Irlam,Cadishead,Rixton with Glazebrook old photos
Highway Robbery at Irlam in 1936
Cadishead and Irlam Guardian January 18th 1936.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY AT IRLAM
LADY ATTACKED IN BOAT LANE-KNOCKED DOWN AND HANDBAG STOLEN.
ALARMING EXPERIENCE.
Mrs. Milner, the wife of Mr. H. Milner, hardware and general dealer, Fiddlers Lane, Irlam, and residing at Rose Cottage, Irlam Road, Flixton, had an experience on Tuesday evening that she will never forget. She frequently accompanies her husband, each morning and evening, on the journey to and from the lock-up shop, and they are regular passengers on the Ship Canal ferry, which is approached from Liverpool Road on the Irlam side by what is known as Boat Lane, a long, winding and somewhat narrow roadway.
They usually leave the shop and journey home together, but on this occasion Mr. Milner preceded his wife by nearly half an hour, and it was between 7.30 and 8.0 p.m. when Mrs. Milner was on her way to the ferry. She told the "Guardian" that she did not remember meeting anyone on the several minutes journey, and had passed the long row of houses on the Ferry Hill estate and entered the "dip" in the roadway some 200 or 300 yards before the ferry is reached when she was attacked. For some reason or other, two public lamps, which serve a useful purpose hereabouts when lit, were out, and it was very dark indeed.
A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE.
"All of a sudden," continued Mrs. Milner, " a man without hat sprang at me from the hedge and knocked me down. Before I could do or say anything he had snatched the handbag I was carrying out of my hand and decamped with it across the fields. The bag contained my private purse, the shop takings probably about £8 in money altogether, the keys and other valuables. I was completely stunned and scarcely realised what had happened for a moment. My shoulder and arm was bruised by the fall and I screamed as I got up. Two men came to my assistance, and I was taken to the Boathouse Inn, where they were very kind to me. The police were telephoned for, and were soon present, but the man who attacked me had got clear away. It was the greatest shock of my life. It is obviously dangerous for women to walk along Boat Lane at night unaccompanied."
THE LANDLORD'S STORY.
Mr. and Mrs. Eaton, of the Boathouse Inn said they were listening to the wireless when they heard a scream. Mr. Eaton said, "I jumped up and the scream was repeated. He went out and saw a woman carrying her hat in her hand and shouting frantically that she had been attacked by a man and robbed. We then saw it was Mrs. Milner who we know well. She was in a terrible state, and was some little time before she could explain what had happened. Mr. Eaton telephoned for the police and they were soon on the scene, but the miscreant had then got clear away. It is a pity the two public lamps in the "dip" in the roadway were not lighted. They would probably have aided Mrs. Milner in giving a better description of the man who attacked her. Mrs. Milner was some time before she could recover her composure, and then complained of the pain from her arm and shoulder, which had been bruised in being knocked down.
THE FERRYMAN'S VERSION.
Mr. Roland Powell, employed as ferryman by the Ship Canal Company, said it would be about 7.45 p.m. when, as he sat in his cabin, he heard a loud scream, as though of a woman in distress, in Boat Lane. He ran in that direction and saw Mrs. Milner, who said she had been knocked down and robbed.
"She seemed in state of collapse, and I assisted Mr. Eaton to lead her into the Boathouse Inn," he said. "I could see she was in great pain from her arm and shoulder, which had been bruised. She said the villain gave her no opportunity whatever to defend herself. He snached her handbag from her and was off in an instant across the fields.
Mr. Powell, as well as Mr. John Henry Eaton said it would be a great advantage if the two public lamps were always kept on at night. It was very dark in the "dip" in the roadway, and people would be afraid of going along Boat Lane after this unless better lighting was provided. He must give credit to the local police for the speedy manner in which they responded to the telephone. The affair-the first of this kind in the district for many years-created quite a sensation in the neighbourhood.
