150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (18th - 24th JULY 1872)
This week's stories include the fire at Bold Old Hall farm, a savage attack on a man at the Ravenhead reservoir, the beating up of a policeman, the Pilks apprentice that was doubly fined, St Helens Cricket Club's athletics festival and the sad death of a child in a quarry.
Fire breaking out on a farm was a time of great activity in the 1870s. Large firms would have their own small engines to deal with fires – but farmers had to rely on the less efficient method of passing buckets of water along a chain of people. That was until town and company fire engines could arrive on the scene and, in rural locations, that could take some time. With no telephone to spread the news of the blaze, messengers had to be dispatched on horseback.
At least when fire struck huge haystacks on Bold Old Hall Farm on the 19th, its location meant three brigades were within range. Messengers on fast horses were sent to St Helens, Warrington and what was then known as Sankey Bridges to summon their engines. Of course, each brigade then had to ring their fire bells to summon their men and then get their horse-driven jalopy on the road. Once the slow-moving brigade arrived at its destination, water had to be sourced and if the fire had not already been extinguished, it was likely by then to have taken a firm hold.
The fire at Bold broke out just after 5pm and the St Helens Corporation brigade arrived at the farm just before six. By then the Warrington and Sankey Bridges brigades had been in place for about 20 minutes and the farm labourers with their buckets of water had done a sterling job – and so the services of the St Helens men were declined.
It was not known what had been the cause of the Bold fire but it had been a hot day and it did not take much of a spark to set dry stacks of hay alight. It was assumed that a farm labourer had caused the conflagration by smoking – but, of course, no one would admit that. The damage was estimated to have cost about £1,000, and, in addition, I expect all three brigades would have submitted bills for their services.
A little boy called George Hulme from St Thomas Street in St Helens was killed on the 20th after falling down into a quarry at College Lane. He had been in company with a 3-year-old girl called Margaret Long and hand-in-hand they'd ventured near to the edge of the quarry and accidentally fallen down a bank. A labourer managed to grab hold of the girl's clothes and pull her to safety – but the boy fell to the bottom with his head smashing onto a stone.
St Helens Cricket Club's third annual athletics festival was held at their Dentons Green cricket ground on the 20th. The event was due to have taken place a week earlier but was put back due to heavy rain. However, the sun shone on the rearranged day and the attendance was described as very large with over 200 competitors.
The sports were wide ranging and along with the usual flat races for men and boys, there were hurdle races, walking races, sack races, sword exercise contests, bicycle races and long and high jumps. The St Helens Newspaper wrote: "Our St. Helens athletes do not occupy a very high position in the athletic world at present. However there was abundant promise, and each year that passes will develop the latent power."
Thomas McNally appeared in the St Helens Petty Sessions on the 22nd charged with neglecting his wife and family. The Prescot Guardians had been forced to step in to help his wife put food on the table and in total £2 10 shillings had been paid. It was a husband's duty to provide for his family and the Guardians – the administrators of the Poor Law within the St Helens district – wanted the ratepayers' money back. If that was not possible then a prison sentence had to be served, as an example needed to be made to other wayward husbands and fathers.
And the figures in authority, when addressing the magistrates, were happy to make critical claims against defendants without providing any evidence. So, the St Helens Relieving Officer, James Fowler told them that McNally was: "A bad man in receipt of good wages as a bricklayer, and addicted to spending his money in drink." Warning the court not to believe any of the man's promises, Mr Fowler added that McNally had offered to pay off his debt at 10 shillings a week.
The Bench was, as usual, heavily influenced by what officials told them and rejected the man's offer out of hand. McNally was ordered to pay the £2 10 shillings at once or go to gaol for two months. The cash owed was probably more than a fortnight's wages and so Kirkdale Prison was his likely destination.
Patrick Meghan and Thomas Dorsey appeared in court charged with assaulting and resisting PC Singleton. Meghan had got into an argument with the constable that resulted in the officer struggling with him on the ground. Dorsey then appeared on the scene and kicked PC Singleton in his side and threatened to kill him if he did not let Meghan go. The officer told the court that the pair had overpowered him but he received assistance and eventually managed to take both men into custody.
A witness called Mary Anderton corroborated his statement but the defence blamed the policeman, with Meghan saying he had been badly beaten. Beating up a policeman was not usually considered worthy of prison time and so Davey was simply fined 35 shillings and costs and Meghan £1.
