IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 25 - 31 MARCH 1924
This week's many stories include the Higher Parr Street assault in which parts of a man's ears were bitten off, the new memorial hall at St John's Church, a curious marital separation case, the claim that advertising signs were disfiguring the countryside, the prosecution for attempting suicide and the Rainford platelayer's reward for saving a train.
We begin on the 26th when King George V arrived at Huyton station en route to Knowsley Hall. As the king walked out of the station with several hundred schoolchildren cheering him the king spotted James Sexton standing on the fringes of the crowd. He immediately crossed the square to greet the St Helens MP and the king engaged in conversation with Sexton for a while.
The Ormskirk Advertiser reported on the 27th that David Eden of Randle Cottages in Rainford had received "hearty congratulations and a substantial money reward" for his presence of mind in averting a serious railway accident near Rainford Junction. The platelayer had spotted a spring drop off one of the wagons in a coal train, which then began to tilt forward and pose a danger. Mr Eden immediately gave the alarm and asked that the train be stopped and examined and it was found that the wagon had been running off the track for a considerable distance.
The St Helens Reporter on the 28th described how the Bishop of Liverpool had been to Ravenhead to dedicate a new memorial hall that had been built as an annexe to St John's Church. Occupying a central position on the walls was a large tablet, listing the names of the men of the parish that had died during the war. The paper wrote: "The design is chaste and the general effect most delicate and appropriate to the solemn purpose which the tablet serves."
Since the war and the boom in motoring many advertising signs had appeared on the roads. As motorways and major roads such as the East Lancs had yet to be built, all travel outside of towns was on more minor highways in the countryside. There had been complaints that these, as the Reporter put it, were "disfiguring the landscape" of the countryside and Shell had consequently decided to remove all of their signs.
The company was praised for its public-spirited action and other companies had promised to follow suit but according to the paper had yet to do so. And so in this week's edition the Reporter demanded to know when all firms would act in accordance with the wishes of "lovers of beautiful scenery".
I've often written how court cases alleging wife desertion in which separation orders were sought were in reality applications for maintenance payments. If the husband did not pay up he could be brought back to the court and ultimately sent to prison. However, every rule has its exceptions and the case brought by Elizabeth Marsh was certainly very unusual.
The Reporter described how Elizabeth had told St Helens Police Court that she had brought a charge of desertion against her husband and also one of assault purely for protection and she did not want any money from him. She and Francis Marsh had married in 1914 when both were in their mid 50s and the couple had gone to live in Duke Street. Elizabeth was a widow with eight children and Francis was a quite well-off furniture broker.
In 1922 while Elizabeth was in bed she said her husband had rushed into the room and grabbed her by the throat, which caused it to swell and discolour. She alleged that Francis had then said if she did not get out of their house he would murder her. Elizabeth also complained of a recent incident in which her husband had come across her in Victoria Park, seemingly by accident, and had accused her of being a thief. As they parted, Francis had allegedly said: "I will meet you again and have it out with you".
Her husband's solicitor explained to the court why the accusation of theft had been made. Francis Marsh had been ill and had believed he was going to die and so gave his wife the huge amount of £310 in order that she would have some money after his death. But the man got better and when he asked for his cash back, Elizabeth Marsh said it had been a gift and she refused to part with it.
As a result the couple had fallen out and that had led to the bedroom incident and recent park encounter. It also explained why Elizabeth did not need any maintenance money! When Elizabeth was asked in court whether she sought any cash from her husband, she replied: "No, I want protection. I will never live with him again while my heart is warm. I don't want him or his money."
The 66-year-old Elizabeth was not specific as to what kind of protection she sought. Her husband being bound over to keep the peace upon payment of securities was one possibility but that doesn't appear to have been considered by the magistrates. They clearly felt that the bedroom incident and that in the park as very much on the low scale of spousal abuse and as a result chose to dismiss the case.
An 11-year-old boy appeared in the St Helens Juvenile Court this week charged with begging from passers-by. The boy had only collected seven pence when the police arrested him and you might have thought a ticking off by the boys in blue would have sufficed. But the lad – who was not named in the Reporter – was made to go through the process of being booked at the police station and then hauled into court. And then he was given a ticking off and sent on his way. I wonder what happened to the seven pence?
