References to photographs:
Photograph W.H.W.6. 21st Jan, ~1 AM.
Photograph W.H.W.7. 21st Jan, ~1 AM.
Photograph W.H.W.8. 22nd or 23rd Jan. Wallace stayed alone in the house on the night of the 21st of Jan. Cash box seized on the 21st of Jan, evidently replaced for the photograph.
Photograph W.H.W.9. 21st Jan.
Photograph W.H.W.13. Feb.
Harry Hewitt COOKE says:–
I am the Official Photographer of the C.I.D. Liverpool City Police.
On the 21st January last I took photographs of the premises 29, Wolverton Street (produced), and numbered 6, 7 and 9. Later same day I took three photographs of the dead body of Julia Wallace at the Princes Mortuary (produced) and numbered 10, 11, and 12.
On 22nd January [Wallace spent the 21st of Jan. night at 29 Wolverton Street alone] I took a photograph of the kitchen of 29 Wolverton Street (produced) and numbered 8.
On 24th January I took photographs of the exterior of 29, Wolverton Street (produced) and marked 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Evidence taken __th. February 1931.
HARRY HEWITT COOKE :-
I am the official Photographer to the Liverpool City Police.
On the 21st. January last I took the photographs W.H.W. 6, 7, and 9 at the house 29 Wolverton Street, Liverpool. Later the same day I took the photographs W.H.W. 10, 11 and 12 at the Princes Mortuary, Liverpool.
On the 23rd [previously said 22nd] January last I took the photograph W.H.W.8 of the kitchen at 29 Wolverton St
On the 24th. january last I took the photographs W.H.W. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the exterior of the house 29 Wolverton Street.
On the __th. February 1931 I took the photograph W.H.W. 13 of the bathroom and lavatory at the house 29 Wolverton Street.
By Mr. SCHOLEFIELD ALLEN, Cousel for accused :-
When I took the photograph W.H.W.6 I did not move anything in order to get a better view, except to take off the door. No one on my instructions moved anything. The photograph was taken at 12-45 a.m.
Trial
Courtesy of John Gannon.
HARRY HEWITT COOKE, SWORN AND EXAMINED BY MR WALSH.
1. Your name is Harry Hewitt Cooke? Yes.
2. And you are the official photographer to the Liverpool City Police? Yes.
3. On the 21st of January, did you take certain photographs? I did.
4. Do you produce those photographs? Yes.
5. Will you see which you took on the 21st of January? (Photographs are handed to the witness). No’s 6, 7 and 9, I understand, on the 21st of January? Yes.
6. And later you took no’s 10, 11 and 12 at the mortuary? That is right.
7. On the 23rd of January, did you take the photograph of the kitchen, no 8? Yes.
8. And on the 24th of January photographs no’s 1,2,3,4 and 5, the outside of the house, 29, Wolverton Street? Yes.
9. And on the 18th February did you take no 13? Yes.
CROSS-EXAMINED BY MR ROLAND OLIVER.
10. Who was in charge when you took photographs? Superintendent Moore.
11. Did he give you directions to take then? Yes, I was instructed to take them.
12. Did he tell you what views to take? I am how upon the room? Yes.
13. And you took photographs no’s 6 and 7 at the same time? Yes. Taken directly one after the other.
14. Yes, one after the other and approximately at 1 o’clock in the morning? Yes.
15. Was anything moved? Yes, one of the chairs was moved.
16. When was that done? Photograph no 6 was taken first; the chair was not moved then. The chair was moved when photograph no 7 was taken.
17. Have you ever told anyone that before? I believe I mentioned in the Court below that none of the chairs were moved. I did not know it then.
18. If you look at photograph no 6 does that show the entrance into the room? Yes.
19. Looked at from the door? Yes.
20. And does the presence of that chair in front of that piece of furniture make it a very narrow passageway? Yes.
21. Now will you look at no 7? Was not that taken from the other end of the room? Yes.
22. Does that show the chair put back beside the piece of furniture? It shows the chair beside the door.
23. Why was it put there? It was put there so that I could get out.
24. Get out? Yes, get out of the room.
25. You were taking a photograph of the room as it was? Yes.
26. Do you suggest you could not have got out of the room past the chair? When the photograph no 7 was taken it was taken in the dark by flashlight and I had to get over the couch round past the table, over the body and through the small space which was left had the chair been there, but the chair was put by the door so that I could get past in the dark.
27. Do you follow before you took these photographs numbers of people had been in and out of that room? Are you suggesting that the room as it originally was had the chair blocking that way? Yes.
28. You do not know how it was when the Police originally came? No.
29. Why did you say at the Police Court: Nobody on my instruction moved anything? They did not on my instruction.
30. Is that what you meant? Yes.
31. Did you not know then that something had been moved? No, nothing had been moved.
32. Surely, the whole point was that nothing had been moved when you took your photograph? I did not see them move them.
33. MR JUSTICE WRIGHT: When you say by the door, there was a chair between the door at the side and a chair between the door and the piano?
THE WITNESS: Yes, my Lord. The door on the left is the one in question.
Mr Roland Oliver: What I am putting to the witness is that the ordinary place to put a chair is the place in no 7, not where it is shown in no 6. [Position in #7 is impossible, blocks the door opening – it opens inwards].
MR JUSTICE WRIGHT: He is merely telling you what he knows about it. He had not other interest as far as I know.