IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (27th JAN. - 2nd FEB. 1920)
This week's stories include the Raglan Street beggar accused of living too well, an intruder at the Theatre Royal, the expert moocher in College Street, the rare sights and sounds of builders at work in Haydock and the curious death of a Widnes girl in the canal at Pocket Nook.
We begin on the 27th when the inquest on William Dickinson was held. The 16-year-old from Morris Street in Sutton had been employed underground at Ashtons Green Colliery in Parr (shown above) and had died after being struck down by a runaway coal tub.
The St Helens Charity Cricket Match and Sports committee met in the Town Hall on the 29th. The organisation raised cash for worthy causes by holding various events, including a game of cricket and a flower show. It was stated that £260 had been raised during the previous year, which was a record amount. That was apart from 1913 when King George V had visited St Helens and a holiday was declared. Those set to benefit were the Fresh Air Fund, St Helens Hospital, Providence Hospital, the Nurses Home, Clog and Stocking Fund, Crippled Children's Aid Society and the Crippled Children's Outing Fund.
Also meeting on that day was Whiston Rural District Council's Building Plans Committee. They considered proposals to build twenty-four temporary wooden bungalows as part of the ill-fated Pilkington Garden Village. The glass firm had grand plans to mitigate the housing shortage in St Helens by constructing as many as 4,000 homes.
These would be built on a 600-acre site between Eccleston Hall and the Mere, although in the end less than 100 homes were actually built. The Whiston committee approved the wooden houses but stipulated that they should be torn down after five years. The intention appears to have been to rapidly build some temporary homes and then replace them with brick-built versions in 1925.
Although there had been much talk of new house building to resolve the severe housing shortage in the town, so far there had been little action. The St Helens Reporter on the 30th sarcastically wrote: "It has been suggested by a most irreverent person that special tram and train services should be run from St. Helens to Haydock to allow the populace a glimpse of builders at work, and to hear the long forgotten sounds in the metallic clink of trowel on brick and the mild thunder of the cart as it deposits its load of bricks at the contractor's dump."
They were referring to eighty-two houses that were now in construction on land opposite Park Street in Haydock. These would not only have bathrooms but a playground would also be built for the residents' children. The Reporter described the playground as "perhaps unique outside the realm of school building."
The paper also described a recent court case in which a "garrulous prisoner" had caused amusement in the Police Court. Vagrant Edward Myers had been charged with begging after being collared by PCs Reynolds and Redding calling on houses in Raglan Street (pictured above). John Holmes, the Police Court missionary (i.e. probation officer), told the court that on the last occasion Myers had been sent to prison he had promised to find work upon his release.
Mr Holmes said he had found the man employment but he had refused to take it. Myers told the court that he objected to Holmes painting him as "black as hell" and claiming he was probably living too well. "Living too well, indeed", Myers said disdainfully. "You can have me medically examined and you will find that I am only skin and bones now." Asked whether he had worked since his release, Myers said he had not but caused laughter by saying he had been to several works gates. He also admitted steaming open a letter that Mr Holmes had given him to take to prospective employers declaring it not a fit one to take. Edward Myers was sent to prison for 28 days.
In the St Helens Police Court on the 31st Thomas Fay was charged with being on the enclosed premises of the Theatre Royal with intent to commit a felony. Four days earlier at 10:25pm the manager of the Aladdin Pantomime Company had been in the theatre's dressing rooms when he heard faint footsteps coming along the passage. Thinking it was one of his artists returning, George Graham glanced into a mirror and saw a man step back out of the doorway.
It was Thomas Fay and Mr Graham asked him what he wanted and Fay replied: "Nothing chum". Not satisfied with his answer, Graham spoke to the theatre's manager and the police were eventually summoned. With all the pantomime company's artists performing on stage, it was thought that the man had intended to steal from their dressing rooms.
Fay was described as having been impertinent to Inspector Shaw and in court said he’d been trying to find out about a boxing tournament that was coming to the theatre. During the war Fay had been wounded in a leg and had spent time at Lord Derby's war hospital in Warrington suffering from shell shock. However he had previously been convicted for various offences and was committed to prison for 14 days with hard labour.
