Ada Gertrude Galloway

Ada Gertrude Galloway was found dead in a canal. Her boyfriend said that they had been attacked by a man and that Ada Galloway ran off and that when he went to find her she was in the canal. However, the Coroner said that he didn't believe him and disallowed his expenses at the inquest.

Ada Galloway had lived at 52 Park Road in Mexborough.

She had been seeing a shunter who had lived on Charles Street in Swinton for the previous three weeks and seen her three times.

He said that they met up on the Thursday evening at about 8.15pm and that he took her down to the canal side where they stood talking against some railings when at about 10pm a young fellow who was under the hedge startled Ada Galloway who he said then ran off. He said that the young fellow then got over the fence and gave him a blow on the face.

The shunter said that he didn't know who the young fellow was but said that he held him for ten minutes and asked him for a revolver. He said that after ten minutes he got away from the young fellow and then ran off towards Ada Galloway and found her in the canal gurgling. He said that he then took off his coat, but she then sank and he went off to get help. He said that three men then came along, and he then went for the police.

The Coroner said that it was a strange thing for a stranger to hold the shunter for ten minutes when there was a girl screaming 200 yards away.

It was also noted that there were some soldiers on guard quite close to the spot, but that when the police questioned them it was heard that not one of them could give any evidence of hearing screams such as had been described.