WALNEY GIRL FOUND STRANGLED

Mystery of Woodland Glade

AN APPARENTLY MOTIVELESS CRIME

Perplexing Problem Puzzles Police

MOTHER OF VICTIM COLLAPSES

Who murdered Emily Yeomans, the 23 yrs old Barrow girl, whose mother resides in King Alfred-street, Walney?

Miss Yeomans, who was engaged as a waitress at Leeds, was found strangled in a lonely woodland on the outskirts of that city early on Wednesday morning.

Two major questions are yet to be solved by the Leeds detectives, who are investigating the mystery. What was the motive? Who was the man she met a few moments after she left home on Tuesday night?

Robbery has been substantially ruled out as a motive, for the girl left her home in Leeds without a handbag.

Nor had she apparently been the victim of an outrage, though it is certain the she put up a terrific struggle for her life.

Supt Charles Pass, who is in charge of the police inquiries, was until shortly before midnight on Wednesday without a reliable description of the mysterious young man whom Miss Yeomans met almost immediately she left the Garnet Place home of her uncle Mr. Joseph Adams, with whom she lived.

A SHADOWY SILHOUETTE

Mr. Adams saw his niece approach a waiting man at the street corner only a stone throw from her home. But the thoroughfare is not well lit at the spot, and he could not describe in any detail what was no more than a shadowy silhouette of the stranger.

This much is known however – the man wore no hat, and was only about two inches taller than Miss Yeomans – about five feet six inches.

The midnight official description of this man, which the police had by then pieced together, is as follows:-

“About 24 years of age, five feet six inches to five feet eight inches in height, of medium build, clean shaven, hair brushed well back and appeared to be greased, dressed in a blue suit, no head-dress, no overcoat, of smart appearance.”

The police stated that they were anxious to interview this man.

Miss Yeomans, according to all who knew her, was a reserved girl, quiet and industrious. She was well-built, exceptionally strong and attractive. She had no sweetheart. Step-dancing was her hobby, and recently she had been having lessons in Leeds. On Tuesday, she had a half-day’s holiday, and left her home happily enough that night without saying where she was going.

DISTRACTED UNCLE

After her street-corner rendezvous nothing more was seen of her until her body was found.

Early on Wednesday her uncle, distracted by her prolonged absence, made enquiries to see if she had met with a street accident.

It is probable that at that moment she was already lying dead in the bracken of the woodland glade – a lonely spot frequented by courting couples.

Around her neck was a tightly bound chiffon scarf. Though this was knotted at the back of her neck she herself was lying on her back.

Only her hat was missing – a beige cloth hat with a dark brown band and a chromium ornament. Otherwise she was fully clothed, and to the recovery of the hat the police attach some importance.

The wood is within easy walking distance of the girl’s home, but a considerable distance from the nearest roadway, a fact which accounts for the entire absence of any screams or cries for help being heard by anyone.

Miss Yeomans had been a waitress in Leeds for about nine months.

She was a native of Barrow. Her mother, summoned to Leeds on Wednesday, collapsed when she was told of her daughter’s death.

Supt. Pass, who was assisted by Chief Inspector Craig, of the Leeds C.I.D., had a late night conference with the Chief Constable, Mr. R. L. Matthews, and a police search for clues was resumed early on Thursday.

CORONER VISITS THE SCENE

Before Mr. J. H. Milner, the Leeds City Coroner, opened the inquest at Leeds, on Thursday, he visited the lonely woodland glade where Miss Yeomans’ body was found.

Half a dozen women and a few men filled the limited accommodation when the court opened.

The coroner sat with a jury of men. When Dr. Hoyland Smith, the police surgeon, entered he took a seat near the superintendent and handed to him a glass jar, the contents of which were of a light grey colour.

Mr. A. F. Greenwood, solicitor in the Town Clerk’s office, represented the Chief Constable.

Dr. Hoyland Smith, the police surgeon, said that death was due to asphyxia from strangulation.

Dr. Cyril John Polson, pathologist at St. James’ Hospital, agreed with Dr. Hoyland’s findings. The coroner’s officer then called “Joseph Adams”, the girl’s uncle.

There was no reply, and the coroner’s officer left the court with Supt. Pass to find the missing witness.

After a few seconds the coroner’s officer returned, and suggested that the coroner proceed with the next case.

The coroner agreed, and began the hearing of an inquest on a street accident victim.

Several witnesses were called in this case, but after the coroner had summed up briefly, and the jury had returned their verdicts, Mr. Adams was still absent.

Mr. Greenwood explained that he was asked to apologise on behalf of the police. There had been a misunderstanding as to the warning of certain witnesses to be present.

He added that a car had been sent for them.

UNCLE’S EVIDENCE

Eventually, Mr. Adams arrived with Mr. George Newton, the man who found the girl’s body.

Mr. Adams, who wore a dark grey overcoat over his vest (presumably this is the modern American usage, i.e. a waistcoat) described himself as a married man living apart from his wife in Garnet-place, Dewsbury-road, Leeds. He said he was a pie and pea salesman.

Miss Yeomans was his sister’s daughter. Her father, Mr. George Yeomans, was a shipyard employe (sic). The girl was 23.

The Coroner: Is her father alive? – Yes. He is in America. She had been living at my house since Christmas.

After a further question by the coroner, Mr. Adams said “I saw her about ten minutes to eight on Tuesday night. She had come home from work about 4.20. She was a waitress.

“She had tea, and wrote a letter home to her mother. At 7.30 she dashed to get washed. I said “Are you going out?” and she said she was. I said no more to her, because it was not my business. She was old enough to look after herself.

“As she was going out, I said take your key, and if you are back before me you can let yourself in.

“I saw her go down the street, and cross over and saw her speak to a man. They were not together above a minute, and then they set off up the road.

“She looked down the street and waved to me, and I waved back.

“I never saw her after that until I saw her dead.”

“NOTHING TO DEPRESS HER”

The Coroner: There was nothing to depress her? – No, not that I am aware of. She was in a happy mood.

She was not a girl likely to commit suicide? - No, she never said anything as regards anything like that. I have always found her nice and open spoken.

Mr. Greenwood asked if Mr. Greenwood would describe the man whom his niece met.

Mr. Adams said that all he knew was that the man looked about two inches taller than the girl.

“That is all I can tell you,” he said. “I can’t say anything more because I don’t know. If I knew I should be only too pleased to speak.”

The Barrow News 20 October 1934