The aforementioned boxing tournament was held at the theatre during the afternoon of the 31st. The St Helens Reporter described the event as a new innovation and said the attendance had been huge.
St Peter's Church in Parr held a special musical service on the 31st that featured two opera singers. The event was organised by their Bible Class and raised almost £30 for the forthcoming church bazaar.
Details of a plain-clothes police raid on thirty gamblers were given in St Helens Police Court on February 2nd. The men were playing pitch and toss in Recreation Street and as usual they scattered when the bobbies appeared on the scene. The unlucky ones who didn’t take to their heels fast enough were Richard Lester of Park Street and Robert Taylor of Napier Street. When taken into custody Lester became violent and offered a £2 bribe to the officers to let him go. He was fined £2 16s 6d and Taylor was told to pay £2.
Also in court was John McDermott of the Fairclough Lodging House in Earlestown who was described by the St Helens Chief Constable as an "expert moocher". PC Hurst had observed McDermott in Hill Street knocking on several doors. Upon spotting the policeman, McDermott immediately ran off into the Lord Nelson Hotel in College Street and then onto the Millstone Hotel.
Upon making enquiries PC Hurst learnt that McDermott had not bought any drinks at either place but had instead been badgering people at the bar. A woman at one of the houses where he'd called told the police that the man had been at her door begging. The Bench sent John McDermott to prison for 28 days.
The circumstances of a strange drowning in St Helens Canal were investigated at an inquest at St Helens Town Hall on the 2nd. It concerned 17-year-old Mary Clark from Widnes who had come to St Helens with a friend called Ada Makin to visit the dancing rooms in George Street. James Kelly from Atherton Street gave evidence that he and a chap called Robert Hankin had met the two girls in Church Street and they had decided to go for a walk.
The four of them went along Hall Street and over Pocket Nook Bridge and then onto the Canal Bridge. They walked 100 yards along the bank and then James and Mary crossed some sidings and the pair then stood and talked for about five minutes. The couple were about 20 feet from the canal and Hankin and Ada stood opposite them on the other side of the sidings.
Mary then announced that it was time for her and Ada to leave as they needed to catch the 9.25pm train back to Widnes. According to James, Mary then walked across the sidings and straight into the canal. He said it had not been a dark night and added that Mary was struggling in the water just one or two yards from the canal side. A scarf was thrown to the drowning girl but she was unable to grasp it.
Both men were criticised for not going into the water – which was 8 to 9 feet deep – in order to rescue Mary but both said they couldn't swim. Mary's father was far from satisfied with James Kelly's account and wanted to know if he had been molesting his daughter, which Kelly denied. The coroner, Frank Jones, asked Dr Unsworth – who had conducted a post-mortem – if Mary had been a "pure girl" and he replied that there was no evidence to the contrary.
The coroner was also dubious about James's explanation. Upon his advice, the jury brought in a verdict of "found drowned" and said there was no evidence to show how Mary had got into the water. The inquest jury also suggested that the police might want to make enquiries into the case.
Next week's stories will include the stolen Sutton loco engine cloths that were made into a bedspread, the Sandon Street mother who protested against her daughter attending school, the woman lodging out in Pigot Street, the man who put Water Street into an uproar and the Vincent Street / New Street marital dispute.
We begin on the 27th when the inquest on William Dickinson was held. The 16-year-old from Morris Street in Sutton had been employed underground at Ashtons Green Colliery in Parr (shown above) and had died after being struck down by a runaway coal tub.
The St Helens Charity Cricket Match and Sports committee met in the Town Hall on the 29th. The organisation raised cash for worthy causes by holding various events, including a game of cricket and a flower show. It was stated that £260 had been raised during the previous year, which was a record amount. That was apart from 1913 when King George V had visited St Helens and a holiday was declared. Those set to benefit were the Fresh Air Fund, St Helens Hospital, Providence Hospital, the Nurses Home, Clog and Stocking Fund, Crippled Children's Aid Society and the Crippled Children's Outing Fund.
