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Alice State

Age: 49

Sex: female

Date: 23 Aug 1923

Place: Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, London

Alice State was run over by a grey touring car in Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush on 23 August 1923.

A large grey car was seen travelling around 30-35mph along the Uxbridge Road through Shepherds Bush around midnight and knocking Alice State over whilst she was crossing the street and then increasing its speed and driving off whilst people shouted for it to stop.

Another person that had seen her get run over said that he had seen Alice State crossing the road very slowly when the large grey touring car flashed by and struck her. He said that the car then sped off and didn't swerve at all but just went off in a straight line.

A witness said that the man driving the car had been hatless. It was also said that there had been two other people in the car when it happened, one of whom had been a woman sitting in the back.

A policeman who saw the incident hailed a taxicab and tried to overtake the grey car but it got away and the police were unable to subsequently trace it down.

The policeman said that it was impossible to read the number plate because of a bright red light.

It was thought that some of her injuries might have been caused by the car driving over her.

When the Coroner addressed the jury he said, 'Taking the most favourable view of the driver's conduct, if you think it possible that the driver realised what happened at the time, can you doubt that not only he but the other occupants of the car must have known that this poor humble woman had been knocked down by them and killed almost outright? This case has received wide publicity. It has gone all over the length and breadth of England and these people have not come forward. That may be due to cowardice or to callous indifference, but whatever may be the motive, it is for you to say whether conduct of that kind does not merit the condemnation of all right-minded persons'.

After hearing the evidence the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against some person or persons unknown. However, the Coroner said, 'You cannot do that, in point of law, but you can find a verdict which amounts to exactly the same thing. The jury then said that they came to the conclusion that Alice State had been knocked down and run over by a car and the Coroner recorded the verdict that Alice State met her death 'by being knocked down by a motor-car driven with reckless disregard of public safety by a person unknown to the jury'.

Alice State was initially identified as Alice Carver but her identity was later confirmed as being Alice State. Alice State had been keeping house for a man who had adopted her when she was eight years old. She was single.

She had been a charwoman and was described as being rather dull of hearing and went about the streets in a rather careless sort of way.


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

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Dundee Courier - Tuesday 18 September 1923

see Portsmouth Evening News - Thursday 30 August 1923

see Hull Daily Mail - Wednesday 29 August 1923

see Gloucestershire Echo - Monday 17 September 1923

see Western Morning News - Tuesday 28 August 1923

see Gloucestershire Echo - Wednesday 29 August 1923

see Westminster Gazette - Tuesday 18 September 1923