100 YEARS AGO: SALFORD WOMAN'S DRUNKEN BEHAVIOUR AT EXCHANGE RAILWAY STATION

I came across this story from the Salford City Reporter, August 1922 which carried the headline, "Woman's Amazing Conduct", judge for yourself.

Ellen Coleman aged 23 who gave her address as being, Regent Road, Salford appeared at Salford Magistrates Court charged with being drunk and disorderly at Exchange Railway Station.

Railway Constable Corless told the Court that he found the prisoner, drunk in the waiting room at 1.10am, when he attempted to wake her up she became abusive, so much so that he required assistance from a Police Constable to take her to the nearby, Chapel Street Police Station.

Ellen denied the allegations and asked Corless why he had come into the Waiting Room, he replied that it was his job and to see if she had a valid ticket, and when asked was told...."To -----with you"

He then added that Ellen's shoes and purse were on the waiting room floor, with money scattered around, and by her side was a Gents umbrella.

P.C. Gleeson said that he was on duty near the station when he heard screams and shouts and going up the ramp he saw Corless  struggling with Ellen Coleman, she was lying on the footpath and calling Corless, "opprobrious" names - look it up, I had too, and refusing to move an inch.

He tried to pick her up but she tried putting his hand in her mouth and attempting to bite it, at the Police Station she carried on struggling, even taking her shoe off and throwing it at his head, which missed.

P.C. Knott also gave evidence saying that she was very drunk when being took into custody.

When asked to comment, Ellen said there was no point as it was three policemen against her.

She then told the Stipendiary Magistrate that she arrived at Exchange Station at 12.20am and was waiting for the opening of the ticket office at 12.50am, when Corless walked in, she told him that she was going to Liverpool, he grabbed hold of her and took her to the Police Station but she said she walked all the way, unaided.

The Stipendiary Magistrate asked Inspector Mitchell if anything was known about her, he replied,

"No, nothing but I would like to ask for a remand in custody, when she was brought into the Police Station she was in possession of three brooches and four tickets relating to parcels in the left luggage office, she has told me that she has lived with Mother at an address on Regent Road, Salford, but told the Police Matron that she is a war widow and then told me her husband was away"

The 24 hour remand was granted.

The next day when she appeared in Court she was charged with being in possession of a Gents umbrella and coat, suspected to have been stolen and giving a false account of how she obtained them.

Inspector Mitchell said she had told P.C. Gleeson that they belonged to her brother who had gone the Isle of Man, and lived with her at Regent Road, enquiries revealed the address she had given was a lock up bicycle shop and neither her or her brother were known there.

P,C, Gleeson, gleefully told the Magistrate that when he told her that morning she was going to charged with these new offences, she replied..."Any more?  is that the lot, then?"

Ellen then said the items were her brothers and she was going to the Isle of Man to return them when she  was arrested and wanted them back for him.

Inspector Mitchell in a last ditch attempt to besmirch Ellen said that her fingerprints showed that she had been arrested for theft in Glasgow 1917...some five years ago!

Finally the Police Court Missioner. Mrs Wilford said that Ellen had told her that she had started a drapery business on Regent Road with money given to her by the Canadian Government in respect of her dead husband.

The Stipendiary Magistrate, no doubt as confused as the rest of us, fined her 30 shillings for being drunk but dropped all of the other charges.

Is it just me or do you think Inspector Mitchell had it in for Ellen, a 24 hour remand then adding new charges on top of the original charge? as for Ellen she sounded a bit of a character with little regard for authority, I hope she returned her brothers coat and umbrella to the Isle of Man and I bet she was smiling walking out of that Court!

Photo: Exchange Railway Station platform.