1960 Dance Hall Death/ Murder

[kirsty140123]

hi everyone!

I'm after a bit of advice...I'm looking into a death which took place on the Saturday 26th Nov 1960 at 98 St Georges Road, Charing Cross Glasgow. I believe this was a dancehall called the West End Ballroom which stood on St Georges Road before the M8 was built.

The man who died was Francis Samuel Whitelaw (b. 24th Oct 1925) and lived at 50b Charlotte Street, Glasgow at the time of death. He was a radio and tv repair man with a stall at the Barras market, he left behind a pregnant wife and 5 children.

This is my other half's grand father and we have been looking into what happened on that night and the events after. So far I think we have done not bad as we managed to get a hold of the death cert and find articles in the Evening Times and Daily Record from Mon 28th Nov until 5th Dec 1960. Sadly the wife (grand mother) and all the children (my other half's aunts and uncles including his own father) have sinced passed on so it's a query my other half wants to solve for himself about his grand father.

The story in the papers was that the death was being treated as a murder after a fight between Francis Whitelaw and an unknown man over debt to be paid for a tv repair. It is reported that 2 men were arrested in the days following the death and charged with murder. The last article we found dated 5th Dec 1960 stated that the men who were charged were detained for 4 days in prison for further examination but that is as far as we have got....

Can anyone suggest where to go or who to contact next to try and find out what happened? We have scoured newspapers but cannot see anything aftre the 5th dec 1960...maybe we have missed something? I have contacted the courts who said that if the case went to court then there would be a case number held at the national archives but they do not have any record of a trial, I also contacted Strathclyde Police who dealt with the case and told that case files would not have been stored until now which I can understand but surely if there were 2 men arrested, charged and remanded there would be a record of this somewhere and details of the charges?

If anyone could suggest another route to follow or different places to search for news paper articles/ possible court records??? it would be greatly appreciated as a brick wall feels like it is currently in the way!

Kirsty

[Currie]

Hello Kirsty,

The Glasgow Herald is also online for that period. Using the search facility doesn’t seem to produce anything but it can be browsed. There should be something there, probably on the day following the Evening Times. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=G ... de=2&hl=en

The Evening Times seems much more likely to carry that sort of news and is printed with more prominent headlines. The search also seems to work better. Here are some links from that, some of which you would have already.

November 28, 1960
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DA ... elaw&hl=en
December 5, 1960
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M- ... elaw&hl=en
March 8, 1961
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8U ... elaw&hl=en

March 7, 1961
Wind your way and zoom to this one, last column of page 7. .http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2 ... page&hl=en
(EDIT later - Maybe that should be page 13, after the bit about the Girl Guide)

Hope that helps,
Alan

[kirsty140123]

Hi Alan

Thanks so much for the help! With the info you have pointed me towards I have been able to go back to the NAS and hopefully they can help this time now that I can give them more info.

Really appreciate it, thank you again.

Kirsty

[stefano]

Hello Kirsty,
This murder is covered by the lawyer joseph beltrami in his book, "The Defender: Tales of the Suspected".
The suspects were notorious glasgow gangsters. Very nasty individuals indeed..
I hope this helps.......

Regards...
Stefano,

[joette]

Stefano Welcome & thanks for the info.
I have come up against Mr Beltrami in court & he was a force to be reckoned with.

[kirsty140123]

Hi Stefano,

Thank you so much for the help. Got a copy of the book and it has answered all the questions which were hanging around the death...thank you once again and I wish you a merry christmas and a happy new year!

Kirsty