In a previous post, I included a message from Rose Richards which ended casually with:
Cathy had a sister – Nellie Cash. She had a baby and hid it in the chimney. It was found by firemen I think. I don’t know what happened to her. How’s that for a tale?
Of course, I needed to find out more… and it is quite a tale indeed.
The Mental Defective
Nellie Cash was born on the 3rd of January 1915 and her father, sadly, died around the same time. A few years later, in 1918, her mother married Arthur G Morgan and soon after had Nellie’s half sister, Kathleen (the Cathy mentioned by Rose above). The girls’ mother seems to have died around 1930 and both girls remained with Arthur. Nellie, who was said to be a ‘mental defective’, kept house for her stepfather and sister at 19 Sims Avenue, Derby. A doctor would later state that “In his opinion it must have been evident to anyone who saw her frequently that she was feeble-minded, unless the person concerned was feeble-minded too.”
The Body
On 26 February 1938, the body of an infant was recovered by police from the front bedroom of 19 Sims Avenue (reports do not mention who first brought it to their attention). The baby girl, which had been wrapped in a blue frock and placed in a mat bag, was first put into a cupboard and later placed in the bedroom chimney. A post mortem examination determined that the baby died due to inattention but had not taken a breath. Nellie admitted that she had recently given birth to a child and was taken to the police station to give her statement.
The Affair
Two years earlier, 21-year-old Nellie had become acquainted with 58-year-old David Dean. Dean, who lived at 36 Cobden Street and had been married for 30 years with three children, kept a tobacconist shop from which Nellie would fetch tobacco for her stepfather.
At some point, they began some kind of ‘relationship’ and Nellie was of the opinion that she was ‘going out with him’. Dean gave a rather dubious account that he had been ‘pestered’ by Cash at a time when he had no work to do, and had ‘yielded’ to her.
Nellie told the police she had previously given birth to another child of Dean’s in December 1936 and told him it was dead. She had put the baby in a bag and together they emptied the ‘contents’ of the bag in the River Derwent. After Nellie gave birth for a second time on February 17, she told Dean it was dead and he said they would put it in the river.
Dean was charged under the Mental Deficiency Act of ‘a serious offence against a woman who was a mental defective’. He was found guilty and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
Bail for Nellie was allowed in the sum of £10, on the condition that she went to the Boundary House Institution (the former workhouse and later Manor Hospital). This condition seems to have been agreed to, as Nellie was recorded at the institution the following year on the 1939 register.
The Aftermath
In November 1938, Dean’s wife of 30 years was granted a decree nisi. She had moved to Birmingham, most likely to escape the scandal and gossip her husband’s actions had caused. Dean’s offence and imprisonment were given in evidence, and the court was told that he left her to go to the trial and had not been back since.
Interestingly, 36 Cobden Street was advertised for sale in the Derby Daily Telegraph in August; and again in October at a reduced price. It is not surprising that his wife would want to cut ties and leave the area as soon as possible.
David Dean served his time and the next year was recorded in the 1939 register at the Church Army Hostel on 20 Bridge Street (albeit with 10 years shaved off his age). He died a few years later in 1942.
As for Nellie, it is unclear how long she stayed at Boundary House but in 1955 she married a man named John O’Sullivan. I like to think that she lived happily ever after.
CHILD’S BODY IN CHIMNEY
HINT OF OTHER PROCEEDINGS
DERBY INQUEST
After hearing a report of a post-mortem examination, a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence that death was due to inattention at birth was returned by the jury at the inquest at Derby, last night, on the child of Nellie Cash, 19, Sims-avenue, Derby.
Detective D. Salter said that accompanied by Inspector Gray he visited Sims-avenue on Saturday and recovered the child’s body from a chimney in a bedroom.
It was wrapped in a blue frock and had been placed in a mat bag. The body was taken to the mortuary. Detective Salter added that Cash made a statement regarding the child.
DOCTOR’S EVIDENCE
Dr. G. R. Osborn, who made a post-mortem examination, said there was no evidence to show that the child had a separate existence. Apparently, the baby had not breathed, and death was due to inattention at birth, he added.
Addressing the jury, the Coroner (Mr. T. H. Bishop) said that the body had been found in circumstances which might lead to other proceedings.
Derby Daily Telegraph, 01 March 1938, p5, c2
CHILD’S BODY IN CHIMNEY
MENTAL CONDITION OF DERBY GIRL
Mr. Justice Asquith, at Derbyshire Assizes yesterday, postponed judgment on Nellie Cash (23), a housekeeper, of Sims-avenue, Derby, with a view to her being sent to an institution.
She pleaded guilty to having endeavoured to conceal the birth of a child, of which she had been delivered, by a secret disposition of the body.
Describing Cash as a mental defective, Mr. T. N. Winning, prosecuting, stated that if she had been a person of normal intelligence the case would have been very serious. Before the present case Cash had had another child, and she had said that she put the body into a river.
