Some history on Heneage Street at Duddeston in Birmingham in the County of Warwickshire

Birmingham | Heneage Street

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"On Tuesday evening about half-past six o'clock, a murder was committed in Heneage Street, under circumstances of a peculiarly startling and disquieting nature. The victim was a Miss Milbourne, a maiden lady, between fifty and sixty years of age, and there is every reason to suppose that the object of the murderers was plunder. For some forty years Miss Milbourne had resided in a house next door but one to the Ashted Brewery, in Heneage Street. For five-and-twenty years she and her brother lived together, but about twelve months since her brother died, and since that time she has resided alone. Possessed of considerable property, a report became current that she was in the habit of keeping a large sum of money in the house. At the time of the death of her brother she had sum of between £700. and £800, in the house, but last January she deposited £615. in Lloyd's bank, and it is supposed that she lived on the remainder of the money. In July last she drew half a year's interest on this sum from the bank, and another half-year's interest was due, but had not been drawn at the time of her death. There is every reason to suppose, therefore, that there was no great amount of money in the house at the time of the murder. Between the house occupied by Miss Milbourne and the one next to the Ashted Brewery there is a wide passage, opening with double gates to the street. The yard is common to both houses, and also to a malthouse, occupied by Mr. Power. A wall, eight or nine feet high, separates the yard from the one adjoining. Shortly before six o'clock on Tuesday evening Mrs. Bullock, who lives in the adjoining yard, was in an out-house, when she heard some persons in the yard. She states that she looked through crevice in the door, and saw three men, two about the same height, and one a trifle shorter, climbing over the wall. The men became aware of her presence, for one of them said, "There's a woman in there, and she will blow on us." Without waiting to look into the out-house the men ran up the entry into the street and disappeared. Mrs. Bullock told her husband of the occurrence, and said she hoped they had not been to the old lady, next door. After that she and Mrs. Dickman, another neighbour, went to Miss Milbourne's door and called to her. Not receiving any reply, they feared some outrage had been committed, and their statements brought other people to the spot. About half-past six a lad arrived at the police station in Duke Street, and stated that a woman had been murdered in Heneage Street. Superintendent Sullivan at once sent Police-Constables Ruscoe and Brown to the address given by the lad. Arrived there, the officers found a large crowd congregated, but no one had had the courage to enter the house. The front door was locked. The officers then went through the gates into the yard, and found the back door open. On the kitchen table a bonnet was found, and a shawl lay upon the door. At first the officers saw no trace of the old lady, but between the kitchen and front room stone steps led down to the cellar. At the top of these steps Brown discovered Miss Milbourne lying on her back, her head resting on the second step. She was quite warm, but lifeless. There was one mark of a blow upon her nose, and finger-marks upon her throat, plainly showing that she had been strangled. The body was brought into the front room and laid upon a bed. Mr. Hopkins, assistant to Mr. Lloyd, surgeon, 38, Ashted Row, was quickly in attendance, but of course his services were of no avail. Upon examination of the house being made, it was discovered that it had been completely ransacked. There were three rooms upstairs, and the contents of the boxes and beds in all of them were turned over and thrown on the floor. The bedroom which the deceased woman occupied had been subjected to very minute examination. Drawers were burst open, and boxes rummaged, and part of a pillow was torn open. Detectives are of the opinion that the searching of the house was the work of persons experienced in the business of that character. Not a trace of the murderers in any form was left behind, and they must have been but a very short time in the house, the old lady was but just dead when the police-officers arrived. On the table in the back kitchen was found a black bag, which, on Mr. Superintendent Sullivan searching, was found to contain a receipt on Lloyd's Banking Company for the sum of £615., deposited January last. Miss Milbourne seems to have been preparing tea when attacked, and to have put the tea into the teapot, the caddy and spoon being found on the table, and from the position of the bonnet and shawl is supposed that she had been out for a walk shortly before. The unruffled condition which deceased's hair and dress were found shows that no struggle took place between her and her murderers. She was apparently surprised from behind, and her neck seized a powerful grasp, and she probably then became insensible. The neighbours state that she was a very quiet but eccentric woman, and steadily refused any entreaties that someone should be allowed to live with her. A strange fact in connection with the tragedy is that nothing was seen of it by anyone on the premises next door or in the malthouse. The next house is occupied Mr. and Mrs. Churchley. Mr. Churchley was out at the time, and Mrs. Churchley states that shortly before the time of the occurrence a woman knocked her front door, and asked whether she knew where Mr. Cooper lived. Notwithstanding her replying in the negative, the woman kept her engaged in conversation for upwards of half an hour, during which the murder was being committed, and so prevented her from seeing or hearing anything of it. Suspicion attached to this woman at first, but she has since been ascertained to be a respectable person. The occupants of the malthouse, three in number, were all absent during the time of the murder, and returned shortly after seven o'clock. There was, therefore, no one at all in the yard, or the premises overlooking the yard, who could see any deed, hear any scream, in the back part of deceased's house. The circumstance of the men's absence at the time is of no significance, so far as they are concerned, as the police know where they were; but it is unfortunate as having afforded an opportunity which may have been watched for and taken advantage of for the commission of the crime, with less chance of