** The Murder of Julia Wallace **

[Herlock Sholmes]

Him or someone he knew was my thought. And his alibi was through a girlfriend was it not. I don't think the Liverpool police would have dug deeply on that since they had the Queen and were looking for checkmate.

Hi Dupin,

Parry’s alibi for the night of the murder wasn’t his girlfriend. He was at the house of Mrs Olivia Brine in Knocklaid Road from 5.30 until 8.30. Also there was her 13 year old daughter Savonna who also confirmed his presence as did Mrs Brine’s nephew Harold Denison (who was a friend of Parry’s which is how he came to know the Brine’s. A Miss Plant also visited that evening. After that he said that he’d gone to a Post Office then to a store to collect an accumulator battery for his radio. He then went to a friends for 10 minutes where they discussed a forthcoming birthday party then he went to his girlfriends.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi Abby,

It certainly smacks of someone's cunning plan to have that call witnessed, doesn't it? You'd think that anyone planning to get Wallace out of the house for criminal purposes would have wanted to call him directly, preferably while he was on his own.

Telephone scammers absolutely hate it if their targeted victim isn't the one answering the phone, or if there is anyone else around to advise the victim to hang up. I'd imagine that would be intensified for anyone planning a house burglary the following evening, let alone bloody murder.

And it would all have been for nought if someone at the chess club had had the local knowledge to assure Wallace that Menlove Gardens East 100% didn't exist and he was - literally - going to be taken for a ride.

Wallace obviously took that chance if he was the caller and it paid off - just.

Love,

Caz
X

Hi Caz,

I wonder if William was hoping that Gladys Harley would have said “Mr Wallace isn’t here” after which he could have asked her to pass on a message. But Gladys went and got Samuel Beattie which wasn’t a part of the plan. As you say it was a risk…Beattie lived at Ballantrae Road which I believe is around 5 minutes away from MGW.

An interesting point is that the caller asked Beattie for William’s address. Would a non-William caller have asked this - only if he was genuinely on insurance business I’d have thought. How could a stranger have known that Beattie didn’t know this or that he might have had it in the club records somewhere? So it’s a strange question to have asked but William would have known that Beattie didn’t know his address so he might have done it to make the call sound like a genuine enquiry knowing that Beattie couldn’t have scuppered his plan by saying “yes, he lives at 29 Wolverton Street.”

[cobalt]

A personal phone call to Wallace would have been very difficult in the Liverpool of 1931 since there were very few homes which had a telephone. However it's true that the most obvious way to pursue an insurance policy would have been to call his insurance office and they would have delegated the agent who covered that area to follow it up. There seems no reason why any prospective client would have fixated on Wallace as the agent and taken the awkward method of contacting him at a chess club he attended infrequently, especially given that the meeting was arranged for the following evening. A letter through Wallace's door (I think there were around 6 postal deliveries per day back in these halcyon times) or a telegram would have made more sense. As has been noted by others, the caller had no guarantee that Wallace would attend, that the message would be passed on, or that Wallace would act upon it.

No doubt Wallace occasionally acted on leads or tips to develop his business and these would have been as a result of word of mouth recommendations. But an experienced agent like Wallace must surely have smelled a rat regarding this Qualtrough lead, the same way that we have done on this site.

I related in an earlier post how I would happily chase down an address when I worked as a taxi driver. However sometimes there were 'dodgy' calls phoned in which presumably came from rival companies, citing an address on the edge of the city- the purpose being to take a rival car out of the city on a fruitless mission. Our phone operator was an experienced lady and she had learned to turn such calls down, unless they came from a regular customer whose voice she could recognise.

[etenguy]

No doubt Wallace occasionally acted on leads or tips to develop his business and these would have been as a result of word of mouth recommendations. But an experienced agent like Wallace must surely have smelled a rat regarding this Qualtrough lead, the same way that we have done on this site.

Indeed, Cobalt. The question I would have expected Wallace to ask - which he did not was 'How did he know to contact me here? Why didn't he contact the office?

