Although he was now retired, ex-Police Sergeant James Maxwell had been a most well known figure as, after he retired, he was employed as a ticket taker at the Alexander Opera House in Sheffield. There he was a regular sight, often greeting old comrades who patronised the Opera House. When PC Meggitt recognised him, he called out his name, but there was no response from the lifeless figure. That officer could see that Maxwell had been viciously attacked, resulting in a severe cut above his right eye. Blowing his whistle, Meggitt soon attracted the help of another officer, Police Constable Newton.
Together the two men managed to get him back to his home on Westbar Green, Sheffield, where he lived with his daughter and her husband Thomas Dooley. There Maxwell was laid out on his bed whilst his daughter tried to clean his injuries, and Dooley went to fetch surgeon, Dr Booth of Paradise Square. That surgeon tried hard to save the elderly man, but from the start he held out no hope that he would survive. Nevertheless Maxwell was made of sterner stuff and he lingered for another four days before finally succumbing to his injuries. The motive for the attack was plain to see, as every pocket had been turned inside out and missing was his knife and his spectacles.
Maxwell had lived in Sheffield for most of his life and had been employed in the police force for more than twenty-eight years. Twenty of those years had been as a sergeant, but about four years previously he felt he was getting too old and infirm to continue. Accordingly, at the time of his death he was in receipt of a pension from the Police Superannuation Fund. Maxwell died on Thursday 1 December 1870 and it seems that the last time he had been seen was on the Sunday evening when he had visited an old chum, Charles Thompson. He was the landlord of the Acorn public house in Shalesmoor, which Maxwell left around 10 pm.
The ex-sergeant then went to the Greyhound in Gibraltar Street and had another drink there, only leaving at 11 pm when the landlord called time. It seems that he was not intoxicated, and seemed fit enough to make his own way home, until he was found by PC Meggitt. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated Friday 2 December summed up the shock of local people on hearing the news of this popular man’s demise. The reporter stated that:
‘It is rather suspected that the outrage had been committed by some of the many night prowlers who had been attracted to Sheffield on account of it being the Fair Week. Whoever they are, it is to be hoped their sins will find them out, but as yet, no clue has been obtained.’
An inquest on the deceased man was held later the same day at the White Lion in Queen Street, Sheffield by Coroner, Mr. J. Webster Esq. However he said that police enquiries were still incomplete and so just evidence of identification would be heard that day. The coroner told the jury that the post mortem had revealed that Sergeant Maxwells injuries could not have been received from a fall, so it seems that he had died from the head wound above his eye. His son-in-law Thomas Dooley identified the remains before the inquest was adjourned for a fortnight.
Meanwhile Sergeant Maxwells funeral took place on Sunday 4 December at the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Rivelin, before a large crowd of mourners. A procession was formed in which there were many existing and superannuated members of the Sheffield police force anxious to pay their last respects. When the adjourned inquest was reconvened on Friday 16 December 1870, the coroner remarked that the inquest may have to be adjourned once more, as the police were still following their enquiries. Police Constable Meggitt was the first witness and he, once again, described finding the injured man. The landlord of the Greyhound public house, Charles Thompson said that whilst the deceased man had been at his house, he just had about three penny worth of whiskey.
He told the coroner that he thought Sergeant Maxwell was rather the worse for liquor when he arrived, he judged him to ‘still know what he was about.’ Thompson said that the deceased man left his establishment around a quarter to eleven with someone called Paramour. Mr Paramour was attending the inquest, however when he was called to give his evidence, he could add little more. He simply said that they both went out of the Greyhound together, but once outside they separated and went their own way. Dr Booth gave the medical evidence and stated that the man was in a deep state of insensibility when he was called out to see him.
He said that the deceased had no feelings in his arms and legs and his sight had gone. The surgeon described the deep wound over the man’s right eye which was half an inch and length, and exposed the bone below. However Dr Booth said that there was no wound on the back of Sergeant Maxwells head, although there had been plenty of blood. He therefore concluded that the injury to the front part of his head was the cause of death. When Mr Webster asked the surgeon if the injuries could have been caused by a fall, the surgeon stated that the wound over his right eye could have been caused by a fall, but that he had lost a lot of blood.
The coroner told the jury that at this stage that he intended adjourned the inquest for another month. However when the inquest was finally re-convened on Monday 16 January 1870, it was clear that the Sheffield police were no further forward in their enquiries. Accordingly, the jury had no option but to deliver a verdict of ‘wilful murder against some person or persons unknown.’ Who had killed this popular officer, who it seemed was well liked by those who came in contact with him. Was it indeed simply a robbery which had gone drastically wrong?