Galveston Daily News
Texas, USA
12 September 1889

London, Sept. 11. (Special)
Murder sits enthroned again in the East end of London. The body of a woman belonging to the unfortunate class was found at break of day under a railway arch in Pinchin street, back of Church lane, in the Whitechapel district, within three minutes walk of the Leman street police station. It is a very secluded place and popularly known as "Dark alley," and is much frequented by persons of the lowest character. It is only a few yards from Berners street, where a year ago today the mutilated remains of Elizabeth Stride, the fifth of the Whitechapel series, were found. A sleepy policeman was leisurely patrolling the beat about 6 o'clock this morning when his attention was attracted to a dark corner in one of the railway arches by a horrible smell. He walked to the spot and by the aid of his lantern discovered a sack containing the terribly mutilated remains of a woman. He blew his whistle and raised the alarm, in response to which a perfect host of uniformed policemen and detectives swarmed to the spot and secured the neighborhood in the vain hope of discovering the murderer.

When the doctors arrived they gave the opinion, after a close examination, that the woman had not been murdered where she was found. There was no blood upon the ground and very little upon the body. They believe that the murder was committed two or three days ago - an opinion which was borne out by the signs on the body of the beginning of decomposition.

The name of Jack the Ripper's last victim is believed to be Ladia (sic) Hart, a well known character of the East end who has been missing from her normal haunts for nearly a week. If it had not been for the smell the body would most likely be lying under the arch now.

At the mortuary this afternoon the woman's remains presented a sickening spectacle, and sent as thrill of horror through those whom witnessed it. The head and legs are missing, and have been severed in a manner that indicates the skill of a surgeon. There was a terrible incision in the lower part of the abdomen, extending almost to the chest. The intestines could be seen through the aperture, while, as in the case of all of Jack the Ripper's other victims, the matrix had been removed.

The breast had been cut about in an indescribable manner. the murdered woman was about 30 years of age and has the white, plump arms and soft, well shaped hands that showed no indication of toil.

Instead of assuming a more cautious and watchful attitude, the assassin seems to have been emboldened by his previous success. That no suspicion or attention should have been aroused by the appearance of a person carrying such a bulky parcel or wheeling it in a cart at such a spot and at such an early hour is quite extraordinary. The Scotland yard officials decline to say whether they have a clew or not. Their theory is that the woman's remains were brought to the place in a handcart or even carried there, and that the murderer took away every vestige of his victim's clothing to avoid any suspicion. The extra men who had been stationed in Whitechapel district for months past have not been withdrawn. On the contrary, their numbers have been reinforced in consequence of the dock strikes. About the time when the remains were supposed to have been deposited in the corner hundreds of constables were on their way through the adjoining streets to all parts of Whitechapel to relieve them, as they had been on duty through the night.

The mortuary was crowded all day by persons to identify the woman, but she has not yet been identified. as the head has been removed it is quite possible that she may never be claimed by her friends, even if she has any.

While there is no doubt that a murder has been committed, and there are the same methods, the same mutilations and the same mystery, the police authorities and medical experts hesitate to believe that it is the work of Jack the Ripper. The crime bears a resemblance rather to the Thames mystery, in which case the pieces of the body of a woman were found at various of the river in the early part of the summer. The only chance of obtaining a clew lies in the fact that the murderer carried away the hair of his victim, and this imprudent yielding to the promptings of his horrible lust for blood may lead to his capture. the police now have something tangible to look for; still the probability of solving the mystery is very slight under the present circumstances. No arrests have been made, but the locality is swarmed with detectives working hard to run the human monster to the earth. The generally accepted list of the Whitechapel victims up to date are as follows:

1. Unknown woman, past middle age, Whitechapel outcast, found dead in October 1887, with body horribly mutilated. Little attention paid to the case.

2. Martha Turner, found August 7, 1888, stabbed in sixty two places with a bayonet.

3. Polly Nichols, found August 31, head nearly severed from the body.

4. Annie Chapman, found September 8, horribly carved.

5. Young woman, near Newcastle upon Tyne, found September 23, slashed as were the others.

6. Elizabeth Stride, found September 30, body warm when found, but mutilated like the others.

7. Catherine Eddows (sic), found the same morning, body and face horribly mutilated.

8. Unidentified woman, found October 3, with head and arms severed and the usual mutilations of body.

9. Mrs. Mary Jane Lawrence, found November 9, head nearly severed, face lacerated almost beyond recognition, breast cut off and laid on a table, heart and liver removed and matrix missing. Body literally hacked to pieces.

10. Elizabeth Jackson, body found in sections between May 31 and June 25, 1889.

11. Alice Mackenzie, alias Kelly, found in Castle alley dead but with body still warm, June 17, 1889. Mutilations not completed, knife evidently dull.

12. The present case.