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Story: Jack the Ripper Files: Mary Ann Nichols
[Link to original at Newspapers.com] – Page 3, Column 5
THE WHITECHAPEL MURDER
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At a meeting held in the large hall of the Working Lads Institute, Whitechapel-road, Mr. Charles Tarling presiding, Mr. S. Montagu, M.P., in addressing his constituents, referred to the recent murders, and expressed a hope that the perpetrators of the crimes would be speedily captured. With regard to the reward of £100 which he had offered, he said that when he drove to Leman-street Police-station he was not aware that the Government had abandoned the system of offering rewards. He found Superintendent Arnold was out of town, and knowing that the Home Secretary was also away, and that some delay might in consequence result, he offered Inspector West a written undertaking to pay £100 for the apprehension of the murderer. He was told the offer would be communicated to the Commissioners and to the Home-office. That, he believed, had been done. He had that morning written to the police authorities stating that he did not intend to offer any larger sum, and, therefore, he begged that they would at once have printed and affixed at his expense a sufficient number of posters, so that his offer of the reward might become known, and possibly lead to the arrest of the criminal.
RESUMED INQUEST ON MRS. NICHOLS
Yesterday afternoon Mr. Wynne E. Baxter, the coroner for South-End Middlesex, resumed the inquiry, at the Working Lads’ Institute, Whitechapel-road, into the circumstances attending the death of Mary Ann Nichols, aged 42, the wife of a machinist, lately living at Coburg-road, Old Kent-road, whose body, shockingly mutilated, was found lying in a gateway in Buck’s-row, Whitechapel, early on the morning of Friday, the 31st ult. Inspectors Helston and Aberline attended for the Commissioners of Police.
Dr. Llewellyn, recalled, said that after he had given his evidence on the last occasion he visited the mortuary and made a further examination of the body. He discovered a scar on the forehead of old standing. He did not believe that any portion of the body was missing.
The Coroner – Do you know if she wore rings?
Witness – There were marks of rings on the fingers, but I do not think she had worn any for five or six weeks.
Emma Green, of New Cottage, Buck’s-row, deposed – I am a widow and occupy the cottage next to where the body was found. I have a daughter and two sons living with me. On the night before the murder I went to bed about eleven o’clock, my children going about an hour earlier. My bed-room is on the first floor, and I do not remember waking till I heard a knock at the street door. I should think that was about four o’clock. I opened the window and looked out. There were several constables near my door. I saw something like a body, but it was very dark at the time, and I could hardly distinguish it. None of us heard any noise during the night. I am a very light sleeper. Often women come by, but I don’t believe there is a disorderly house in Buck’s-row.
A Juror – There are some in Thomas-street, are there not?
Witness – I don’t know of any. I seldom go out after dark.
The Coroner – Do you know that your son went out to wash the blood away?
Witness – Yes. I thought it had better be done directly the body was moved. A constable went into my yard with my son, and they returned with a broom, and washed the stains away.
Thomas Eade said – I am a signalman in the employ of the East London Railway. On the 8th of September I was going down the Cambridge-heath-road about twelve at noon when I saw a man on the opposite side of the street to the Foresters’ Music-hall. He had a peculiar appearance as if he had a wooden arm. I passed him once or twice, and as he put his hand in his pocket, I caught sight of the blade of a knife, which was up his sleeve. I saw about four inches of steel. After speaking to some men I followed him to give him into custody, but he slipped down some street, and I lost sight of him. He was a man about 5ft. 8 in. high, 35 years of age, dark moustaches and whiskers; he wore a dark brown jacket, white overalls, and a double-peaked cap. He walked as though he had got stiff knees; that was what made me notice him first.
The Coroner – Were his overalls dirty?
Witness – No, they were perfectly clean.
The Coroner – You did not see what kind of a knife it was? – No, not exactly; the blade was about 2 1/2 inches wide, I think.
Walter Purkis was next called, and said – I live at Essex-wharf, Buck’s-row, and am manager to Messrs. Brown and Co. My house is immediately opposite the gate where the body was found. Myself and family and the servants were in the house on the 30th inst. I sleep in the front room on the second floor, and the children at the back of the house. On that night I went to bed about a quarter past eleven. I was awake several times, but mostly before two o’clock. I was called up by the police at about a quarter to four. We heard no sound during the night; it was unusually quiet. When the police called me I opened the window and went down. I could see all there was to see from the window. There were two or three men besides the constables.
The Coroner – Now supposing the woman had called out, or there had been any quarrelling, should you have heard it?
Witness – Oh, yes, I should have been sure to have heard it.
Edward Mulsham, night watchman at the Whitechapel District Board of Works, said – On the night of the murder I was in Winthrop-street about five minutes to six in the morning. I was in the open street watching some drainage work.
The Coroner – Were you asleep between three and six o’clock?
Witness – I don’t think I was. There was no one about whatever, and I heard no cries for assistance or other noise. The slaughter-house is about 50 yards from where I was. About 20 minutes to five a man, coming past, said, “I say, old man, a woman has been murdered up yonder.” On going to the spot I saw the woman and a doctor examining her. I cannot say that I should have heard a cry from the place where the woman lay. I saw nothing suspicious during the night.
The Coroner – Was there any man running away?
Witness – No, sir. It is very quiet after eleven o’clock, and I should have noticed any one running away. You don’t see a policeman often in that quarter. I think I saw two that night.
Police-constable Niel stood up, and witness identified him as one of the constables who was patrolling his beat that night.
A Juror – How often do the constables pass round?
Witness – About once in two hours, I should think.
Police-constable Thain said – I was on duty in Brady-street on the morning of the murder, and passed the end of Buck’s-row every 30 minutes. Nothing attracted my attention until 3.46 a.m., when I was signalled by another constable in Buck’s-row. I went to him and found him standing by the body of a woman. He said to me, “Run and fetch the doctor,” and I went. Dr. Llewellyn returned with me. I stayed in the street when they took the body to the mortuary. There was a large clot of blood near the wall, and blood was running into the gutter. When I picked the woman up her back, as far as the waist, was covered with blood. I searched the East London Railway, District Railway, and South-Eastern Railway, but found nothing suspicious – not even a knife.
Robert Paul, Forster-street, Whitechapel – I am a carman, and on the morning of the murder I left home just before a quarter to four. As I was passing up Buck’s-row I saw a man standing in the roadway. When I got close up to him he said, “Come and look at this woman;” and together we went across the road. There was a woman lying across the gateway, with her clothes disarranged. I felt her hands and face; they were cold. I sent the other man for a policeman.
James Hatfield, an inmate of the Whitechapel Union, said – I was sent to undress the body after it was in the mortuary. Being unable to undo the dress we cut it off. I can’t say if there were any stays with the clothing.
Inspector Spratling – I have been making inquiries into this matter.
The Coroner – Have you been to every house in Buck’s-row?
Witness – No; but if anything had come to light down there we should have heard of it. I have seen all the watchmen in the neighborhood, and they neither saw nor heard anything on the morning in question. The Board School ground had been searched, but nothing likely to throw any light on the matter was discovered.
Inspector Helston – We have had a constable in the street for a week, but nothing was gained by it.
The inquiry was adjourned until Saturday next.
The foreman of the jury said that if a substantial reward had been offered in the first case he believed that the last two murders would never have been perpetrated. If the matter was put before the Home Secretary and a large reward was promised, he (the foreman) would willingly give £25. Had the murdered persons belonged to the rich and aristocratic class, a reward would immediately have been offered.
The coroner said that he could not agree with the last remarks of the foreman, as he believed that the Government cared just as much for the lives of the poor as for the lives of the rich.
