Julia Wallace Murder Case

[Mark R]

Well, Mark, you know where this is leading..
I think Parry continued up Maiden Lane, turned left into Townsend Lane, left at the Triangle into Rochester Road and then ....
picked someone up...
perhaps at the recreation ground, (which was pitch-black the night I tested this theory)..
He then continued up Lower Breck Rd, turned left into West Derby Rd, perhaps stopping as he said at Hignett's. Somewhere near this part of the route he dropped his passenger off (probably at his home), but not before the passenger had left him with a couple of "souvenirs" - a pair of bloodstained gloves and an iron bar....

A certain Mr. Marsden perhaps?
By the way, the police report with the names on has just Mr. Marsden with no first name or initial...

[RodCrosby]

Well, in his second statement, Wallace ominously states "Parry recommended him...", and seems to link Parry and Marsden together. However, I'm surprised the Police appear not to have delved deeper into Marsden's background and movements. But something tells me it was unlikely to have been Marsden.

I would love to be able to compare full transcript statements of all the people that Parry mentions on the Tuesday night. Do we have anything from the Williamsons, in particular?

[Mark R]

I would love to be able to compare full transcript statements of all the people that Parry mentions on the Tuesday night. Do we have anything from the Williamsons, in particular?

Not that I know of...There aren't any in the Merseyside police files. Whether there are any down at Kew, I'm not sure.

[RodCrosby]

Mark, what books would you recommend as having the most comprehensive treatment of the case?
I have Murphy's book, and Wilkes and Sayers are on the way, although I read Wilkes many years ago. I am looking out for Goodman's 1987 edition at a reasonable price. Veale seems impossible to obtain.

Would you care to rate the books (with a score out of 10)?
W.F Wyndham Brown - The Trial of William Herbert Wallace
John Rowland - The Wallace Case
F.J.P. Veale - The Wallace Case
Yseult Bridges - Two Studies in Crime
Jonathan Goodman - The Killing of Julia Wallace
Robert Franklin Hussey - Murderer Scot-Free
Roger Wilkes - Wallace The Final Verdict
Richard Waterhouse - The Insurance Man
James Murphy - The Murder of Julia Wallace

Thanks

[Ged]

Hiya Mark. I found the Murphy one very atmospheric so was looking forward to your rating of it, I was surprised you gave it a 9 after mentioning a couple of discrepancies in it on this thread, think it was you anyway?

Haven't got the Wilkes one but remember the radio broadcast. Was disappointed with the conclusion of the Vincent Burke dvd - no mention of Parry or the subsequent Wilkes broadcast - needing bringing a bit more up to date, think i've mentioned that before.

I'm game for a Priory Road stake out. LindyLou can keep dixie.

[Mark R]

Hiya Mark. I found the Murphy one very atmospheric so was looking forward to your rating of it, I was surprised you gave it a 9 after mentioning a couple of discrepancies in it on this thread, think it was you anyway?

Haven't got the Wilkes one but remember the radio broadcast. Was disappointed with the conclusion of the Vincent Burke dvd - no mention of Parry or the subsequent Wilkes broadcast - needing bringing a bit more up to date, think i've mentioned that before.

I'm game for a Priory Road stake out. LindyLou can keep dixie.

Hi Ged,

yes, I have been critical of Murphy's but I think it is well written and researched and, like you say, very atmospheric. The Wilkes book is excellent as well, as is what most people regard as the cornerstone Wallace Case book -The Killing of Julia Wallace by Jonathan Goodman.

That Vincent Burke DVD you mention - is that a radio broadcast from Radio Merseyside? I have a CD of the Radio Merseyside programme. He is inaccurate on quite a few facts on it though..

I'm game for a Priory Road stake out. LindyLou can keep dixie.

Could we find her though?

[Ged]

I know VB used to have a 15 min slot on Roger Phillips BBC Radio Merseyside programme where he mentioned this case on more than one occassion but in collaboration with the BBC he also brought out a murders dvd with 5 or so cases on it and it's available in the shop at Radio Merseyside, Hanover st.

[Mark R]

I know VB used to have a 15 min slot on Roger Phillips BBC Radio Merseyside programme where he mentioned this case on more than one occassion but in collaboration with the BBC he also brought out a murders dvd with 5 or so cases on it and it's available in the shop at Radio Merseyside, Hanover st.

Thanks Ged

[DaisyChains]

I'm game for a Priory Road stake out. LindyLou can keep dixie.

Count me in, I will bring the donuts!

[Ged]

And the excuse when the coppers see 15 stood around prising a grid up is i've lost my car keys down there - and we've never seen or heard of each other before, just helpful passers by. (for this - park car nearby - not 4 streets away or it will look bang on)

Thinking on my feet here like Parry.........

Outcome may not be as serious though...........

ps. The car being nearby may shield us too.

(be careful not to drop Daisy's donut wrappers on the street as Rozzers may get us for a secondary offence of littering - having been given short shrift regarding the 'grid issue')

[Ged]

The last posting will self explode after 5 mins in case any fuzz are on line

[Mark R]

(be careful not to drop Daisy's donut wrappers on the street as Rozzers may get us for a secondary offence of littering - having been given short shrift regarding the 'grid issue')

Would that be 'littering with intent?'

[RodCrosby]

Cheers Mark, that was very helpful.
Yes I've got the Marshall Cavendish magazine, and as you say the photos are excellent, as well as the background material on MacFall and Moore. There's another mag I'm trying to obtain "Real Life Crimes - Time enough to kill", first published in 1994, and re-issued in 2004, but dunno if it's any good.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/REAL-LIFE-CRIM...QQcmdZViewItem
I've also got this month's True Detective magazine, which is OK.

Murphy's book is good on atmosphere, and he has unearthed some new angles, such as the "significance" of the chess match-list, but I think his conclusions are weak. There was no evidence of anyone taking a bath in Wolverton Street and the psychological profiling stuff is highly selective and speculative. The lack of an index is unforgiveable.

[Mark R]

Murphy's book is good on atmosphere, and he has unearthed some new angles, such as the "significance" of the chess match-list, but I think his conclusions are weak. There was no evidence of anyone taking a bath in Wolverton Street and the psychological profiling stuff is highly selective and speculative. The lack of an index is unforgiveable.

Hi Rod,

yes, that is the biggest doubt I have regarding the guilt of Wallace. Murphy's suggestion that he took a bath holds no water (forgive the pun). The bathroom/fittings were checked for blood and there was no proof that the bath had been used. I believe if there was blood there, it would have been detected (especially considering the time [or lack of it] WHW would have had at his disposal). You're right also regarding the lack of an index. I think most (if not all?) Bluecoat Press books suffer from this drawback.

I walked past 24B North John Street before and someone had left the door open. I had a quick look inside. The steps leading downstairs, and the banister rails...Absolutely gutted I didn't have my camera on me - I would have taken a few photos. I'll make sure I have it on me next time.

[DaisyChains]

Forgive me if it's in this thread, but has anyone staged a trial of Wallace, like the Maybrick one last year?