THE LIGHTING OF FERRY ROAD
As the public lighting of Ferry Road seems to be involved in the dastardly affair, the opinion of Mr. Henry Nurse, surveyor to the Urban Council, was sought. Mr. Nurse informed the "Guardian" that there are three electric standards co-extensive with the frontage of the houses on that part of the Ferry Hill estate, and lower down, towards the Ship Canal ferry, there are three gas lamps-two with single burners, and the one nearest the ferry with a twin-burner which he considered quite adequate. He could not understand he said, why the two lamps in the "dip" were not functioning on the night of the cowardly attack on Mrs. Milner. The by-passes were working when examined later and he had come to the conclusion that both lamps had been tampered with. He quite agreed that with both these lamps out it would be dark and dangerous at this lonely part of the road. To interfere with the lamps it would be necessary to climb up the pillars and turn them out, which anyone on ???????? might easily do.
He had received no complaints for a long time of inadequate lighting of Ferry Road. The Council was agreed that an additional lamp was desirable in a portion of Boat Lane, but as there was neither gas main or electric cables laid in the vicinity, the improvement was in abeyance for the time being.
LAMPS TAMPERED WITH?
Mrs. Milner told the "Guardian" yesterday (Friday) that she felt little the worse for her alarming experience, though she still feels pain from the right shoulder. Her alleged assailant was a slim-built young man of 20 to 25 years of age. He was hiding behind a tree in the roadside. Had the public lamp opposite been lighted, she would probably have seen him and could have defended herself with her umbrella. As it was, she had no chance. She was not knocked down, but dragged down as he snatched her bag from her. The public lamps hereabouts had been unsatisfactory for some time.
Mr. Nurse,surveyor, said yesterday the lamplighter (Mr. B. Adams) had reported after inspection that the lamp fittings were in perfect order, and the lamps undoubtedly had been tampered with. There had been complaints of "monkeying" with the lamps for some weeks, and a sharp look-out was being kept.
Up to yesterday, no arrest had been made in connection with the offence.
Highway Robbery at Irlam in 1936
Cadishead and Irlam Guardian January 18th 1936.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY AT IRLAM
LADY ATTACKED IN BOAT LANE-KNOCKED DOWN AND HANDBAG STOLEN.
ALARMING EXPERIENCE.
Mrs. Milner, the wife of Mr. H. Milner, hardware and general dealer, Fiddlers Lane, Irlam, and residing at Rose Cottage, Irlam Road, Flixton, had an experience on Tuesday evening that she will never forget. She frequently accompanies her husband, each morning and evening, on the journey to and from the lock-up shop, and they are regular passengers on the Ship Canal ferry, which is approached from Liverpool Road on the Irlam side by what is known as Boat Lane, a long, winding and somewhat narrow roadway.
They usually leave the shop and journey home together, but on this occasion Mr. Milner preceded his wife by nearly half an hour, and it was between 7.30 and 8.0 p.m. when Mrs. Milner was on her way to the ferry. She told the "Guardian" that she did not remember meeting anyone on the several minutes journey, and had passed the long row of houses on the Ferry Hill estate and entered the "dip" in the roadway some 200 or 300 yards before the ferry is reached when she was attacked. For some reason or other, two public lamps, which serve a useful purpose hereabouts when lit, were out, and it was very dark indeed.
A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE.
"All of a sudden," continued Mrs. Milner, " a man without hat sprang at me from the hedge and knocked me down. Before I could do or say anything he had snatched the handbag I was carrying out of my hand and decamped with it across the fields. The bag contained my private purse, the shop takings probably about £8 in money altogether, the keys and other valuables. I was completely stunned and scarcely realised what had happened for a moment. My shoulder and arm was bruised by the fall and I screamed as I got up. Two men came to my assistance, and I was taken to the Boathouse Inn, where they were very kind to me. The police were telephoned for, and were soon present, but the man who attacked me had got clear away. It was the greatest shock of my life. It is obviously dangerous for women to walk along Boat Lane at night unaccompanied."
