Francis Wilson Booker

Francis Wilson Booker murdered Percy Sharpe 14 at Carr's Wood, Northenden on 4 September 1923.

Percy Sharpe was found stabbed in Carrs Wood and was taken to the infirmary but soon died.

He had been stabbed in the left breast by a man.

A platelayer said he heard a scream and then saw a man running out of the woods and then found Percy Sharpe who was without his trousers.

Percy Sharpe was bleeding from his wound but before he became unconscious he was able to give a brief description of the man that stabbed him.

Percy Sharpe's father said that Percy Sharpe had left school and had been going to the Juvenile Labour Exchange in Manchester to find work. He last saw him on the Tuesday morning by the father when he went out saying that Percy Sharpe was getting ready to go out. The next he heard of him was when he was told that Percy Sharpe had met with an accident and had been taken to the infirmary.

The father said that as far as he knew Percy Sharpe had never been to Northenden before and that he would go for walks in his own district, around Alnwick, and with companions of his own age.

Percy Sharpe was described as being 4ft 9in, fresh complexion, smooth skin rather freckled, rather small build, pale blue eyes, clear cut face  and with fair to sandy hair. He had been wearing a navy blue knicker suit, the knickers of which were missing, a blue cap, a soft white collar, a knitted tie, striped flannel shirt, black boots and had been wearing or carrying a dark grey overcoat.

A man was initially charged with his murder but was discharged. However, Francis Booker was later arrested and when they searched his home they found a pair of boy's knickes that were later identified as belonging to Percy Sharpe.

The police also found several other pairs of boys knickers and on his allotment in a box of soil they found Percy Sharpe's braces.