals Of 1923' was performed for six nights. As a publicity stunt "Scandal Balloons" containing free passes to the show were released over St Helens.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the midnight gambling in Parr, the indecent acts committed against St Helens women, the Rainford blackberry picking death and the Lord Street man charged with cutting his wife's head open with a basin.
We begin on the 11th with a testimonial in the Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail from Albert A. Horner from Park Villas, Halsnead Park in Whiston. Newspapers a century ago contained many adverts for "medicines" of dubious benefit, which made wild, cure-all claims. Getting testimonials was easy, as people would regularly confuse the effect of taking some mixture with the body’s own natural powers of recovery. Mr Horner's photo was incorporated into an advert in which the 29-year-old extolled the virtues of a nerve tonic called Dr Cassell's Tablets. Those, he claimed, had allowed him to make a remarkable recovery from a persistent upset stomach:
"I feel that it is my bounden duty to send this unsolicited testimonial, for words cannot express my delight in the relief I have received from Dr. Cassell Tablets. For months I was a complete wreck, suffering from nervous dyspepsia. The symptoms were severe pain, sleeplessness, loss of weight, and flatulence. In addition, I was afraid to go about alone at nighttime, and I suffered from dizziness and faint feelings and used to dread meal times. I decided to take Dr Cassell's Tablets, and after the first box I experienced great relief. I continued to take the tablets, and in three months I was absolutely rid of the complaint, and I am pleased to say that I continue to enjoy the very best of health."
The lack of bathrooms in many homes in St Helens could lead to bathing in kitchens or living rooms being a dangerous business. Also on the 11th an inquest was held on Elias Marsh, the youngest of five children of Peter Marsh of Glover Street in St Helens, who had died earlier that day in Providence Hospital. The mother of the 14-month-old boy explained how she had been preparing to bathe her children and had put a pan of boiling water into a large bath that was standing on her hearthrug. Elias fell into the water and despite being fully dressed and his father rapidly removing him from the bath, the boy was severely scalded and later died.
"I am always trying to impress upon them when anything goes wrong, leave it, and get out of the way; then wait until the boxes stop. Never mind trying to get it undone. Think of yourself first. You can readily replace what is broken, but you cannot replace a life again." Miners Agent Joe Tinker told the hearing that he wanted the inspector's advice followed up by mine officials, as the intensity of work below ground led to pressure for workers to fix problems rapidly at the cost of their lives.
The government had made a subsidy of £75 available for each new home that was built in order to encourage house building, although the grants had a few conditions and were not automatic. At a meeting of the St Helens Health Committee on the 12th a letter from a firm of builders was read out. They said they proposed putting up houses in Sutton but could not see their way to doing so unless the subsidy was raised to £100 per house.
The committee chairman, Alderman Henry Bates, said that the extra £25 would have to come out of the rates and so the committee agreed to stick to the £75 maximum. Pilkingtons had also written to say they were planning to build 129 cottages for their workers in Dunriding Lane but could not proceed without the grant. The committee decided to apply to the Ministry of Health to obtain the £75 subsidy for the glass firm.
A young man called William Hadden, who came from Manchester but had been lodging in Sutton, appeared in court this week charged with a number of crimes. These included breaking into Joseph Carrington's home in Robins Lane and stealing a number of watches and entering the shop of the Donegal Tweed Company in Church Street and taking a suit of clothes.
A cycle belonging to Job Jones that the man had left outside the Labour Exchange in Church Street and another bike parked outside St Helens Hospital were also nicked. The value of all the stolen items came to about £18 and when charged by the police the 23-year-old made frank admissions of his guilt, saying: "Everything is quite true. I plead guilty", and "I did it; that's all".
Hadden was remanded to the next quarter sessions for trial where the judge decided to only place him on probation for twelve months. The young man had, it seems, previously been committed to Borstal. That punishment could prove counter-productive, as mixing with other criminals taught young offenders new skills. That appears to have been what had happened to Hadden as he told the court: "If I had been given a good flogging before I heard of Borstal treatment I should not be standing in the dock today."
