Frank Taylor

On 10 March, May Lewis, a young girl of ten did not return home after school and all enquiries failed to trace her whereabouts. Early next morning, some workmen passing by land adjacent to the Taylor house found a child's body with its skull battered in. Police searched the house and after finding evidence that the crime had taken place in an upstairs bedroom. arrested Mr and Mrs Taylor but later released them after their son, Frank, confessed. Witnesses came forward to say they had seen Taylor decoy May Lewis into the house while his parents were out for the night. It was later discovered that Taylor had tried to drown himself on the night of the crime by throwing himself into a canal, only to be pulled out by a passer-by. Taylor was hanged by James Billington in Birmingham on the 18th August 1896.  He was only twenty three when he died .