Corroborated Events

Here is a list of events which are corroborated (stated by more than one person interviewed).

Monday 19th January, 1931 (Chess Night):

~19:15 – A call is placed from telephone box Anfield 1627 requesting the City Café (where the chess club is held), 400 yards from the home of William and Julia Wallace (29 Wolverton Street) at the bottom of Priory Road. P. Julian Maddock accomplished the trip from Wallace’s front door in 4 minutes (3.41 mph) and again in 3 minutes 40 seconds (4.1 mph).

~19:15 – Operator Louisa Alfreds puts through the call and tells the caller to “go ahead please” (press button ‘A’ to deposit his coins and connect the call).

~19:17 – Operator Lillian Martha Kelly receives a call from the same man. She mentions this to Louisa Alfreds and then attempts to put the call through but is unable.

19:20 – Exchange supervisor Annie Robertson is made aware of the situation and the call is put through successfully to waitress Gladys Harley. She makes a note of the time 19:20 and the error reported by Lillian Martha Kelly: No Reply.

~19:20 – Gladys Harley asks if this number is required and eventually is spoken to by the caller. She fetches chess captain Samuel Beattie.

~19:20 – 19:25 – Samuel Beattie writes an appointment place and time on an envelope and the caller rings off. The envelope reads:

“R. M. Qualtrough, 25 Menlove Gardens East
Mossley Hill”

(19:15 – 19:35: Richard Gordon Parry arrives at girlfriend Lily Lloyd’s house).

19:45 (or shortly after) – William Herbert Wallace arrives at the chess club. His friend James Caird is there and offers him a game but he refuses and instead decides to play off a match game against Mr. McCartney. His scheduled opponent F. C. Chandler is absent.

At some point the message is given to him by Samuel Beattie.

22:15 – Wallace leaves the club with Mr. Caird and Mr. Bethurn and heads home. Mr. Caird lives a street over from Wallace and they walk home together from the tram stop. They briefly discuss the details of the trip and directions to Menlove Gardens.

Tuesday 20th January, 1931 (Murder Night):

Wallace leaves on his afternoon rounds in his lighter fawn raincoat (not the one found with his wife’s body).

15:20 – 15:30: Mr. Wallace calls on a client, 11 Pennsylvania Road.

15:30 – P.C. Rothwell is cycling along Maiden Lane and claims to have seen Wallace walking very fast and appearing to be crying, wiping his eyes.

~15:30: Wallace calls on further Prudential clients, 15 Worcester Drive, 32 Pennsylvania Road.

15:30 – 15:40: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 5 Worcester Drive.

15:45: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 40 Worcester Drive.

~16:00: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 17 Worcester Drive.

~16:00: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 42 Pennsylvania Road.

16:00 – 16:15: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 8 Londonderry Road.

16:00 – 16:30: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 6 Worcester Drive.

16:30 – 16:45: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 10 Worcester Drive.

~16:30: Julia Wallace comes outdoors to the yard and pays window cleaner Charles Bliss. Next door neighbour Mrs. Johnston hears her.

16:45: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 16 Londonderry Road. The residents offer him a cup of tea which he accepts.

After 16:00: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 8 Worcester Drive.

17:00 – 17:15: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 64 Glengariff Street.

(Richard Gordon Parry arrives at Olivia Brine’s home, Knoclaid Road).

17:30 – 17:50: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 19 ___ (Illegible) Road.

18:00: Wallace calls on Prudential client, 4 Brookbridge Road.

18:35 – 18:40: Milk boy Alan Close arrives at 29 Wolverton Street to deliver the milk. He is seen standing at the doorstep with the front door open (of note the Wallace’s have a porch).

19:06: William Herbert Wallace boards a tram at Smithdown Lane.

19:10: William Herbert Wallace boards a 5A tram and gets off at Menlove Gardens West at 19:20.

19:20 – 19:45: William Herbert Wallace enquires the whereabouts of Menlove Gardens East from random strangers, attempting 25 Menlove Gardens West where resident Mrs. Mather claims there is no Mr. Qualtrough there.

19:45: William Herbert Wallace encounters Constable James Serjeant where he discusses his hunt for Mr. Qualtrough and is recommended to check a local directory at the police station or Post Office. Wallace notes it is “not quite 8 o’clock yet”.

~19:45 to 20:00: William Herbert Wallace attempts to find Mr. Qualtrough or Menlove Gardens East at a Post Office and Newsagents, but finds there is no such place or person on record and gives up his search to go home.

(20:30: Richard Gordon Parry leaves Olivia Brines House, Knoclaid Road).

~20:45: Wallace is heard knocking on his back kitchen door by neighbour Florence Johnston.

20:45+: Florence and John Sharpe Johnston leave the back of their house and yard and as they are leaving see Wallace coming back round from the front. He asks if they have heard anything unusual to which they reply no.

He explains the doors are shut against him.

John Sharpe Johnston suggests trying again and if the door still will not open he’ll get his spare key.

The door now opens and Wallace enters. The Johnstons claim they suggested waiting outside, Wallace claims he asked them to wait.

Wallace is heard to head upstairs and calls out what appears to be a name.

About 1 or 2 minutes after the lights go on upstairs Wallace rushes outside exclaiming something like: “Come and see, she’s killed!”

Mrs. Johnston feels Julia’s hand when John asks if she’s cold. She is still warm. Wallace suggests John go for the police and a doctor. They all return to the living kitchen (where the cash box is kept). Wallace points out a cabinet door which has been wrenched off. Mr. Johnston asks if anything is missing and Wallace takes down the cash box, opens it, and says about £4.

Mr. or Mrs. Johnston ask him to check upstairs to make sure everything is alright up there before John goes for the police.

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