LIVERPOOL MURDER CHARGE .sx HUSBAND'S ALLEGED BOGUS TELEPHONE MESSAGE .sx WILLIAM HERBERT WALLACE , 52 , an insurance agent , of Anfield , was at Liverpool yesterday remanded for eight days , charged with the murder of his wife , Julia .sx 58 .sx Mr. J. R. Bishop , prosecuting , said that Mrs. Wallace was found dead in the front room at her home on January 20 , with her head battered in .sx The husband alleged that he had been decoyed away from the house by a bogus telephone message .sx He said that the message asked him to go to a fictitious address in Menlove-gardens , East Liverpool .sx The message was received at a cafe , which the defendant frequented , and the prosecution suggested that he gave the message himself in a disguised voice and went to the cafe later to receive it .sx It was a curious fact , Mr. Bishop said , that it was only possible to tell the district from which the call came because the cafe telephone was engaged when the first call was put through and a note was accordingly made of it .sx The time it would take for the defendant to walk from the particular call box to the cafe therefore became important to the case .sx It was a strange thing that when the defendant went to keep the alleged appointment he went out of his way to stop people and tell them where he had been and all about it , and the prosecution suggested that this was done in order to create an alibi .sx When he returned home , although it was usual for him to enter his house by the back door , he went in at the front .sx It was only when seen by neighbours that he expressed the fear that something was wrong .sx Another curious fact was that the back door was unlocked , and after entering the house the defendant searched every room before going to the one where his wife was found .sx The police found at the house a bloodstained mackintosh belonging to Wallace .sx Questioned by the police , Wallace said that a number of notes had been stolen from a cash box , and these were found later in a bedroom , one of them bearing a stain of blood .sx When arrested Wallace said :sx " What shall I say in answer to the charge ?sx I am absolutely innocent .sx " SILK DRESSES IMPORTED BY AEROPLANE .sx EXPORTERS' FALSE INVOICES .sx At the Mansion House Justice Room yester- day , before Alderman Sir Charles Bathe , Mrs. ANASTASIE LAW , trading as Marion Lambert , of 10 , Davies-street , Mayfair , was summoned at the instance of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise for making a declaration that she had purchased three silk dresses imported into the United Kingdom on October 2 , 1929 , from a firm in France for 4,400f .sx , which declaration was false in that the price was 7,300f .sx Another summons alleged that she had made a similarly false declaration in respect of the value of a silk dress imported by aeroplane on June 11 , 1929 , and there were six other summonses alleging that she had been concerned in the evasion of Customs duties on other dresses imported from France , some of them by aeroplane .sx Mr. Frank Gahan appeared for the defence .sx Mr. Gibson , appearing for the Commissioners of Customs and Excise , said the total amount lost to the Crown in respect of the transactions referred to in the eight summonses was 256 .sx Mr. Galan , for the defence , said that there were several mitigating circumstances in the case .sx The practice of supplying invoices at a lower price than the purchase price originated with the two French firms , and directly the defendant was informed that these practices were improper she immediately communicated with the firms telling them that they must stop the practice .sx The two French firms , however , took the view that it was perfectly proper and legitimate for Customs purposes to render a lower invoice .sx Mr. Gahan pointed out that the dresses referred to in the summonses were imported not for sale , but for the purpose of being used as patterns , and the French firms therefore charged the defendant a higher price .sx A great deal of the price which the defendant was paying for the dresses referred to in the summonses she was paying for the right to copy and not for the silk .sx ALDERMAN SIR CHARLES BATHO said he would take into consideration the facts mentioned in mitigation .sx Instead of fining the defendant treble the sum lost to the Crown , which amounted to 768 , he would fine her 512 , which was 64 on each summons , and allow one guinea costs on each summons .sx DEATH OF TWO CENTENARIANS .sx The funeral takes place to-day at Wansford , Northamptonshire , of Miss Frances Strickson , who died at Houghton Regis , Dunstable , on Friday , in her 101st year .sx She was born at Wansford on March 30 , 1830 , and was for 46 years in the service of the family of the Dukes of Bedford , first at Woburn Abbey and after- , wards at Oakley House , Bedfordshire , until pensioned .sx On the occasion of her 100th birthday she received a letter of congratulations from the King and Queen .sx For many years , in addition to her regular duties , she carried on a bible class for young people .sx The death took place at Broadstairs on Monday of Miss Miriam Billing , who celebrated her hundredth birthday in March 5 of last year .sx She was a member of one of the oldest families of Reading , and for many years successfully conducted a preparatory school for boys at Worthing .sx DISQUALIFICATION OF MOTOR DRIVERS .sx MAGISTRATE AND SESSIONS ORDER .sx An oversight by the framers of the Road Traffic Act , 1931 , was revealed at Bow-street Police Court yesterday when Albert Edward Bolton , a traveller , applied for the restoration of his motor driving licence , which had been suspended on conviction .sx The case raised a new point of jurisdiction .sx Mr. Ernest Wetton ( instructed by Messrs .sx Ludlow and Co. ) appeared for the applicant ; Mr. G. B. McClure represented the police .sx In July , 1928 , Bolton was sentenced at Bow-street to two months' imprisonment for being drunk while in charge of his car , and , by virtue of the Criminal Justice Act , 1925 , be was automatically disqualified for holding a licence for 2 months .sx On appeal to the London Sessions the conviction was reduced to a fine of 50 , and the Court made an order disqualifying Bolton for holding a licence for five