Real Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Book III

Murder of Julia Wallace

William Herbert Wallace (29August 1878 – 26 February 1933) was an Englishman convicted in 1931of the murder of his wife Julia in their home in WolvertonStreet in Liverpool's Anfield district. Wallace's conviction waslater overturned by the Court Of Criminal Appeal, the first instancein British legal history where an appeal had been allowed afterre-examination of evidence.

The case, with its strange background,has long been the subject of speculation and has generated manybooks, being regarded internationally as a classic murder mystery.

Background

William Herbert Wallace was born inMillom, Cumberland, in 1878. He had a younger brother and sister. Onleaving school at fourteen he began training as a draper's assistantin Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire. On finishing his apprenticeship heobtained a position in Manchester with Messrs Whiteway Laidlaw andCompany, outfitters to the British Armed Forces and the Colonial,Indian and Diplomatic Services. In 1903, after five years' service,Wallace obtained a transfer to the company's branch in Calcutta,India, where he remained for two years. On the suggestion of hisbrother, Joseph, who lived in Shanghai, in 1905 Wallace soughtanother transfer to Whiteway Laidlaw's branch in that city.

A recurrent kidney complaint resultedin Wallace resigning his position and returning to England in 1907,where his left kidney was removed at Guy's Hospital. Little isrecorded of his life after this time, until he obtained a positionworking for the Liberal Party in Harrogate, rising to the post ofelection agent in 1911. During his time in Harrogate, he met JuliaDennis (28 April 1861 – 20 January 1931), and they were marriedthere in March 1914. All early sources suggested that Julia wasapproximately the same age as Wallace, but in 2001 James Murphydemonstrated from her original birth certificate that she wasactually seventeen years older than he was. Julia's father was aruined alcoholic farmer from near Northallerton.

At the outbreak of the First World War,the position of Liberal election agent in Harrogate was discontinued,owing to the suspension of elections and a parliamentary truce, andWallace once again found himself looking for a job. Through the helpof his father, he obtained a position as collections agent with thePrudential Assurance Company in Liverpool. The Wallaces moved therein 1915, settling in the district of Anfield. During the 1920s,Wallace supplemented his comfortable but mundane existence ascollections agent by lecturing part-time in chemistry at LiverpoolTechnical College. His hobbies included chemistry, botany, and chess,and he learned to play the violin to enable him to accompany Julia,who was an accomplished pianist, in "musical evenings"at their home at 29 Wolverton Street, Anfield.

The crime

Wallace, aged 52, attended a meeting ofthe Liverpool Central Chess Club on the evening of Monday 19 January1931, to play a scheduled chess game. While there he was handed amessage, which had been received by telephone about 25 minutes beforehe arrived. It requested that he call at an address at 25 MenloveGardens East, Liverpool, at 7.30pm the following evening to discussinsurance with a man who had given his name as "R.M.Qualtrough".

The next night Wallace duly made hisway by tramcar to the south of the city at the time requested, onlyto discover that while there were Menlove Gardens North, South andWest, there was no East. Wallace made inquiries in a nearbynewsagent's and also spoke to a policeman on his beat, but nobody heasked was able to help him in his search for the address or themysterious Qualtrough. He also called at 25 Menlove Gardens West, andasked several other passers-by in the neighborhood for directions,but to no avail.