Inquest: Martha Tabram
Day
1, Thursday, August 9,
1888
(The Times, August 10, 1888)
Yesterday afternoon [9 Aug] Mr. G.
Collier, Deputy Coroner for the South-Eastern Division of
Middlesex, opened an inquiry at the Working Lads' Institute,
Whitechapel-road, respecting the death of the woman who was
found on Tuesday last, with 39 stabs on her body, at
George-yard-buildings, Whitechapel.
Detective-Inspector Reid, H
Division, watched the case on behalf of the Criminal
Investigation Department.
Alfred George Crow,
cabdriver, 35, George-yard-buildings, deposed that he got home at
half-past 3 on Tuesday morning. As he was passing the first-floor
landing he saw a body lying on the ground. He took no notice, as
he was accustomed to seeing people lying about there. He did not
then know whether the person was alive or dead. He got up at
half-past 9, and when he went down the staircase the body was not
there. Witness heard no noise while he was in bed.
John S. Reeves,
of 37, George-yard-buildings, a waterside labourer, said that on
Tuesday morning he left home at a quarter to 5 to seek for work.
When he reached the first-floor landing he found the deceased
lying on her back in a pool of blood. He was frightened, and did
not examine her, but at once gave information to the police. He
did not know the deceased. The deceased's clothes were
disarranged, as though she had had a struggle with some one.
Witness saw no footmarks on the staircase, nor did he find a
knife or other weapon.
Police-constable Thomas Barrett,
226 H, said that the last witness called his attention to the
body of the deceased. He sent for a doctor, who pronounced life
extinct.
Dr. T. R. Killeen,
of 68, Brick-lane, said that he was called to the deceased, and
found her dead. She had 39 stabs on the body. She had been dead
some three hours. Her age was about 36, and the body was very
well nourished. Witness had since made a post-mortem examination
of the body. The left lung was penetrated in five places, and the
right lung was penetrated in two places. The heart, which was
rather fatty, was penetrated in one place, and that would be
sufficient to cause death. The liver was healthy, but was
penetrated in five places, the spleen was penetrated in two
places, and the stomach, which was perfectly healthy, was
penetrated in six places. The witness did not think all the
wounds were inflicted with the same instrument. The wounds
generally might have been inflicted by a knife, but such an
instrument could not have inflicted one of the wounds, which went
through the chest-bone. His opinion was that one of the wounds
was inflicted by some kind of dagger, and that all of them were
caused during life.
The Coroner said
he was in hopes that the body would be identified, but three
women had identified it under three different names. He therefore
proposed to leave that question open until the next occasion. The
case would be left in the hands of Detective-Inspector Reid, who
would endeavour to discover the perpetrator of this dreadful
murder. It was one of the most dreadful murders any one could
imagine. The man must have been a perfect savage to inflict such
a number of wounds on a defenceless woman in such a way. The
inquiry would be adjourned for a fortnight.
The case was then adjourned.
Day 2, Thursday, August 23, 1888
(The Times, August 24, 1888)
Yesterday afternoon [23 Aug] Mr.
George Collier, the Deputy Coroner for the South-Eastern
Division of Middlesex, resumed his inquiry at the Working
Lads' Institute, Whitechapel-road, respecting the death of
the woman who was found dead at George-yard-buildings, on the
early morning of Tuesday, the 7th inst., with no less than 39
wounds on various parts of her body. The body has been
identified as that of Martha Tabram, aged 39 or 40 years, the
wife of a foreman packer at a furniture warehouse.
Henry Samuel Tabram,
6, River-terrace, East Greenwich, husband of the deceased woman,
said he last saw her alive about 18 months ago, in the
Whitechapel-road. They had been separated for 13 years, owing to
her drinking habits. She obtained a warrant against him. For some
part of the time witness allowed her 12s. a week, but in
consequence of her annoyance he stopped this allowance ten years
ago, since which time he had made it half-a-crown a week, as he
found she was living with a man.
Henry Turner, a
carpenter, staying at the Working Men's Home, Commercial-street,
Spitalfields, stated that he had been living with the woman
Tabram as his wife for about nine years. Two or three weeks
previously to this occurrence he ceased to do so. He had left her
on two or three occasions in consequence of her drinking habits,
but they had come together again. He last saw her alive on
Saturday, the 4th inst., in Leadenhall-street. He then gave her
1s. 6d. to get some stock. When she had money she spent it in
drink. While living with witness deceased's usual time for coming
home was about 11 o'clock. As far as he knew she had no regular
companion and he did not know that she walked the streets. As a
rule he was, he said, a man of sober habits, and when the
deceased was sober they usually got on well together.
By Inspector Reid. - At times the
deceased had stopped out all night. After those occasions she
told him she had been taken in a fit and was removed to the
police-station or somewhere else.
By the Coroner. - He knew she
suffered from fits, but they were brought on by drink.
Mrs. Mary Bousfield,
wife of a wood cutter, residing at 4, Star-place,
Commercial-road, knew the deceased by the name of Turner. She was
formerly a lodger in her house with the man Turner. Deceased
would rather have a glass of ale than a cup of tea, but she was
not a woman who got continually drunk, and she never brought home
any companions with her. She left without giving notice, and owed
two weeks' rent.
Mrs. Ann Morris,
a widow, of 23, Lisbon-street, E., said she last saw the
deceased, who was her sister-in-law, at about 11 o'clock on Bank
Holiday night in the Whitechapel-road. She was then about to
enter a publichouse.