Boys running after and then hanging on the back of moving tramcars was a common, albeit, dangerous practice. Rarely did they get caught but two small boys were collared this week in Windle City and as well as being given a stern lecture by the magistrates they were both fined 4 shillings.
Atlas Court was a tiny cul-de-sac of a community boxed in by railway lines near Atlas Street and Higher Parr Street. On the 28th in St Helens Police Court five youths were charged with gaming with cards in Atlas Court. The magistrates were told that two police officers had taken up a position of concealment overlooking the end of the court and from there had watched the five defendants, along with others, play a hand of cards. Money was also seen to change hands.
After observing the group for fifteen minutes the officers approached the youths who immediately ran away. Only one lad was caught, who said: "It is a fair cop". Four others were later visited by the police and summoned. All lived in Atlas Court and John Drury, George Highcock, John Highcock, A. Henthorne and John Devine were each fined five shillings.
I've come across a few instances where assaults have involved the biting off of pieces of someone's ear. Another such unsavoury incident took place late on the 29th outside the Royal Oak in Higher Parr Street in St Helens. That was when miner John Morley of nearby Trinity Street did the deed to both Michael McCormick's ears after a row. Morley had thrown McCormick to the ground, dropped on top of him and bit a piece off the top of his right ear and the lobe of his left ear. The injured man's condition was reported as serious.
Boys kicking a football about in the road might have some dangers from passing traffic but even in quiet back streets it was still treated as a serious offence by the police. The sight of a constable arriving on the scene meant those involved would run away as fast as their little legs would carry them – but inevitably some would be caught. On the 31st in St Helens Police Court, PC Taylor said he saw a number of boys playing football in Ravenhead Road.
As soon as they saw him approaching they ran off into the nearby boys' hostel that was run by Pilkingtons. Upon going inside some of them told him they were very sorry for what they had done but were still prosecuted. The Bench told the lads they should know better than play football in the street. But if they would give a promise not to do such a thing again, they'd be allowed to go with a fine of only half-a-crown.
Although the law that made it illegal to attempt suicide was draconian, it did have some merits. In most cases the authorities simply wanted a reassurance that the person involved would not repeat the act and would be cared for in a family setting. Unfortunately, such reassurances took place in public in St Helens Police Court and I don't think the write-ups in the newspapers detailing all the circumstances would have aided the individual's recovery.
On the 31st Margaret Leadbetter appeared in court charged with attempting suicide. Margaret lived in Twyford Street in Parr and her husband Thomas was a miner at Clock Face Colliery. During the previous few days the couple had quarrelled over family matters and at one point while in bed her husband had said, "You are not worth sleeping with".
That remark led to Margaret drinking some liniment. Thomas immediately called the police as well as Dr Reid and eventually his wife was taken to Providence Hospital. When charged by the police with attempting suicide, Margaret replied: "I was depressed and upset, and I did it. But I am sorry now." Her husband, Thomas Leadbetter, told the court that the underlying problem was that they were not living in a home of their own, although they were now expecting to get a house in Boundary Road.
He said his wife only committed the act on the spur of the moment and he promised to look after her in future. Margaret confirmed that she would never attempt suicide again and the Bench said on that understanding the case against her would be dismissed. However, John Holmes, the court probation officer, would call upon Mrs Leadbetter from time to time to help her "live more comfortably with her husband".
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the dog attack on a Prescot boy, the Whiston tenant that threatened bloodshed if evicted, the boy suffering from Saint Vitus Dance that died in Rainhill Asylum and the sentencing of the Higher Parr Street ear biter.
We begin on the 26th when King George V arrived at Huyton station en route to Knowsley Hall. As the king walked out of the station with several hundred schoolchildren cheering him the king spotted James Sexton standing on the fringes of the crowd. He immediately crossed the square to greet the St Helens MP and the king engaged in conversation with Sexton for a while.
The Ormskirk Advertiser reported on the 27th that David Eden of Randle Cottages in Rainford had received "hearty congratulations and a substantial money reward" for his presence of mind in averting a serious railway accident near Rainford Junction. The platelayer had spotted a spring drop off one of the wagons in a coal train, which then began to tilt forward and pose a danger. Mr Eden immediately gave the alarm and asked that the train be stopped and examined and it was found that the wagon had been running off the track for a considerable distance.
