Goodman Files – Box 02 File 34.
Transcribed as follows.
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Letter #1:
GLANRAFON.
BROOKHOUSE.
DENBIGH
North Wales
Feb, 8th 1964
Dear Sir,
Re your article in the Daily Post today Feb, 8th I well recall the Trial of William Herbert Wallace my husband & I lived in Liverpool at the time. My husband at that time was a serving member of the Liverpool Police force, and on the night of the murder, was one of the officers that arrived at the house shortly after the murder was discovered, and remained on the premises for the remainder of the night.
Wallace was taken away for questioning as he arrived No doubt he could give you further details if required. I also have a vague idea we still have the Liverpool Echo’s with a report of the case somewhere tucked away.
We hope the book will be a definite hit.
Yours faithfully
(Mrs.) Margery Bebbington
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Letter #2:
I was a policeman with ten years service at the time of this murder & had been in the division a number of years.
On the evening of the murder of Julia Wallace I reported for night duty at one of our divisional Stations. Immediately I arrived I was ordered to go straight away to 29 Wolverton Street, Anfield, as a murder had been committed. I cycled there. It was a fairly quiet & reserved neighbourhood. On arrival at the scene several groups of people had congregated on the street here & there, __ everything appeared calm & quiet I was admitted through the front door by one of the detectives who gave me instructions not to allow anyone in to the “parlour” which was on the right hand side of the small ‘lobby’, & where the body of Julia Wallace lay murdered.
There were several detectives there. Two of them escorted Wallace out through the back door & I caught a fleeting glimpse of a tall lean figure being escorted out. I was joined by another uniformed policeman & we both remained in the house until released at 1AM next morning.
Several Superior Officers came to visit the scene & photographs were taken. One enquired if Wallace had been stripped before he was taken away. The answer was “NO”. Search was made throughout the house & outside for the murder weapon. Nothing was found.
In the living room next to the “parlour” where the body laid sat a middle-aged woman [Amy Wallace] & a young man [likely Edwin Wallace]. It appeared they were some relatives of the dead woman. They were asked to go & I did not see them again. The other policeman & myself were the only persons there until the undertakers came to take the body away. I went into the parlour with one of the men carrying the “shell”. It was not a large room, & the head of the Shell rested in the doorway the body laid on a carpet in front of the fireplace.
Julia Wallace was of medium height & build & was wearing a lot of dark heavy clothes. She had two skirts on. Perhaps it was cold weather at the time.
I seem to remember the raincoat was put on the shell with her, but am not quite certain about that.
Her head was battered & covered with blood & her face was unrecognisable. We placed her on the Shell lid on, & it taken to the mortuary. The walls were splashed with blood up to and onto the ceiling. Furniture & pictures were also splashed with blood. The room consisted of a piano (opposite the fireplace) a table & some chairs. A violin was on one of the chairs. But the room was quite in order it did not give the impression of a struggle had taken place.
We left the room & it was again locked. We returned to the room where there was a fire.
There was a table with a dark cloth on & some chairs. On the table was a sewing basket with wool & socks for darning which appeared to me as if she had been sitting on the chair darning or knitting. Perhaps got up from the chair, leaving whatever she was doig on the table & never returned again (This is the chair that the middle aged woman [Amy Wallace] occupied when I arrived there).
During the night my colleague & I again search the house, but nothing was found.
In the cupboard beside the fireplace were several of Wallace’s diaries I glanced through some of them an entry had been made a few days previous, concerning the weather. He was keen to write a report on the weather & temperature almost for each day. References were made to holidays spent in Moreton Wirral & also to his purchase of a pair of boots with price where & when bought & the fittings. Late entry was made to a musical evening spent at home with friends but I can’t remember Wallace references to his wife Julia & their relationship.
Having spent the night at the house my colleague & I were released next morning & that was the last time I was at the house. I took no part in the trial, but I recollect seeing Wallace in the court during one of his appearances. I was on dury in that area afterwards & Wallace’s case was the topic of the day. After his release I came in contact with several housewives where Wallace as an Insurance agent called & most of them appeared too frightened of him to open their doors & the belief is, that he was cold shouldered wherever he went & he felt the strain. In the end he packed up the job.
Having served 4 years in the First World War & 3yrs of that time spent in the fighting line, where slaughtering of men was common a murder of this description had very little effect on me personally apart from the interest in the procedures, since I had never seen a woman killed in this way before that was about the only difference really.
The end
If you are not quite sure of the things I’ve written about I will be obliged to explain
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Letter #3:
Glanrafon
Brookhouse
Denbigh
march 4th 64
Dear Mr Goodman
Here goes before I start putting it off the other policeman & myself discovered these diaries referred to in the cupboard or shelves during the night we looked through some of them & replaced them I don’t know what happened to them after, as I was not at the house ever again, but they were there at 7am
next morning when we left the house.
(2) The sargeant that paid us the visit during the night was an uniformed Section Sergeant I cannot remember his name or No. but it was not Harry Bailey
Harry Bailey was a detective, & if I remember right he was one of the decs that took Wallace away from the house to the bridewell
Yes this was Belmont Rd Hospital, now R__ as Newsham General.
I hope you can understand my writing, as most people cannot. If there is any more information, that we can remember we will let you know.
Yours Sincerely
Margery Billington
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Letter #4:
Glaurafon
Brookhouse
___
March 5th 64
Dear Mr Goodman
Im sorry I have been so long without answering your letter but something crops up all the time, & of course I have to get my husband to co-operate, & he is busy getting his garden + greenhouse ready for planting etc, anyhow I _ _ Question No (1) I was a policeman in “G” Division & on that particular night I paraded at Tuebrook, which like anfield is a sub[?] station of “G” Division
(2) I should imagine the time would be 10._0 Pm I was relieved soon after 7AM next morning
(3) Yes!!These groups of people in the street were neighbours by the look of them. the street was quiet with no one around when I left next morning
(4) I cannot remember the name of the policeman on dury with me, but I seem to remember the first policeman called to the scene was Fred Williams (deceased).
(5) Cant remember much about the cupboard, but they were more or less shelves with a curtain in front.
(6) We were there for the purpose of preserving everything as it stood, were not told not to use the basin & bath, but we knew it was not to be used. _ that no-one was to enter the murder-room, while we were there
the only person that entered the house during the night was the sargeant to visit us, & who also is deceased
(7) I was 36 years old at the time.
(8) The hospital was situated quite near to the place of the murder & I was on duty on the children’s ward at the time. I cant remember the exact day of the murder, but I do remember, during the period, it was the topic of the day Even the children on the ward talked about it for _ _ the dining room to the lodge it was all about Wallace & when you m_ the _ on the _ it was the same topic
I hope I have made myself clear, it is so long ago that we both have forgotten some things anyhow you’ll have to write again if there is anything that is not quite clear.
Yours sincerely
Margery Billington