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Chilling Charles Boyle

News of the Times Episode 308 | 1924 

A young girl, upon arriving back to the flat shared with her mother, finds herself unable to get in.  Impatiently knocking on the door and receiving no response, she goes to a neighbour and borrows the ley. Opening the door reveals a scene of horror with her mother, and two neighbour children, lying in pools of blood – their throats horrible slashed. 

This shocking story at the time was used as an impetus to attempt to renew efforts of support to lower income families and give aid to those in the tenement areas of Glasgow.  The story of alcoholism, deprivation, and mental illness was both disturbing and horrific. We have kept the language of the day, some of which most certainly and quite rightly is inappropriate today.  As always, we look to history as a barometer of how far, or not so far, we have come. 

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