Also meeting on that day was Whiston Rural District Council's Building Plans Committee. They considered proposals to build twenty-four temporary wooden bungalows as part of the ill-fated Pilkington Garden Village. The glass firm had grand plans to mitigate the housing shortage in St Helens by constructing as many as 4,000 homes.
These would be built on a 600-acre site between Eccleston Hall and the Mere, although in the end less than 100 homes were actually built. The Whiston committee approved the wooden houses but stipulated that they should be torn down after five years. The intention appears to have been to rapidly build some temporary homes and then replace them with brick-built versions in 1925.
Although there had been much talk of new house building to resolve the severe housing shortage in the town, so far there had been little action. The St Helens Reporter on the 30th sarcastically wrote: "It has been suggested by a most irreverent person that special tram and train services should be run from St. Helens to Haydock to allow the populace a glimpse of builders at work, and to hear the long forgotten sounds in the metallic clink of trowel on brick and the mild thunder of the cart as it deposits its load of bricks at the contractor's dump."
They were referring to eighty-two houses that were now in construction on land opposite Park Street in Haydock. These would not only have bathrooms but a playground would also be built for the residents' children. The Reporter described the playground as "perhaps unique outside the realm of school building."
Mr Holmes said he had found the man employment but he had refused to take it. Myers told the court that he objected to Holmes painting him as "black as hell" and claiming he was probably living too well. "Living too well, indeed", Myers said disdainfully. "You can have me medically examined and you will find that I am only skin and bones now." Asked whether he had worked since his release, Myers said he had not but caused laughter by saying he had been to several works gates. He also admitted steaming open a letter that Mr Holmes had given him to take to prospective employers declaring it not a fit one to take. Edward Myers was sent to prison for 28 days.
In the St Helens Police Court on the 31st Thomas Fay was charged with being on the enclosed premises of the Theatre Royal with intent to commit a felony. Four days earlier at 10:25pm the manager of the Aladdin Pantomime Company had been in the theatre's dressing rooms when he heard faint footsteps coming along the passage. Thinking it was one of his artists returning, George Graham glanced into a mirror and saw a man step back out of the doorway.
It was Thomas Fay and Mr Graham asked him what he wanted and Fay replied: "Nothing chum". Not satisfied with his answer, Graham spoke to the theatre's manager and the police were eventually summoned. With all the pantomime company's artists performing on stage, it was thought that the man had intended to steal from their dressing rooms.
Fay was described as having been impertinent to Inspector Shaw and in court said he’d been trying to find out about a boxing tournament that was coming to the theatre. During the war Fay had been wounded in a leg and had spent time at Lord Derby's war hospital in Warrington suffering from shell shock. However he had previously been convicted for various offences and was committed to prison for 14 days with hard labour.
The aforementioned boxing tournament was held at the theatre during the afternoon of the 31st. The St Helens Reporter described the event as a new innovation and said the attendance had been huge.
St Peter's Church in Parr held a special musical service on the 31st that featured two opera singers. The event was organised by their Bible Class and raised almost £30 for the forthcoming church bazaar.
Details of a plain-clothes police raid on thirty gamblers were given in St Helens Police Court on February 2nd. The men were playing pitch and toss in Recreation Street and as usual they scattered when the bobbies appeared on the scene. The unlucky ones who didn’t take to their heels fast enough were Richard Lester of Park Street and Robert Taylor of Napier Street. When taken into custody Lester became violent and offered a £2 bribe to the officers to let him go. He was fined £2 16s 6d and Taylor was told to pay £2.
Also in court was John McDermott of the Fairclough Lodging House in Earlestown who was described by the St Helens Chief Constable as an "expert moocher". PC Hurst had observed McDermott in Hill Street knocking on several doors. Upon spotting the policeman, McDermott immediately ran off into the Lord Nelson Hotel in College Street and then onto the Millstone Hotel.
Upon making enquiries PC Hurst learnt that McDermott had not bought any drinks at either place but had instead been badgering people at the bar. A woman at one of the houses where he'd called told the police that the man had been at her door begging. The Bench sent John McDermott to prison for 28 days.