detection than if these men had been on the premises. Miss Milbourne's house was left in charge of Police-Constables Brown, Foster, Blood, and Phantam, and during the night it was surrounded by large crowds of curious people. The police were watching and enquiring all night, and in the morning a woman and two men were arrested on suspicion, but were almost immediately discharged, there being no evidence to justify their detention. The vigilance of the police was not relaxed on Thursday, but was not rewarded by any success. Superintendent Sullivan, in searching the house, found in a cupboard two silver table spoons, one of them marked with huge "H.," in script letter, and the other plain. He found with these silver teaspoons, all marked with "M.," engraved over "R. E." It is hoped that if any similar spoons were stolen by the murderers, this description may lead to the identification of such stolen articles, should they have been disposed of by the depredators. On Thursday, a Mr. Lakin, whose wife was a cousin of Miss Milbourne, residing at Orgreave, near Lichfield, came to town, to assist in arranging the affairs of his relative. He is, however, quite unacquainted with any of the property possessed the deceased, and as there is no one to speak to this, the police are left without any clue such as would be afforded by the knowledge of what property was taken away. THE INQUEST. Yesterday, the inquest on the body of the deceased was opened before Dr. Birt Davies, Borough Coroner, at the Dartmouth Arms, Heneage Street. Mr. Glossop, Chief Constable, and Superintendent Sullivan were present during the enquiry. The Jury having been sworn, the Coroner said he did not intend to into any lengthened enquiry that day. He should adjourn the enquiry in order that the police might have ample opportunity for making enquiries. He had directed merely superficial examination of the body to be made, in order that the Jury might make the usual request to him for post-mortem examination. There were many light and delicate traces when a body had been pulled about, and was needful to have the best talent in the neighbourhood to bear upon the case. By their request the services of some eminent practitioner - say Mr. Oliver Pemberton, or some other gentleman - might be engaged, in addition to the talent connected with the case. The Jury then went to view the body and the premises, and on their return the following evidence was taken : William Lakin, Knowles Bank, Orgreave, Alrewas, Staffordshire, farmer, said "he knew the deceased Mary Milbourne. She was first cousin to my wife on the father's side. Deceased was a single woman. She was, as far as I can ascertain, 61 years of age. I last saw her alive on Thursday, the 3rd of October. She sent for me to come over to have a little conversation about making a will. When I came over she said she had had an accident the Tuesday before in the street, and dislocated her shoulder, and the conversation was put off, as it had been on a former occasion. She said she had been much bruised by a fall, and could not move her arm. I arrived in Birmingham by the ten o'clock train. I remained in her house for several hours, and left by a train about three or four o'clock in the afternoon. She asked me during the day to come over again, and bring my eldest son with me. She was to send me word when she was better, and when I was to come. She did not intimate to me what she was worth. She said the house she lived in, and the house and malthouse adjoining, belonged to her, and that she had about £400. of her own, and something less, which came to her from her brother, who died twelve months ago last May, in money; altogether he believed she said she had between £600. and £700. in the bank. She said she had very little money in the house, but her brother had some in a box which she could not unfasten. She asked me to try and get the box open, and I did so, and after about a quarter of an hour I succeeded. I do not know what amount of money there was, but I do not believe it was a large sum." Police-Constable John Ruscoe [3rd Division Birmingham Police] said : "On Tuesday last, the 21st inst., about ten minutes to six o'clock, a boy named Thompson came into the Duke Street Station and gave some information, upon which Superintendent Sullivan sent Police-constable Brown and myself to deceased's house. We went through the door in the malthouse gates to the back door of 241, Heneage Street, where deceased lived. We went into the house and found the woman lying on the step from the kitchen to the cellar. Her head was lying on the second step. The middle of her head rested on the edge the step. She was dead, but quite warm. I took hold her hand, and at the same time noticed marks of violence upon the front part of her neck. Her neck was not covered. There was also a mark as if she had had a blow on the right side of the cheek bone. The right side of her nose was also red. There was no froth about her mouth. I raised her up and put her on the sofa in the kitchen, and sent for a doctor. Mr. Hopkins, assistant to Mr. Lloyd, at once. He said she was dead. We found the shawl of the deceased lying on the floor by the clock, about a foot from the cellar-head. It lay all in a "ruck." A bonnet lay on the table, bent, as if knocked about, and had mud on the ribbon for about three inches. The bonnet was damp. There was an umbrella on the floor, between the table and sofa. The keys to the back door were upon the table in the kitchen. Upstairs, the boxes were all open and the contents strewed about the room. The lid of one small box was broken through the middle. The drawers were also open. He left Police-Constable Brown in charge of the house, and went and reported to Superintendent Sullivan." Samuel Lloyd, surgeon, 38, Ashted Row, said : "I have carefully examined externally the body of the deceased. I found general lividity on the surface of the body, excepting the extremity of the nose. The apex of the nose was turned towards the right cheek slightly. There was reddish discolouration on the left side of the nose. The lips were very pale. There was purple discolouration about the neck and shoulders. There were three small bruised marks on the blade bone, and also a small mark on the inside of the left thigh. He was of opinion that the deceased had died from violence applied to the throat. The Jury then signed the request for a post-mortem examination, and the enquiry was then adjourned until Friday next, two o'clock."
"Mysterious Murder in Heneage Street"
Birmingham Journal : January 25th 1868 Page 6