The next case involved a Pilkington's apprentice and, as well as being poorly paid and forced to work long hours, it seems such individuals could also be fined by their bosses. Charles Anders was charged with leaving his employment without permission. The 16-year-old from Lyon Street had arrived at work and been told his manager had decided to fine him for some unstated offence committed several days earlier.
Upon hearing the news, Charles put on his coat and went home. Later he claimed he had been ill, something he had not previously mentioned. In court it was stated that Pilkington's only sought to have their expenses repaid and the boy taught that apprentices could not leave their work when they liked. A foreman claimed the company had lost 10 shillings through the boy's absence and Charles was ordered to pay 17s. 6d. or go to prison for 14 days.
The crazy summer weather continued in St Helens with more heavy thunderstorms occurring on the 24th, which again flooded part of Duke Street. The St Helens Newspaper wrote that the storm struck at 2am with "dreadful suddenness, and with a grandeur unprecedented for a long series of years". The lightning flashed with "startling frequency" and the "elemental war" involved rain falling in torrents, which "showered upon the windows until the glass seemed to crack".
The Newspaper also described how a young man named William Rigby had been brought up in the Police Court charged with indecently assaulting Elizabeth Boardman. However, the newspaper said the evidence of the young woman showed that the assault was "not of a serious character". And so the Bench had decided to cut the case short and they discharged the man. Of course, the assault may not have been considered serious to the male magistrates and reporter – but I expect it had been to the prosecutrix – as Elizabeth was described.
Bathing in works' reservoirs in St Helens was very common in hot weather – but it could also be dangerous. On June 18th a large group of young men and boys had been cooling themselves in the reservoir of the Ravenhead Glassworks. Thomas Ashcroft had received instructions to drive them all away but when he tried to do so, a man called James Donaghue came out of the water and struck him.
Then many of the others joined in and knocked the man down and kicked him – and even tried to throw him into the reservoir. The victim said as a result of the attack he had been under the care of a doctor for a fortnight. The courts did not always treat violent offences seriously – but they did with this case. Several of the offenders had already been sent to prison for their part in the affair and, on the 22nd, James Donaghue was given two months with hard labour.
Next week's stories will include the lightning flashes blinding in their brilliancy, a shocking child emaciation case in Crank, love is blind for the Laffak swains and damsels and the striking porters at St Helens Railway Station.
Fire breaking out on a farm was a time of great activity in the 1870s. Large firms would have their own small engines to deal with fires – but farmers had to rely on the less efficient method of passing buckets of water along a chain of people. That was until town and company fire engines could arrive on the scene and, in rural locations, that could take some time. With no telephone to spread the news of the blaze, messengers had to be dispatched on horseback.
At least when fire struck huge haystacks on Bold Old Hall Farm on the 19th, its location meant three brigades were within range. Messengers on fast horses were sent to St Helens, Warrington and what was then known as Sankey Bridges to summon their engines. Of course, each brigade then had to ring their fire bells to summon their men and then get their horse-driven jalopy on the road. Once the slow-moving brigade arrived at its destination, water had to be sourced and if the fire had not already been extinguished, it was likely by then to have taken a firm hold.
The fire at Bold broke out just after 5pm and the St Helens Corporation brigade arrived at the farm just before six. By then the Warrington and Sankey Bridges brigades had been in place for about 20 minutes and the farm labourers with their buckets of water had done a sterling job – and so the services of the St Helens men were declined.
It was not known what had been the cause of the Bold fire but it had been a hot day and it did not take much of a spark to set dry stacks of hay alight. It was assumed that a farm labourer had caused the conflagration by smoking – but, of course, no one would admit that. The damage was estimated to have cost about £1,000, and, in addition, I expect all three brigades would have submitted bills for their services.
A little boy called George Hulme from St Thomas Street in St Helens was killed on the 20th after falling down into a quarry at College Lane. He had been in company with a 3-year-old girl called Margaret Long and hand-in-hand they'd ventured near to the edge of the quarry and accidentally fallen down a bank. A labourer managed to grab hold of the girl's clothes and pull her to safety – but the boy fell to the bottom with his head smashing onto a stone.
St Helens Cricket Club's third annual athletics festival was held at their Dentons Green cricket ground on the 20th. The event was due to have taken place a week earlier but was put back due to heavy rain. However, the sun shone on the rearranged day and the attendance was described as very large with over 200 competitors.