[Herlock Sholmes]

A personal phone call to Wallace would have been very difficult in the Liverpool of 1931 since there were very few homes which had a telephone. However it's true that the most obvious way to pursue an insurance policy would have been to call his insurance office and they would have delegated the agent who covered that area to follow it up. There seems no reason why any prospective client would have fixated on Wallace as the agent and taken the awkward method of contacting him at a chess club he attended infrequently, especially given that the meeting was arranged for the following evening. A letter through Wallace's door (I think there were around 6 postal deliveries per day back in these halcyon times) or a telegram would have made more sense. As has been noted by others, the caller had no guarantee that Wallace would attend, that the message would be passed on, or that Wallace would act upon it.

No doubt Wallace occasionally acted on leads or tips to develop his business and these would have been as a result of word of mouth recommendations. But an experienced agent like Wallace must surely have smelled a rat regarding this Qualtrough lead, the same way that we have done on this site.

I related in an earlier post how I would happily chase down an address when I worked as a taxi driver. However sometimes there were 'dodgy' calls phoned in which presumably came from rival companies, citing an address on the edge of the city- the purpose being to take a rival car out of the city on a fruitless mission. Our phone operator was an experienced lady and she had learned to turn such calls down, unless they came from a regular customer whose voice she could recognise.

Exactly Cobalt. Why wouldn’t William have suspicious about this very strange method of contacting him in a business that he was merely an agent. He was one of what I’d assume was almost an army of insurance agents all performing the same roll so it’s difficult to see how one might have been considered any better than any other. Someone might have said “the Prudential are a good company if you want insurance” but every area would have had their own agent or agents. If Qualtrough wanted to sort some policy out for his daughter then how likely would it have been that he didn’t already have insurance for himself and that he wouldn’t have used the same company? Also of course, why wasn’t he suspicious that this stranger apparently knew that Wallace attended the chess club? Why go to the effort of tracking down this particular agent to his chess club for business outside of that agents own rounds? As Eten said, why not contact the Pru. Why not use his own insurance agent? Why not ask his neighbour to ask his agent to pay him a visit?

[cobalt]

If Wallace was guilty he could not have overlooked the weakness in his plan to follow up the Qualtrough lead.

Police: 'How many times have you been contacted at your chess club regarding business, Mr. Wallace?'
Wallace: 'Well, none that I can recall.'
Police: 'And you don't know either a Mr. Qualtrough or the location of Menlove Gardens East?
Wallace: 'No, I don't believe I do.'
Police: 'Yet you set out a 20 minute tram journey, one requiring changes, nonetheless?'

A phone call to his company office would have removed much of the suspicion attached to him. If Wallace could disguise his voice well enough to fool those he was meeting a few minutes later then presumably he could have done the same to the Pru telephone operator. (The same would apply to Parry as well.)

He then has to request 'the personal services of a Mr. Wallace who was so very helpful to my brother-in-law/ work colleague/ nephew regarding insurance and this would be much appreciated by my daughter who is rather nervous about financial matters.' As it was an evening meeting, probably the local agent for Menlove area could be side lined on this occasion. Wallace has to supply a genuine address- the Prudential will have an accurate Liverpool map on the premises- but 25 Menlove Gardens West will work just as well since Wallace could still credibly traipse around the area for a bit knocking on doors.

Whoever made the chess club call must have considered the superiority of phoning the Prudential to set up the crime, so I'm trying to think of why they chose a more vulnerable alternative.

[Abby Normal]

If Wallace was guilty he could not have overlooked the weakness in his plan to follow up the Qualtrough lead.

Police: 'How many times have you been contacted at your chess club regarding business, Mr. Wallace?'
Wallace: 'Well, none that I can recall.'
Police: 'And you don't know either a Mr. Qualtrough or the location of Menlove Gardens East?
Wallace: 'No, I don't believe I do.'
Police: 'Yet you set out a 20 minute tram journey, one requiring changes, nonetheless?'

A phone call to his company office would have removed much of the suspicion attached to him. If Wallace could disguise his voice well enough to fool those he was meeting a few minutes later then presumably he could have done the same to the Pru telephone operator. (The same would apply to Parry as well.)

