Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: October 23rd, 1915.

Yesterday, shortly after noon, a tragic discovery was made at Wardown Park, where a girl's dead body was taken from the lake.

Earlier in the morning the police had been informed that Elsie Ritchie, who was 18 years of age and who had been staying with a half-brother at 46 High Town Road, was missing. She failed to return home on Thursday, and left a letter which is understood to have indicated that she was in distress because a soldier friend had been sent abroad.

After the police were notified that she was missing, a search was instituted. The body of deceased was found floating in the lake by Mr Sidney Burr, one of the park keepers at Wardown, who recovered it with assistance. It was then taken to the Mortuary to await an inquest, which is to be held on Monday afternoon.

When the body of deceased was taken from the lake a photograph of a soldier was found pinned over her heart.

• This morning the Luton Town Council received the Home Office Order giving them drastic control over the lighting of the town. The Order comes into force immediately, and in order that the public may have some warning, copies have been printed and distributed through the town.

• The death took place in the 5th Southern General Hospital, Portsmouth, this morning of Pte Frank Boutwood, 1/5th Bedford Regiment. His relatives were with him when he passed away. He died from the dread disease of dysentery, contracted in Gallipoli, and he had been in hospital in Portsmouth for about five weeks. He leaves a wife and three children who reside at 36 Naseby Road, Luton.

• A wounded soldier home on leave was charged at Luton Court this morning with having stabbed himself in the chest with a knife with intent to kill himself. The member of the 2nd Bedfords had told a doctor, "I don't know why I did it. God must have guided my hand. I wish I had done myself in." The soldier blamed drink for his action and was bound over in the sum of £5 for six months after promising to take the pledge and never drink alcohol again.

• Three weeks ago, Mr and Mrs A. Cook, of 65 Langley Street, Luton, received official notification that their son, Pte Hubert Cook, 4088, 1/5th Bedfordshire, was wounded in action on September 19th. Mr Cook has now received a letter from another son, Sapper Percy Cook, who is serving with the 2/1st East Anglian Royal Divisional Engineers in Gallipoli, which evidently shows that a mistake has been made, for Hubert is quite well.

• A bullet wound in the head has been sustained by Frederick Gutteridge, of the 1/5th Bedfords, but it is understood that the wound is not serious. His home was at Farley Green, but when he was married a year last June he came to live at Luton. His wife resides in Ridgway Road, and is at present engaged on munition work.

• Today Luton is making an effort on behalf of the funds of the British Red Cross Society. "Our Day" street sellers had for sale 35,000 penny flags, 100 shilling flags and postcards designed to be placed in windows of houses to indicate that from the houses so marked men had gone to the Forces. Before 11 o'clock a wire had to be sent to London for a further supply of flags.

• In response to the invitation of the Education Committee, the headmasters and headmistresses in the Luton schools observed Trafalgar Day on Thursday in a very appropriate way. The general line taken was to speak to the children, assembled or i n classes, on the great battle which Nelson fought over 100 years ago. Thee teachers, of course, spoke of the glorious traditions of Britain's Navy and how it had now swept the seas of Germany's vaunted fleet.

• For the second year running, Lady Wernher gave instructions that rents would not be collected from the families of allotment holders who were serving their King and Country.

• On Wednesday evening the first annual meeting of the Beds Baptist Lay Preachers' Association was held in the Wellington Street Baptist Church schoolroom, Luton. And at Park Street Baptist Church a social union was formed to meet fortnightly for literary and social evenings.

• The Saturday Telegraph recorded the death overnight of Dr W. G. Grace, the greatest of England's many famous cricketers.

• Time has ripened the rivalry between the Luton and Northampton clubs, and they shared misfortune at the opening of the present season when they were both left out in the cold b y the London football clubs. Wileman headed Town into the lead after 20 minutes before Roe added two more goals before the interval. Roe completed his hat-trick two minutes from time to make the final score 4-0 in Luton's favour in front of a crowd of about 800.