The sports were wide ranging and along with the usual flat races for men and boys, there were hurdle races, walking races, sack races, sword exercise contests, bicycle races and long and high jumps. The St Helens Newspaper wrote: "Our St. Helens athletes do not occupy a very high position in the athletic world at present. However there was abundant promise, and each year that passes will develop the latent power."
Thomas McNally appeared in the St Helens Petty Sessions on the 22nd charged with neglecting his wife and family. The Prescot Guardians had been forced to step in to help his wife put food on the table and in total £2 10 shillings had been paid. It was a husband's duty to provide for his family and the Guardians – the administrators of the Poor Law within the St Helens district – wanted the ratepayers' money back. If that was not possible then a prison sentence had to be served, as an example needed to be made to other wayward husbands and fathers.
And the figures in authority, when addressing the magistrates, were happy to make critical claims against defendants without providing any evidence. So, the St Helens Relieving Officer, James Fowler told them that McNally was: "A bad man in receipt of good wages as a bricklayer, and addicted to spending his money in drink." Warning the court not to believe any of the man's promises, Mr Fowler added that McNally had offered to pay off his debt at 10 shillings a week.
The Bench was, as usual, heavily influenced by what officials told them and rejected the man's offer out of hand. McNally was ordered to pay the £2 10 shillings at once or go to gaol for two months. The cash owed was probably more than a fortnight's wages and so Kirkdale Prison was his likely destination.
Patrick Meghan and Thomas Dorsey appeared in court charged with assaulting and resisting PC Singleton. Meghan had got into an argument with the constable that resulted in the officer struggling with him on the ground. Dorsey then appeared on the scene and kicked PC Singleton in his side and threatened to kill him if he did not let Meghan go. The officer told the court that the pair had overpowered him but he received assistance and eventually managed to take both men into custody.
A witness called Mary Anderton corroborated his statement but the defence blamed the policeman, with Meghan saying he had been badly beaten. Beating up a policeman was not usually considered worthy of prison time and so Davey was simply fined 35 shillings and costs and Meghan £1.
Upon hearing the news, Charles put on his coat and went home. Later he claimed he had been ill, something he had not previously mentioned. In court it was stated that Pilkington's only sought to have their expenses repaid and the boy taught that apprentices could not leave their work when they liked. A foreman claimed the company had lost 10 shillings through the boy's absence and Charles was ordered to pay 17s. 6d. or go to prison for 14 days.
The crazy summer weather continued in St Helens with more heavy thunderstorms occurring on the 24th, which again flooded part of Duke Street. The St Helens Newspaper wrote that the storm struck at 2am with "dreadful suddenness, and with a grandeur unprecedented for a long series of years". The lightning flashed with "startling frequency" and the "elemental war" involved rain falling in torrents, which "showered upon the windows until the glass seemed to crack".
The Newspaper also described how a young man named William Rigby had been brought up in the Police Court charged with indecently assaulting Elizabeth Boardman. However, the newspaper said the evidence of the young woman showed that the assault was "not of a serious character". And so the Bench had decided to cut the case short and they discharged the man. Of course, the assault may not have been considered serious to the male magistrates and reporter – but I expect it had been to the prosecutrix – as Elizabeth was described.
Bathing in works' reservoirs in St Helens was very common in hot weather – but it could also be dangerous. On June 18th a large group of young men and boys had been cooling themselves in the reservoir of the Ravenhead Glassworks. Thomas Ashcroft had received instructions to drive them all away but when he tried to do so, a man called James Donaghue came out of the water and struck him.
Then many of the others joined in and knocked the man down and kicked him – and even tried to throw him into the reservoir. The victim said as a result of the attack he had been under the care of a doctor for a fortnight. The courts did not always treat violent offences seriously – but they did with this case. Several of the offenders had already been sent to prison for their part in the affair and, on the 22nd, James Donaghue was given two months with hard labour.
Next week's stories will include the lightning flashes blinding in their brilliancy, a shocking child emaciation case in Crank, love is blind for the Laffak swains and damsels and the striking porters at St Helens Railway Station.
This week's stories include the fire at Bold Old Hall farm, a savage attack on a man at the Ravenhead reservoir, the beating up of a policeman, the Pilks apprentice that was doubly fined, St Helens Cricket Club's athletics festival and the sad death of a child in a quarry.
