Thursday, December 7, 2023

Suspicious Death of Elsie Payne

 On December 7, 1923, 12-year-old Elsie Payne was out on an errand in Cardiff, Wales by one of her neighbors. Elsie was walking with a friend, 14-year-old Susie Phillips, but the two separated and Elsie proceeded down Iron St. Soon after at 8:40 pm Elsie would enter her aunt and uncle's shop on Clifton St. 

She was bleeding from the throat and said "A man asked me where Clifton Street was" before collapsing. By the time she was at the hospital she had lost too much blood and even though family members wanted to donate it was too late and she died before they could. 

There was a blood trail that led 103 years down the street across from some railings on the other side of the road in Iron St. off Clifton. Susie stated that she did not see anyone following them, and didn't notice anything when she left Elsie. 

It was stated that her injury likely was caused by a knife or piece of glass, but it was also possible that it was caused by falling on the railings or onto broken glass. The wound was up and forward. Another girl was injured similarly by slipping and landing on the railings on her chest. In several articles, it states there was no evidence of what had happened to her. 

It was believed however that she had been murdered as her last words mentioned of a man looking for directions. There seemed to be no evidence at the scene of the accident. 

One article claims that there were two witnesses of Elsie on Iron Street. One man, a painter, saw a man with his hand on a girl and ran away. This made the painter think the man had stolen something and chased after him, but lost him. The second witness stated that they saw a man and a girl and heard the girl screaming and running across the street thinking the man had hit her.

The family would receive a 3-page letter from a man claiming to kill the girl. He claimed he used a corkscrew, but evidence showed that she was not killed with one.

SOURCES:
Daily Mirror December 10, 1923
The Gloucestershire Echo December 11, 1923
The North Star December 21, 1923
Daily Mirror December 21, 1923
Evening Express December 31, 1923 

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