Statement #1:
Harry Bailey says:- I am Detective Sergeant of the Liverpool City Police Force. At 10-10p.m. on Tuesday 20th January, 1931, I went to the house 29 Wolverton Street. In the parlour I saw the dead body of Julia Wallace. Doctor McFall and Superintendent Moore were present in the house. I learned what had taken place and made an examination of the premises for evidence of a forcible entrace but I could find no indication of such.
I saw the mackintosh produced tucked up against the body. It was much blood-stained and I picked up, from out of a fold of the mackintosh, two partly burnt matches. I retained the matches. Superintendent Moore then came into the room and whilst looking at the mackintosh I saw that it was burnt on the left side. Mr. Wallace was then called into the room by the Superintendent and said to him, “Is this your mackintosh?”. Mr. Wallace did not answer. The Superintendent then said “Had Mrs. Wallace a mackintosh like this?”. Wallace did not reply. The Superintendent then said to me, “Take it up” and I held up the mackintosh and the Superintendent took hold of the right sleeve and holding the mackintosh open said “This is a gent’s”. Wallace then got hold of it and said “If there are two patches on the inside it is mine”. I then showed him the inside of the mackintosh and he said, “It’s mine, I wore it this morning, but the day turning out so fine I wore my fawn coat this afternoon. Of course it was not burnt like that when I wore it.” The Superintendent then asked Wallace where he left it and he replied “Hanging up in the hall at half-past one”. I could see no signs of a struggle having taken place in the parlour. The blinds were drawn and no drawers in the parlour sideboard appeared to have been ransacked.
In the kitchen I saw the broken cabinet, produced. On a shelf at the top of the bookshelves I saw the cash-box,produced and on the floor under the book-shelf I saw a half-crown and two separate shillings. The evening “Echo” lay on the kitchen table. On a chair in the kitchen, by the table, I saw a lady’s handbag. I afterwards found that it contained in one compartment the sum if (sic) £1-5-10½ and in another compartment a George half-crown. The handbag also contained some letters which were examined.
In the front bedroom I saw the bed-clothes had been pushed back towards the middle of the bed, in a ruffled state, as mentioned by the Superintendent. In a jar on the mantel-piece in the middle bedroom I saw four £1 Bank of England notes, a postal-order and a half crown. I afterwards went with My. Wallace to Anfield Road Bridewell and took a statement from Mr. Wallace in writing and he signed it. I afterwards returned to 29 Wolverton Street, and removed the body to the mortuary. At the mortuary I saw the front of the skirt on the body was partly burnt, as produced, but there were no signs of burning on the underskirt. The deceased wore her wedding-ring and a brooch at the front of her neck. In a pocket inside her corsets, which was secured with a safety-pin, was found a £1 note and a 10/- note. I took possession of the skirt. The following day in company with other Officers I visited the house 29 Wolverton Street, and took from the jar in the middle bed-room, the four £1 notes, the postal-order and a half-crown. On one £1 note was a small mark which appeared to be blood. These I afterwards handed over to Inspector Gold. I was present at the house when Mr. Wallace found his wife’s jewellery in a drawer in the middle bed-room, as mentioned by Inspector Gold. I was with Inspector Gold when he took further statements from Mr.Wallace. On Monday 26th January,1931, in Company with Det.Sergeant Fothergill, I made a test as to the time required to get from 29 Wolverton Street to the junction of Lodge Lane and Smithdown Lane. I left the back door at 29 Wolverton Street at 6-49pm, turned [illegible] then to the right through a passage into Richmond Park, [illegible] over Richmond Park, through an entry into Esmond Street, then [illegible] by Castlewood Road and at the top of that road, in Belmont [illegible] I jumped on a tram-car, at a request stop a few yards from Castlewood Road. It was then 6-52p.m. On arrival at St.Margaret’s Church, at the corner of Belmont Road and Rocky Lane,Mr. Bishop and Inspector Gold, boarded the same car. We arrived at Smithdown Lane at [Illegible: 7-6p.m. I believe by later statements].
[NOTE: 17 minutes but “jumped” on a tram at a closer request stop Wallace did not claim to use].
On Tuesday the 27th January,1931, in company with Detective [illegible], I again made a test of the time required for the same route. I left the back door of 29 Wolverton Street at 6-52p.m. and followed the same course, but walked from Castlewood Road to St.Margaret’s Church. I boarded a tram-car at 7-0p.m., at that corner and arrived at Smithdown Lane at 7-13p.m. [21 minutes]
Statement 03/03/1931:
Evident taken 3rd. March 1931.
HARRY BAILEY:-
I am a Detective Sergeant of the Liverpool City Police.
At 10-25 p.m. on Tuesday the 20th. January last in consequence of something I learnt I went to the dwellinghouse 29 Wolverton Street. I found witnesses MacFall and Moore present in the house. I examined the house for evidence of a forcible entrance but found none. In the parlour I saw the dead body of Julia Wallace. Tucked up against the body at the back I saw the mackintosh produced W.H.W._. It was much blood stained.
On looking closely at the mackintosh I saw the burnt matches inside of a fold. I product them marked W.H.W.40. I then observed that the mackintosh was burnt down the right side. Witness Moore was then with me. He called the accused into the parlour. Witness Moore said to him “Is this your mackintosh?” He did not reply. Witness Moore said “Had Mrs. Wallace a mackintosh like this?” He did not reply but continued to stare at it. Witness Moore then said to me “Take it up”. I held it up and Witness Moore took hold of the right sleeve and, at the same time, said “This is a gent’s”. The accused thensaid “If there are two patches on the inside it is mine”. I turned the coat to him and he saw the patches and said “Yes, it is mine. I wore it this morning but the evening turned out so fine I wore my fawn coat”. Witness Moore then said “Where did you leave it?” and the accused replied “hanging up in the hal at 1-30”. The accused also said “It was not burnt like that when I wore it”.