The circumstances of a strange drowning in St Helens Canal were investigated at an inquest at St Helens Town Hall on the 2nd. It concerned 17-year-old Mary Clark from Widnes who had come to St Helens with a friend called Ada Makin to visit the dancing rooms in George Street. James Kelly from Atherton Street gave evidence that he and a chap called Robert Hankin had met the two girls in Church Street and they had decided to go for a walk.
The four of them went along Hall Street and over Pocket Nook Bridge and then onto the Canal Bridge. They walked 100 yards along the bank and then James and Mary crossed some sidings and the pair then stood and talked for about five minutes. The couple were about 20 feet from the canal and Hankin and Ada stood opposite them on the other side of the sidings.
Mary then announced that it was time for her and Ada to leave as they needed to catch the 9.25pm train back to Widnes. According to James, Mary then walked across the sidings and straight into the canal. He said it had not been a dark night and added that Mary was struggling in the water just one or two yards from the canal side. A scarf was thrown to the drowning girl but she was unable to grasp it.
Both men were criticised for not going into the water – which was 8 to 9 feet deep – in order to rescue Mary but both said they couldn't swim. Mary's father was far from satisfied with James Kelly's account and wanted to know if he had been molesting his daughter, which Kelly denied. The coroner, Frank Jones, asked Dr Unsworth – who had conducted a post-mortem – if Mary had been a "pure girl" and he replied that there was no evidence to the contrary.
The coroner was also dubious about James's explanation. Upon his advice, the jury brought in a verdict of "found drowned" and said there was no evidence to show how Mary had got into the water. The inquest jury also suggested that the police might want to make enquiries into the case.
Next week's stories will include the stolen Sutton loco engine cloths that were made into a bedspread, the Sandon Street mother who protested against her daughter attending school, the woman lodging out in Pigot Street, the man who put Water Street into an uproar and the Vincent Street / New Street marital dispute.
This week's stories include the Raglan Street beggar accused of living too well, an intruder at the Theatre Royal, the expert moocher in College Street, the rare sights and sounds of builders at work in Haydock and the curious death of a Widnes girl in the canal at Pocket Nook.
We begin on the 27th when the inquest on William Dickinson was held.
The 16-year-old from Morris Street in Sutton had been employed underground at Ashtons Green Colliery in Parr (shown above) and had died after being struck down by a runaway coal tub.
The St Helens Charity Cricket Match and Sports committee met in the Town Hall on the 29th.
The organisation raised cash for worthy causes by holding various events, including a game of cricket and a flower show.
It was stated that £260 had been raised during the previous year, which was a record amount.
That was apart from 1913 when King George V had visited St Helens and a holiday was declared.
Those set to benefit were the Fresh Air Fund, St Helens Hospital, Providence Hospital, the Nurses Home, Clog and Stocking Fund, Crippled Children's Aid Society and the Crippled Children's Outing Fund.
Also meeting on that day was Whiston Rural District Council's Building Plans Committee.
They considered proposals to build twenty-four temporary wooden bungalows as part of the ill-fated Pilkington Garden Village.
The glass firm had grand plans to mitigate the housing shortage in St Helens by constructing as many as 4,000 homes.
These would be built on a 600-acre site between Eccleston Hall and the Mere, although in the end less than 100 homes were actually built.
The Whiston committee approved the wooden houses but stipulated that they should be torn down after five years.
The intention appears to have been to rapidly build some temporary homes and then replace them with brick-built versions in 1925.
Although there had been much talk of new house building to resolve the severe housing shortage in the town, so far there had been little action. The St Helens Reporter on the 30th sarcastically wrote:
"It has been suggested by a most irreverent person that special tram and train services should be run from St. Helens to Haydock to allow the populace a glimpse of builders at work, and to hear the long forgotten sounds in the metallic clink of trowel on brick and the mild thunder of the cart as it deposits its load of bricks at the contractor's dump."
They were referring to eighty-two houses that were now in construction on land opposite Park Street in Haydock.
These would not only have bathrooms but a playground would also be built for the residents' children.
The Reporter described the playground as "perhaps unique outside the realm of school building."