He then has to request 'the personal services of a Mr. Wallace who was so very helpful to my brother-in-law/ work colleague/ nephew regarding insurance and this would be much appreciated by my daughter who is rather nervous about financial matters.' As it was an evening meeting, probably the local agent for Menlove area could be side lined on this occasion. Wallace has to supply a genuine address- the Prudential will have an accurate Liverpool map on the premises- but 25 Menlove Gardens West will work just as well since Wallace could still credibly traipse around the area for a bit knocking on doors.

Whoever made the chess club call must have considered the superiority of phoning the Prudential to set up the crime, so I'm trying to think of why they chose a more vulnerable alternative.

maybe he thought a call to tje office might get shot down somehow?

im wondering do we know if wallace proactively asked if he got a message when he arrived at the pub?

[etenguy]

maybe he thought a call to tje office might get shot down somehow?

im wondering do we know if wallace proactively asked if he got a message when he arrived at the pub?

Hi Abby

No - Wallace did not ask about any calls or messages for him - Beattie interupted a chess game Wallace was playing to provide the message.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby

No - Wallace did not ask about any calls or messages for him - Beattie interupted a chess game Wallace was playing to provide the message.

thanks eten

[caz]

Exactly Cobalt. Why wouldn’t William have suspicious about this very strange method of contacting him in a business that he was merely an agent. He was one of what I’d assume was almost an army of insurance agents all performing the same roll so it’s difficult to see how one might have been considered any better than any other. Someone might have said “the Prudential are a good company if you want insurance” but every area would have had their own agent or agents. If Qualtrough wanted to sort some policy out for his daughter then how likely would it have been that he didn’t already have insurance for himself and that he wouldn’t have used the same company? Also of course, why wasn’t he suspicious that this stranger apparently knew that Wallace attended the chess club? Why go to the effort of tracking down this particular agent to his chess club for business outside of that agents own rounds? As Eten said, why not contact the Pru. Why not use his own insurance agent? Why not ask his neighbour to ask his agent to pay him a visit?

Good points, Herlock. Although Wallace might have been too grateful for the business to ask himself why this "Qualtrough" had been given his name, considering he was supposedly unfamiliar with the area, you'd think he would also have been curious to know how he tracked him down to the chess club without a crystal ball. Asking for Wallace's address is a red flag for me, because it provides a convenient explanation for being unable to pop a letter in the post or through the door instead of making that call - as if the caller wanted an audience for his message. He didn't know that Wallace would be there at all that Monday evening, which was bad enough for planning a Tuesday night burglary, but equally he didn't know that Wallace wouldn't be there to take the call and possibly recognise the voice - unless of course it was Wallace all along, who could also be expected to know his own address! The point here is that whoever "Qualtrough" was, he must have known Wallace's address regardless of his plans for the following evening, so the question itself was a lie, told to give the impression that he knew a lot less about Wallace than he actually did.

If Wallace was innocent, he knew the killer was someone who knew exactly where he lived, but had lied about this knowledge on the phone.

Love,

Caz
X

[caz]

Hi Abby

No - Wallace did not ask about any calls or messages for him - Beattie interupted a chess game Wallace was playing to provide the message.

If innocent, Wallace must have thought it most odd for a complete stranger to call the club with an appointment request for the very next evening, when there was no way of knowing if Wallace was even going to turn up and receive the message, or make himself available at that short notice to hike over to an area that wasn't his patch. Not being able to get hold of Wallace's address, "Qualtrough" would have been left in limbo as a legitimate customer, so it would have made a whole lot more sense to call again a bit later, in the hope of catching Wallace there and confirming the appointment details with him. Yet Wallace himself appeared to treat this much like business as usual, right up until the point where he was forced to abandon it when nobody could help him find the address, and only then did he begin to have misgivings about the whole affair.

Right from the stat, it should have smelled as fishy to Wallace as my cat Monty's favourite supper.