Fire breaking out on a farm was a time of great activity in the 1870s.
Large firms would have their own small engines to deal with fires – but farmers had to rely on the less efficient method of passing buckets of water along a chain of people.
That was until town and company fire engines could arrive on the scene and, in rural locations, that could take some time.
With no telephone to spread the news of the blaze, messengers had to be dispatched on horseback.
At least when fire struck huge haystacks on Bold Old Hall Farm on the 19th, its location meant three brigades were within range.
Messengers on fast horses were sent to St Helens, Warrington and what was then known as Sankey Bridges to summon their engines.
Of course, each brigade then had to ring their fire bells to summon their men and then get their horse-driven jalopy on the road.
Once the slow-moving brigade arrived at its destination, water had to be sourced and if the fire had not already been extinguished, it was likely by then to have taken a firm hold.
The fire at Bold broke out just after 5pm and the St Helens Corporation brigade arrived at the farm just before six.
By then the Warrington and Sankey Bridges brigades had been in place for about 20 minutes and the farm labourers with their buckets of water had done a sterling job – and so the services of the St Helens men were declined.
It was not known what had been the cause of the Bold fire but it had been a hot day and it did not take much of a spark to set dry stacks of hay alight.
It was assumed that a farm labourer had caused the conflagration by smoking – but, of course, no one would admit that.
The damage was estimated to have cost about £1,000, and, in addition, I expect all three brigades would have submitted bills for their services.
A little boy called George Hulme from St Thomas Street in St Helens was killed on the 20th after falling down into a quarry at College Lane.
He had been in company with a 3-year-old girl called Margaret Long and hand-in-hand they'd ventured near to the edge of the quarry and accidentally fallen down a bank.
A labourer managed to grab hold of the girl's clothes and pull her to safety – but the boy fell to the bottom with his head smashing onto a stone.
St Helens Cricket Club's third annual athletics festival was held at their Dentons Green cricket ground on the 20th.
The event was due to have taken place a week earlier but was put back due to heavy rain.
However, the sun shone on the rearranged day and the attendance was described as very large with over 200 competitors.
The sports were wide ranging and along with the usual flat races for men and boys, there were hurdle races, walking races, sack races, sword exercise contests, bicycle races and long and high jumps.
The St Helens Newspaper wrote: "Our St. Helens athletes do not occupy a very high position in the athletic world at present. However there was abundant promise, and each year that passes will develop the latent power."
Thomas McNally appeared in the St Helens Petty Sessions on the 22nd charged with neglecting his wife and family.
The Prescot Guardians had been forced to step in to help his wife put food on the table and in total £2 10 shillings had been paid.
It was a husband's duty to provide for his family and the Guardians – the administrators of the Poor Law within the St Helens district – wanted the ratepayers' money back.
If that was not possible then a prison sentence had to be served, as an example needed to be made to other wayward husbands and fathers.
And the figures in authority, when addressing the magistrates, were happy to make critical claims against defendants without providing any evidence.
So, the St Helens Relieving Officer, James Fowler told them that McNally was: "A bad man in receipt of good wages as a bricklayer, and addicted to spending his money in drink."
Warning the court not to believe any of the man's promises, Mr Fowler added that McNally had offered to pay off his debt at 10 shillings a week.
The Bench was, as usual, heavily influenced by what officials told them and rejected the man's offer out of hand.
McNally was ordered to pay the £2 10 shillings at once or go to gaol for two months.
The cash owed was probably more than a fortnight's wages and so Kirkdale Prison was his likely destination.
Patrick Meghan and Thomas Dorsey appeared in court charged with assaulting and resisting PC Singleton.
Meghan had got into an argument with the constable that resulted in the officer struggling with him on the ground.
Dorsey then appeared on the scene and kicked PC Singleton in his side and threatened to kill him if he did not let Meghan go.
The officer told the court that the pair had overpowered him but he received assistance and eventually managed to take both men into custody.
A witness called Mary Anderton corroborated his statement but the defence blamed the policeman, with Meghan saying he had been badly beaten.
Beating up a policeman was not usually considered worthy of prison time and so Davey was simply fined 35 shillings and costs and Meghan £1.
The next case involved a Pilkington's apprentice and, as well as being poorly paid and forced to work long hours, it seems such individuals could also be fined by their bosses.