The paper also described a recent court case in which a "garrulous prisoner" had caused amusement in the Police Court.
Vagrant Edward Myers had been charged with begging after being collared by PCs Reynolds and Redding calling on houses in Raglan Street (pictured above).
John Holmes, the Police Court missionary (i.e. probation officer), told the court that on the last occasion Myers had been sent to prison he had promised to find work upon his release.
Mr Holmes said he had found the man employment but he had refused to take it.
Myers told the court that he objected to Holmes painting him as "black as hell" and claiming he was probably living too well.
"Living too well, indeed", Myers said disdainfully. "You can have me medically examined and you will find that I am only skin and bones now."
Asked whether he had worked since his release, Myers said he had not but caused laughter by saying he had been to several works gates.
He also admitted steaming open a letter that Mr Holmes had given him to take to prospective employers declaring it not a fit one to take. Edward Myers was sent to prison for 28 days.
In the St Helens Police Court on the 31st Thomas Fay was charged with being on the enclosed premises of the Theatre Royal with intent to commit a felony.
Four days earlier at 10:25pm the manager of the Aladdin Pantomime Company had been in the theatre's dressing rooms when he heard faint footsteps coming along the passage.
Thinking it was one of his artists returning, George Graham glanced into a mirror and saw a man step back out of the doorway.
It was Thomas Fay and Mr Graham asked him what he wanted and Fay replied: "Nothing chum".
Not satisfied with his answer, Graham spoke to the theatre's manager and the police were eventually summoned.
With all the pantomime company's artists performing on stage, it was thought that the man had intended to steal from their dressing rooms.
Fay was described as having been impertinent to Inspector Shaw and in court said he’d been trying to find out about a boxing tournament that was coming to the theatre.
During the war Fay had been wounded in a leg and had spent time at Lord Derby's war hospital in Warrington suffering from shell shock.
However he had previously been convicted for various offences and was committed to prison for 14 days with hard labour.
The aforementioned boxing tournament was held at the theatre during the afternoon of the 31st.
The St Helens Reporter described the event as a new innovation and said the attendance had been huge.
St Peter's Church in Parr held a special musical service on the 31st that featured two opera singers.
The event was organised by their Bible Class and raised almost £30 for the forthcoming church bazaar.
Details of a plain-clothes police raid on thirty gamblers were given in St Helens Police Court on February 2nd.
The men were playing pitch and toss in Recreation Street and as usual they scattered when the bobbies appeared on the scene.
The unlucky ones who didn’t take to their heels fast enough were Richard Lester of Park Street and Robert Taylor of Napier Street.
When taken into custody Lester became violent and offered a £2 bribe to the officers to let him go. He was fined £2 16s 6d and Taylor was told to pay £2.
Also in court was John McDermott of the Fairclough Lodging House in Earlestown who was described by the St Helens Chief Constable as an "expert moocher".
PC Hurst had observed McDermott in Hill Street knocking on several doors.
Upon spotting the policeman, McDermott immediately ran off into the Lord Nelson Hotel in College Street and then onto the Millstone Hotel.
Upon making enquiries PC Hurst learnt that McDermott had not bought any drinks at either place but had instead been badgering people at the bar.
A woman at one of the houses where he'd called told the police that the man had been at her door begging. The Bench sent John McDermott to prison for 28 days.
The circumstances of a strange drowning in St Helens Canal were investigated at an inquest at St Helens Town Hall on the 2nd.
It concerned 17-year-old Mary Clark from Widnes who had come to St Helens with a friend called Ada Makin to visit the dancing rooms in George Street.
James Kelly from Atherton Street gave evidence that he and a chap called Robert Hankin had met the two girls in Church Street and they had decided to go for a walk.
The four of them went along Hall Street and over Pocket Nook Bridge and then onto the Canal Bridge.
They walked 100 yards along the bank and then James and Mary crossed some sidings and the pair then stood and talked for about five minutes.
The couple were about 20 feet from the canal and Hankin and Ada stood opposite them on the other side of the sidings.
Mary then announced that it was time for her and Ada to leave as they needed to catch the 9.25pm train back to Widnes.
