Ada Elizabeth Carter

Ada Elizabeth Carter died from acute septicaemia on 5 December 1938.

She had lived at 194 Division Road in Hull.

She was taken to the Hull Municipal Maternity Home where she admitted that she had been to see someone but said that she could not remember what they had done.

Her death was stated as having been due to septicaemia brought about by the use of an instrument that she could not have used herself.

The police carried out extensive investigations but failed to identify anyone that had visited her at her home or whom she had visited.

Her husband was a coal trimmer and they had been married for 19 years and had two children aged 12 and 15. The husband said that he didn't know about his wife’s condition.

He said that about five weeks earlier Ada Carter had complained of her head and nerves and had gone to see a doctor from the Boulevard who gave her some medicine and pills and who had advised her to go to bed. He said that the doctor had told her that she was suffering from anaemia and debility. He said that as far as he knew, she had not bought any medicine or pills from anywhere else and had never mentioned anything to him about anyone having done anything to her.

He said that the doctor later ordered her removal to the Maternity Hospital on 1 December 1938.

When the police went to her house they found a certain instrument, but it was not thought that she could have caused the injury she had herself.

Her doctor noted that Ada Carter had been unable to follow her occupation as an office cleaner since 8 October 1938 owing to anaemia.

A sister at the Maternity Hospital who was in charge of the isolation ward said that she had asked Ada Carter if she had taken anything and said that Ada Carter had replied, 'No'. She said that when she asked her if she had been to see anyone, Ada Carter had replied, 'I suppose I have, but I don't remember who or what they did'.

The Coroner concluded by stating that the evidence was that her injury could not have been self-inflicted and stated that it was an unlawful act done by someone and had been done with utter disregard of the consequences.

A verdict of murder against some person or persons unknown was returned.

Division Road has been mostly demolished, but went as far up as Conway Close and Massey Close, through Chiltern Primary School.