NEVER FOUND
The body had never been found, said Mr. Winning.
In the present case the baby was born when nobody was about, and the child had not had a separate existence.
The body was first put into a cupboard and later was placed up a chimney.
Dr. Ralph G. Cooke, Resident Medical Superintendent at the City Hospital, Derby, said that Cash was a feeble-minded person to such an extent as to bring her within the province of the Mental Deficiency Act.
Cash, who pleaded guilty, was represented by Mr. A. J. Flint (instructed by Messrs. Flint, Marsden and Bishop).
LEATHER-DRESSER SENTENCED
David Dean (59), leather-dresser of Cobden-street, Derby, who admitted one of two counts alleging that he had committed serious offences against Cash – a mental defective – was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
Derby Daily Telegraph, 22 June 1938, p7
From the Derby Daily Telegraph, 21 April 1938, p10 c5:
LEATHER DRESSER ACCUSED
David Dean (60), a leather-dresser, of 36, Cobden-street, Derby, was accused of a serious offence against a woman who was a mental defective, between January 1 and February 17.
Mr. E. H. Nichols, assistant solicitor to the Derby Corporation, prosecuting, said that the case was brought under the Mental Deficiency Act.
Arthur George Morgan, a labourer, of 19, Sims-avenue, Derby, said that his step-daughter, Nellie Cash, was 23, and kept house for himself and his daughter.
He knew of a tobacconist’s shop kept by Dean, and Nellie Cash used to go there for his tobacco.
Nellie Cash, who was warned by the Clerk (Colonel W. R. H. Whiston) that she was not obliged answer any questions which might incriminate her, said that she had known Dean for about two years and had been going out with him.
Mr. F. W. Barnett, who represented Dean, objected to further questions.
Dr. Ralph G. Cooke, Resident Medical Superintendent of the City Hospital, Derby, said that Cash was admitted on February 26 last in a debilitated condition.
Her history was that she had given birth to a child on February 17 and her condition was consistent with that.
UNDER OBSERVATION
He had had her under observation, and in his opinion she was a feeble-minded person to a sufficient degree to bring her within the province of the Mental Deficiency Act.
In his opinion it must have been evident to anyone who saw her frequently that she was feeble-minded, unless the person concerned was feeble-minded too.
Mr. Barnett submitted that the prosecution had failed to make out a case under any criminal charge.
The magistrates decided that there was a prima facie case against Dean, and he was committed for trial at the next Derbyshire Assizes, bail being allowed in the sum of £10.
Dean said that he did not wish to give evidence or to call witnesses.
BODY IN CHIMNEY
Evidence of a child’s body being recovered from a chimney was given when Cash, who was described as a housekeeper of 19, Sims-avenue, Derby, was accused of endeavouring to conceal the birth on February 17 of a female child, of which she had been delivered, by the secret disposition of its body. Detective-constable D. Salter said that he saw Cash at her home on February 26, and after being cautioned she admitted that she had recently given birth to a child. He took her to the police station, where she made a statement.
The officer read this statement, in which Cash was alleged to have stated that she gave birth to a child in December, 1936, and she told Dean it was dead.
She had put the baby in a bag, the statement added, had gone out with Dean, and he had emptied the contents of the bag in the River Derwent.
The statement added that she gave birth to another baby on February 17 this year, and when she told Dean it was dead he said they would put it in the river.
In the statement Cash alleged that Dean was the father of both the children born to her.
WRAPPED IN FROCK
Detective Salter added that Cash took him to the front bedroom of her home, and he recovered from the chimney the body of a female child which was wrapped in an old blue frock and in a bag.
Dr. G. R. Osborne, pathologist at Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, said that a post mortem examination disclosed that the baby born in February had not had a separate existence, and death was due to inattention at birth.
Cash was committed for trial at Derbyshire Assizes, Mr. F. W. Barnett, who appeared on her behalf, offering no objection.
Bail was allowed in the sum of £10, on condition that she went to Boundary House.
Derby Daily Telegraph, 21 April 1938, p10 c5
From the Nottingham Journal, 22 June 1938, p1, c2:
DEAD BABY CHARGE
Sentence on Woman Postponed
-Prison for Derby Man
Nellie Cash (23), housekeeper, a Derby woman, was at Derby Assizes yesterday accused of secretly disposing of the dead body of a child in an endeavour to conceal the birth, and was stated to be a mental defective. Sentence was postponed by Mr. Justice Asquith with a view to her being sent to a mental institution.
David Dean (59), an unemployed Derby man, was accused of an offence against the woman, knowing her to be mentally defective.
On Dean’s behalf, Mr. A. R. Flint pointed out that he had been “pestered” by Cash at a time when he had no work to do, and he had yielded to her.
Dean was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
Nottingham Journal, 22 June 1938, p1, c2
