The Murder of Julia Wallace (1931) - Full DPP case files

[WallaceWackedHer]

I’ve certainly never seen Edwin’s statement and I can’t recall mention of it in any of the books but you’ve read them more recently than I have.

What’s a bit strange is that if Carr saw them at 8.10 then Wallace (or both of them) had already taken one tram (at 8.00) So why do they appear to be lost? Wallace asked enough about directions on the way there so why didn’t he do the same on the return journey? Unless Amy was with him of course and he didn’t want to risk being identified as being with someone? Then again they could easily have sat apart to have given the appearance of not being together which would have allowed him to ask directions. More to the point wouldn’t he simply have taken the same trams on the route back?

I need a decent, wide map of the area. I’m really poor with directions and where places are in relation to other places and distances (not just in this case but in life in general. No one ever asks me to navigate!) So my question is was Scotland Road a plausible place for Wallace to have been 10 minutes after catching his first tram?

Well, I'm not sure he would have an easy time explaining why he had gone out of the way to Scotland Road (the route is not the most natural route home compared to the route he allegedly took). But really I'd say he simply knew where he was going so didn't need to ask for directions. With Menlove Gardens, I think possibly he did not know it well (just that it's off Menlove Avenue) and so his asking for directions was quite genuine.

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Here's a map which has the points of where these locations are:

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The tram stop Wallace passes is where Topps Tiles Anfield is I think.

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Distance between Menlove Gardens and Scotland Road:

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Scotland Road appears to be on a dual carriageway, and when you use the left lane it gives a different name (in this case, Byrom Street), hence I have replaced the names. If you put the marker on the right lane it has to double back.

Robert Carr said Wallace was on foot when he spoke to him at Scotland Road.

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Map of the distance between Scotland Road and where, as I recall, Wallace's tram stop is:

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If I've got anything wrong please let me know.

[DJA]

Google Earth is handy.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Scotland Road is about 5 miles North-West of Menlove Avenue. I believe Wallace says he got the tram at 8 PM. If they were there to dispose of something it would be a logical place to be, since it is close to the ferries and water where it would be trivial to dispose of a piece of iron or something of that nature.

Wallace was next seen at home around 8.45.

His journey from his back door to Menlove Gardens West was about 30 to 35 minutes. The trip home appears to have taken 10 minutes longer. Possibly this can be accounted for by the fact he went to the front door of his house, and perhaps had longer wait times for trams.

Scotland Road to Wolverton Street though, would be just 10 minutes. I have not worked it out with the walking time, but it's a short distance. If Amy is there, it seems plausible he would continue home while she carries out some important task.

Has anyone ever seen Edwin's statement?

I’ve certainly never seen Edwin’s statement and I can’t recall mention of it in any of the books but you’ve read them more recently than I have.

What’s a bit strange is that if Carr saw them at 8.10 then Wallace (or both of them) had already taken one tram (at 8.00) So why do they appear to be lost? Wallace asked enough about directions on the way there so why didn’t he do the same on the return journey? Unless Amy was with him of course and he didn’t want to risk being identified as being with someone? Then again they could easily have sat apart to have given the appearance of not being together which would have allowed him to ask directions. More to the point wouldn’t he simply have taken the same trams on the route back?

I need a decent, wide map of the area. I’m really poor with directions and where places are in relation to other places and distances (not just in this case but in life in general. No one ever asks me to navigate!) So my question is was Scotland Road a plausible place for Wallace to have been 10 minutes after catching his first tram?

[WallaceWackedHer]

I hate maps!

Ive tried to find where Scotland Road is in relation to everything else and failed. I wanted to know if it was a logical place for Wallace (and Amy) to have been on that night. Also how far is it from the tram stop (even though we don’t know where in Scotland Road they were) Carr said that he saw them at 8.10. Wallace had spoken to Constable Serjeant at 7.45. He then went to the Post Office then on to the newsagent which must have taken him close to 8.00. As we have 2 apparently reliable timings would Wallace have had time to get to Scotland Road and then to the tram for the return journey?

There must also be an explanation for why Amy’s son said nothing about his mother being out alone at that time of night. So either he was involved or else he was out at the time? Did they only choose the Tuesday night because Amy was free to go out without raising suspicion because her son was out?

Scotland Road is about 5 miles North-West of Menlove Avenue. I believe Wallace says he got the tram at 8 PM. If they were there to dispose of something it would be a logical place to be, since it is close to the ferries and water where it would be trivial to dispose of a piece of iron or something of that nature.

Wallace was next seen at home around 8.45.

His journey from his back door to Menlove Gardens West was about 30 to 35 minutes. The trip home appears to have taken 10 minutes longer. Possibly this can be accounted for by the fact he went to the front door of his house, and perhaps had longer wait times for trams.

Scotland Road to Wolverton Street though, would be just 10 minutes. I have not worked it out with the walking time, but it's a short distance. If Amy is there, it seems plausible he would continue home while she carries out some important task.

Has anyone ever seen Edwin's statement?

[Herlock Sholmes]

I hate maps!

Ive tried to find where Scotland Road is in relation to everything else and failed. I wanted to know if it was a logical place for Wallace (and Amy) to have been on that night. Also how far is it from the tram stop (even though we don’t know where in Scotland Road they were) Carr said that he saw them at 8.10. Wallace had spoken to Constable Serjeant at 7.45. He then went to the Post Office then on to the newsagent which must have taken him close to 8.00. As we have 2 apparently reliable timings would Wallace have had time to get to Scotland Road and then to the tram for the return journey?

There must also be an explanation for why Amy’s son said nothing about his mother being out alone at that time of night. So either he was involved or else he was out at the time? Did they only choose the Tuesday night because Amy was free to go out without raising suspicion because her son was out?