150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 30 MARCH - 5 APRIL 1876
This week's many stories include the attempted rape of a child, the hard times ahead for paupers living in the community, the world-famous vocal illusionist that played St Helens, a man called Pork John is charged with breaking into a Parr Street butcher's, the fire in Shaw Street and the well-off St Helens auctioneer that travelled on a train without a ticket.
We begin at the latest meeting of the Prescot Guardians where it was revealed that 441 persons were currently living in Whiston Workhouse, of which 167 were children. That compared to 391 live-in paupers during the corresponding period in 1875. As well as caring for residents in the workhouse, the Prescot Guardians also provided relief payments to the extreme poor living in the community. These claimants received very small amounts that just kept them going.
They had a very hard life but harder times were likely to be ahead, as the guardians decided to set up a 9-person committee to investigate all claims for relief. Although 212 less persons living in the community had been relieved during the previous year, the overall amount paid to them had risen and so the guardians wanted to check the validity of each claim and see if reductions could be made. The relief payments that they doled out came from ratepayers and there was pressure on the guardians to keep their rate low.
The St Helens Fire Brigade routinely had problems sourcing water when trying to put out a blaze. But usually that was in the districts when the nearest water supply was some distance away from the fire and they would have to take it from places like ponds. But on the evening of the 31st the brigade only had to journey to Shaw Street to deal with a fire but found there was no water.
That was because it had been turned off at the main in the street, something that often happened to conserve the town's scarce water supplies and often led to many complaints. Time was lost getting the supply turned on again, although fortunately, by the time the fire was extinguished, the damage was not too considerable. The outbreak had occurred in the cellar of Loader's Patent Glass Silvering Works, destroying sheets of glass and some packing cases.
On April 1st St Helens had a real treat when world-famous Frederic Maccabe (pictured above) played the Volunteer Hall. As well as being a singer, Maccabe was a ventriloquist – but had no dummy. He preferred the term "vocal illusionist" to describe his performance, having perfected the art of throwing his voice so that it appeared to come from different parts of the stage.
One of his new sketches that he was performing in St Helens was called "Vanquished Villainy", which the St Helens Newspaper advert described in this fashion: "Mr. Maccabe, by a peculiar contrivance of dress, will personate two characters at once, (male and female), remaining during the dual scene upon the stage, in full sight of the audience."
Maccabe had performed in America and Australia and wrote a book called 'The Art of Ventriloquism and Vocal Illusion' which told how to project a voice and tone to create unseen characters. However, despite his fame, Maccabe died in the Ormskirk Workhouse hospital in Wigan Lane in 1904.
William Birchall was a well-known St Helens auctioneer and farmer living in Howards Lane in Eccleston, who was clearly a little fat man. However, the Newspaper described his stature in a far more polite way by saying he was a "diminutive gentleman of swellish appearance." That was after Birchall's appearance in court charged with not paying his train fare and assaulting railway officials.
The auctioneer had been returning from the Grand National in a rather drunken state and had been found in the guard's van at Runcorn without a ticket and refusing to pay his fare. The man had got into the wrong train at Liverpool and when a policeman was sent for, Birchall struck the booking clerk.
When searched at the police station, Birchall was found to have in his possession the huge amount of £46 and in court was fined 70 shillings plus costs. Alternatively, if in default, he would have to serve 3 months in prison, which did not seem very likely.
The word provender is rarely used these days when describing animal feed. But in the pre-motorcar days, provender was often mentioned in local newspapers. In this week's paper the term featured heavily in a report on a court case that involved the well-known builder George Harris & Son. The firm was undertaking some work in Windle City and had arranged for three sacks of provender to be sent there by horse and cart from their works in Liverpool Road.
James Pennington was given the job but on the journey he had met a woman called Marsh and offered her "a bit of provender". She innocently bought a sack for 2 shillings, not knowing that it did not belong to the man. James Henshall was also mixed up in the affair and both men were sent to prison for a month.
At Liverpool Assizes this week a man who bore the nickname "Pork John" was sent to prison for having "burglariously broken and entered the dwelling-house of John Leyland, with intent to steal." The latter was a butcher with premises in Parr Street where he also lived with his wife. The couple had been away from home and when they returned at a late hour, Mrs Leyland heard a noise coming from inside.
