Rotherham Crimes

This is another book of true crimes in Rotherham which took place in the 19th century. Many of these cases have been published in Margaret Drinkall’s weekly column in the Rotherham Advertiser but they have been expanded to include more details and the actual statements made by the witnesses and those accused of crimes.

The book includes the case called ‘Consider Me Dead’ about breach of promise case. This expanded version introduces the actual love letters between the couple, plus two vicious ones that the allegedly ‘demure Miss Glover’ had sent to Mr Straw’s ex-girlfriends. There are more swindles uncovered when William and Eliza Fritz came to Rotherham reporting that they had come into money. The tradesmen of the town were eager to supply them with goods and food on the expectation that they would be paid when the couple came into their inheritance. They did not realize they had been duped, until the couple skipped town.

There is the mysterious poisoning of a woman called Mrs Bates who was visiting the town from Birmingham. When she died after eating some sausages, the police were not notified and no inquest was held until her husband heard rumors that she had been poisoned. Other case involve a smooth talking clog dancer, the notorious Mrs Barton a brothel house keeper and the strange case of Eli Swift