The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1887-07-29 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE AT BIRM INU HAM. &OPPOSED OUTRAGE ON A CHILD. Considerable excitement has been caused in the neighbourhood of Church Lane, Nochello, Birmingham, by the death by drowning of a little girl named Aliee Clifford, ten years of age, whose parents reside at the beok of 32, Thimbleruill Lane. The circumstances of the death of the child are at present shrouded in mystery, but the few fact. that have come to light make it appear that she Las been the victim of a horrible outrage. The Birmingham 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 step-mothecgo out to work, and at about ten minutes pest 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. Lumby, 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 was one oi 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 been ontrag d. He then communicated with the Detective ; and at the inquest, which was opened by the coroner (Mr. Hawk*, Detective. inspector Van Heiden applied for an adjournment. Evidence of identification having been given by the step-mother, the enquiry was adjourned until Monday, Aug. Bth. As before stated very little is known about the ffair, and some of the foam that have come to light are of a very contradictory 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 she went down to the canal side 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 troin twenty to thirty feet, she must have attracted attention, because about the time shs is supposed to have got into the water Harry Smedley was cleaning kuives at the baok of Lisinuther's house, only a iewyards from the bridge. Deceased would be able to get to the canal side. down a narrow passage between the end of the bridge and Mts. Smedley's hems°, which passage, it is stated, is a regular " run " for children who wish to get to the water side. On the other hand, the theory of the tall, accidental or otherwise, front the bridge is strung- hatted by the fact that • boy is said to tave semi her drop; but we are not able to say whether that is more than rumour. With regard to the perpetrators of the outrage which Dr. Lumby believes to have been committed nothing is at present known. A Mrs. Atkins, who lives above the bridge, states that shortly after twelve o'clock on bitt urtisy morning she saw a lit it, girl, whose appearance tallied with that of deceased, standing upon the canal bridge crying, whilst sit tdig Oil some railings at the tar end of the brlgm wele a number mf youths. It is also stated that the deceased was subsequently seen on the bridge by it brother of Detective Stroud in company with several amen; but of course it is not ktiown whether any of them had beau iilusing the child. It is not quito (set tain either, yet, whether the girl seen by MO. Atkins was the deceased, for It is said that another girl who much resembles the deceased Wits seen going towards the bridge about the same time.  The post mortem examination of the body confirms the belief that it violent outrage has been oommitted, and goes to show that the culprit must have been an adult. The girl who was seen crying on the bridge and who it was auppoied might have been the deceased, has been tound alive, and the youths who were then with her have been identified. Deteclive-in.pector Stroud and Detective Clifton are investigat ng the matter. They have 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 iwporau additional light on the mystery of the girl's death. 'The girl to whom it 1+ alleged the deceased communicated her intention to commit suicide has not been found, though all the girls at Hutton Street School were questioned by t'.•l solloolmistresa. on Tuesday morning. No ariest has been made in counection with the ease, and the results of the general enquiries made by the police were reported to be so far of a fragmentary character. The movements et the deueased time th • time she lett home to her death have as yet been very imper. featly traced, and at preisioit there is not much prospect of any tiouolusive evidence as to be sup. posed crime being obtained.