Who put Bella in the Witch Elm?

[Herlock Sholmes]

Japanese for German measles ..... she was a SPY!

Those name sites are just trying to get you to sign up.

It did look a bit dodgy.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Seems the police caught the local crank responsible for the graffiti.

Lot of conflicting "evidence".

Anyone know precisely where on the estate the tree was?

Was it near Hagley Hall or on the other side?

It appears that there a three possible locations.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi Abby,

Well this threads coming on nicely!

Bella would've been decidedly common. As an abbreviation for Isabelle and Annabelle, but also as a generic nickname, regardless of what her given name was, in much the same way lots of men are / were called "Jack".

The timeline is important though. Did the missing prostitute story come to light before the appearance of the first graffiti? Was it well known?

The estate belonging to Lord Commander Viscount Biscuits or whatever his name is doesn't mean he lived there, so that's worth pinning down. It was obviously well known to the local scallywags as a spot for a bit of scrumping so it's probably not a huge mystery that others knew of it.

It would be unlikely that someone(s) carried the body there and lucked on a hollow tree, so I'd guess for killed on site or the killer(s) knew the tree was suitable.

And this shoe business is fascinating! We'll have this cracked in no time.

Keep up the good work guys.

The tree was the only one around there that could have hidden a body so the killer either knew about it or lucked out.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Interestingly, Dudley is the largest town in the UK that doesn't have a professional football team.

I didn’t know that Al but then again I’m a cricket man. I know that The Hawthorns is the highest above sea level.

[Herlock Sholmes]

I’m wondering if she wasn’t a local? She was around 4 foot 10 with distinctive protruding and overlapping front teeth and with a good description of her clothing and shoes and yet no one recognised her from that description?

Ive got no access to any ancestry sites but I wonder if there were any Lubella’s around? I’ve never come across a Lubella? The graffiti could have been a red herring of course.

[DJA]

In the 5 page chapter on the shoes in the only book that I have at the moment there’s no mention of Dudley. It specifically mentions 6 pairs received by CA Allan Ltd in Bilston though. Doesn’t mean Dudley isn’t true though but this book was 2018 so, if Dudley had been suggested, he gives no reason for discarding the suggestion.

I asked an aunt who was born in Wednesbury In 1938 but she can’t remember the shop but it may have closed when she was very young. Not that her remembering it would have helped in any way of course.

Been reading Vols 1 & 2 online.

Those shoes would retail @ 50 quid today.

The cardigan seems to have been sleeveless.

Gets even more interesting.

[DJA]

I’m wondering if she wasn’t a local? She was around 4 foot 10 with distinctive protruding and overlapping front teeth and with a good description of her clothing and shoes and yet no one recognised her from that description?

Ive got no access to any ancestry sites but I wonder if there were any Lubella’s around? I’ve never come across a Lubella? The graffiti could have been a red herring of course.

Forget Lubella. Red herring.

Still suspect she was American.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Been reading Vols 1 & 2 online.

Those shoes would retail @ 50 quid today.

The cardigan seems to have been sleeveless.

Gets even more interesting.

Yes I thought that sounded expensive considering the rest of her clothes. Merrill suggests that they might not have been Bella’s and that they were thrown in to misguide but it seems that he’s only considering this because their location points to the fact that she wasn’t wearing them when she died. It’s also suggested that they were a larger size than would be expected for someone of her size? If they were too big for her (however she got them) maybe they just came off when the killer dragged the body to the tree and he just chucked them in?

[Herlock Sholmes]

Forget Lubella. Red herring.

Still suspect she was American.

I wonder if there were any American soldiers based nearby?

[Herlock Sholmes]

Interesting that the shin bone was found 12 yards away. And that there were bones missing. Do you think that this might be put down to animals?

[DJA]

Her corset would cost ~ 35 quid today.

Doubt she was murdered near the tree or was in it initially.

Would have stunk like Hell.

This lot agree,well it's their idea.

[Abby Normal]

Interesting that the shin bone was found 12 yards away. And that there were bones missing. Do you think that this might be put down to animals?

yes. but i keep going back to if the missing prostitute named Bella actually did turn up? does anyone know if its actually in any of the police records that she was found alive?

[Abby Normal]

I was just reading about the graffiti. The Forensic Science Lab (South Wales and Monmouthshire) felt that the first three were by the same hand and the chalk was more or less similar. The first three were:

HAGLEY WOOD BELLA (photo included)

WHO PUT BELLA DOWN THE WYCH ELM - HAGLEY WOOD

WHO PUT LUEBELLER IN THE WYCH ELM

Then theres the possibility of copycats of course. The next one in the book even mentions Jack The Ripper.

Then theres another photo of one:

HAGLEY WOOD LUBELLA ADDRESS OPPOSITE THE ROSE AND CROWN HASBURY

Then on a fence (with photo)

ADDRESS WAS OPPOSITE ROSE AND CROWN HASBURY HAGLEY WOOD LUBELLA

Then on a railway arch (photo)

HAGLEY WOOD LUBELLA WAS NO PROSS

On a wall

HAGLEY WOOD LUBELLA ADDRESS 404 LOWER HASBURY HALESOWEN

a family called Allsop had lived there for the last 56 years and no link could be found.

....

Ill be interested to see in volume 2 about the search for Lubella as opposed to just Bella. I’ve never heard the name before. Researchers on your marks. Could she have been born elsewhere but married a Midlands man?

A woman of 5ft or under, 25-40, mousy hair called Lubella (or variant spelling)

thanks Herlock-are there dates included for these?

and what came first? the missing prostitute story or the graffiti?

[DJA]

I wonder if there were any American soldiers based nearby?

If she was married to an American soldier,he prolly would have been in a tank division.
I knew an American Tank Division Commander.
Real short.

Still suspect a pilot. Just an itch I can't scratch.

She's away from the Birmingham Blitz.

Walking/cycling distance from Dudley.

[Abby Normal]

If she was married to an American soldier,he prolly would have been in a tank division.
I knew an American Tank Division Commander.
Real short.

Still suspect a pilot. Just an itch I can't scratch.

She's away from the Birmingham Blitz.

Walking/cycling distance from Dudley.

american soldiers didnt normally bring there wives with them though did they?