The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1903-01-28 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

ALLEGED CHILD MURDER BIRKENHEAD MAN ARRESTED.  The coroner for West Lancashire (Mr. S. Brighouse) held an inquest at Litherland on Mmday on the body of the child of a single woman named Annie Cruise, who lives in boother-etreet. Bootle, and who is in custody charged on riepicion with having drowned the mild in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, on the 15th inst. The age of tee c.hitd was ono year auci eight months. A youth named John Barlow, of Birkenhead, has been arrested and charged along with Cruise with causing the death of the infant. , The first trainee, Mary Ellen Cruise, mother of female prisoner, said that when the child was born her daughter alleged that a man named Findlayson wan the fsrther, and took out an a.ffihation summons, which was dismissed. Barlow had kept company with the girl, and was several times at the house wfith her. James Alexander Cruise, brother of female prisoner, said that on the 15th inst. his sister had left home, taking the child with her, and the next time he saw her she was in custody. On the 17th inst a letter was received at the house, bearing the Birkenhead postmark. Witness handed the letter to the police. Part of the letter, which wan signed "Mr. John Barlow," was as follows:— "Deere Annie,— . . . I am sorry to hear that your trouble is increasing, but your trouble would long ago have been eased by me only for your liee and misconduct. . . . lon also say that the bastard is put away, as I understand you. . . . The letter must have a signature, so as to certify that you will not want her back." Martha Kirby, of Audley-street, Bootle, said that the female prisoner called on her with the baby on the 15th inst., and showed her some letters from Barlow. Burh expressions as "I am quite willing to blot out your past life, but the bastard must be put away,," and "Yon are too fond of her for that,' occurred in the letters. Prisoner had never threatened to destroy or injure the child in any way. Robert Warden, a Litherland labourer, spoke of having seen the female prisoner on the canal bank at Litherland on the 15th inst., and Margaret Langley deposed to having heard screaming coining from the direction of the canal an the 15th inst. George Hubbard, an electrician of Orrell, spoke to being called to-the canal by the fomale prisoner who told him her child had dropned into the water. Be recovered the child, and used artificial respiration, but to no effect. Detective Boyle stated that he saw Barlow at Birkenhead on the 18th inst., and received from him a torn letter from the female prisoner. In the course of the letter the young woman said she was sorry for all the pain and anxiety she had caused, but the stumbling block was nut of the way. In another part of the letter the writer says that she had not a death certificate to send hirk and concludes as follows: "With the help of God I will become a better girl cowl that the curse of my life has gone from my path." The coroner then read another letter written by Barlow to his aunt, in which he wrote that he was innocent of the charge, and explaining that he meant that Cruise should put the child in a home. , A statement, signed by Barlow, was also , read. Describing himself as a windowcleaner, of Sussex-street, Birkenhead, the prisoner stated; that he first met Annie Cruise at the Manchester Theatre, Bootle, and he had kept company with her for about eight months. Misconduct had taken place between them on different occasions. He had advised her to put the child into a home. Dr. German, who had made a post mortem examination, said that death was due to  shock, consequent on the immersion. P.C. Johnston said that Cruise had made , a statement to the effect that as she was walking along the canal bank she fell, and , the baby had fallen into the canal, but she ran for assistance immediately. However, there were no bruises on her elbow, and no dirt on her clothing to indicate a fall. Cruise, when charged with the murder of her child had denied the charge, and Barlow made no reply. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, but they found that there was not sufficient evidence to show how the child got into the water. The Coroner: You do not think there is sufficient evidence to attach any crime to either the girl or the boy? The Foreman: No, not from the evidence brought before us.