Upon looking through the shop window, she saw Pork John in the act of removing a dish from a table and upon going round the back saw the man on the roof of the adjoining premises. Pork John's real name was John Davies and it was stated in court that the 37-year-old had at one time been in a good way of business but had given way to alcohol which had affected his mind. Whether backbreaking hard labour would improve his mental state I can't say, but Davies was sentenced to undertake such a punishment for 3 months.
Also in court was Thomas Gilligan who was charged with assault. The fact that his wife had been "confined" and was soon to give birth had not stopped her husband from threatening her with violence. The woman's mother was so disturbed by the threats that at half-past midnight she had dashed into Ormskirk Street to summon PC Kelly to their lodging house.
When the constable assisted by PC Davies arrived on the scene they found Gilligan acting in a violent manner and threatening to "do" everybody. The landlord of the house told the police that he wanted Gilligan put out, as he was afraid to remain there with him inside. But when the constables asked Gilligan to leave, he struck them both. In court he was fined 20 shillings and costs or must go to prison for a month.
James Dalton was described as a middle-age man when charged in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 3rd with attempting to ravish a little girl named Margaret Riley. The 11-year-old resided in High Street in Greenbank and Dalton was alleged to have entered her house at about 9 o’clock at night when Margaret was alone and asked her where her father was.
She told him he was out and Dalton went away but soon returned and started kissing the girl. He also took her on his knee and attempted to rape her. Margaret was said to have resisted him and Dalton had got up, locked the door and continued his assault. But the brave little girl kicked him and made for the door, followed by Dalton who unlocked it for her. At the door they were met by a next-door neighbour called Mrs Mulrady who had seen some of what occurred by peeping through a chink in the door.
The woman told the magistrates that the girl was crying bitterly and trembling. Dalton then left the house but was chased by a crowd who cried out "stop him" and PC Archer apprehended the man on the corner of Sandfield Crescent. The prosecution accepted that the evidence was insufficient to prove a charge of attempted rape and so it was reduced to one of indecent assault and the prisoner was remanded in custody for four days.
At the resumed hearing, James Dalton was sentenced to two months hard labour. Remember, the so-called "Pork John" got longer for breaking into a Parr Street butcher's but not actually taking anything.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the sad case of the child that died of rabies, the need for more policemen in St Helens, plans to celebrate the opening of the new Town Hall and the start of summer band concerts in St Helens.
We begin at the latest meeting of the Prescot Guardians where it was revealed that 441 persons were currently living in Whiston Workhouse, of which 167 were children. That compared to 391 live-in paupers during the corresponding period in 1875. As well as caring for residents in the workhouse, the Prescot Guardians also provided relief payments to the extreme poor living in the community. These claimants received very small amounts that just kept them going.
They had a very hard life but harder times were likely to be ahead, as the guardians decided to set up a 9-person committee to investigate all claims for relief. Although 212 less persons living in the community had been relieved during the previous year, the overall amount paid to them had risen and so the guardians wanted to check the validity of each claim and see if reductions could be made. The relief payments that they doled out came from ratepayers and there was pressure on the guardians to keep their rate low.
The St Helens Fire Brigade routinely had problems sourcing water when trying to put out a blaze. But usually that was in the districts when the nearest water supply was some distance away from the fire and they would have to take it from places like ponds. But on the evening of the 31st the brigade only had to journey to Shaw Street to deal with a fire but found there was no water.
That was because it had been turned off at the main in the street, something that often happened to conserve the town's scarce water supplies and often led to many complaints. Time was lost getting the supply turned on again, although fortunately, by the time the fire was extinguished, the damage was not too considerable. The outbreak had occurred in the cellar of Loader's Patent Glass Silvering Works, destroying sheets of glass and some packing cases.
One of his new sketches that he was performing in St Helens was called "Vanquished Villainy", which the St Helens Newspaper advert described in this fashion: "Mr. Maccabe, by a peculiar contrivance of dress, will personate two characters at once, (male and female), remaining during the dual scene upon the stage, in full sight of the audience."
Maccabe had performed in America and Australia and wrote a book called 'The Art of Ventriloquism and Vocal Illusion' which told how to project a voice and tone to create unseen characters. However, despite his fame, Maccabe died in the Ormskirk Workhouse hospital in Wigan Lane in 1904.