In the parlour there was no sign of disorder in any form with regard to the furniture and no signs of a struggle.
In the kitchen I saw the broken cabinet produced W.H.W.20, and on the floor in that corner of the room I saw a half crown and two separate shillings W.H.W.20. On the seat of a chair which was partly underneath a table I saw the handbag produced W.H.W.41. It contained altogether £1-8-4½ The evening newspaper was on the kitchen table. The handbag could be seen from the kitchen door as I entered.
Upstairs I went into the middle bedroom. I could see no sign of disorder. I saw the jar W.H.W.17 containing Treasurey Notes on the mantel piece.
In the front room I saw the bed __ pushed towards the middle of the bed in the manner described by witness Moore. The drawers were all shut.
Later I went to Anfield Road Bridewell with the accused accompanied by witness Gold. The accused there made a statement to me which I took down in writing. I produce the statement W.H.W.47. The accused signed it.
I then returned to the house 29 Wolverton Street at about 2-25 a.m.(?) and removed the body to the Princes Dock Mortuary. The deceased was wearomg a wedding ring, a small brooch on her eck and she had £1-__/- in Treasury Notes in a small pocket inside her corset. At the mortuary I observed that the skirt W.H.W.__ which the deceased had on was burnt at the front as then seen.underskirt had no sign of burning.
Later, on the 2_st. January, I went again to the house 29 Wolverton Street, took possession of the handbag W.H.W.41, the half crown and five shillings W.H.W.__, and from the middle bedroom from the jar W.H.W.__ I took the four £1 Treasury Notes W.H.W.__. also the Postal Order and half crown. These Treasury Notes, Postal Order and half crown I placed in an envelope and on going to check them later I observed a mark on one of the Treasury Notes – [Identification Code] – and I handed them to witness Gold, calling his attention to the mark.
On the __ January I was with witness Gold at the house when he said to the accused “Mrs Draper has stated that there is a poker and a piece of iron missing from the parlour”. The accused replied “She must have thrown the poker out with the ashes and I don’t know anything about the piece of iron that was in the parlour”.
On the __ January I made a test of the journey from the back door of 29 Wolverton Street to the junction of Smithdown Lane and Lodge Lane. I left the yard door of 29 Wolverton Street in company with another Officer at 6-49p.m. turne left along the entry through a passage into Richmond Park, crossed Richmond Park, through another passage leading into Sedley Street, through Pendennis Street into Castlewood Road and in Belmont Road to the right of Castlewood Road boarded a tram car which had just arrived at a tram stop. The time was 5-59 p.m. The route I followed is shown in red on the plan W.H.W.15 except that when I got into Belmont Road I turned to the right to board the tram over at the “Request” stop. On arriving at St. Margaret’s Church witness Gold boarded the car. We continued on our journey __ ___ __ __ Lodge Lane, Smithdown Lane Junction. We alighted at that junction and walked to the tram stop in Smithdown Road around the corner from Tunnel Road. The tram stop was for cars going to Smithdown Road, Menlove Gardens and other places. The time was then 7-6 p.m. (?).
On the 27th. January I again made a test in company with another Officer. I left the back door of 29 Wolverton Street at 6-52 p.m. I travelled the route again to Belmont Road but turned to the left at Belmont Road to St. Margaret’s Church, where we arrived at 6-56 p.m. At 7 p.m. [4 minute wait] I boarded a tram car to the same junction as on the previous evening and arrived at the tram stop for Smithdown Road at 7-13 p.m.
BY Mr. SCHOLEFIELD ALLEN, Counsel for accused :-
I walked on each occasion to the tram stop in Belmont Road. I think I walked about 4½ miles an hour [!].
As soon as I got on the tram stop I pulled out my watch. I did not wait for or get on to a tram going to Menlove Avenue because I was not Instructed to. It would have been a fairer experiment had I waited for a car at Smithdown Lane corner and boarded the car going to Menlove Avenue and that then take the time.
I suppose this applies to both my tests>
There is a poker in the kitchen grate at the house of 29 Wolverton Street. It was there on the night of the 20th. January. There was no need for a poker in the sitting room as there was a gas fire. I did not see the need for a piece of iron in the sitting room grate as described by witness Draper.
I understand there are 14 families in Liverpool of the name of Qualtrough.
To the best of my recollection the night of the 20th. January was dark and __. There was no __.
The position of the mackintosh in the photograph W.H.W.7. is not the same as when I first saw it. It was not separate and apart from the body. When I held it up to the accused I did not know he had already identified it to Constable Williams and Mrs. Johnston, nor to Police Sergeant Breslin.
As far as I can find out it is true what the accused says about being on the best of terms with his wife. It is usual for a person to use the back door in the day-time and the front door at night, in that class of house.
I commenced to take the statement W.H.W.42 at about 11-_ p.m. o the 20th. January. It took about 20 minutes to take.
It was between 2 and 4 p.m. on the 21st. January when I first moved the Treasure Notes. I did not notice any blood on them. I noticed the marks which appeared to me to be blood about half an hour after I left the house. It is not easy to see the blood on the note. I don’t think there was more blood on [bank note with code] than now appears.
I have not seen the spot of blood in the bathroom.
With regard to the second last journey I can say the time was about 6-58 p.m. when I reached St. Margaret’s Church. I made no note of that time nor did I look at my watch.
