Emma Sherriff

Emma Sherriff was found on the beach at the foot of some cliffs at Southbourne.

She was lying in the sand with two handkerchiefs stuffed in her mouth.

A man was tried for her murder but acquitted.

Evidence against him included the fact that he had been seen with her the day before she disappeared and that the key to her bedroom door, which had been missing for five days was found in the man's bedroom. He gave evidence to show that he was in London at the time. The prosecution said that he had killed her between 7-8.30pm on the evening of 18 February 1908.

They said that he had left London, gone to Bournemouth where he had committed the crime and then gone on to Christchurch.

The cause of death was said to have been someone kneeling violently on her body.

Emma Sherriff had lived in Boscombe. It was shown that the man had stayed in a hotel in Boscombe under a false name on the night before and the night after Emma Sherriff had died.

A lady also said she had seen the man get on a tram around the time of the murder looking pale, nervous and biting his nails with his hat pulled down over his face.