Swallow Falls

Aug 22, 2019

Soap that put thief behind bars


When serial thief Robert Smith stole a bar of pink soap from the Lion Hotel, Newtown, in 1905, little did he suspect that it would lead to his downfall. Pink soap was then a luxury item and a scrap of it ...

which Smith left behind at an Oswestry lodging gave detectives the vital evidence they needed. Smith was jailed for five years. For more about the hotel's history - including the death of the landlord's son in the First World War - use your mobile to scan the HistoryPoints QR codes in the window near the entrance. Or click here