The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1920-05-15 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

YESTERDAY'S POLICE OOURT EVIDENCE. Frank Lawrence Andersen, lA. 18-7ear44. ship's steward who is charged with the wilful murder of Elsie Dorothy Birkett,. was committed yesterday tO take hie trial at the next Chester Assizes. The police court proceedings extended into the afternoon, and they were witnessed by a large number of spectators, who crowded the public gallery. Dr, A. C. E. Tierra' (chairman) and Mr. W. B. B. Yeo were on the bench, and Mr. F. S. Moore again appeared for the Pub 4 Proaeoutor. Mr. Roberts, of Messrs. Hughes and Roberts, represented prisoner, who occupied, a seat it the dock. _ _ . _  hfr: Moore -b-r-iifly reviewed the story of the tragedy as already made familiar to the pu•bLic. The offence with which Andersen was charged took place on Sunday, 2561 April, mid Mr. Moore. Andersen had been keeping company for some little time with & girl named Elsie Dorothy Birkett, aged 18. On Saturday, 24th April, the couple went out after arranging to meet Mrs. Birkett at the Market, and the mother would tell the court that she noticed nothing .extraordinary on that occasion. The couple. however, did not keep the appointment with the mother. Deadhead was in domestic service, going out by day and returning home at night. On the Sunday morning, April 15th, she went to work as usual about half-past seven, and it would appear that she met prisoner some time during that morning. Andersen's parents were under the mu' on that he was working and had gone to work that morning, but as a matter of foot he had net been in employment since the previcrus July. At about half-peat twelve on that Sunday, Andersen and the girl were seen near the corner .of Poplar-road and Mount Pleasant. A Miss Dean, who lived in Mount Pleasant, was walking up Poplar-road and saw the deceased girl RUNNING DOWN THE ROAD, followed by prisoner. Misa Dean did not see any blows struck, but when the girl had gone a few yards she suddenly collapsed and the prisoner also fell. "Miss-Dean bad noticed that the girl's face was growing paler, hut she did not appreciate what had happened until she heard someone say; "(lit! She has been stabbed." She then went to telephone to the polka. In the meantime a Mr. J. 13. Oldham, a medical student, was coining up Poplar-road in his car when he was signalled to be setae people, and ran to the scene, telling hiechauffeur to folio* with the car. Mr. Oldham at once took in the situation, *aid knowing that Dr. Cassels Brown lived noir,' he went for him. The doctor saw immediately that the girl was in a precarious state, and he had not been there very long before she expired. Mr. Oldham saw a knife lying close to the prisoner, and it was picked up by Dr. Brown and l handed 1 to the hospital doctor, who in turn handed • ' it to the police. Deceased and Andersen : were placed in Mr. Oldham's car and taken 'to the Borough Hoeipitel. Andersen--waa suffering from injuries which appeared to be self-inflicted. Continuing, Mr. Moore commented tbats I although the affair took place in daylight, 1 it was extraordinary that there waa Sb 'witness who actually saw the blow struck, but it would be clear from the evideeme that prisoner was. the man who struck-the blow. His own injuries ware trivial. Mr. Moore then called particular attention' to the passage in one of the letters found upon Andersen: "Last night I meant- it, but Elsie wanted to draw :at the last minute. She ' presented such a sorry spectacle of terror that I relented, and inthe end I let .hr go, but now, as I write this, I know I can't wait all that time for my Elsie so I will kill her at the first. possible chance." There was also the evidence, said Mr. Moore, which prisoner volunteered while at the Borongh Hospital, and which ,wee taken dawn in a written statement. Tigre geemed no doubt but that prisoner must be committed -upon the capital charge. The question of prisoner's state of mind would not arise in that court: it would be decided by the judge and jury at the Assizes. THE DOUBLE SUICIDE SUGGESTIONi, As to the suggestion contained in one,tif the letters that Andersen and deoeased had arranged to commit suicide together, he would point out that according to the statement of Mrs. Birkett, -her daughter- was always cheerful and bright, and she showed, no indication of having contemplated anything of the sort. To convenience the medical witneeees, their evidence was taken first. Dr. Andrew C•els Brown repeated the store which be WE to the Borough Coroner on Tuesday of bow he was called by Mr. Oldham to the scene of the tragedy, where he examined deceased and prisoner. Dr. Cyril Edward Hammond Getter, house sirrgeon at the Birkenhead Borough Hospital, seated that at 1.10 p.m• on the 25th of April be was called to the casualty ward, outside which was a motor-ear, in which was Elsie Dorothy Birkett. She was dead and witness ordered her removal to the mortuary. The knife (produced) was handed to wit:flees by Dr. Brown. Prisoner had been sitting on the front of the car and he was taken to the casualty ward and examined. He was suffering from a slight punctured wound on the left side of the chest about one inch long, and penetrating from half to ehree-quarters of an inch. The wound was dressed and he was removed to a private ward. While being attended toe, prisoner said" Shall I swing for 'this" or " I suppose I shall swing for this," and he. enquired Is she dead. • Be also made a. long disconnected statement about his nerves, which witnees was unable to repent. Witness assisted at a post-mortem examination of the deceased girl on 27th April. -Evidence as to the result of this examination was given by Dr. • Henry Richard Preece. police enrgeon. He said that the body was very white, indicating that death had followed hemorrhage. There wee a wound about an inch long on the upper edge of the left breast. It was continued through the cartilage of the fourth rib. The knife had gone right through into the cavity of the left ventiele of the, heart, which indicated that great force must have been used, and the blow struck downwards and inwards. It could not have been self- I inflicted. It could have been caused by the knife produced.