Summer time in 1923 ended some six weeks earlier than it does today. This message was in the Reporter on the 14th: "DON'T FORGET to put back your clocks and watches ONE HOUR before going to bed on Saturday night. Summer Time officially ends at 2-3 a.m. on Sunday."
This news snippet was also in the paper: "The Towers, Rainhill, utilised during the war as a military hospital, and stated to be in a good state of preservation, was offered for sale to the Corporation in a letter read at the meeting of the Health Committee on Wednesday. It was decided that the matter be considered at the next monthly meeting." Since 1948 the Oxley family has run the historic Tower or Towers building in Mill Lane in Rainhill as a private school.
This week the annual exhibition of students' work at the Art School in the Gamble Institute in St Helens took place. The Reporter said the exhibition afforded "considerable pleasure" to visitors and added:
"The exhibits range from ambitious work in oils to delightfully piquant and minute nature studies and such fascinating subjects as heraldry, designing, and poster work, not forgetting the tit-bits of local scenery, committed to canvas or paper by the Sketching Club members, [and] furnish many agreeable artistic surprises."
At 12:30am on the 15th PC Holland found five young miners sat under the light of a lamp in Providence Street in Parr gambling. The constable heard a voice asking: "Who's for a sixpenny bet?" They scattered as he approached but PC Holland managed to nab William McDermott from Fleet Lane. The young man refused at first to give any information about himself and then provided a false name. So he was locked up and within a few hours McDermott was in court where he was fined 5 shillings.
On the 15th the Liverpool Echo described how Thatto Heath station had won a prize: "St. Helens has often been described as a town where not a blade of grass ever grew since the big works were opened over half a century ago. Yet one of the railway stations in the borough has carried off the first prize in the station garden competition for the northern division of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.…the station, which for decorative purposes has convenient banks on each side sloping up from the platforms, has been rendered gay with plants and flowers tended with much care by the stationmaster, Mr. J. J. Gavan and an enthusiastic porter."
And finally, at the Theatre Royal from the 17th, the "screamingly funny burlesque revue" 'Scandals Of 1923' was performed for six nights. As a publicity stunt "Scandal Balloons" containing free passes to the show were released over St Helens.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the midnight gambling in Parr, the indecent acts committed against St Helens women, the Rainford blackberry picking death and the Lord Street man charged with cutting his wife's head open with a basin.
This week's many stories include the child that died after falling into boiling water, miners are told to think of their safety before placing themselves in danger, the young thief who thought he should have been flogged, the prize-winning Thatto Heath railway station, the annual exhibition of students' work at the Gamble's Art School and Pilkington's demand a subsidy to build 129 cottages in Dunriding Lane.
We begin on the 11th with a testimonial in the Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail from Albert A. Horner from Park Villas, Halsnead Park in Whiston.
Newspapers a century ago contained many adverts for "medicines" of dubious benefit, which made wild, cure-all claims.
Getting testimonials was easy, as people would regularly confuse the effect of taking some mixture with the body’s own natural powers of recovery.
Mr Horner's photo was incorporated into an advert in which the 29-year-old extolled the virtues of a nerve tonic called Dr Cassell's Tablets.
Those, he claimed, had allowed him to make a remarkable recovery from a persistent upset stomach:
"I feel that it is my bounden duty to send this unsolicited testimonial, for words cannot express my delight in the relief I have received from Dr. Cassell Tablets. For months I was a complete wreck, suffering from nervous dyspepsia.
"The symptoms were severe pain, sleeplessness, loss of weight, and flatulence. In addition, I was afraid to go about alone at nighttime, and I suffered from dizziness and faint feelings and used to dread meal times.
"I decided to take Dr Cassell's Tablets, and after the first box I experienced great relief. I continued to take the tablets, and in three months I was absolutely rid of the complaint, and I am pleased to say that I continue to enjoy the very best of health."
The lack of bathrooms in many homes in St Helens could lead to bathing in kitchens or living rooms being a dangerous business.
