The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1920-05-08 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

REMARKABLE LETTERS READ AT MURDER INQUEST.  ANDERSEN'S STATEMENT TO POLICE.  "I MEANT !T FOR HER HEART."  HIS NERVE-RACKING SEA EXPERIENCES.  The Birkenhead Borough Coroner (Mr. her collar and raise her shoulders. Then Cecil liaidell) Yeste....y morning, with a one or two other people came. I telejury, ent ered upon the inquiry arising out 'phoned to the police, and then returned to of the tragedy that occurred in Oaten on the road. Sunday, April 25th, when an 18-year-old Witness added that when the prisoner girl named Elsie Dorothy Birkett, whose lend deceased were being removed to the home was in Fairview-road, was stabbed to hospital she saw lying on the road a knife. the heart and died shortly afterwards, her ;the handle encased in leather. It was sweetheart, Flank Lawrence Andersen, a :stained with blood. ship's steward, of 20, Sun-street, who is A sheath-knife was handed to witness, also 18 years of age, being subsequently ar- and she identified it as the one she saw. rested and charged with murdering her. I James Bagehot Oldham, a medical btuThe inquest had previously been formally dent attending Liverpool 'University, stated opened and adjourned, and the accused that at 12.40 on the morning of Sunday, youth- had been formally remanded at the I April 25th,he was returning from church Police Court, in his motor car, • and as he turned into yesterday, before the inquest proceedings the gateway of his home in Poplar-road he were gone on with, Andersen was brought :noticed three or four people standing about 'up for further formal remand. The =rig's- , 30 yards away, some of whom signalled to trates on the bench were Mr. (3. P. Swipe ; him with their arms. Ile gave an instruc(chairman) and Dr. A. C. E. Harris. tion to the chauffeur, and walked up to When the accused was brought up from where deceased and the young man were the cells inlto the dock, he looked for a lying on the ground. The girl was lying moment somewhat veistfully round the on her back, and the left side of her blouse Court. After he had been charged by the was stained with blood. Andersen was lying Magistrates' Clerk (Mr. Edmund Spencer), partly on his left side and partly on his with wilful murder, face, with his right arm thrown loosely Mr. F. S. Moore, who appeared for the over the girl, who was unconscious and prosecution (Mr. Percy Roberts again ap- obviously dying. 'peering for the accusedl, said he proposed Witness remembered that Dr. Cassels to ask for a further remand until 'Tuesday Brown lived near at hand, and ran to his next. On that day, be understood, the in- house, where, fortunately, he found the quest would be concluded, and he would doctor in the garden. They went back tothen ask for another remand until Friday gather, and when they arrived at the next, so that the case might be gone into spot, witness pulled Andersen away from here, the girl. As he did so he noticed a knife Mr. Roberts: I consent to those adjourn- lying between them in the road. He pulled meets, your Worships. Andersen's shirt open, and discovered a Detective-Inspector Hughes repeated his wound on the left side of the chest. Just evidence as to charging the prisoner on at this point the girl moaned and sighed, April 30th with wilful murder, when he and then her whole body relaxed. made no reply. They were taken in the car to the .Ait this point the prisoner spoke to his Borough Hospital, witness travelling on solicitor, who afterwards said: I have just the front with Andersen. heard from the prisoner that he does not