The St Helens Reporter on the 28th described how the Bishop of Liverpool had been to Ravenhead to dedicate a new memorial hall that had been built as an annexe to St John's Church. Occupying a central position on the walls was a large tablet, listing the names of the men of the parish that had died during the war. The paper wrote: "The design is chaste and the general effect most delicate and appropriate to the solemn purpose which the tablet serves."
Since the war and the boom in motoring many advertising signs had appeared on the roads. As motorways and major roads such as the East Lancs had yet to be built, all travel outside of towns was on more minor highways in the countryside. There had been complaints that these, as the Reporter put it, were "disfiguring the landscape" of the countryside and Shell had consequently decided to remove all of their signs.
The company was praised for its public-spirited action and other companies had promised to follow suit but according to the paper had yet to do so. And so in this week's edition the Reporter demanded to know when all firms would act in accordance with the wishes of "lovers of beautiful scenery".
I've often written how court cases alleging wife desertion in which separation orders were sought were in reality applications for maintenance payments. If the husband did not pay up he could be brought back to the court and ultimately sent to prison. However, every rule has its exceptions and the case brought by Elizabeth Marsh was certainly very unusual.
The Reporter described how Elizabeth had told St Helens Police Court that she had brought a charge of desertion against her husband and also one of assault purely for protection and she did not want any money from him. She and Francis Marsh had married in 1914 when both were in their mid 50s and the couple had gone to live in Duke Street. Elizabeth was a widow with eight children and Francis was a quite well-off furniture broker.
In 1922 while Elizabeth was in bed she said her husband had rushed into the room and grabbed her by the throat, which caused it to swell and discolour. She alleged that Francis had then said if she did not get out of their house he would murder her. Elizabeth also complained of a recent incident in which her husband had come across her in Victoria Park, seemingly by accident, and had accused her of being a thief. As they parted, Francis had allegedly said: "I will meet you again and have it out with you".
Her husband's solicitor explained to the court why the accusation of theft had been made. Francis Marsh had been ill and had believed he was going to die and so gave his wife the huge amount of £310 in order that she would have some money after his death. But the man got better and when he asked for his cash back, Elizabeth Marsh said it had been a gift and she refused to part with it.
As a result the couple had fallen out and that had led to the bedroom incident and recent park encounter. It also explained why Elizabeth did not need any maintenance money! When Elizabeth was asked in court whether she sought any cash from her husband, she replied: "No, I want protection. I will never live with him again while my heart is warm. I don't want him or his money."
The 66-year-old Elizabeth was not specific as to what kind of protection she sought. Her husband being bound over to keep the peace upon payment of securities was one possibility but that doesn't appear to have been considered by the magistrates. They clearly felt that the bedroom incident and that in the park as very much on the low scale of spousal abuse and as a result chose to dismiss the case.
An 11-year-old boy appeared in the St Helens Juvenile Court this week charged with begging from passers-by. The boy had only collected seven pence when the police arrested him and you might have thought a ticking off by the boys in blue would have sufficed. But the lad – who was not named in the Reporter – was made to go through the process of being booked at the police station and then hauled into court. And then he was given a ticking off and sent on his way. I wonder what happened to the seven pence?
Atlas Court was a tiny cul-de-sac of a community boxed in by railway lines near Atlas Street and Higher Parr Street. On the 28th in St Helens Police Court five youths were charged with gaming with cards in Atlas Court. The magistrates were told that two police officers had taken up a position of concealment overlooking the end of the court and from there had watched the five defendants, along with others, play a hand of cards. Money was also seen to change hands.
After observing the group for fifteen minutes the officers approached the youths who immediately ran away. Only one lad was caught, who said: "It is a fair cop". Four others were later visited by the police and summoned. All lived in Atlas Court and John Drury, George Highcock, John Highcock, A. Henthorne and John Devine were each fined five shillings.
I've come across a few instances where assaults have involved the biting off of pieces of someone's ear. Another such unsavoury incident took place late on the 29th outside the Royal Oak in Higher Parr Street in St Helens. That was when miner John Morley of nearby Trinity Street did the deed to both Michael McCormick's ears after a row. Morley had thrown McCormick to the ground, dropped on top of him and bit a piece off the top of his right ear and the lobe of his left ear. The injured man's condition was reported as serious.
Boys kicking a football about in the road might have some dangers from passing traffic but even in quiet back streets it was still treated as a serious offence by the police. The sight of a constable arriving on the scene meant those involved would run away as fast as their little legs would carry them – but inevitably some would be caught. On the 31st in St Helens Police Court, PC Taylor said he saw a number of boys playing football in Ravenhead Road.
