East End News.
Friday, 29 December 1933.
POPLAR MAN KILLED
OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER TO POLICE
EAST INDIA DOCK ROAD ACCIDENT
An inquest was held at Poplar on Saturday by Dr. R. L. Guthrie with a jury upon Joseph Martin (84), a photographer, of 34, Canton-street, Poplar, who was killed in a motor accident in East India Dock-road.
Mr. Martin retired a year ago from the position of official photographer to the Metropolitan Police, which he held for half a century.
It was his duty to photograph the bodies of unknown persons in the Metropolitan Police area, and among his "subjects" were the women killed by Jack the Ripper in the narrow alleys of Whitechapel and Commercial-road, as well as the victims of many other murders.
A son-in-law stated at the inquest that Mr. Martin had an eye slightly defective, but never wore glasses.
Ada Parsons, of Park-street, said when crossing East India Dock-road, near Stainsby-road, after 5 p.m., on 20th December, she saw an old man step off the kerb on the south side of the road.
A motor lorry came along, travelling to Aldgate at a moderate speed. Then she saw the near side wheel of the lorry strike the old man and he fell on his face.
Dr. Percival, of Poplar Hospital, said the man was dead, when admitted, from multiple injuries.
Charles Albert King, of Wivenhoe-road, Shepherd’s Bush, said he was driving an empty lorry to Aldgate at about 10 miles an hour and saw an old man come from behind a moving lorry four yards in front and appear to run. He applied his brakes, but could not avoid the accident.
He had been driving 18 years, had a clean licence, and a safety first silver medal.
The Coroner said there was no doubt one of the man’s eyes was rather defective.
Jury’s verdict: Accidental Death and driver exonerated."
