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A War Suicide. |
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GERMAN'S FATAL DEARS. |
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AFRAID OF BEING DRIVEN OUT |
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REMARKABLE CASE AT LITHERLAND |
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A verdict of "Suicide whilst of
unsound mind" was returned at an inquest held before
Coroner Brighouse at Litherland this week, relative
to the death of a German named Paul William Weichmann, who hanged himself on Monday morning. |
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According to the evidence it appeared
that the deceased, who was forty-six years of age,
had been in this country for considerably over
twenty years, and was employed in the Diamond Match
Works. He had been very much depressed on account of
the war, and said he was afraid of being driven out
of the country. He went to bed on Sunday evening in
his usual health, and got up the following morning
apparently to go to work. Shortly after eight
o'clock on Monday morning his daughter, who was in
the yard, discovered him hanging from a beam in one
of the out-houses. He was cut down, but life was
extinct. |
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The Coroner said it seemed to be a
sad case. Although belonging to the German Empire,
he had married an English woman and had been in this
country about twenty-eight years, and to all intents
and purposes he was one of themselves. Unfortunately
the war had broken out, and for own protection the
registration of aliens was ordered. Not having been
naturalised, the matter had evidently preyed on his
mind, and he had formed wrong conclusions about
being parted from his wife. |
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Liverpool Weekly
Mercury |
15th August 1914 |
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A Cheshire
Tragedy. |
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FATAL MIDNIGHT ALARM. |
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TERRITORIAL SHOT DEAD. |
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CORONER'S INQUEST
AND VERDICT. |
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The mysterious death of a gunner in
the Lancashire Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery
whilst engaged in military duties at Bidston on
Monday night formed the subject of an inquest held
on Wednesday in the Reading-room, Bidston Village,
by M J C Bate, the West Cheshire coroner. |
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The proceedings lasted for nearly two
hours, and ended in the jury returning an open
verdict. |
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Major Stitt, representing the
Lancashire Brigade, was present during the inquiry. |
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The victim of the tragedy
is Louis Morrice, aged twenty, who had
been a labourer, and ha resided with his
mother and stepfather at 34, Upper
Hill-street, Liverpool, until Wednesday
of last week, when he joined the
artillery. Since that time deceased,
with others, had been doing garrison
duty at Bidston Hill. |
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The evidence of various
members of the corps was to the effect
that about midnight on Monday and alarm
was raised consequent upon the report of
a sentry that a suspected person was
loitering in the vicinity of the gun
park. The guard turned out, and some
shots were fired. The, under the
direction of Lieutenant Cook, the men,
split up into parties, were moved into
the fir wood in extended order with the
object of searching for the trespasser.
Morrice was one of a party of five who
made their way through the thick
undergrowth towards the railing dividing
the wood from Eleanor-road. When within
two or three yards of the railing
deceased's comrades saw a flash in
front, followed by a retort. Morrice,
who was nearest the railings, staggered,
cried "Oh! I am shot." and fell to the
ground. It was found that a bullet had
passed through his body, and although
medical aid was promptly summoned, the
young soldier died a few minutes after
the shot had been fired. |
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A MAN ON THE WALL |
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Bombardier Beamish said that when the
alarm was given he ran to the gun park. "There he
is," pointing towards a man who was on the wall.
Witness ran to seize the man, but he clambered over
the wall into the ferns. He challenged the man, but
got no response. Witness was the ferns moving. He
ordered some of his men to fire, which they did.
Lieutenant Cook then arrived, and ordered the men to
beat the wood. |
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When witness's men fired, the wood
was quite clear so far as soldiers were concerned. |
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The men in the deceased's party were
not in complete agreement as to the direction from
which the shot which killed Morrice came. One said
he saw a flame in front, about ten yards outside the
railings. Another said the flash came from the
right-hand bottom corner of the railings near the
bushes. |
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His opinion was that the shot which
killed Morrice came from the wood. A third member of
the party said the shot came from the road and not
from the wood. This witness did not see anything
moving. |
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On the question whether Morrice's
rifle had been fired inadvertently through the
trigger catching in a twig, it was pointed out by
Major Stitt that this was unlikely, as the trigger
would require a 6lb poll. |
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AN OFFICER'S STORY |
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Lieutenant A E Cook said he gave
strict instructions that no one was to fire without
challenging. The deceased could not have been in
front of any portion of the line owing to the
position in which witness had placed his men. |
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Witness added that when he came back
to the gun park he saw a man standing close up to
the ammunition, and when challenged he ran away. |
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Dr Thomas Brown, captain in the Royal
Army Medical corps attached to the Lancashire
Brigade, deposed to being called to the deceased.
The bullet had gone through the lower part of his
body, entering on the right side and coming out on
the left near the spine. It was a clean wound, and
must have been caused by a nickel bullet - either a
service bullet or a bullet from a heavy automatic
pistol. It was impossible to distinguish which. From
the relative position of the points of entrance and
exit he assumed that the bullet was fired from a
spot lower than where the man was standing. Judging
by the size and the condition of the wound, he
thought the shot had been fired at a distance of
about twenty yards. |
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Major Stitt told the coroner that
there certainly had been men hanging about the
garrison "I saw a man myself later on in the night
standing beside the ammunition on the Liverpool side
of the gun park." |
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The verdict of the jury was that
death had been caused by a bullet, but there was no
evidence to show by whom the shot had been fired.