Also on the 11th an inquest was held on Elias Marsh, the youngest of five children of Peter Marsh of Glover Street in St Helens, who had died earlier that day in Providence Hospital.
The mother of the 14-month-old boy explained how she had been preparing to bathe her children and had put a pan of boiling water into a large bath that was standing on her hearthrug.
Elias fell into the water and despite being fully dressed and his father rapidly removing him from the bath, the boy was severely scalded and later died.
On the same day the inquest on James Westworth of West Street in Thatto Heath was held.
The 23-year-old was a haulage hand at the Alexandra Colliery (pictured above) and he had been killed on the previous day.
James' job was to hook full or empty wagons on and off the rope that transported coal and pit props around the mine.
The boxes at the rear end of one "train" had got stuck fast and as James tried to disentangle them the motion continued. As a result he was crushed, dying shortly afterwards.
A government inspector told the hearing that the young man should have immediately moved out of the way once he realised there was a problem:
"I am always trying to impress upon them when anything goes wrong, leave it, and get out of the way; then wait until the boxes stop. Never mind trying to get it undone.
"Think of yourself first. You can readily replace what is broken, but you cannot replace a life again."
Miners Agent Joe Tinker told the hearing that he wanted the inspector's advice followed up by mine officials, as the intensity of work below ground led to pressure for workers to fix problems rapidly at the cost of their lives.
The government had made a subsidy of £75 available for each new home that was built in order to encourage house building, although the grants had a few conditions and were not automatic.
At a meeting of the St Helens Health Committee on the 12th a letter from a firm of builders was read out.
They said they proposed putting up houses in Sutton but could not see their way to doing so unless the subsidy was raised to £100 per house.
The committee chairman, Alderman Henry Bates, said that the extra £25 would have to come out of the rates and so the committee agreed to stick to the £75 maximum.
Pilkingtons had also written to say they were planning to build 129 cottages for their workers in Dunriding Lane but could not proceed without the grant.
The committee decided to apply to the Ministry of Health to obtain the £75 subsidy for the glass firm.
A young man called William Hadden, who came from Manchester but had been lodging in Sutton, appeared in court this week charged with a number of crimes.
These included breaking into Joseph Carrington's home in Robins Lane and stealing a number of watches and entering the shop of the Donegal Tweed Company in Church Street and taking a suit of clothes.
A cycle belonging to Job Jones that the man had left outside the Labour Exchange in Church Street and another bike parked outside St Helens Hospital were also nicked.
The value of all the stolen items came to about £18 and when charged by the police the 23-year-old made frank admissions of his guilt, saying: "Everything is quite true. I plead guilty", and "I did it; that's all".
Hadden was remanded to the next quarter sessions for trial where the judge decided to only place him on probation for twelve months.
The young man had, it seems, previously been committed to Borstal. That punishment could prove counter-productive, as mixing with other criminals taught young offenders new skills.
That appears to have been what had happened to Hadden as he told the court:
"If I had been given a good flogging before I heard of Borstal treatment I should not be standing in the dock today."
Summer time in 1923 ended some six weeks earlier than it does today. This message was in the Reporter on the 14th:
"DON'T FORGET to put back your clocks and watches ONE HOUR before going to bed on Saturday night. Summer Time officially ends at 2-3 a.m. on Sunday."
This news snippet was also in the paper:
"The Towers, Rainhill, utilised during the war as a military hospital, and stated to be in a good state of preservation, was offered for sale to the Corporation in a letter read at the meeting of the Health Committee on Wednesday. It was decided that the matter be considered at the next monthly meeting."
Since 1948 the Oxley family has run the historic Tower or Towers building in Mill Lane in Rainhill as a private school.
This week the annual exhibition of students' work at the Art School in the Gamble Institute in St Helens took place.
The Reporter said the exhibition afforded "considerable pleasure" to visitors and added:
"The exhibits range from ambitious work in oils to delightfully piquant and minute nature studies and such fascinating subjects as heraldry, designing, and poster work, not forgetting the tit-bits of local scenery, committed to canvas or paper by the Sketching Club members, [and] furnish many agreeable artistic surprises."