Love,

Caz
X

[Herlock Sholmes]

Good points, Herlock. Although Wallace might have been too grateful for the business to ask himself why this "Qualtrough" had been given his name, considering he was supposedly unfamiliar with the area, you'd think he would also have been curious to know how he tracked him down to the chess club without a crystal ball. Asking for Wallace's address is a red flag for me, because it provides a convenient explanation for being unable to pop a letter in the post or through the door instead of making that call - as if the caller wanted an audience for his message. He didn't know that Wallace would be there at all that Monday evening, which was bad enough for planning a Tuesday night burglary, but equally he didn't know that Wallace wouldn't be there to take the call and possibly recognise the voice - unless of course it was Wallace all along, who could also be expected to know his own address! The point here is that whoever "Qualtrough" was, he must have known Wallace's address regardless of his plans for the following evening, so the question itself was a lie, told to give the impression that he knew a lot less about Wallace than he actually did.

If Wallace was innocent, he knew the killer was someone who knew exactly where he lived, but had lied about this knowledge on the phone.

Love,

Caz
X

It’s certainly true that we can sometimes hear something unquestioningly and then when we think back it’s “hold on, how come….?” Old William certainly seems singularly lacking in curiosity about this odd request. He even told Caird that he hadn’t made his mind up to go and yet next day he’s unthinking persistence personified as he spends an hour arsing around and ignoring locals who keep telling him that the address doesn’t exist.

It’s an issue that we can never get the bottom of Caz but I still wonder if William was caught a little unawares by Gladys Harley bringing Beattie to the phone? Perhaps he was expecting more of “I’m sorry but Mr. Wallace isn’t here. Can I pass on a message” kind of thing from her? Maybe William wouldn’t have fancied trying to fool Beattie but if, expecting to hear Gladys he hears Beattie responding, then on the spot he had to go into fake voice mode. Then again, as I’m typing this I’m thinking, didn’t one of the operators say that the caller had a gruff voice? I’ll check but if that was the case (and I think it was) then it implies that he was prepared from the off for using a disguised voice. There was certainly a risk of someone knowing that there was no MGE. And might the café have had a directory? I don’t know.

He would have known that Beattie didn’t have his address but a risk would have been Beattie saying “his friend Mr. Caird is here. He’s bound to know.” He could hardly have said “don’t bother.” Even though I’m convinced that William was guilty there are still so many questions that we’d like an answer for but I think that we’re doomed to ignorance on most of not all of them. A bit of speculation never hurt anyone Caz.

[Herlock Sholmes]

If innocent, Wallace must have thought it most odd for a complete stranger to call the club with an appointment request for the very next evening, when there was no way of knowing if Wallace was even going to turn up and receive the message, or make himself available at that short notice to hike over to an area that wasn't his patch. Not being able to get hold of Wallace's address, "Qualtrough" would have been left in limbo as a legitimate customer, so it would have made a whole lot more sense to call again a bit later, in the hope of catching Wallace there and confirming the appointment details with him. Yet Wallace himself appeared to treat this much like business as usual, right up until the point where he was forced to abandon it when nobody could help him find the address, and only then did he begin to have misgivings about the whole affair.

Right from the stat, it should have smelled as fishy to Wallace as my cat Monty's favourite supper.

Love,

Caz
X

Fishier than a haddock at a hamster’s birthday party.

[caz]

Just to add...

If the killer didn't want Wallace to work out afterwards that he must have known his address all along, it would have been easy enough to pop an impersonal note through his door, explaining that he had got his name and address from a friend or associate who knew Wallace worked for the Pru and was the reliable sort. That would have saved "Qualtrough" making the call in the first place and risking Wallace not turning up, but crucially he wouldn't have been caught out afterwards in the lie that he didn't know Wallace's address.

The advantage here, for anyone other than Wallace, would have been the ability to maintain the charade that the burglar was a stranger, with no direct connection to Wallace himself or the family home, who had merely taken a criminal opportunity when he saw it.

A guilty Wallace could have used the note trick himself, had he wanted a stranger to be suspected, but it does appear that he took steps to incriminate someone who must have known where he lived and was targeting him specifically.

Oh, and I just love this case. It's the one that keeps on giving and keeps us guessing.

Love,

Caz
X

[caz]

Fishier than a haddock at a hamster’s birthday party.