It was a typically cold December day when 40 year old Christina Bradfield was Murdered by George Ball. She had been his employer managing on behalf of her brother the Old Hall Street shop, Bradfields, which made and sold tarpaulins. The murder had taken place on the 10 December 1913. She had been beaten to death with a blunt instrument and then her body had been sewn into a sack along with some iron bars for extra weight.

Aided by a young 18 year old man, Samuel Angeles Elltoft they loaded the body onto a handcart and pushed it down to the Leeds and Liverpool canal where the sack was thrown in. The sack later fouled one of the lock gates which was when the body was discovered.

Greggmanning.scstamps.co.uk

George Ball was a 22 year old tarpaulin packer who aided by an 18 year old Samuel Elltoft murdered his employer and disposed of the body in the canal.

On 10th December 1913 a ship's steward was waiting for his girl-friend outside a tarpaulin-maker's shop in Old Hall Street, Liverpool. While he was waiting he saw a young lad come out of the shop pushing a handcart with a bundle in it. The lad was soon joined by another man and the two walked off down the street pushing the cart and its load. The steward had just unknowingly witnessed the disposal of a murder victim's body.

The body of 40 year old Christina Bradfield had been sewn inside a sack and was then discarded into the water of the canal. It was found the following day obstructing one of the lock gates and when examined was found to have been battered with several savage blows from a blunt instrument.

A manhunt was quickly launched for the two men. The police had no difficulty finding Elltoft who was found at home in bed but Ball had vanished. The manhunt continued for a further ten days before he was discovered in a lodging-house in the city.

Although Ball denied the charge incriminating blood stains were found on his clothing. He was tried and convicted of murder at Liverpool Assizes and was hung by John Ellis on 26 February 1914 in Liverpool.

Elltoft was found not guilty of murder but guilty of being an accessory after the fact. For this he was given four years penal servitude. His involvement had been in the disposal of the body.
  

George Ball

On 10th December 1913 a ship's steward was waiting for his girl-friend outside a tarpaulin-maker's shop in Old Hall Street, Liverpool. A shutter blew down from the shop and hit him on the head. A man appeared from inside the shop and apologised. A couple of minutes later the steward saw a young lad come out of the shop pushing a handcart with a bundle in it. The lad was soon joined by the other man and the two walked off down the street pushing the cart and its load. The steward had just unknowingly witnessed the disposal of a murder victim's body.

The next day a sack was found to be obstructing one of the gates of a lock on the Leeds-Liverpool canal. Recovered to dry land, the sack was found to contain the body of a woman. She had been battered to death. She was identified as Christina Bradfield, a 40-year-old spinster who managed her brother's shop in Old Hall Street.

The police started a manhunt for 22-year-old tarpaulin-packer George Ball and 18-year-old Samual Angeles Elltoft, who also worked for Bradfield's. Elltoft was quickly found at home in bed but Ball had vanished. After a manhunt lasting ten days, he was discovered in a lodging-house in the city. He was disguised and was found to have Miss Bradfield's watch in his pocket.

They were both tried in February 1914 at Liverpool Assizes. Ball tried to claim that a man had broken into the shop and threatened staff with a gun. The man had then hit Miss Bradfield and escaped with the takings. This was rather weak, especially as the woman had been bludgeoned and been sewn into a sack.

Ball was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death while Elltoft was found guilty as an accessory after the fact and given four years' penal servitude. John Ellis and William Willis hanged Ball on 26th February 1914 at Walton Prison.

Murder-UK.com