George Dixon

George Dixon was a blind 'boy' who had apparently accompanied Alice McKenzie to a pub near the Cambridge Music Hall on Commercial Street. It is said that Dixon heard McKenzie ask a man to buy her a drink.^[1]

Sergeant John McCarthy made enquiries to various pubs in the vicinity of the music hall, in particular the 'Royal Cambridge Tavern' next door, but the proprietors could not recall a woman with a blind boy going there, nor a woman asking a man for a drink, although they did not deny that it could have happened^[2]. There were no further leads from other public houses. It has been suggested that McKenzie and Dixon may have been in the 'Commercial Tavern' - this pub still stands at the junction of Commercial Street and Wheeler Street, opposite Commercial Street Police Station.^[3]

Another report by Sergeant McCarthy, oddly dated earlier (24th July) but attached to the previous one, revealed success in tracing Dixon:

"Referring to the attached I beg to report having seen the blind boy George Dixon at 29 Star Street, Commercial Road. He says he went with Mrs. McKenzie into a public house near the Cambridge Music Hall at about 10 minutes past 7 on Tuesday evening 16th. He heard Mrs. McKenzie ask someone if they would stand a drink and the reply was "yes". After remaining a few minutes Mrs. McKenzie led him back to 52 Gun St. & left him there. The boy Dixon says he would be able to recognise the voice of the person who spoke to Mrs. McKenzie in the public house."

A footnote to this report adds "I cannot think that the man who spoke to McKenzie at 7.10pm 16th had anything to do with the murder".^[4]

References

1. ↑ Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopaedia, John J Eddleston (Metro 2002)
2. ↑ Report of 27th July 1889, HO 3/140 f.277
3. ↑ The London of Jack the Ripper: Then and Now, Robert Clack & Philip Hutchinson (Breedon 2007)
4. ↑ Report of 24th July 1889, HO 3/140 f.278