East London Observer
Saturday, 28 February 1891.
The burial of Frances Coles, who was murdered on the 13th inst. at Swallow-gardens, Whitechapel, took place on Wednesday afternoon at the East London Cemetery, Plaistow. The hearse had been timed to leave the mortuary at two o'clock; but it was a quarter-past two when it issued from the yard into the Whitechapel-road. A crowd of about two thousand persons had assembled in the roadway and on the pavement, and on all hands great eagerness was evinced to catch a glimpse of the hearse. It was an open one, revealing a handsome polished elm coffin studded with white nails and bearing this inscription:- 'Frances Coles, Died 13th February, 1891. Aged 26 years." A little to the westward of the entrance to the mortuary yard, three funeral coaches had been waiting since two o'clock, and as soon as the hearse made its appearance they drove up and fell in behind. The coaches contained Mr. Coles, the father of the deceased, and Miss Mary Coles, her sister, and Mr. Harvey, secretary of the Common Lodging-house Mission, the Rev. Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Harvey, Mrs. Day, Mrs. Bridman, and Mr. Shepherd, all of whom are connected with the mission. The cortege arrived at the cemetery by way of Mile End-road, Burdett-road, East India Dock-road, Barking-road and Hermit-road. As soon as the last coach had entered the cemetery, the gates were closed, and admission was refused to the hundreds of men and women who had followed in the wake of the procession, many of them having come all the way from Whitechapel. Inside the cemetery there was a gathering of several thousand people, and the scene was a remarkable one. The grave was situated on rising ground, close to a young poplar tree, and beneath and around, extended for a considerable distance in all directions, was a sea of human faces. The service was an impressive one, and the relatives of the deceased were greatly affected when the coffin, laden with flowers, was lowered into the grave. During the service, reference was made to the circumstances under which the deceased came by her death, and the fervent hope was expressed that the assassin would be brought to justice. - It was to be regretted that many persons, in their eagerness to witness the ceremony, stood upon the rails and stoneworks of the neighbouring graves. Another circumstance that caused a good deal of indignation among many present was that, during the service, a number of men were passing to and fro and hawking memorial cards of the deceased at a penny apiece. - The inquest on the body was resumed on Monday and yesterday (Friday) morning. - Saddler, who stands accused of the crime, was again before the magistrate at the Thames Police-court on Tuesday, and was again remanded. He has made a statement describing his movements on the night of the murder.
Mr. Macdonald, the coroner for North-East London, has received information of the sudden death of Charles Guiver, aged 34 years. He died on Wednesday night at No. 8, White's-row, Spitalfields, the common lodging-house where Frances Coles and Saddler were seen previous to the murder. The deceased was one of the principal witnesses at the inquest. Dr. Dukes, of Brick-lane, who was called, after death, is unable to account for the same, and the coroner has ordered a post-mortem examination to be made.