The jury expressed sympathy with the relatives of
the deceased. |
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Liverpool Weekly
Mercury |
15th August 1914 |
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Destitute
Aliens. |
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1,000 STRANDED IN LIVERPOOL. |
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SELECT VESTRY'S BURDEN |
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The dumping down in Liverpool of more
than 1,000 destitute aliens by the Trans-atlantic
steamship companies formed the subject of discussion
at Tuesday's meeting of the Select Vestry. |
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On the previous day, said Mr Coster
(the clerk) the number of aliens in the care of the
Select Vestry was 818, comprising 448 Russians, 275
Austrians, 16 Roumanians, 22 Bulgarians, one Servian,
eight Greeks, 10 Armenians, one Turk, 15 Syrians,
one Persian, six Italians, one Spaniard, three
Belgians, one Swiss, one Finn, and nine Germans.
That day there were 1,055 aliens in the hands of the
Vestry. He has written to the Local Government Board
suggesting an arrangement should be entered into
between the Vestry and the shipping companies
whereby the latter would arrange for the maintenance
of the aliens. The White Star line had declined
responsibility. Another question was as to whether
pressure should not be put on the shipping companies
to get the foreigners to their homes. The Vestry
further recommended that the parochial expenditure
in the matter should not be a local charge. The
Local Government Board had replied that they were
prepared to sanction reasonable payment to the
shipping companies in respect of maintenance and
destitution allowance. The other points were
receiving the attention of the board. |
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He (Mr Coster) said that he did not
anticipate the Vestry would be saddled with the
expenses of these people. He was hoping that the
Government would recognise their responsibilities in
the matter and repay the Vestry. There was nothing
to prevent any foreigner from coming to Liverpool
and the parish having to take charge of them and
treating them as generously as possible. |
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It was resolved to leave the matter
in the hands of a special sub-committee. |
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Liverpool Weekly
Mercury |
22nd August 1914 |
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SHOT DEAD BY
GERMANS. |
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FORMER LIVERPOOL MINISTER'S FATE. |
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The German's summary treatment of
non-combatants has claimed a victim with Liverpool
associations, for it transpires that Mr Mackenzie,
who was shot dead by the invading troops in a
Belgian village in which he had taken refuge, was
the Rev J M Mackenzie, for ten years the minister of
Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church. |
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Mr Mackenzie, who was an elderly
gentleman, held that ministerial appointment from
1881 to 1891, and during his sojourn here he married
a daughter of the late Mr Thomas Drysdale, of Merino
House, Mossley-hill, but she died several years ago,
Mr Mackenzie had been living in retirement from the
ministry, his chief residence being London, though
he annually spent a considerable portion of his time
on the Continent. He had recently been paying a
visit to Belgium, and had arranged to meet at
Aix-la-Chapelle on September 1 the Rev T C Kirkwood,
an old college companion. He was a native of Nigg,
in Ross-shire, where several of his brothers reside.
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The outrage was committed on the
night of Sunday, August 9. Mr Mackenzie, in company
with a small party of tourists, took refuge in a
cellar of a house, to which the invaders set fire.
With one of her sons in her arms and followed by
another child, the wife of a British business man
ran into the street in front of the troops, and
cried in German, "Are we to be shot?" For answer she
was told to stand aside. One visitor who came out of
the house was shot down and killed. Mr Mackenzie was
then seen coming along the passage. The lady went up
to the officer in charge of the troops, who was on
horseback, and, clutching him by the leg, cried,
"For God's sake, don't shoot that man. He is an
Englishman merely taking refuge here." "Das macht
nichts aus" (that does not matter), the officer
replied. He gave the order to shoot, and Mr
Mackenzie fell, with a bullet in his chest. One shot
killed him. |
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Liverpool Weekly
Mercury |
29th August 1914 |
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ASHAMED OF HIS
COUNTRY. |
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A GERMAN'S STORY. |
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Wilhelm Muller was charged at the
Liverpool Police Court with making a false
declaration in his attestation for the British Army. |
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Prisoner declared that he was an
American, but as a fact he was a German. |
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In reply to the stipendiary, Muller
said: "I left Germany when I was ten years of age. I
am ashamed to belong to the country; and when I saw
in the papers that the German soldiers were placing
Belgian women and children in front of them I wanted
to go and fight against these cowards." |
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Mr Stuart Deacon. - I don't believe a
word of your story. You must go to prison for three
months. |
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Willy Seyforth was charged with being
an alien enemy and having a pistol and a camera in
his possession without a permit. |
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It was stated that the prisoner had
been staying in the Isle of Man, and he was arrested
in the arrival of the King Orry at the
Landing-stage. He had papers in his possession
showing that he had permission from the Isle of Man
police to come to Liverpool. |
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The prisoner was remanded in order
that inquiries could be made as to why he was
allowed to leave the Isle of Man. |
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Mr Stuart Deacon made an appeal in
the police court in regard to the treatment of
aliens. |
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He asked the public not to make the
work of the police more difficult by taking the law
into their own hands. |
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"Liverpool's position in the Empire,"
he said, is a very important one, and the work of
looking after the aliens in such a port is very
important in the present circumstances. I can assure
the public the public that they can trust the Head
Constable and his officers to keep a proper
observation on all aliens in our midst." |
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Liverpool Weekly
Mercury |
12th September 1914 |
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