As soon as they saw him approaching they ran off into the nearby boys' hostel that was run by Pilkingtons. Upon going inside some of them told him they were very sorry for what they had done but were still prosecuted. The Bench told the lads they should know better than play football in the street. But if they would give a promise not to do such a thing again, they'd be allowed to go with a fine of only half-a-crown.
Although the law that made it illegal to attempt suicide was draconian, it did have some merits. In most cases the authorities simply wanted a reassurance that the person involved would not repeat the act and would be cared for in a family setting. Unfortunately, such reassurances took place in public in St Helens Police Court and I don't think the write-ups in the newspapers detailing all the circumstances would have aided the individual's recovery.
On the 31st Margaret Leadbetter appeared in court charged with attempting suicide. Margaret lived in Twyford Street in Parr and her husband Thomas was a miner at Clock Face Colliery. During the previous few days the couple had quarrelled over family matters and at one point while in bed her husband had said, "You are not worth sleeping with".
That remark led to Margaret drinking some liniment. Thomas immediately called the police as well as Dr Reid and eventually his wife was taken to Providence Hospital. When charged by the police with attempting suicide, Margaret replied: "I was depressed and upset, and I did it. But I am sorry now." Her husband, Thomas Leadbetter, told the court that the underlying problem was that they were not living in a home of their own, although they were now expecting to get a house in Boundary Road.
He said his wife only committed the act on the spur of the moment and he promised to look after her in future. Margaret confirmed that she would never attempt suicide again and the Bench said on that understanding the case against her would be dismissed. However, John Holmes, the court probation officer, would call upon Mrs Leadbetter from time to time to help her "live more comfortably with her husband".
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the dog attack on a Prescot boy, the Whiston tenant that threatened bloodshed if evicted, the boy suffering from Saint Vitus Dance that died in Rainhill Asylum and the sentencing of the Higher Parr Street ear biter.
This week's many stories include the Higher Parr Street assault in which parts of a man's ears were bitten off, the new memorial hall at St John's Church, a curious marital separation case, the claim that advertising signs were disfiguring the countryside, the prosecution for attempting suicide and the Rainford platelayer's reward for saving a train.
We begin on the 26th when King George V arrived at Huyton station en route to Knowsley Hall.
As the king walked out of the station with several hundred schoolchildren cheering him the king spotted James Sexton standing on the fringes of the crowd.
He immediately crossed the square to greet the St Helens MP and the king engaged in conversation with Sexton for a while.
The Ormskirk Advertiser reported on the 27th that David Eden of Randle Cottages in Rainford had received "hearty congratulations and a substantial money reward" for his presence of mind in averting a serious railway accident near Rainford Junction.
The platelayer had spotted a spring drop off one of the wagons in a coal train, which then began to tilt forward and pose a danger.
Mr Eden immediately gave the alarm and asked that the train be stopped and examined and it was found that the wagon had been running off the track for a considerable distance.
The St Helens Reporter on the 28th described how the Bishop of Liverpool had been to Ravenhead to dedicate a new memorial hall that had been built as an annexe to St John's Church.
Occupying a central position on the walls was a large tablet, listing the names of the men of the parish that had died during the war. The paper wrote:
"The design is chaste and the general effect most delicate and appropriate to the solemn purpose which the tablet serves."
Since the war and the boom in motoring many advertising signs had appeared on the roads.
As motorways and major roads such as the East Lancs had yet to be built, all travel outside of towns was on more minor highways in the countryside.
There had been complaints that these, as the Reporter put it, were "disfiguring the landscape" of the countryside and Shell had consequently decided to remove all of their signs.
The company was praised for its public-spirited action and other companies had promised to follow suit but according to the paper had yet to do so.
And so in this week's edition the Reporter demanded to know when all firms would act in accordance with the wishes of "lovers of beautiful scenery".
I've often written how court cases alleging wife desertion in which separation orders were sought were in reality applications for maintenance payments.
If the husband did not pay up he could be brought back to the court and ultimately sent to prison.
However, every rule has its exceptions and the case brought by Elizabeth Marsh was certainly very unusual.
The Reporter described how Elizabeth had told St Helens Police Court that she had brought a charge of desertion against her husband and also one of assault purely for protection and she did not want any money from him.