Mary Ann Connolly ("Pearly
Poll"), who at the suggestion of Inspector Reid was
cautioned in the usual manner before being sworn, stated she had
been for the last two nights living at a lodging house in
Dorset-street, Spitalfields. Witness was a single woman. She had
known the woman Tabram for about four or five months. She knew
her by the name of Emma. She last saw her alive on Bank Holiday
night, when witness was with her about three-quarters of an hour,
and they separated at a quarter to 12. Witness was with Tabram
and two soldiers - one private and one corporal. She did not know
what regiment they belonged to, but they had white bands round
their caps. After they separated, Tabram went away with the
private, and witness accompanied the corporal up Angel-alley.
There was no quarrelling between any of them. Witness had been to
the barracks to identify the soldiers, and the two men she picked
out were, to the best of her belief, the men she and Tabram were
with. The men at the Wellington Barracks were paraded before
witness. One of the men picked out by witness turned out not to
be a corporal, but he had stripes on his arm.
By Inspector Reid. - Witness heard
of the murder on the Tuesday. Since the occurrence witness had
threatened to drown herself, but she only said it for a lark. She
stayed away two days and two nights, and she only said that when
asked where she was going. She knew the police were looking after
her, but she did not let them know her whereabouts. By a juryman.
- The woman Tabram was not drunk. They were, however, drinking at
different houses for about an hour and three-quarters. They had
ale and rum.
Detective-Inspector Reid made
a statement of the efforts made by the police to discover the
perpetrator of the murder. Several persons had stated that they
saw the deceased woman on the previous Sunday with a corporal,
but when all the corporals and privates at the Tower and
Wellington Barracks were paraded before them they failed to
identify the man. The military authorities afforded every
facility to the police. "Pearly Poll" picked out two
men belonging to the Coldstream Guards at the Wellington
Barracks. One of those men had three good conduct stripes, and he
was proved beyond doubt to have been with his wife from 8 o'clock
on the Monday night until 6 o'clock the following morning. The
other man was also proved to have been in barracks at five
minutes past 10 on Bank Holiday night. The police would be
pleased if anyone would give them information of having seen
anyone with the deceased on the night of Bank Holiday.
The Coroner
having summed up, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that
the deceased had been murdered by some person or persons unknown.
Because the inquest was
only two days and The Daily Telegraph covered only the
last day,
both are offered here for comparison.
The
Daily Telegraph
Last Day of inquest, Thursday, August 23, 1888
(published Friday, August 24, 1888, Page 6)
Yesterday afternoon [23 Aug] Mr.
George Collier, the Deputy Coroner for South-East Middlesex,
resumed the inquiry at the Working Lads' Institute,
Whitechapel, into the circumstances attending the death of
Martha Turner, or Tabram, a hawker, lately living at 4,
Star-place, Star-street, Commercial-road E., who was
discovered early on the morning of Tuesday, the 7th inst.,
lying dead on the first-floor landing of some model dwellings
known as George-yard-buildings, Commercial-street,
Spitalfields. When found the woman presented a shocking
appearance, there being thirty-nine stab wounds on the body,
some of them apparently having been inflicted with a bayonet.
Henry Samuel Tabram,
of 6, River-terrace, East Greenwich, stated that he was a foreman
packer in a furniture warehouse. He identified the body as that
of his wife. Her name was Martha Tabram, and she was thirty-nine
years of age. He last saw her alive eighteen months ago in the
Whitechapel-road. Witness had been separated from her thirteen
years.
Henry Turner,
who stated that he lived at the Working Men's Home,
Commercial-street, deposed that he was a carpenter by trade, but
latterly he had got his living as a hawker. Up till three weeks
previous to this affair he was living with the deceased. They had
lived together on and off for nine years. She used to get her
living, like himself, as a street hawker. He last saw her alive
on the Saturday before her death, when they met accidentally in
Leadenhall-street. She said she had got no money, so witness gave
her some to buy stock with. Deceased was a woman who, when she
had the money, would get drunk with it.
Mary Bousfiled,
4, Star-place, Commercial-road, deposed that Turner and the
deceased lived at her house till three weeks before her death.
Turner was very good to her, and helped to support two children
she had by her husband.
Ann Morris, 23,
Lisburn-street, E., a widow, deposed that she was the
sister-in-law of the deceased. Witness last saw her alive on Bank
Holiday, as she was entering the White Swan public-house in
Whitechapel-road. Deceased then appeared to be sober. She was
alone when she entered the bar.
Mary Ann Connelly
said she had known the deceased for four or five months under the
name of Emma. The last time she saw her alive was on Bank
Holiday, at the corner of George-yard, Whitechapel. They went to
a public-house together, and parted about 11.45. They were
accompanied by two soldiers, one a private and the other a
corporal. She did not know to what regiment they belonged, but
they had white bands round their caps. Witness did not know if
the corporal had any side arms. They picked up with the soldiers
together, and entered several public-houses, where they drank.
When they separated, the deceased went away with the private.
They went up George-yard, while witness and the corporal went up
Angel-alley. Before they parted witness and the corporal had a
quarrel and he hit her with a stick. She did not hear deceased
have any quarrel. Witness never saw the deceased again alive. -
The Coroner, in
summing up, said that the crime was one of the most brutal that
had occurred for some years. For a poor defenceless woman to be
outraged and stabbed in the manner which this woman had been was
almost beyond belief. They could only come to one conclusion, and
that was that the deceased was brutally and cruelly murdered.
The jury
returned a verdict of wilful murder against some person or
persons unknown.
We thank Alex Chisholm and Casebook Productions for allowing us to use their transcriptions of the inquests.
