Victor Ellis

Victor Ellis was found dead on the floor near his bed in a common lodging house in Park Place, Salford on Wednesday 3 December 1958.

He was a seaman and a native of Aberdeen.

His identification was made by his two brothers and a policeman although his brothers had not seen Victor Ellis for some years. Although Victor Ellis had registered at the lodging house under his name, one of his brothers who had not seen him in five years noted that he had lost the first joint on the middle finger of his right hand. He said that Victor Ellis was a widower with no children although his wife had had two children aged 19 and 15 by a former marriage although she had committed suicide in Aberdeen Harbour 11 years earlier. He noted that Victor Ellis was a heavy drinker and when in drink was inclined to violence.

His other brother said that he last saw Victor Ellis 10 years earlier and said that he found that despite that that the body he saw bore a strong resemblance to his brother.

A police constable that gave evidence of identification said that he had arrested a man called Victor Ellis on 7 July 1956 for being drunk and disorderly in Newton Street, Manchester and identified the body of the man found at the lodging  house as Victor Ellis.

Victor Ellis was found on the floor with his head in a pool of blood by a cleaner and was fully dressed apart from his footwear. It was first thought that he was unconscious but a police surgeon that arrived shortly after pronounced life extinct.

The police said that foul play was not suspected, but nothing more is known although it was said that his death was still the subject of a police and scientific investigation.

A police inspector said that residents at the lodging house had been interviewed and that inquiries were still continuing.