THE LANDLORD'S STORY.
Mr. and Mrs. Eaton, of the Boathouse Inn said they were listening to the wireless when they heard a scream. Mr. Eaton said, "I jumped up and the scream was repeated. He went out and saw a woman carrying her hat in her hand and shouting frantically that she had been attacked by a man and robbed. We then saw it was Mrs. Milner who we know well. She was in a terrible state, and was some little time before she could explain what had happened. Mr. Eaton telephoned for the police and they were soon on the scene, but the miscreant had then got clear away. It is a pity the two public lamps in the "dip" in the roadway were not lighted. They would probably have aided Mrs. Milner in giving a better description of the man who attacked her. Mrs. Milner was some time before she could recover her composure, and then complained of the pain from her arm and shoulder, which had been bruised in being knocked down.
THE FERRYMAN'S VERSION.
Mr. Roland Powell, employed as ferryman by the Ship Canal Company, said it would be about 7.45 p.m. when, as he sat in his cabin, he heard a loud scream, as though of a woman in distress, in Boat Lane. He ran in that direction and saw Mrs. Milner, who said she had been knocked down and robbed.
"She seemed in state of collapse, and I assisted Mr. Eaton to lead her into the Boathouse Inn," he said. "I could see she was in great pain from her arm and shoulder, which had been bruised. She said the villain gave her no opportunity whatever to defend herself. He snached her handbag from her and was off in an instant across the fields.
Mr. Powell, as well as Mr. John Henry Eaton said it would be a great advantage if the two public lamps were always kept on at night. It was very dark in the "dip" in the roadway, and people would be afraid of going along Boat Lane after this unless better lighting was provided. He must give credit to the local police for the speedy manner in which they responded to the telephone. The affair-the first of this kind in the district for many years-created quite a sensation in the neighbourhood.
THE LIGHTING OF FERRY ROAD
As the public lighting of Ferry Road seems to be involved in the dastardly affair, the opinion of Mr. Henry Nurse, surveyor to the Urban Council, was sought. Mr. Nurse informed the "Guardian" that there are three electric standards co-extensive with the frontage of the houses on that part of the Ferry Hill estate, and lower down, towards the Ship Canal ferry, there are three gas lamps-two with single burners, and the one nearest the ferry with a twin-burner which he considered quite adequate. He could not understand he said, why the two lamps in the "dip" were not functioning on the night of the cowardly attack on Mrs. Milner. The by-passes were working when examined later and he had come to the conclusion that both lamps had been tampered with. He quite agreed that with both these lamps out it would be dark and dangerous at this lonely part of the road. To interfere with the lamps it would be necessary to climb up the pillars and turn them out, which anyone on ???????? might easily do.
He had received no complaints for a long time of inadequate lighting of Ferry Road. The Council was agreed that an additional lamp was desirable in a portion of Boat Lane, but as there was neither gas main or electric cables laid in the vicinity, the improvement was in abeyance for the time being.
LAMPS TAMPERED WITH?
Mrs. Milner told the "Guardian" yesterday (Friday) that she felt little the worse for her alarming experience, though she still feels pain from the right shoulder. Her alleged assailant was a slim-built young man of 20 to 25 years of age. He was hiding behind a tree in the roadside. Had the public lamp opposite been lighted, she would probably have seen him and could have defended herself with her umbrella. As it was, she had no chance. She was not knocked down, but dragged down as he snatched her bag from her. The public lamps hereabouts had been unsatisfactory for some time.
Mr. Nurse,surveyor, said yesterday the lamplighter (Mr. B. Adams) had reported after inspection that the lamp fittings were in perfect order, and the lamps undoubtedly had been tampered with. There had been complaints of "monkeying" with the lamps for some weeks, and a sharp look-out was being kept.
Up to yesterday, no arrest had been made in connection with the offence.