William Birchall was a well-known St Helens auctioneer and farmer living in Howards Lane in Eccleston, who was clearly a little fat man. However, the Newspaper described his stature in a far more polite way by saying he was a "diminutive gentleman of swellish appearance." That was after Birchall's appearance in court charged with not paying his train fare and assaulting railway officials.
The auctioneer had been returning from the Grand National in a rather drunken state and had been found in the guard's van at Runcorn without a ticket and refusing to pay his fare. The man had got into the wrong train at Liverpool and when a policeman was sent for, Birchall struck the booking clerk.
When searched at the police station, Birchall was found to have in his possession the huge amount of £46 and in court was fined 70 shillings plus costs. Alternatively, if in default, he would have to serve 3 months in prison, which did not seem very likely.
The word provender is rarely used these days when describing animal feed. But in the pre-motorcar days, provender was often mentioned in local newspapers. In this week's paper the term featured heavily in a report on a court case that involved the well-known builder George Harris & Son. The firm was undertaking some work in Windle City and had arranged for three sacks of provender to be sent there by horse and cart from their works in Liverpool Road.
James Pennington was given the job but on the journey he had met a woman called Marsh and offered her "a bit of provender". She innocently bought a sack for 2 shillings, not knowing that it did not belong to the man. James Henshall was also mixed up in the affair and both men were sent to prison for a month.
At Liverpool Assizes this week a man who bore the nickname "Pork John" was sent to prison for having "burglariously broken and entered the dwelling-house of John Leyland, with intent to steal." The latter was a butcher with premises in Parr Street where he also lived with his wife. The couple had been away from home and when they returned at a late hour, Mrs Leyland heard a noise coming from inside.
Upon looking through the shop window, she saw Pork John in the act of removing a dish from a table and upon going round the back saw the man on the roof of the adjoining premises. Pork John's real name was John Davies and it was stated in court that the 37-year-old had at one time been in a good way of business but had given way to alcohol which had affected his mind. Whether backbreaking hard labour would improve his mental state I can't say, but Davies was sentenced to undertake such a punishment for 3 months.
Also in court was Thomas Gilligan who was charged with assault. The fact that his wife had been "confined" and was soon to give birth had not stopped her husband from threatening her with violence. The woman's mother was so disturbed by the threats that at half-past midnight she had dashed into Ormskirk Street to summon PC Kelly to their lodging house.
When the constable assisted by PC Davies arrived on the scene they found Gilligan acting in a violent manner and threatening to "do" everybody. The landlord of the house told the police that he wanted Gilligan put out, as he was afraid to remain there with him inside. But when the constables asked Gilligan to leave, he struck them both. In court he was fined 20 shillings and costs or must go to prison for a month.
James Dalton was described as a middle-age man when charged in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 3rd with attempting to ravish a little girl named Margaret Riley. The 11-year-old resided in High Street in Greenbank and Dalton was alleged to have entered her house at about 9 o’clock at night when Margaret was alone and asked her where her father was.
She told him he was out and Dalton went away but soon returned and started kissing the girl. He also took her on his knee and attempted to rape her. Margaret was said to have resisted him and Dalton had got up, locked the door and continued his assault. But the brave little girl kicked him and made for the door, followed by Dalton who unlocked it for her. At the door they were met by a next-door neighbour called Mrs Mulrady who had seen some of what occurred by peeping through a chink in the door.
The woman told the magistrates that the girl was crying bitterly and trembling. Dalton then left the house but was chased by a crowd who cried out "stop him" and PC Archer apprehended the man on the corner of Sandfield Crescent. The prosecution accepted that the evidence was insufficient to prove a charge of attempted rape and so it was reduced to one of indecent assault and the prisoner was remanded in custody for four days.
At the resumed hearing, James Dalton was sentenced to two months hard labour. Remember, the so-called "Pork John" got longer for breaking into a Parr Street butcher's but not actually taking anything.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the sad case of the child that died of rabies, the need for more policemen in St Helens, plans to celebrate the opening of the new Town Hall and the start of summer band concerts in St Helens.
This week's many stories include the attempted rape of a child, the hard times ahead for paupers living in the community, the world-famous vocal illusionist that played St Helens, a man called Pork John is charged with breaking into a Parr Street butcher's, the fire in Shaw Street and the well-off St Helens auctioneer that travelled on a train without a ticket.
