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Luther Clarke

Age: 12

Sex: male

Date: 9 Dec 1910

Place: Netherton

Luther Clarke was found disembowelled in a marlhole.

He had earlier been following a political procession after an election. There had also been disturbances around the event through the night.

He had been missing for two days but was later found in two feet of water in the marlhole a short distance from his home. His arms had been protruding from the manhole.

He had last been seen playing with his friends at 5pm on the Thursday but by 5.30pm he had disappeared.

A short brass handled dagger was found on 23 December 1910 near the scene of the crime and it was thought that it might have been the murder weapon.

A miner was initially arrested for his murder but he was officially ruled out as being a possible suspect and released on 17 December 1910. He was said to have been seen at the procession with a knife making threats.

Luther Clarke's injuries included a puncture wound to his liver. The initial report stated that he had a wound 4-5 inches long to his abdomen. The coroner said that the injuries could not have been accidental.

It was considered at one point that he might have been run over by a car and dumped in the manhole but there were no marks on his clothes to indicate that.

The marlhole he was found in is also described in other reports as both a manhole and a marsh hole.

Luther Clarke was from Ciuder Bank in Netherton.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Dundee Courier - Thursday 22 December 1910

see Portsmouth Evening News - Thursday 22 December 1910

see Gloucestershire Echo - Saturday 24 December 1910

see Aberdeen Journal - Saturday 17 December 1910 (susected released)

see Gloucestershire Echo - Thursday 22 December 1910

see Mid Sussex Times - Tuesday 13 December 1910