She and Francis Marsh had married in 1914 when both were in their mid 50s and the couple had gone to live in Duke Street.
Elizabeth was a widow with eight children and Francis was a quite well-off furniture broker.
In 1922 while Elizabeth was in bed she said her husband had rushed into the room and grabbed her by the throat, which caused it to swell and discolour.
She alleged that Francis had then said if she did not get out of their house he would murder her.
Elizabeth also complained of a recent incident in which her husband had come across her in Victoria Park, seemingly by accident, and had accused her of being a thief.
As they parted, Francis had allegedly said: "I will meet you again and have it out with you".
Her husband's solicitor explained to the court why the accusation of theft had been made.
Francis Marsh had been ill and had believed he was going to die and so gave his wife the huge amount of £310 in order that she would have some money after his death.
But the man got better and when he asked for his cash back, Elizabeth Marsh said it had been a gift and she refused to part with it.
As a result the couple had fallen out and that had led to the bedroom incident and recent park encounter. It also explained why Elizabeth did not need any maintenance money!
When Elizabeth was asked in court whether she sought any cash from her husband, she replied:
"No, I want protection. I will never live with him again while my heart is warm. I don't want him or his money."
The 66-year-old Elizabeth was not specific as to what kind of protection she sought.
Her husband being bound over to keep the peace upon payment of securities was one possibility but that doesn't appear to have been considered by the magistrates.
They clearly felt that the bedroom incident and that in the park as very much on the low scale of spousal abuse and as a result chose to dismiss the case.
An 11-year-old boy appeared in the St Helens Juvenile Court this week charged with begging from passers-by.
The boy had only collected seven pence when the police arrested him and you might have thought a ticking off by the boys in blue would have sufficed.
But the lad – who was not named in the Reporter – was made to go through the process of being booked at the police station and then hauled into court.
And then he was given a ticking off and sent on his way. I wonder what happened to the seven pence?
Boys running after and then hanging on the back of moving tramcars was a common, albeit, dangerous practice.
Rarely did they get caught but two small boys were collared this week in Windle City and as well as being given a stern lecture by the magistrates they were both fined 4 shillings.
Atlas Court was a tiny cul-de-sac of a community boxed in by railway lines near Atlas Street and Higher Parr Street.
On the 28th in St Helens Police Court five youths were charged with gaming with cards in Atlas Court.
The magistrates were told that two police officers had taken up a position of concealment overlooking the end of the court and from there had watched the five defendants, along with others, play a hand of cards. Money was also seen to change hands.
After observing the group for fifteen minutes the officers approached the youths who immediately ran away.
Only one lad was caught, who said: "It is a fair cop". Four others were later visited by the police and summoned.
All lived in Atlas Court and John Drury, George Highcock, John Highcock, A. Henthorne and John Devine were each fined five shillings.
I've come across a few instances where assaults have involved the biting off of pieces of someone's ear.
Another such unsavoury incident took place late on the 29th outside the Royal Oak in Higher Parr Street in St Helens.
That was when miner John Morley of nearby Trinity Street did the deed to both Michael McCormick's ears after a row.
Morley had thrown McCormick to the ground, dropped on top of him and bit a piece off the top of his right ear and the lobe of his left ear. The injured man's condition was reported as serious.
Boys kicking a football about in the road might have some dangers from passing traffic but even in quiet back streets it was still treated as a serious offence by the police.
The sight of a constable arriving on the scene meant those involved would run away as fast as their little legs would carry them – but inevitably some would be caught.
On the 31st in St Helens Police Court, PC Taylor said he saw a number of boys playing football in Ravenhead Road.
As soon as they saw him approaching they ran off into the nearby boys' hostel that was run by Pilkingtons.
Upon going inside some of them told him they were very sorry for what they had done but were still prosecuted.
The Bench told the lads they should know better than play football in the street. But if they would give a promise not to do such a thing again, they'd be allowed to go with a fine of only half-a-crown.
Although the law that made it illegal to attempt suicide was draconian, it did have some merits.
In most cases the authorities simply wanted a reassurance that the person involved would not repeat the act and would be cared for in a family setting.
Unfortunately, such reassurances took place in public in St Helens Police Court and I don't think the write-ups in the newspapers detailing all the circumstances would have aided the individual's recovery.