We begin at the latest meeting of the Prescot Guardians where it was revealed that 441 persons were currently living in Whiston Workhouse, of which 167 were children. That compared to 391 live-in paupers during the corresponding period in 1875.
As well as caring for residents in the workhouse, the Prescot Guardians also provided relief payments to the extreme poor living in the community.
These claimants received very small amounts that just kept them going.
They had a very hard life but harder times were likely to be ahead, as the guardians decided to set up a 9-person committee to investigate all claims for relief.
Although 212 less persons living in the community had been relieved during the previous year, the overall amount paid to them had risen and so the guardians wanted to check the validity of each claim and see if reductions could be made.
The relief payments that they doled out came from ratepayers and there was pressure on the guardians to keep their rate low.
The St Helens Fire Brigade routinely had problems sourcing water when trying to put out a blaze.
But usually that was in the districts when the nearest water supply was some distance away from the fire and they would have to take it from places like ponds.
But on the evening of the 31st the brigade only had to journey to Shaw Street to deal with a fire but found there was no water.
That was because it had been turned off at the main in the street, something that often happened to conserve the town's scarce water supplies and often led to many complaints.
Time was lost getting the supply turned on again, although fortunately, by the time the fire was extinguished, the damage was not too considerable.
The outbreak had occurred in the cellar of Loader's Patent Glass Silvering Works, destroying sheets of glass and some packing cases.
On April 1st St Helens had a real treat when world-famous Frederic Maccabe (pictured above) played the Volunteer Hall.
As well as being a singer, Maccabe was a ventriloquist – but had no dummy.
He preferred the term "vocal illusionist" to describe his performance, having perfected the art of throwing his voice so that it appeared to come from different parts of the stage.
One of his new sketches that he was performing in St Helens was called "Vanquished Villainy", which the St Helens Newspaper advert described in this fashion:
"Mr. Maccabe, by a peculiar contrivance of dress, will personate two characters at once, (male and female), remaining during the dual scene upon the stage, in full sight of the audience."
Maccabe had performed in America and Australia and wrote a book called 'The Art of Ventriloquism and Vocal Illusion' which told how to project a voice and tone to create unseen characters.
However, despite his fame, Maccabe died in the Ormskirk Workhouse hospital in Wigan Lane in 1904.
William Birchall was a well-known St Helens auctioneer and farmer living in Howards Lane in Eccleston, who was clearly a little fat man.
However, the Newspaper described his stature in a far more polite way by saying he was a "diminutive gentleman of swellish appearance."
That was after Birchall's appearance in court charged with not paying his train fare and assaulting railway officials.
The auctioneer had been returning from the Grand National in a rather drunken state and had been found in the guard's van at Runcorn without a ticket and refusing to pay his fare.
The man had got into the wrong train at Liverpool and when a policeman was sent for, Birchall struck the booking clerk.
When searched at the police station, Birchall was found to have in his possession the huge amount of £46 and in court was fined 70 shillings plus costs.
Alternatively, if in default, he would have to serve 3 months in prison, which did not seem very likely.
The word provender is rarely used these days when describing animal feed.
But in the pre-motorcar days, provender was often mentioned in local newspapers.
In this week's paper the term featured heavily in a report on a court case that involved the well-known builder George Harris & Son.
The firm was undertaking some work in Windle City and had arranged for three sacks of provender to be sent there by horse and cart from their works in Liverpool Road.
James Pennington was given the job but on the journey he had met a woman called Marsh and offered her "a bit of provender".
She innocently bought a sack for 2 shillings, not knowing that it did not belong to the man.
James Henshall was also mixed up in the affair and both men were sent to prison for a month.
At Liverpool Assizes this week a man who bore the nickname "Pork John" was sent to prison for having "burglariously broken and entered the dwelling-house of John Leyland, with intent to steal."
The latter was a butcher with premises in Parr Street where he also lived with his wife.
The couple had been away from home and when they returned at a late hour, Mrs Leyland heard a noise coming from inside.
Upon looking through the shop window, she saw Pork John in the act of removing a dish from a table and upon going round the back saw the man on the roof of the adjoining premises.
