Spring Onions His Life and Crimes
Review of new book by Paul Williams On the night of 24th November 1898, a prisoner by the name of William John Onion, decided to turn his life around. Onion was seriously ill in his cell, and prayed, offering to give up intoxicating alcohol and make amends for his shocking life. He had a little over 500 hundred convictions, largely related to getting drunk, then turning offensive and often violent. Police officers, Workhouse staff, his first wife, were amongst those Onion had assaulted. Onion had tried to change his life before. This time he succeeded, becoming teatotal, and pursued his skill as a verse writer which he had been developing throughout the 1890's. Born near Whitechapel Road, his father died when he was an infant, his mother was severely ill in hospital. Onion and a younger sister spent some time in Selby...