SISTERS ON MURDER CHARGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 August 1935, Page 10

SISTERS ON MURDER CHARGE

PROMISE TO DYING MOTHER LONDON, June 25. Two sl-tcrs Who made a death.-bed promise to their nioth-er never to let their imbecile brother go away, were at Bamber Bridge, near Preston, yesterday committed for trial, accused of murdering him. Statements alleged to have been made by them were read' in which they spoke of their love for their dead brother. Defending counsel said: “It is not a case of malice aforethought but love aforethought.” The sisters were Catherine Gertrude Walsh, 39, and Mrs. Evelyn Constance Alexander, 35. They appeared on remand charged with the murder* of their brother, George Walsh, 30, by administering coal gas to him. Mr. E. G. Robey, prosecuting, said George Walsh was a’ pathetic creature. He was an imbecile looked after by sisters who never dared let him out of their sight. > On June 10 the sisters had a quarrel with a neighbour during which someone said: “You have got'an imbecile in that house.” “It was then,” said Mr. Robey, “that the sisters realised that it was common knowledge in the village that they had got their brother in the house and they were extremely upsct. ,> A statement alleged to have been made by Catherine Walsh, said she gave her brother* sleeping tablets and “put him beyond human aid.” “Evelyn,” the statement, continued, “turned on the ‘gas and held the pipe, and I held the pipe to his mouth until all the breath had gone out of hrs body. “I put the pipe to his mouth at se'ven o’clock and held it there until twenty to eight.” Mrs. Alexander’s alleged statement asserted that they did it for the love of their brother. “We promised mother,” the statement read, “that We would do it,” The detective said Catherine Walsh handed him a razor with the ewords: “My mother gave me this and told me to use it in case nothing else could be done.”