At 12:30am on the 15th PC Holland found five young miners sat under the light of a lamp in Providence Street in Parr gambling.
The constable heard a voice asking: "Who's for a sixpenny bet?" They scattered as he approached but PC Holland managed to nab William McDermott from Fleet Lane.
The young man refused at first to give any information about himself and then provided a false name.
So he was locked up and within a few hours McDermott was in court where he was fined 5 shillings.
On the 15th the Liverpool Echo described how Thatto Heath station had won a prize:
"St. Helens has often been described as a town where not a blade of grass ever grew since the big works were opened over half a century ago.
"Yet one of the railway stations in the borough has carried off the first prize in the station garden competition for the northern division of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.…the station, which for decorative purposes has convenient banks on each side sloping up from the platforms, has been rendered gay with plants and flowers tended with much care by the stationmaster, Mr. J. J. Gavan and an enthusiastic porter."
And finally, at the Theatre Royal from the 17th, the "screamingly funny burlesque revue" 'Scandals Of 1923' was performed for six nights.
As a publicity stunt "Scandal Balloons" containing free passes to the show were released over St Helens.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the midnight gambling in Parr, the indecent acts committed against St Helens women, the Rainford blackberry picking death and the Lord Street man charged with cutting his wife's head open with a basin.
We begin on the 11th with a testimonial in the Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail from Albert A. Horner from Park Villas, Halsnead Park in Whiston.
Newspapers a century ago contained many adverts for "medicines" of dubious benefit, which made wild, cure-all claims.
Getting testimonials was easy, as people would regularly confuse the effect of taking some mixture with the body’s own natural powers of recovery.
Mr Horner's photo was incorporated into an advert in which the 29-year-old extolled the virtues of a nerve tonic called Dr Cassell's Tablets.
Those, he claimed, had allowed him to make a remarkable recovery from a persistent upset stomach:
"I feel that it is my bounden duty to send this unsolicited testimonial, for words cannot express my delight in the relief I have received from Dr. Cassell Tablets. For months I was a complete wreck, suffering from nervous dyspepsia.
"The symptoms were severe pain, sleeplessness, loss of weight, and flatulence. In addition, I was afraid to go about alone at nighttime, and I suffered from dizziness and faint feelings and used to dread meal times.
"I decided to take Dr Cassell's Tablets, and after the first box I experienced great relief. I continued to take the tablets, and in three months I was absolutely rid of the complaint, and I am pleased to say that I continue to enjoy the very best of health."
The lack of bathrooms in many homes in St Helens could lead to bathing in kitchens or living rooms being a dangerous business.
Also on the 11th an inquest was held on Elias Marsh, the youngest of five children of Peter Marsh of Glover Street in St Helens, who had died earlier that day in Providence Hospital.
The mother of the 14-month-old boy explained how she had been preparing to bathe her children and had put a pan of boiling water into a large bath that was standing on her hearthrug.
Elias fell into the water and despite being fully dressed and his father rapidly removing him from the bath, the boy was severely scalded and later died.
On the same day the inquest on James Westworth of West Street in Thatto Heath was held.
James' job was to hook full or empty wagons on and off the rope that transported coal and pit props around the mine.
The boxes at the rear end of one "train" had got stuck fast and as James tried to disentangle them the motion continued. As a result he was crushed, dying shortly afterwards.
A government inspector told the hearing that the young man should have immediately moved out of the way once he realised there was a problem:
"I am always trying to impress upon them when anything goes wrong, leave it, and get out of the way; then wait until the boxes stop. Never mind trying to get it undone.
"Think of yourself first. You can readily replace what is broken, but you cannot replace a life again."
Miners Agent Joe Tinker told the hearing that he wanted the inspector's advice followed up by mine officials, as the intensity of work below ground led to pressure for workers to fix problems rapidly at the cost of their lives.
