East London Advertiser
Saturday, 14 February 1891.
Another of the series of terrible crimes which have been connected with East London during late years was committed at an early hour on Friday morning. The revolting features which characterised most of these murders hitherto were happily absent; but the circumstances of the crime, the character of the victim, and the mysterious features by which the deed is environed, undoubtedly place it in the same category. The time chosen by the murderer, the locality, and the precautions taken to escape detection are in all respects similar to those followed on previous occasions. It appears that shortly after 2 o'clock in the morning Constable 240 H, while passing through an archway of the Great Eastern Railway, which leads from Swallow-gardens to Orman-street, two thoroughfares running parallel with the Whitechapel-road, but lying more towards the river, observed a woman extended on her back in the centre of the thoroughfare. He had passed the spot 15 minutes previously, and there was no one there. On approaching and turning his lamp on the prostrate figure, he was horrified to find that the woman lay in a pool of blood, which was flowing from a terrible wound in the throat extending literally from ear to ear. He at once blew his whistle for assistance, and was joined within a few minutes by Police-constable 327 H, whose beat is adjoining. The woman gave no signs of life, but the body was quite warm, and the policeman felt that the pulses were beating faintly. Further assistance was soon brought to the spot by whistling, and a man was despatched to the residence of Dr. Phillips, the surgeon to the division, who resides near at hand. In the meantime, acting in accordance with instructions issued during the panic at the East End, nearly two years ago, the police allowed the body to remain in the position in which it was discovered, and took careful note of the surroundings so as to be in possession of any available clue.
The woman appeared to be from 25 to 27 years of age, and lay in the roadway, her feet crossed one over the other and towards the footpath. She was bareheaded, and while one arm was stretched by her side, the other was bent towards the breast. By her side lay a black crape hat, and in the pocket of her dress were several pieces of black lace or crape and a vulcanite earring. Strange to say, a second black crape hat lay partly hidden in the folds of her dress. An old striped stocking and a comb were also found in her pocket. By this time Dr. Phillips had reached the scene, and after a short examination pronounced that the woman, although not quite dead, was expiring fast. As a matter of fact, she expired before preparations could be made to move her on a stretcher, which had been brought from the Leman-street Police-station. When the medical man pronounced life to be extinct the body was conveyed to the Whitechapel Mortuary, where it lies to await an inquest.