years .sx The MAGISTRATE ( Mr. Graham Campbell ) questioned whether he had jurisdiction to deal with the matter .sx He said that the Criminal Justice Act provided that an application of this kind should be made to the court of conviction , but the Road Traffic Act used the words " the Court by which he was convicted or by which the order was made .sx " The order imposing disqualification was made by the Sessions , and not by the court of conviction , where the suspension flowed automatically .sx It was rather unfortunate if application could be made to a court of summary jurisdiction to reduce an order made by the Sessions .sx He was being asked to interfere with the decision of that Court .sx Mr. Wetton argued that the conviction and order of suspension could not be separated .sx Mr. McClure supported the view that the Magistrate had jurisdiction .sx He said that the procedure was by way of a summons against the Commissioner of Police to show cause , &c .sx , and a summons could only be heard at a police court .sx After consideration the MAGISTRATE decided to deal with the matter , and on an undertaking by the applicant to remain a teetotaller he removed the order of disqualification .sx ELECTRICITY C0MPANY FINED .sx The Folkestone Electricity Company , Limited , was fined 25 and ordered to pay 10 10s .sx costs , at Folkestone yesterday for breath of the Factory Acts .sx Mr. G. A. Roberts , prosecuting for the Home Office , said that , while one of the company's workmen , named Marsh , was dusting with a hair brush one of the four sections of a switchboard , he received a shock of 6,000 volts .sx Fortunately he escaped with only burns on his right arm .sx The prosecution contended that adequate steps had not been taken to make the switchboard safe before the cleaning work began .sx ROAD IMPROVEMENT .sx SCHEMES APPROVED FOR GRANT .sx The Secretary to the Ministry of Transport states that during January schemes for the widening , reconstruction , and other improvements of classified roads and bridges , and for the construction of new roads and bridges of classification value , involving a total estimated expenditure of 1,852,000 , were formally approved for Road Fund grants , and work should begin at an early date .sx These schemes form part of the Government's programme of economic works for the stimulation of employment .sx The total value of road and bridge schemes now definitely approved for commencement by the present Government is 28,000,000 , while further schemes to the value of 26,000,000 have been approved in principle .sx Details of a number of the schemes approved during January are given in the following list , which shows the local authority principally concerned .sx The estimated figures of total cost are given to the nearest thousand pounds only , and distances are , in most cases , approximations .sx Grants have also been made towards the construction of a new bridge at Wakefield ( 76,000 ) , a section of new road to by-pass Cawthorn in the West Riding ( 41,000 ) , a new road near Dundee ( 76,000 ) , a section of the Cardiff by-pass ( 200,000 ) , and the new bridge over the River Thames at Chiswick ( 220,000) .sx Financial assistance has also been indicated towards the improvement or construction of unclassified roads and bridges in various counties , including Inverness-shire ( 12,000 ) , Buckinghamshire ( 21,000 ) , Northumberland ( 93,000 ) , and the North Riding of Yorkshire ( 40,000 ) , the total estimated expenditure being 270,000 .sx DETECTIVES ATTACKED .sx DISTURBANCE AFTER IRISH FUNERAL .sx FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT DUBLIN , FEB .sx 3 .sx The funeral took place at Glasnevin Cemetery , Dublin , to-day of Patrick Carroll , the young man whose body was found last Friday night in a lonely lane near Dublin with a portion of the head blown away .sx A large crowd attended the funeral , at which an oration was delivered by one of the dead man's comrades in the Republican movement .sx As the crowd was leaving the cemetery two detectives in plain clothes were seen to leave the graveyard wheeling bicycles .sx They were attacked by the crowd , in which women predominated , and for a time matters looked very bad .sx One of the detectives drew a revolver , with which he threatened his assailants , but without avail .sx Women hurled themselves on the two detectives , while showers of halfbricks were rained upon them by the crowd .sx After a struggle that lasted for several minutes the detectives managed to get clear , but one of them was struck about the head and face by stones .sx Neither of the detectives , who were armed , used his revolver .sx FIRE AT WOOLWICH BARRACKS .sx Troops of the Woolwich Garrison were called out early yesterday when a fire alarm was sounded throughout the barracks .sx A trumpeter of the Royal Army Service Corps had just sounded the Reveille when he noticed smoke pouring from the orderly room of the R.A.S.C. headquarters in Grand Depot-road .sx The regimental fire picket was quickly on the scene , and it was found that , the orderly room was alight .sx The L.C.C. Fire Brigade was called , and firemen from Woolwich and Shooters Hill poured water on to the blaze for nearly an hour before it was subdued .sx The cause of the fire is not known .sx News in Brief .sx Mr. Ingleby Oddie , the Westminster coroner , adjourned yesterday , until February 17 , the inquest on the bodies of those who perished in the R 101 .sx Captain G. W. Hoyle , of the United Africa Company , was lost overboard during the outward voyage of the West African liner Adda , which arrived at Plymouth yesterday .sx A woman , found dead on Sunday in Epping Forest near Lodge-road , has been identified as Mrs. Louisa Wood , 53 , of Hemmal-street , Epping .sx There was stated to be no suspicion of foul play .sx Thomas Collier , 51 , clerk , was sentenced at the Manchester Quarter Sessions yesterday to 15 months' imprisonment for converting to his own use sums belonging to the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows at Plymouth .sx Leeds Chamber of Commerce yesterday appointed Mr. Harold Lister as secretary in place of the late Mr. K. Rhodes Calvert , who had filled the post for 38 years .sx Mr. Lister had been Mr. Calvert's assistant for several years .sx