Pork John's real name was John Davies and it was stated in court that the 37-year-old had at one time been in a good way of business but had given way to alcohol which had affected his mind.
Whether backbreaking hard labour would improve his mental state I can't say, but Davies was sentenced to undertake such a punishment for 3 months.
Also in court was Thomas Gilligan who was charged with assault.
The fact that his wife had been "confined" and was soon to give birth had not stopped her husband from threatening her with violence.
The woman's mother was so disturbed by the threats that at half-past midnight she had dashed into Ormskirk Street to summon PC Kelly to their lodging house.
When the constable assisted by PC Davies arrived on the scene they found Gilligan acting in a violent manner and threatening to "do" everybody.
The landlord of the house told the police that he wanted Gilligan put out, as he was afraid to remain there with him inside.
But when the constables asked Gilligan to leave, he struck them both. In court he was fined 20 shillings and costs or must go to prison for a month.
James Dalton was described as a middle-age man when charged in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 3rd with attempting to ravish a little girl named Margaret Riley.
The 11-year-old resided in High Street in Greenbank and Dalton was alleged to have entered her house at about 9 o’clock at night when Margaret was alone and asked her where her father was.
She told him he was out and Dalton went away but soon returned and started kissing the girl. He also took her on his knee and attempted to rape her.
Margaret was said to have resisted him and Dalton had got up, locked the door and continued his assault.
But the brave little girl kicked him and made for the door, followed by Dalton who unlocked it for her.
At the door they were met by a next-door neighbour called Mrs Mulrady who had seen some of what occurred by peeping through a chink in the door.
The woman told the magistrates that the girl was crying bitterly and trembling.
Dalton then left the house but was chased by a crowd who cried out "stop him" and PC Archer apprehended the man on the corner of Sandfield Crescent.
The prosecution accepted that the evidence was insufficient to prove a charge of attempted rape and so it was reduced to one of indecent assault and the prisoner was remanded in custody for four days.
At the resumed hearing, James Dalton was sentenced to two months hard labour.
Remember, the so-called "Pork John" got longer for breaking into a Parr Street butcher's but not actually taking anything.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the sad case of the child that died of rabies, the need for more policemen in St Helens, plans to celebrate the opening of the new Town Hall and the start of summer band concerts in St Helens.
We begin at the latest meeting of the Prescot Guardians where it was revealed that 441 persons were currently living in Whiston Workhouse, of which 167 were children. That compared to 391 live-in paupers during the corresponding period in 1875.
As well as caring for residents in the workhouse, the Prescot Guardians also provided relief payments to the extreme poor living in the community.
These claimants received very small amounts that just kept them going.
They had a very hard life but harder times were likely to be ahead, as the guardians decided to set up a 9-person committee to investigate all claims for relief.
Although 212 less persons living in the community had been relieved during the previous year, the overall amount paid to them had risen and so the guardians wanted to check the validity of each claim and see if reductions could be made.
The relief payments that they doled out came from ratepayers and there was pressure on the guardians to keep their rate low.
The St Helens Fire Brigade routinely had problems sourcing water when trying to put out a blaze.
But usually that was in the districts when the nearest water supply was some distance away from the fire and they would have to take it from places like ponds.
But on the evening of the 31st the brigade only had to journey to Shaw Street to deal with a fire but found there was no water.
That was because it had been turned off at the main in the street, something that often happened to conserve the town's scarce water supplies and often led to many complaints.
Time was lost getting the supply turned on again, although fortunately, by the time the fire was extinguished, the damage was not too considerable.
The outbreak had occurred in the cellar of Loader's Patent Glass Silvering Works, destroying sheets of glass and some packing cases.
As well as being a singer, Maccabe was a ventriloquist – but had no dummy.
He preferred the term "vocal illusionist" to describe his performance, having perfected the art of throwing his voice so that it appeared to come from different parts of the stage.
One of his new sketches that he was performing in St Helens was called "Vanquished Villainy", which the St Helens Newspaper advert described in this fashion:
"Mr. Maccabe, by a peculiar contrivance of dress, will personate two characters at once, (male and female), remaining during the dual scene upon the stage, in full sight of the audience."
Maccabe had performed in America and Australia and wrote a book called 'The Art of Ventriloquism and Vocal Illusion' which told how to project a voice and tone to create unseen characters.
