Elijah Pountney

Elijah Pountney murdered his wife Alice Gertrude Pountney 47 whose throat he cut at The Pheasant Inn, Broad Street, Bilston on 16 April 1922.

Elijah Pountney was the landlord of the The Pheasant Inn.

After murdering his wife he ran from the inn towards Bradley and was next seen in the canal near Bankfield Road, Bradley a mile away where he had attrmpted to commit suicide by jumping in.

At 2pm Elijah Pountney and his wife Alice Pountney were on the kitchen. Alice Pountney was pealing potatoes when Elijah Pountney went up to her and said something in her ear. Their son was also in the room and Alice Pountney said 'What in front of my son' and then Elijah Pountney said 'I will say it infront of my son' and he then left the kitchen and returned two minutes later followed by another man. Elijah Pountney then pushed Alice Pountney towards the man and said 'Kiss her it might be the last time'. the man then said 'If that is it then I am going home'. Elijah Pountney then said 'Dont take offence I dont mean anything. Elijah Pountney then left the kitchen again.

He returned two minutes later and went up to his wife as though he was going to kiss her and cut her throat with a razor. Alice Pountney then staggarded and was helped onto the veranda by her son and then died.

Elijah Pountney then wipe the blood off of his hands onto some paper and left the inn.

The man that had been in the kitchen said that he went to the The Pheasant Inn at about 12.30pm. He said that he knew both Elijah Pountney and Alice Pountney quite well. On 16 April he was in the ta room and had two half pints of ale. Then Alice Pountney called him into the kitchen and said to him 'He has accused me of going to have a baby and if he dont know who should.' She had a knife in her hand for peeling the potatoes and said 'if it were not for this lad I would' reffering to her son. the man then said that Elijah Pountney went to his wife and said 'Come here' and cut her throat.

When the police found Elijah Pountney in Bilston after having been pulled from the canal he was unconscious and recieving artificial respiration.

When he was charged with murder he said 'that is correct. I had cause for it'. He said that he thought his wife was pregnant and the autopsy would show it.

A bricklayer who had been lodging at The Pheasant Inn for the last 6 months said that he had heard Elijah Pountney threaten his wife. He said in the second week that he was there Elijah Pountney knocked his wife down with a blow to the face and say 'That is not all I will have. I will do you inbefore the night is out'. The bricklayer said that they weer constantly quarrelling

see Southern Reporter - Thursday 27 April 1922

see Lichfield Mercury - Friday 21 April 1922

see National Archives - ASSI 6/57/1