Julie Wallace

[Marko]

Thanks Marko,
I look forward to reading your book if it becomes available in Australia.Just one more question if I may.Was the club captains statement on this given as evidence at the trial?
Regards.

Thanks Harry

At the Trial Club Captain Beattie slightly diverted from what what was said in his statement (and that evidence he gave at the Committal) to the actual evidence at the trial. At the Trial Beattie said that the voice he heard on the telephone was strong and gruff. At the committal he said it was strong and confident. Quite trivial but I suppose the Prosecution would deem that a 'gruff' voice could point to the possibility of the voice being disguised, which Beattie completely dismissed.

[Marko]

Hi Mark

How's your book coming along?

Hi Burkhilly

Great to hear from you. I'm still working on it thanks. Hope to have it completed in the next year

[louisa]

Did any of the suspects have a motive?

I wouldn't have thought that the theft of £4 was enough motive to blugeon someone to death.

The person pretending to be Qualtrough must have tried to think of the most unusual name he could. He may have thought up the initial Q to begin with and then looked in the telephone directory for any name beginning with that letter. I doubt if there were many.

Nowadays in Britain we're used to all kinds of strange surnames so the person would have been spoilt for choice in choosing something unusual, but back in the thirties people mainly had standard British surnames.

[Marko]

Did any of the suspects have a motive?

I wouldn't have thought that the theft of £4 was enough motive to blugeon someone to death.

I disagree Louisa people have murdered for far less (although I don't think the money was the motive here).

There were over a dozen 'Qualtrough' entries in the directory. There were several other Manx names with the 'Q' prefix.

[sdreid]

At the Trial Club Captain Beattie slightly diverted from what what was said in his statement (and that evidence he gave at the Committal) to the actual evidence at the trial. At the Trial Beattie said that the voice he heard on the telephone was strong and gruff. At the committal he said it was strong and confident. Quite trivial but I suppose the Prosecution would deem that a 'gruff' voice could point to the possibility of the voice being disguised, which Beattie completely dismissed.

At least three people heard the voice. How did Harley and the phone operator describe the voice in detail? I believe Ms. Harley described it as elderly. Do we know the name of the phone operator?

[louisa]

If I was trying to disguise my voice then I'd probably sound elderly too.

Does anyone know or suspect, in a nutshell, what the motive for the killing was?

[sdreid]

Since I believe Wallace did it, I suspect the motive was to get rid of his wife without having to give up half his property and then possibly pay maintenance. Her life insurance would just be icing on the cake.

Wallace certainly had the greatest motive to disguise his voice. I doubt that anyone at the chess club knew what Parry or whoever it was sounded like.

[Marko]

At least three people heard the voice. How did Harley and the phone operator describe the voice in detail? I believe Ms. Harley described it as elderly. Do we know the name of the phone operator?

Harley said that the person calling spoke with a deep voice.
Two operators spoke to Qualtrough - Louisa Alfreds and Lilian Martha Kelly. Both said the voice was ordinary and that the caller appeared used to using telephones.

[sdreid]

Thanks Marko. As usual, you are in full command of the facts.

[harry]

Thanks Marko,
I have visited your web site and read what you have written on the case.Quite impressive.One fact that puzzles me is why the club captain should answer the call.I would probably,in his situation,have advised the waitress?barmaid,to tell the caller that Wallace was not there but expected shortly,and to call back,or if urgent for the waitress/barmaid to take a message.

[Marko]

Thanks Marko. As usual, you are in full command of the facts.

Thanks Stan - I try!!

[Marko]

Thanks Marko,
I have visited your web site and read what you have written on the case.Quite impressive.One fact that puzzles me is why the club captain should answer the call.I would probably,in his situation,have advised the waitress?barmaid,to tell the caller that Wallace was not there but expected shortly,and to call back,or if urgent for the waitress/barmaid to take a message.

Thank you Harry.

Yes, waitress Gladys Harley took the call. As it was with regards to the Chess Club, Harley said she would notify Beattie, therefore he came to the phone and took the message.

[Marko]

Today marks the 133rd birthday of WHW

[louisa]

I suppose it was a sign of the times that everybody called eachother 'Mr' (or Miss or Mrs).

I don't know how long those members of the chess club had known eachother but nobody was on first name terms.


I noticed - on Amazon - that there was another book about the murder by an author called Murphy. The book seems very expensive at around £35.

[Phil H]

louisa

"Titles" (such as Mr, Mrs, Miss etc) had a relevance, even into my day, that they no longer possess.

There were distinctions in the far past as to when Mr or esq were used (they are mutually exclusive).

Look at Jane Austen (say Pride and Prejudice) where even wives refer to husbands as MR Bennett or MR Collins.

For woman, the wife of Mr Thomas Smith was Mrs Thomas Smith - using her husbands first and surnames. as a widow she was properly, Mrs Ida Smith (revertting to her own forename). Thus her status and position were clear to all.

The eldest daughter was always, Miss Bennett, Miss Smith etc. That proclaimed her position and birthright. I had a second cousin called Joan (a generation older) who was a spinster - even in the 1990s she told an acquaintance who knew her well, and called her Joan: "I have a title, I am MISS Bowes!".

The other daughters were Miss Elizabeth; Miss Bennett etc.

Status remained important between the wars, and middle class/professional people or those aspiring to be such or be associated with them would want to observe the proprieties.

Don't forget also that legitimacy remained an important matter - being in wedlock, having legitimate offspring meant a lot in legal and social terms. (TE Lawrence's family is an interesting case example. He and his briothers were bastards, but his mother lived as her husband;s wife and used the term Mrs, though I believe never referred to her husband as such - always as Tom.)

Today the conventions are different, but in some ways the past was "another country" - and these rules, like manners more widely - were enforced to ensure as few people as possible were embarrassed.

Phil