However, despite his fame, Maccabe died in the Ormskirk Workhouse hospital in Wigan Lane in 1904.
William Birchall was a well-known St Helens auctioneer and farmer living in Howards Lane in Eccleston, who was clearly a little fat man.
However, the Newspaper described his stature in a far more polite way by saying he was a "diminutive gentleman of swellish appearance."
That was after Birchall's appearance in court charged with not paying his train fare and assaulting railway officials.
The auctioneer had been returning from the Grand National in a rather drunken state and had been found in the guard's van at Runcorn without a ticket and refusing to pay his fare.
The man had got into the wrong train at Liverpool and when a policeman was sent for, Birchall struck the booking clerk.
When searched at the police station, Birchall was found to have in his possession the huge amount of £46 and in court was fined 70 shillings plus costs.
Alternatively, if in default, he would have to serve 3 months in prison, which did not seem very likely.
The word provender is rarely used these days when describing animal feed.
But in the pre-motorcar days, provender was often mentioned in local newspapers.
In this week's paper the term featured heavily in a report on a court case that involved the well-known builder George Harris & Son.
The firm was undertaking some work in Windle City and had arranged for three sacks of provender to be sent there by horse and cart from their works in Liverpool Road.
James Pennington was given the job but on the journey he had met a woman called Marsh and offered her "a bit of provender".
She innocently bought a sack for 2 shillings, not knowing that it did not belong to the man.
James Henshall was also mixed up in the affair and both men were sent to prison for a month.
At Liverpool Assizes this week a man who bore the nickname "Pork John" was sent to prison for having "burglariously broken and entered the dwelling-house of John Leyland, with intent to steal."
The latter was a butcher with premises in Parr Street where he also lived with his wife.
The couple had been away from home and when they returned at a late hour, Mrs Leyland heard a noise coming from inside.
Upon looking through the shop window, she saw Pork John in the act of removing a dish from a table and upon going round the back saw the man on the roof of the adjoining premises.
Pork John's real name was John Davies and it was stated in court that the 37-year-old had at one time been in a good way of business but had given way to alcohol which had affected his mind.
Whether backbreaking hard labour would improve his mental state I can't say, but Davies was sentenced to undertake such a punishment for 3 months.
Also in court was Thomas Gilligan who was charged with assault.
The fact that his wife had been "confined" and was soon to give birth had not stopped her husband from threatening her with violence.
The woman's mother was so disturbed by the threats that at half-past midnight she had dashed into Ormskirk Street to summon PC Kelly to their lodging house.
When the constable assisted by PC Davies arrived on the scene they found Gilligan acting in a violent manner and threatening to "do" everybody.
The landlord of the house told the police that he wanted Gilligan put out, as he was afraid to remain there with him inside.
But when the constables asked Gilligan to leave, he struck them both. In court he was fined 20 shillings and costs or must go to prison for a month.
James Dalton was described as a middle-age man when charged in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 3rd with attempting to ravish a little girl named Margaret Riley.
The 11-year-old resided in High Street in Greenbank and Dalton was alleged to have entered her house at about 9 o’clock at night when Margaret was alone and asked her where her father was.
She told him he was out and Dalton went away but soon returned and started kissing the girl. He also took her on his knee and attempted to rape her.
Margaret was said to have resisted him and Dalton had got up, locked the door and continued his assault.
But the brave little girl kicked him and made for the door, followed by Dalton who unlocked it for her.
At the door they were met by a next-door neighbour called Mrs Mulrady who had seen some of what occurred by peeping through a chink in the door.
The woman told the magistrates that the girl was crying bitterly and trembling.
Dalton then left the house but was chased by a crowd who cried out "stop him" and PC Archer apprehended the man on the corner of Sandfield Crescent.
The prosecution accepted that the evidence was insufficient to prove a charge of attempted rape and so it was reduced to one of indecent assault and the prisoner was remanded in custody for four days.
At the resumed hearing, James Dalton was sentenced to two months hard labour.
Remember, the so-called "Pork John" got longer for breaking into a Parr Street butcher's but not actually taking anything.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the sad case of the child that died of rabies, the need for more policemen in St Helens, plans to celebrate the opening of the new Town Hall and the start of summer band concerts in St Helens.