The government had made a subsidy of £75 available for each new home that was built in order to encourage house building, although the grants had a few conditions and were not automatic.
At a meeting of the St Helens Health Committee on the 12th a letter from a firm of builders was read out.
They said they proposed putting up houses in Sutton but could not see their way to doing so unless the subsidy was raised to £100 per house.
The committee chairman, Alderman Henry Bates, said that the extra £25 would have to come out of the rates and so the committee agreed to stick to the £75 maximum.
Pilkingtons had also written to say they were planning to build 129 cottages for their workers in Dunriding Lane but could not proceed without the grant.
The committee decided to apply to the Ministry of Health to obtain the £75 subsidy for the glass firm.
A young man called William Hadden, who came from Manchester but had been lodging in Sutton, appeared in court this week charged with a number of crimes.
These included breaking into Joseph Carrington's home in Robins Lane and stealing a number of watches and entering the shop of the Donegal Tweed Company in Church Street and taking a suit of clothes.
A cycle belonging to Job Jones that the man had left outside the Labour Exchange in Church Street and another bike parked outside St Helens Hospital were also nicked.
The value of all the stolen items came to about £18 and when charged by the police the 23-year-old made frank admissions of his guilt, saying: "Everything is quite true. I plead guilty", and "I did it; that's all".
Hadden was remanded to the next quarter sessions for trial where the judge decided to only place him on probation for twelve months.
The young man had, it seems, previously been committed to Borstal. That punishment could prove counter-productive, as mixing with other criminals taught young offenders new skills.
That appears to have been what had happened to Hadden as he told the court:
"If I had been given a good flogging before I heard of Borstal treatment I should not be standing in the dock today."
Summer time in 1923 ended some six weeks earlier than it does today. This message was in the Reporter on the 14th:
"DON'T FORGET to put back your clocks and watches ONE HOUR before going to bed on Saturday night. Summer Time officially ends at 2-3 a.m. on Sunday."
This news snippet was also in the paper:
"The Towers, Rainhill, utilised during the war as a military hospital, and stated to be in a good state of preservation, was offered for sale to the Corporation in a letter read at the meeting of the Health Committee on Wednesday. It was decided that the matter be considered at the next monthly meeting."
Since 1948 the Oxley family has run the historic Tower or Towers building in Mill Lane in Rainhill as a private school.
This week the annual exhibition of students' work at the Art School in the Gamble Institute in St Helens took place.
The Reporter said the exhibition afforded "considerable pleasure" to visitors and added:
"The exhibits range from ambitious work in oils to delightfully piquant and minute nature studies and such fascinating subjects as heraldry, designing, and poster work, not forgetting the tit-bits of local scenery, committed to canvas or paper by the Sketching Club members, [and] furnish many agreeable artistic surprises."
At 12:30am on the 15th PC Holland found five young miners sat under the light of a lamp in Providence Street in Parr gambling.
The constable heard a voice asking: "Who's for a sixpenny bet?" They scattered as he approached but PC Holland managed to nab William McDermott from Fleet Lane.
The young man refused at first to give any information about himself and then provided a false name.
So he was locked up and within a few hours McDermott was in court where he was fined 5 shillings.
On the 15th the Liverpool Echo described how Thatto Heath station had won a prize:
"St. Helens has often been described as a town where not a blade of grass ever grew since the big works were opened over half a century ago.
"Yet one of the railway stations in the borough has carried off the first prize in the station garden competition for the northern division of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.…the station, which for decorative purposes has convenient banks on each side sloping up from the platforms, has been rendered gay with plants and flowers tended with much care by the stationmaster, Mr. J. J. Gavan and an enthusiastic porter."
And finally, at the Theatre Royal from the 17th, the "screamingly funny burlesque revue" 'Scandals Of 1923' was performed for six nights.
As a publicity stunt "Scandal Balloons" containing free passes to the show were released over St Helens.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the midnight gambling in Parr, the indecent acts committed against St Helens women, the Rainford blackberry picking death and the Lord Street man charged with cutting his wife's head open with a basin.