Thomas Weldon Atherstone

Atherstone was born Thomas Weldon Anderson in Liverpool in 1862.[2] He was a classically trained actor who became prominent in music halls during the early 1880s and 1890s, although by the turn of the century his presence in vaudeville had been considerably reduced with the exception of occasional performances, such as poetry readings. Although married with four children, he began living with actress Elizabeth Earle at an apartment in London's Battersea district around 1899.

While Atherstone's career continued declining over the next decade, Earle retired from the music hall and turned to teaching. He and Earle began arguing regarding his accusations of Earle carrying on an affair as well as his resentment towards her success as a professional schoolteacher. Earle threw him out and sent him to live with his two sons Thomas Frederick and William Gordon.

Earle remained on friendly terms with the son Thomas and when visiting her one evening for supper they heard gunshots from the yard downstairs. Thomas investigated and saw the body of a man who had been violently shot to death. After calling for the police, it was discovered to be the body of Atherstone.

Although an investigation found several witnesses who claimed to have seen a man jumping over a back wall fleeing the scene, police believed Atherstone had been spying on the two when he encountered a burglar who shot him and fled the scene. However, the murder remains unsolved.[3]

• Whittington-Egan, Richard. Mr Atherstone Leaves the Stage... The Battersea Murder Mystery: A Twisting and Tragic Tale of Love, Jealousy and Violence in the age of Vaudeville London: Amberley Publishing, 2015.
• Macnaghten, Sir Melville Leslie. Days of My Years. London: Edward Arnold, 1914.