With so many tools available to detectives in the modern world it is not easy for killers to get away with their horrific crimes.

But back in the 19th century police had little but their own intuition, eye witnesses and community gossip to fall back on.

The science of forensics was in its infancy while finger printing was not accepted in courts until the start of the 20th century. The likes of DNA and CCTV were decades away from becoming a reality.

Hull during the 1800s had a high rate of unsolved cold cases which, to this day, remain a mystery.

Local historian Mike Covell takes a look back over some of the cold cases within the city involving often brutal and callous murder. To think these killer remained at large is spine-chilling.

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The Barmston Drain body

The body of William Hutton was discovered on Monday, February 5, 1849 at Barmston Drain in Hull.

Investigations were quickly launched and there were claims someone in the town called Thomas Armytage Seales was responsible for the murder.

Despite the tip-off, no evidence was presented and no one was brought to justice for the case.

George Hutton, who lived in the Groves, identified the body as that of his 24-year-old son William Hutton.

Brutal killing of servant girl

On Friday, July 1, 1851, Mary Harland left her mother’s house on Chapel Lane to go for a walk but she never returned.

The 18-year-old had a job as a servant with a Mrs Lamb, of Hessle Square. Her mum assumed she had gone to her job and remained there but Mary was never seen alive again.

Four days later a body of a female was washed up in the River Ouse and was buried at Whitgift.

The woman had been stabbed through the neck and strangled with a shawl found tied tightly round her neck.

Mary’s mum was informed of the discovery and travelled to Whitgift to identify the body.

Despite a number of potential leads and suspects no one was ever charged in relation to the crime.

Child in the mud

In March 1859 a dock gateman, working at the top of Whitefriargate Bridge, stumbled across a grim and deeply tragic discovery.

He noticed something in the water. He called for PC Henry Musgrove and, together, they discovered the dead body of a child in the mud in the corner of Princes Dock. It had, by all accounts, been deposited there some weeks.

Dr Henry Mason examined the body and stated that it was that of a female child, her face, neck, and abdomen were green from decomposition.

Not only was the killer not identified but neither was the victim. The Jury returned a verdict of “Wilful Murder against some person or persons unknown.”

Double tragedy

In February 1863 two children had been discovered in Hull.

The first of the bodies was found on Reform Street, the other on Raywell Street, and both appeared to have been suffocated.

A post mortem examination revealed that both had been born healthy and killed not long after birth.

This picture from July 1963 shows Wincolmlee near Scott Street and Reform Street

The examining Police Surgeon Mr Brownbridge was of the opinion the children were twins.

Like the case above, neither the victims nor the killer was revealed. In each case a verdict was returned of “wilful murder” against some person or persons unknown.

Child wrapped in brown paper

In August 1866, a little boy, the son of a cooper living in Church Street, found the body of a boy in a drain, near a footpath at Eggington Lane, Sculcoates. Information was given to a local copper, who took the body to the police-station.

The child was wrapped in brown paper with its arms tied across its chest and its mouth stuffed full of rags.

It was therefore concluded that that a horrible murder had been committed by someone at present unknown. The body was seen by the doctor who is of the opinion that the corpse had been in the drain several days.

Beggar burnt alive

There were shocking newspaper reports in July 1869 of a man, who had dressed himself up in papers of different colours, begging from house to house on the afternoon of Friday July 30.

He called at the Hamburgh Castle pub in Dock Street and, while there begging, one of the customers struck a match and applied the light to the paper in which the beggar was dressed.

The man was instantly engulfed in flames and his shrieks were fearful.

The flames were extinguished as soon as possible, but the man was so severely burned that it was found necessary to remove him on a board to the infirmary, where he died as a result of his injuries.

Despite the blatant nature of the horrific attack, no arrests were made.

Shocking axe attack

Emma Starkey was just 20 years old when she was viciously attacked with an axe as she walked along Caughey Street, behind what is now St Stephen’s shopping centre.

The axe was embedded in her skull and took several police officers to remove it when her body was removed to the “Dead House” on Parliament Street.

The Mail's report of the murder, inset, and Caughey Street now

Investigations were conducted across the city, numerous individuals were spoken to, and all those employed in the occupation of a company that used an axe were ruled out.

At one point sermons were preached in the city about the murder, but the culprit was never caught and the case remains one of Hull’s most high-profile unsolved murders.

Found in a pool of water

The body of two-year-old Joseph Cowling was found lying in a pool of water in a field off Grange Street, Fountain Road, Hull, on April 8, 1878.

The toddler was last seen at home fully dressed, but when discovered was only wearing a shirt, socks and boots, thus leading the authorities to believe it was murder.

An inquest was opened and it was made clear that a murder had taken place within Hull. The inquest was then adjourned for a fortnight so that further inquiries could be made but no arrests followed.

On April 25 the inquest was reopened and a verdict was returned of “Wilful murder”.

Second child murder

A new-born child was found on the banks of the River Hull

That same year there was a second child murder.

In June 1878 a labourer named Hearson or Henson, of Jennings Street, was walking along the River Hull when he came across the dead body of a newly born female child.

The child had been dumped into the mud at the Old Harbour, a short distance away from South Bridge, on High Street.

The body had been tied up in a white pocket handkerchief, and appeared to have been in the water about ten days.

An inquest was held immediately on the remains of the deceased, and a verdict of “Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown” was returned.

Grim discovery at Paragon Station

The body of a young girl was discovered in the ladies waiting room at Hull’s Paragon station in January 1880.

The body of a young girl was found in a waiting room inside Paragon Station

The body was discovered in a confectioner’s wooden box. It was wrapped up in a flannel and tightly pressed down.

Hull Borough Coroner, Mr J J Thorney, had opened an inquiry into the death the child.

The medical evidence showed the child’s death had been the result of suffocation and her skull had been crushed.

A verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons unknown was returned.