The Warwickshire Herald. — 1887-07-28 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE AT BIRMINGHAM. NUMBED OUTRAGE ON A CHILD. Considerable excitement has been caused in the neighbourhood of Church Lane, Nechelle, Birmingham, by the death by drowuing of a little girl named Alice Clifford, ten years of age, whose parents reside at he beck of 32, Thimblemill Darlene circumstances of the death of the child are at present shrouded in mystery, but the few facts that have come to light make it appear that she has been the victim of a horrible outrage. The 13irmiugham Police and the coroner's officers are at present busily engaged in enquiring into the matter, but they have not discovered much. From our own enquiries, however, we gather the following particulars. The deceased child's father and etip-mother,go out to work, and at about ten minutes past seven o'clock on Saturday morning the deceased was left alone in the house to attend to some domestic duties. During the morning she left home, and of her subsequent doings nothing certain is at present known, but at about a quarter to one o'clock she was found in the canal, near Church Road bridge, by a little girl who has not yet been discovered. This little child informed a Mrs. Smedley, whose house adjoins the towing-path of the canal near the bridge, and she ran to the water side with a broom, which she held out to the deceased. The latter, however, was too far gone to attempt to take hold of the broom, and she sank almost immediately. Mrs. Smedley then obtained the assistance of a man from a wharf, and he recovered the body from the water, by means of a nail, fastened to the end of a line-prop. The child was laid in a shed, and Dr. Luniby, of Nechells Park Road, was sent for, but upon his arrival he pronounced life to be extinct. The police were then communicated with, and the body was removed to the mortuary at Duke Street Police Station, where it was subsequently identified by the mother. It was at first thought the case VMS one of simple drowning; but in consequence of rumours to the contrary, Dr. Lumby went to the mortuary and made an external examination Of the deceased, which led to the belief that she had beea outraged. He then communicated with the Detective Office; and at the inquest, which was opened by the coroner (Mr. Han kes), Detective. inspector Vau Heiden applied for an adjourn. ineut. Evidence of identification having been given by the step-mother, the enquiry was adpunted until Monday, Aug. Bth. As before stated very little is known about the affair, and some of the facts that have come to light are of a very ccutradietory character. It is not, in the first place, known for certain how the deceased got into the water, whether she threw herself in, or was thrown, or fell from the bridge, or whether he went down to the canal slde and slipped in, or was pushed in. The more likely theory seems to be that she got into the water from the canal side, for had she dropped from the bridge to the water, a distance of from twenty to thirty feet, she must have attracted attention, because about the time she is supposed to have got into the water Harry Smedley was cleaning kuives at the back of Lismother's house, only afewyarde from the bridge.. Deceased would be able to get to the canal side.. down a narrow passage between the end of theft bridge and Mrs. Smedley's hmse, wilich passage, it is stated, is a regular " run " for children whol wish to get to the water side. On the other hand,i the theory of the fall, accidental or otherwise,. from the bridge is strengthened by the fact that aboy is said to have seen her drop ; but we are note able to say whether that is more than rumour.. With regard to the perpetrators of the outrages which Dr. Lumby believes to have been committed nothing is at present known. A Mrs. Atkins, whop lives above the bridge, states that shortly after twelve o'clock on Saturday morning the saw a little girl, whose appearance tallied with that of deceased, standing upon the canal bridge crying, whilst sitting on some railings at the far end of the bridge were a number of youths. It is also stated that the deceased was subsequently seen on the bridge by a brother of Detective Stroud in company with several man; but of course it is not known whether any of them had been illusing the child. It is not quite certain either, yet, whether the girl seen by Mrs. Atkins was the deceased, for it is said that another girl who much resembles the deceased was seen goiug towards the bridge about the same time. . The poet mortem examination of the body confirms the belief that a violent outrage has been committed, and goes to show that the culprit must have been an adult. The girl who was seen prying on the bridge and who it was supposed blight have been the deceased, has been towed alive, and the youths who were then with her have been identified. Detective-inspector Stroud and. Detective Clifton are investigating the matter. They Lave discovered the lad who is said to have stated he saw the deceased fall into the canal from the bridge, but it is said that his replies to their enquiries do not throw any important additional light on the mystery of the girl's death. The girl te whom it is alleged the deoeased communicated her intention to commit suicide has not been found, though all the girls at Hutton Street. School were questioned by time schoolmistress on Tuesday morning. No arrest has been made in eouneotioa with the ease, and the results of the general enquiries made by the police were reported, to be so fur of a fragmentary character. The movements of the deceased from the time she left home to her death have as yet been very imperfectly traced, and at present there is not muck prospect of any conclusive evidence as to be sup. posed crime being obtained.