Skeleton

The skeletal remains of a person were found under the flags in the cellar of a cottage that was being demolished in Wood Street, Deansgate on Thursday 15 January 1903.

The remains included a skull, a thigh bone and a couple of smaller bones and were thought to have been there for about 30 years. They were found a few inches beneath the flags in the cottage.

It was said that the remains were not unearthed until a considerable quantity of soil had been removed and a workman had struck his spade against the skull and then discovered the thigh bone and several smaller bones. It was thought that missing limbs had already been carted away and a search for them was made.

The property itself had been empty for the previous six months.

The doctor who carried out the post-mortem said that he thought that the remains were those of a man based on the appearance of the femur and that the person had probably been about 5ft 6in tall.

The skull was reported as having appeared to have been fractured.

However, the doctor said that there was nothing to indicate the cause of death and an open verdict was returned.

It was said that Wood Street in Deansgate had in early days been a hot-bed of crime.