On the 31st Margaret Leadbetter appeared in court charged with attempting suicide.
Margaret lived in Twyford Street in Parr and her husband Thomas was a miner at Clock Face Colliery.
During the previous few days the couple had quarrelled over family matters and at one point while in bed her husband had said, "You are not worth sleeping with".
That remark led to Margaret drinking some liniment. Thomas immediately called the police as well as Dr Reid and eventually his wife was taken to Providence Hospital.
When charged by the police with attempting suicide, Margaret replied: "I was depressed and upset, and I did it. But I am sorry now."
Her husband, Thomas Leadbetter, told the court that the underlying problem was that they were not living in a home of their own, although they were now expecting to get a house in Boundary Road.
He said his wife only committed the act on the spur of the moment and he promised to look after her in future.
Margaret confirmed that she would never attempt suicide again and the Bench said on that understanding the case against her would be dismissed.
However, John Holmes, the court probation officer, would call upon Mrs Leadbetter from time to time to help her "live more comfortably with her husband".
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the dog attack on a Prescot boy, the Whiston tenant that threatened bloodshed if evicted, the boy suffering from Saint Vitus Dance that died in Rainhill Asylum and the sentencing of the Higher Parr Street ear biter.
We begin on the 26th when King George V arrived at Huyton station en route to Knowsley Hall.
As the king walked out of the station with several hundred schoolchildren cheering him the king spotted James Sexton standing on the fringes of the crowd.
He immediately crossed the square to greet the St Helens MP and the king engaged in conversation with Sexton for a while.
The Ormskirk Advertiser reported on the 27th that David Eden of Randle Cottages in Rainford had received "hearty congratulations and a substantial money reward" for his presence of mind in averting a serious railway accident near Rainford Junction.
The platelayer had spotted a spring drop off one of the wagons in a coal train, which then began to tilt forward and pose a danger.
Mr Eden immediately gave the alarm and asked that the train be stopped and examined and it was found that the wagon had been running off the track for a considerable distance.
The St Helens Reporter on the 28th described how the Bishop of Liverpool had been to Ravenhead to dedicate a new memorial hall that had been built as an annexe to St John's Church.
Occupying a central position on the walls was a large tablet, listing the names of the men of the parish that had died during the war. The paper wrote:
"The design is chaste and the general effect most delicate and appropriate to the solemn purpose which the tablet serves."
Since the war and the boom in motoring many advertising signs had appeared on the roads.
As motorways and major roads such as the East Lancs had yet to be built, all travel outside of towns was on more minor highways in the countryside.
There had been complaints that these, as the Reporter put it, were "disfiguring the landscape" of the countryside and Shell had consequently decided to remove all of their signs.
The company was praised for its public-spirited action and other companies had promised to follow suit but according to the paper had yet to do so.
And so in this week's edition the Reporter demanded to know when all firms would act in accordance with the wishes of "lovers of beautiful scenery".
I've often written how court cases alleging wife desertion in which separation orders were sought were in reality applications for maintenance payments.
If the husband did not pay up he could be brought back to the court and ultimately sent to prison.
However, every rule has its exceptions and the case brought by Elizabeth Marsh was certainly very unusual.
The Reporter described how Elizabeth had told St Helens Police Court that she had brought a charge of desertion against her husband and also one of assault purely for protection and she did not want any money from him.
She and Francis Marsh had married in 1914 when both were in their mid 50s and the couple had gone to live in Duke Street.
Elizabeth was a widow with eight children and Francis was a quite well-off furniture broker.
In 1922 while Elizabeth was in bed she said her husband had rushed into the room and grabbed her by the throat, which caused it to swell and discolour.
She alleged that Francis had then said if she did not get out of their house he would murder her.
Elizabeth also complained of a recent incident in which her husband had come across her in Victoria Park, seemingly by accident, and had accused her of being a thief.
As they parted, Francis had allegedly said: "I will meet you again and have it out with you".
Her husband's solicitor explained to the court why the accusation of theft had been made.
Francis Marsh had been ill and had believed he was going to die and so gave his wife the huge amount of £310 in order that she would have some money after his death.
But the man got better and when he asked for his cash back, Elizabeth Marsh said it had been a gift and she refused to part with it.
As a result the couple had fallen out and that had led to the bedroom incident and recent park encounter. It also explained why Elizabeth did not need any maintenance money!
