100 YEARS AGO: SHIPS ENGINEER BRANDISHES LOADED REVOLVER IN SALFORD PUB

Trafford Road, was one of the main thoroughfares in Salford running from Cross Lane towards Trafford Swing bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal and more importantly it passed Salford Docks (I refuse to call it Manchester Docks) which saw ships from all over the world discharge and load cargoes and with it seaman eager to spend their money in local pubs,

There were three pubs, on Trafford Road, The Salisbury, The Trafford and The Clowes all of them very busy and popular pubs, I would suggest that The Clowes was the most, "lively and vibrant" shall we say, and saw it's share of incidents over the years.

The following story from October 1923 tells the story of William Anthony O'Keefe an assistant engineer on an American boat berthed in the docks, who appeared at Salford magistrates Court  charged with being drunk and disorderly and having a revolver pistol without a licence.

Detective Inspector Smith told the Court that the accused had been drinking in The Clowes with friends from his ship, the landlord William Farrell was told by one of the pubs waiters that he had seen O'Keefe with a revolver in the waistband of his trousers and was shouting loudly very calmly asked him to remain in the pub after it had closed as he wanted a private conversation with him.

They both went upstairs and Farrell accused him of having a revolver in his pub, a scuffle ensued and the Chief Officer of the ship who had been waiting downstairs, ran upstairs and  saw O'Keefe waving the revolver around, he was dragged out of the pub and put onto Trafford Road where he was hurried away by his friends.

The police were called and Constable Brown found two live bullets on the floor of the pub, he then went and arrested O'Keefe where a search of his jacket found another live round of ammunition, when charged he denied having the revolver in his possession but pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly.

Mr Desquenes who was defending O'Keefe told the Court that his client had pleaded guilty at the first chance to being drunk and disorderly but had forgotten that he had taken the revolver out with him that evening and he much regretted his behaviour and asked that a fine be imposed so that his client could rejoin his ship.

The Magistrate fined him 40 shillings for being drunk and disorderly or 21 days in prison.

As for possession of the revolver?

The Magistrate told him..."As for this other offence, you are a bounder and that is putting it, mildly, for having the revolver without a licence you will be fined £10 and £1 witness fees, failure to pay will result in 51 days in prison"

That was a whopping fine and £10 then is now equal to £7,500, no mention if the gun was confiscated perhaps because O'Keefe was American?

Sadly the three named pubs have been demolished but will remain in many peoples memories, along with Salford Docks, another part of old Salford gone.

Photo: The Clowes in 1923.