According to James, Mary then walked across the sidings and straight into the canal.
He said it had not been a dark night and added that Mary was struggling in the water just one or two yards from the canal side.
A scarf was thrown to the drowning girl but she was unable to grasp it.
Both men were criticised for not going into the water – which was 8 to 9 feet deep – in order to rescue Mary but both said they couldn't swim.
Mary's father was far from satisfied with James Kelly's account and wanted to know if he had been molesting his daughter, which Kelly denied.
The coroner, Frank Jones, asked Dr Unsworth – who had conducted a post-mortem – if Mary had been a "pure girl" and he replied that there was no evidence to the contrary.
The coroner was also dubious about James's explanation. Upon his advice, the jury brought in a verdict of "found drowned" and said there was no evidence to show how Mary had got into the water.
The inquest jury also suggested that the police might want to make enquiries into the case.
Next week's stories will include the stolen Sutton loco engine cloths that were made into a bedspread, the Sandon Street mother who protested against her daughter attending school, the woman lodging out in Pigot Street, the man who put Water Street into an uproar and the Vincent Street / New Street marital dispute.
We begin on the 27th when the inquest on William Dickinson was held.
The 16-year-old from Morris Street in Sutton had been employed underground at Ashtons Green Colliery in Parr (shown above) and had died after being struck down by a runaway coal tub.
The St Helens Charity Cricket Match and Sports committee met in the Town Hall on the 29th.
The organisation raised cash for worthy causes by holding various events, including a game of cricket and a flower show.
It was stated that £260 had been raised during the previous year, which was a record amount.
That was apart from 1913 when King George V had visited St Helens and a holiday was declared.
Those set to benefit were the Fresh Air Fund, St Helens Hospital, Providence Hospital, the Nurses Home, Clog and Stocking Fund, Crippled Children's Aid Society and the Crippled Children's Outing Fund.
Also meeting on that day was Whiston Rural District Council's Building Plans Committee.
They considered proposals to build twenty-four temporary wooden bungalows as part of the ill-fated Pilkington Garden Village.
The glass firm had grand plans to mitigate the housing shortage in St Helens by constructing as many as 4,000 homes.
These would be built on a 600-acre site between Eccleston Hall and the Mere, although in the end less than 100 homes were actually built.
The Whiston committee approved the wooden houses but stipulated that they should be torn down after five years.
The intention appears to have been to rapidly build some temporary homes and then replace them with brick-built versions in 1925.
Although there had been much talk of new house building to resolve the severe housing shortage in the town, so far there had been little action. The St Helens Reporter on the 30th sarcastically wrote:
"It has been suggested by a most irreverent person that special tram and train services should be run from St. Helens to Haydock to allow the populace a glimpse of builders at work, and to hear the long forgotten sounds in the metallic clink of trowel on brick and the mild thunder of the cart as it deposits its load of bricks at the contractor's dump."
They were referring to eighty-two houses that were now in construction on land opposite Park Street in Haydock.
These would not only have bathrooms but a playground would also be built for the residents' children.
The Reporter described the playground as "perhaps unique outside the realm of school building."
Vagrant Edward Myers had been charged with begging after being collared by PCs Reynolds and Redding calling on houses in Raglan Street (pictured above).
John Holmes, the Police Court missionary (i.e. probation officer), told the court that on the last occasion Myers had been sent to prison he had promised to find work upon his release.
Mr Holmes said he had found the man employment but he had refused to take it.
Myers told the court that he objected to Holmes painting him as "black as hell" and claiming he was probably living too well.
"Living too well, indeed", Myers said disdainfully. "You can have me medically examined and you will find that I am only skin and bones now."
Asked whether he had worked since his release, Myers said he had not but caused laughter by saying he had been to several works gates.
He also admitted steaming open a letter that Mr Holmes had given him to take to prospective employers declaring it not a fit one to take. Edward Myers was sent to prison for 28 days.
In the St Helens Police Court on the 31st Thomas Fay was charged with being on the enclosed premises of the Theatre Royal with intent to commit a felony.
Four days earlier at 10:25pm the manager of the Aladdin Pantomime Company had been in the theatre's dressing rooms when he heard faint footsteps coming along the passage.