Charles Anders was charged with leaving his employment without permission.
The 16-year-old from Lyon Street had arrived at work and been told his manager had decided to fine him for some unstated offence committed several days earlier.
Upon hearing the news, Charles put on his coat and went home. Later he claimed he had been ill, something he had not previously mentioned.
In court it was stated that Pilkington's only sought to have their expenses repaid and the boy taught that apprentices could not leave their work when they liked.
A foreman claimed the company had lost 10 shillings through the boy's absence and Charles was ordered to pay 17s. 6d. or go to prison for 14 days.
The crazy summer weather continued in St Helens with more heavy thunderstorms occurring on the 24th, which again flooded part of Duke Street.
The St Helens Newspaper wrote that the storm struck at 2am with "dreadful suddenness, and with a grandeur unprecedented for a long series of years".
The lightning flashed with "startling frequency" and the "elemental war" involved rain falling in torrents, which "showered upon the windows until the glass seemed to crack".
The Newspaper also described how a young man named William Rigby had been brought up in the Police Court charged with indecently assaulting Elizabeth Boardman.
However, the newspaper said the evidence of the young woman showed that the assault was "not of a serious character".
And so the Bench had decided to cut the case short and they discharged the man.
Of course, the assault may not have been considered serious to the male magistrates and reporter – but I expect it had been to the prosecutrix – as Elizabeth was described.
Bathing in works' reservoirs in St Helens was very common in hot weather – but it could also be dangerous.
On June 18th a large group of young men and boys had been cooling themselves in the reservoir of the Ravenhead Glassworks.
Thomas Ashcroft had received instructions to drive them all away but when he tried to do so, a man called James Donaghue came out of the water and struck him.
Then many of the others joined in and knocked the man down and kicked him – and even tried to throw him into the reservoir.
The victim said as a result of the attack he had been under the care of a doctor for a fortnight.
The courts did not always treat violent offences seriously – but they did with this case.
Several of the offenders had already been sent to prison for their part in the affair and, on the 22nd, James Donaghue was given two months with hard labour.
Next week's stories will include the lightning flashes blinding in their brilliancy, a shocking child emaciation case in Crank, love is blind for the Laffak swains and damsels and the striking porters at St Helens Railway Station.
Fire breaking out on a farm was a time of great activity in the 1870s.
Large firms would have their own small engines to deal with fires – but farmers had to rely on the less efficient method of passing buckets of water along a chain of people.
That was until town and company fire engines could arrive on the scene and, in rural locations, that could take some time.
With no telephone to spread the news of the blaze, messengers had to be dispatched on horseback.
At least when fire struck huge haystacks on Bold Old Hall Farm on the 19th, its location meant three brigades were within range.
Messengers on fast horses were sent to St Helens, Warrington and what was then known as Sankey Bridges to summon their engines.
Of course, each brigade then had to ring their fire bells to summon their men and then get their horse-driven jalopy on the road.
Once the slow-moving brigade arrived at its destination, water had to be sourced and if the fire had not already been extinguished, it was likely by then to have taken a firm hold.
The fire at Bold broke out just after 5pm and the St Helens Corporation brigade arrived at the farm just before six.
By then the Warrington and Sankey Bridges brigades had been in place for about 20 minutes and the farm labourers with their buckets of water had done a sterling job – and so the services of the St Helens men were declined.
It was not known what had been the cause of the Bold fire but it had been a hot day and it did not take much of a spark to set dry stacks of hay alight.
It was assumed that a farm labourer had caused the conflagration by smoking – but, of course, no one would admit that.
The damage was estimated to have cost about £1,000, and, in addition, I expect all three brigades would have submitted bills for their services.
A little boy called George Hulme from St Thomas Street in St Helens was killed on the 20th after falling down into a quarry at College Lane.
He had been in company with a 3-year-old girl called Margaret Long and hand-in-hand they'd ventured near to the edge of the quarry and accidentally fallen down a bank.
A labourer managed to grab hold of the girl's clothes and pull her to safety – but the boy fell to the bottom with his head smashing onto a stone.
St Helens Cricket Club's third annual athletics festival was held at their Dentons Green cricket ground on the 20th.
The event was due to have taken place a week earlier but was put back due to heavy rain.
However, the sun shone on the rearranged day and the attendance was described as very large with over 200 competitors.
