The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1919-08-30 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

POLICE-SERGT. WHYTE'S EXPERIENCES.  MR. JAMES WHYTE.  PolicaSergeant James Whylc. who is on' hands in his capacity as bridewellkeeper; the point of retirement from the Birkert- in 190$ there were about 3,000, r. ,at that head Police Force. has been a familiar , was the highwater mark, and since then figure in the Count, as well aa "down- ;the .atunbers have materially decreased.' stairs," for a number of years past, by 1y one man incarcerated in the bride-! r,eason of his position as bridewelf keeper.' well during the retiring officer's period of ; Mr. Whyte, who resides at 61, Chester- charge has cense to an untimely end, sad] street, was brirri at Bracklaymore. near ; even then the subject of this uotice was Byth, Feist Aberdeenshire, in 1809. He not on duty.. In March, 1909, a man hung; removed from there to the parish of himself in his eefd by a scarf which he! Oldpitsligo. arid at 21 years of age joined ; watt wearing when brought in. The priso.-; the Glasgow Force. He remained. there net put a knot on one end of the scarf,' but twelve m'ocatifts, then came to Liver-, forced it through the ventilator, and with pool, from thence to Birkenhead, and 'the major portion of the scarf tight round joined the loca;" police force when Major his neck Jumped oft from a seat and Barker wee Chief Constable, assieted by , brought about self-destruction. At the Supt. Clarke. Allocated to the "A" Din. ! inqiust Dr. Bentley complimented Mr. moo, as P.C. 40A, he subsequently became Whyte on the manner in which, shim a sergeant and WWI in February, HMO, fetched to the man, he tried to restore made assistant bridewell keeper. at the 'animation. No blame whatever was ettime when ex-Inspector Johnson was in tached to the police for their conduct in charge of the cells. This position he re- this untoward occurrence. Indeed, to go fur. tamed until 1905. when he Wltti promoted ther, it May be said that never whilst Mr. to section sergeant' in the "A" Division.; Whyte.has been associated with the bride. This was at •a time when there were no well has there been a single complaint inspectors in the force, made to the magistrates or the chief police Whilst acting sergeant he succeeded in officials by prisoners of their treatment "bringing to hest" a notorious "shebeener" •in the cells. Further, men have thanked in the town who was very substantially hint repeatedly for his fair dealing with fined. This was, perhaps, the first case of them when it had been their "misfortune" its kind in Birkenhead. Also during this' to be taken' into custody. He has received period of Sergeant Whyte's duty lie rid ;numerous compliments, and when on outGrange-road of a by no means inconsider-; side duty was the recipient of a reward able nuisance caused by obstructions of ; for stopping a runaway horse in Price. the footpath through people congregating; street. to listen to the playing of a gramophone In conjunction with Mr. Whyte's well, in a chop. The gramophone people fought 'earned retirement we publish his portrait, the proceedings taken against them strew'. 'and also 'reprcduce a photograph of his onsly, and on being convicted appealed to, "museum." This consists of a collection Quarter Sessions, where the conviotion 'of housebreakers' tods, revolvers, daggers. was upheld. At the same Sessions Mr. weights, base coins, knuckle dusters. discs Whyte was concerned in an important of lead used by theextreme Suffragettes in public-house emerge!. and was complimented the breaking of windows, the razor used by' counsel on hsth sides upon the fair ;by a murderer, the pipe the latter smoked, manner in which he gave his evidence. bludgrtus used in the Kensit and George He was associated with the proceedings Wyse troubles, and portions of fingers that against Swami and Theo, adventurers who have been cut off hands and subsequently will be recollected by many. Also he had preserved in spirits for production in under his charge at. the tridewell a man Court. Rather gruesome, it will be ad, convicted at Chester Assists of murder 'milted, are .sorne of these "relic,." Also and in due course hung. Iwe reproduce a copy of a "poem" written On an average about 2,000 prisoners a an the walls of one of the brideweiff cells year bay* passed through Mr. Whyte's and described as the "Lament of a First