Thinking it was one of his artists returning, George Graham glanced into a mirror and saw a man step back out of the doorway.
It was Thomas Fay and Mr Graham asked him what he wanted and Fay replied: "Nothing chum".
Not satisfied with his answer, Graham spoke to the theatre's manager and the police were eventually summoned.
With all the pantomime company's artists performing on stage, it was thought that the man had intended to steal from their dressing rooms.
Fay was described as having been impertinent to Inspector Shaw and in court said he’d been trying to find out about a boxing tournament that was coming to the theatre.
During the war Fay had been wounded in a leg and had spent time at Lord Derby's war hospital in Warrington suffering from shell shock.
However he had previously been convicted for various offences and was committed to prison for 14 days with hard labour.
The aforementioned boxing tournament was held at the theatre during the afternoon of the 31st.
The St Helens Reporter described the event as a new innovation and said the attendance had been huge.
St Peter's Church in Parr held a special musical service on the 31st that featured two opera singers.
The event was organised by their Bible Class and raised almost £30 for the forthcoming church bazaar.
Details of a plain-clothes police raid on thirty gamblers were given in St Helens Police Court on February 2nd.
The men were playing pitch and toss in Recreation Street and as usual they scattered when the bobbies appeared on the scene.
The unlucky ones who didn’t take to their heels fast enough were Richard Lester of Park Street and Robert Taylor of Napier Street.
When taken into custody Lester became violent and offered a £2 bribe to the officers to let him go. He was fined £2 16s 6d and Taylor was told to pay £2.
Also in court was John McDermott of the Fairclough Lodging House in Earlestown who was described by the St Helens Chief Constable as an "expert moocher".
PC Hurst had observed McDermott in Hill Street knocking on several doors.
Upon spotting the policeman, McDermott immediately ran off into the Lord Nelson Hotel in College Street and then onto the Millstone Hotel.
Upon making enquiries PC Hurst learnt that McDermott had not bought any drinks at either place but had instead been badgering people at the bar.
A woman at one of the houses where he'd called told the police that the man had been at her door begging. The Bench sent John McDermott to prison for 28 days.
The circumstances of a strange drowning in St Helens Canal were investigated at an inquest at St Helens Town Hall on the 2nd.
It concerned 17-year-old Mary Clark from Widnes who had come to St Helens with a friend called Ada Makin to visit the dancing rooms in George Street.
James Kelly from Atherton Street gave evidence that he and a chap called Robert Hankin had met the two girls in Church Street and they had decided to go for a walk.
The four of them went along Hall Street and over Pocket Nook Bridge and then onto the Canal Bridge.
They walked 100 yards along the bank and then James and Mary crossed some sidings and the pair then stood and talked for about five minutes.
The couple were about 20 feet from the canal and Hankin and Ada stood opposite them on the other side of the sidings.
Mary then announced that it was time for her and Ada to leave as they needed to catch the 9.25pm train back to Widnes.
According to James, Mary then walked across the sidings and straight into the canal.
He said it had not been a dark night and added that Mary was struggling in the water just one or two yards from the canal side.
A scarf was thrown to the drowning girl but she was unable to grasp it.
Both men were criticised for not going into the water – which was 8 to 9 feet deep – in order to rescue Mary but both said they couldn't swim.
Mary's father was far from satisfied with James Kelly's account and wanted to know if he had been molesting his daughter, which Kelly denied.
The coroner, Frank Jones, asked Dr Unsworth – who had conducted a post-mortem – if Mary had been a "pure girl" and he replied that there was no evidence to the contrary.
The coroner was also dubious about James's explanation. Upon his advice, the jury brought in a verdict of "found drowned" and said there was no evidence to show how Mary had got into the water.
The inquest jury also suggested that the police might want to make enquiries into the case.
Next week's stories will include the stolen Sutton loco engine cloths that were made into a bedspread, the Sandon Street mother who protested against her daughter attending school, the woman lodging out in Pigot Street, the man who put Water Street into an uproar and the Vincent Street / New Street marital dispute.