The sports were wide ranging and along with the usual flat races for men and boys, there were hurdle races, walking races, sack races, sword exercise contests, bicycle races and long and high jumps.
The St Helens Newspaper wrote: "Our St. Helens athletes do not occupy a very high position in the athletic world at present. However there was abundant promise, and each year that passes will develop the latent power."
Thomas McNally appeared in the St Helens Petty Sessions on the 22nd charged with neglecting his wife and family.
The Prescot Guardians had been forced to step in to help his wife put food on the table and in total £2 10 shillings had been paid.
It was a husband's duty to provide for his family and the Guardians – the administrators of the Poor Law within the St Helens district – wanted the ratepayers' money back.
If that was not possible then a prison sentence had to be served, as an example needed to be made to other wayward husbands and fathers.
And the figures in authority, when addressing the magistrates, were happy to make critical claims against defendants without providing any evidence.
So, the St Helens Relieving Officer, James Fowler told them that McNally was: "A bad man in receipt of good wages as a bricklayer, and addicted to spending his money in drink."
Warning the court not to believe any of the man's promises, Mr Fowler added that McNally had offered to pay off his debt at 10 shillings a week.
The Bench was, as usual, heavily influenced by what officials told them and rejected the man's offer out of hand.
McNally was ordered to pay the £2 10 shillings at once or go to gaol for two months.
The cash owed was probably more than a fortnight's wages and so Kirkdale Prison was his likely destination.
Patrick Meghan and Thomas Dorsey appeared in court charged with assaulting and resisting PC Singleton.
Meghan had got into an argument with the constable that resulted in the officer struggling with him on the ground.
Dorsey then appeared on the scene and kicked PC Singleton in his side and threatened to kill him if he did not let Meghan go.
The officer told the court that the pair had overpowered him but he received assistance and eventually managed to take both men into custody.
A witness called Mary Anderton corroborated his statement but the defence blamed the policeman, with Meghan saying he had been badly beaten.
Beating up a policeman was not usually considered worthy of prison time and so Davey was simply fined 35 shillings and costs and Meghan £1.
Charles Anders was charged with leaving his employment without permission.
The 16-year-old from Lyon Street had arrived at work and been told his manager had decided to fine him for some unstated offence committed several days earlier.
Upon hearing the news, Charles put on his coat and went home. Later he claimed he had been ill, something he had not previously mentioned.
In court it was stated that Pilkington's only sought to have their expenses repaid and the boy taught that apprentices could not leave their work when they liked.
A foreman claimed the company had lost 10 shillings through the boy's absence and Charles was ordered to pay 17s. 6d. or go to prison for 14 days.
The crazy summer weather continued in St Helens with more heavy thunderstorms occurring on the 24th, which again flooded part of Duke Street.
The St Helens Newspaper wrote that the storm struck at 2am with "dreadful suddenness, and with a grandeur unprecedented for a long series of years".
The lightning flashed with "startling frequency" and the "elemental war" involved rain falling in torrents, which "showered upon the windows until the glass seemed to crack".
The Newspaper also described how a young man named William Rigby had been brought up in the Police Court charged with indecently assaulting Elizabeth Boardman.
However, the newspaper said the evidence of the young woman showed that the assault was "not of a serious character".
And so the Bench had decided to cut the case short and they discharged the man.
Of course, the assault may not have been considered serious to the male magistrates and reporter – but I expect it had been to the prosecutrix – as Elizabeth was described.
Bathing in works' reservoirs in St Helens was very common in hot weather – but it could also be dangerous.
On June 18th a large group of young men and boys had been cooling themselves in the reservoir of the Ravenhead Glassworks.
Thomas Ashcroft had received instructions to drive them all away but when he tried to do so, a man called James Donaghue came out of the water and struck him.
Then many of the others joined in and knocked the man down and kicked him – and even tried to throw him into the reservoir.
The victim said as a result of the attack he had been under the care of a doctor for a fortnight.
The courts did not always treat violent offences seriously – but they did with this case.
Several of the offenders had already been sent to prison for their part in the affair and, on the 22nd, James Donaghue was given two months with hard labour.
Next week's stories will include the lightning flashes blinding in their brilliancy, a shocking child emaciation case in Crank, love is blind for the Laffak swains and damsels and the striking porters at St Helens Railway Station.