When Elizabeth was asked in court whether she sought any cash from her husband, she replied:
"No, I want protection. I will never live with him again while my heart is warm. I don't want him or his money."
The 66-year-old Elizabeth was not specific as to what kind of protection she sought.
Her husband being bound over to keep the peace upon payment of securities was one possibility but that doesn't appear to have been considered by the magistrates.
They clearly felt that the bedroom incident and that in the park as very much on the low scale of spousal abuse and as a result chose to dismiss the case.
An 11-year-old boy appeared in the St Helens Juvenile Court this week charged with begging from passers-by.
The boy had only collected seven pence when the police arrested him and you might have thought a ticking off by the boys in blue would have sufficed.
But the lad – who was not named in the Reporter – was made to go through the process of being booked at the police station and then hauled into court.
And then he was given a ticking off and sent on his way. I wonder what happened to the seven pence?
Rarely did they get caught but two small boys were collared this week in Windle City and as well as being given a stern lecture by the magistrates they were both fined 4 shillings.
Atlas Court was a tiny cul-de-sac of a community boxed in by railway lines near Atlas Street and Higher Parr Street.
On the 28th in St Helens Police Court five youths were charged with gaming with cards in Atlas Court.
The magistrates were told that two police officers had taken up a position of concealment overlooking the end of the court and from there had watched the five defendants, along with others, play a hand of cards. Money was also seen to change hands.
After observing the group for fifteen minutes the officers approached the youths who immediately ran away.
Only one lad was caught, who said: "It is a fair cop". Four others were later visited by the police and summoned.
All lived in Atlas Court and John Drury, George Highcock, John Highcock, A. Henthorne and John Devine were each fined five shillings.
I've come across a few instances where assaults have involved the biting off of pieces of someone's ear.
Another such unsavoury incident took place late on the 29th outside the Royal Oak in Higher Parr Street in St Helens.
That was when miner John Morley of nearby Trinity Street did the deed to both Michael McCormick's ears after a row.
Morley had thrown McCormick to the ground, dropped on top of him and bit a piece off the top of his right ear and the lobe of his left ear. The injured man's condition was reported as serious.
Boys kicking a football about in the road might have some dangers from passing traffic but even in quiet back streets it was still treated as a serious offence by the police.
The sight of a constable arriving on the scene meant those involved would run away as fast as their little legs would carry them – but inevitably some would be caught.
On the 31st in St Helens Police Court, PC Taylor said he saw a number of boys playing football in Ravenhead Road.
As soon as they saw him approaching they ran off into the nearby boys' hostel that was run by Pilkingtons.
Upon going inside some of them told him they were very sorry for what they had done but were still prosecuted.
The Bench told the lads they should know better than play football in the street. But if they would give a promise not to do such a thing again, they'd be allowed to go with a fine of only half-a-crown.
Although the law that made it illegal to attempt suicide was draconian, it did have some merits.
In most cases the authorities simply wanted a reassurance that the person involved would not repeat the act and would be cared for in a family setting.
Unfortunately, such reassurances took place in public in St Helens Police Court and I don't think the write-ups in the newspapers detailing all the circumstances would have aided the individual's recovery.
On the 31st Margaret Leadbetter appeared in court charged with attempting suicide.
Margaret lived in Twyford Street in Parr and her husband Thomas was a miner at Clock Face Colliery.
During the previous few days the couple had quarrelled over family matters and at one point while in bed her husband had said, "You are not worth sleeping with".
That remark led to Margaret drinking some liniment. Thomas immediately called the police as well as Dr Reid and eventually his wife was taken to Providence Hospital.
When charged by the police with attempting suicide, Margaret replied: "I was depressed and upset, and I did it. But I am sorry now."
Her husband, Thomas Leadbetter, told the court that the underlying problem was that they were not living in a home of their own, although they were now expecting to get a house in Boundary Road.
He said his wife only committed the act on the spur of the moment and he promised to look after her in future.
Margaret confirmed that she would never attempt suicide again and the Bench said on that understanding the case against her would be dismissed.
However, John Holmes, the court probation officer, would call upon Mrs Leadbetter from time to time to help her "live more comfortably with her husband".
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the dog attack on a Prescot boy, the Whiston tenant that threatened bloodshed if evicted, the boy suffering from Saint Vitus Dance that died in Rainhill Asylum and the sentencing of the Higher Parr Street ear biter.