Clara Durose

Clara Durose was found unconscious on the floor of a refrigerating room at Rolleston Park Farm on 4 April 1910 and died on the way to the infirmary.

She had been employed at Rolleston Park Farm, a dairy farm, in Burton-on-Trent as a domestic servant. She was described as a well-built and good-looking girl. She had been employed at the farm since January 1910.

The doctor found a hole in her head and a portion of her skull bone fractured. He said that it was impossible for the injury to have been self-inflicted or caused accidentally although he did say that it could have been caused by falling on a nail.

It was first thought that she had fallen down the stairs. The steps leading from the scullery into the dairy were deep, but there was nothing, it appeared, that would have been likely to have caused such a deep punctured wound as she had to her forehead.

She had been found lying on her back away from any projection except one of steps, but they were noted as having had rounded corners.

It was said that the fact that the wound had penetrated her brain explained why no scream was heard by any of the other farm workers or domestics.

A letter was read out at the coroner’s inquest that she had written in which she complained that she was harshly treated by the lads at the farm saying that she was treated like a dog. Further evidence indicated that she had complained about farm lads hitting her and pushing her down the previous night.

The coroner said that it was clear that Clara Durose was unpopular with the whole household and had been cruelly murdered.

A farm pupil said that only moments before Clara Durose collapsed he had seen her walking about around the farm and said that he didn't hear her scream or make a noise.

The farmer’s daughter had been carrying a basket which she dropped when she heard the news and ran to the dairy. It was noted the basket had had blood on it which she could not explain as there was no blood where the basket had landed.

When the farmer’s daughter was told that one of the boys was likely to be arrested for the murder, the farmer’s daughter said, 'I know he has not done it. I am sure he is innocent'. She later said that she had said that on the grounds that the boy had done everything possible for Clara Durose when she was found.

The hole in Clara Durose's head was a small round or oval hole in the skull on the right hand side. It went backwards, downwards and inwards into the brain to a depth of 1½ inches and at the bottom of the hole there was a small splinter of bone. The doctor said that the wound would have been produced by a sharp pointed instrument such as a pitchfork. The doctor went back to the room where Clara Durose was found but could find nothing there that could have caused the injury. He said that he did not think that a sharp stick could have done it.

Her inquest, which concluded on Thursday 26 May 1910, returned a verdict of murder by some person or persons unknown.

Clara Durose was from Stoke.