The Eastern Post & City Chronicle
Saturday, 31 March 1888.
It is alleged that on Wednesday morning, just after midnight, a desperate attempt to murder a young dressmaker, named Ada Wilson, was made at Bow. The scene of the attempt is No. 19, Maidman Street, Burdett Road, a thoroughfare lying just on the south side of the Bow Road.
At the hour named a couple of young women rushed up to some police-constables on duty outside the Royal Hotel, and said that a woman was being murdered. Two constables immediately ran to the house indicated, and there found a young woman, named Ada Wilson, lying in the passage, bleeding profusely from a fearful wound in the throat. She was sent to the hospital, and was there ascertained to be in a dangerous condition; in fact, it is thought impossible she can recover. She, however, so far recovered as to give a statement of what had occurred, and a description of the would-be murderer. From that statement it would appear that she was about to retire to rest, when she heard a knock at the door. Upon going there she found a total stranger waiting, who demanded money from her, adding that if she did not at once produce the cash she had but a few moments to live. She refused to give the money, and the man at once drew from his pocket a clasp-knife, with which he stabbed her twice in the throat.
Rose Bierman, a young Jewess, lodging at 9, Maidmans Street, made the following statement on Wednesday afternoon:- "Ada Wilson, the injured woman, is the occupier of the house, but at the time of the outrage she was under notice to quit. I knew Mrs. Wilson as a married woman, although I had never seen her husband. Last evening she came into the house accompanied by a male companion, but whether he was her husband or not I could not say. She has often had visitors to see her, but I have rarely seen them myself, as Mrs. Wilson lives in the front room, her bedroom being just at the back, adjoining the parlour. My mother and I occupy two rooms upstairs. Well, I don't know who the young man was, but about midnight I heard the most terrible screams one can imagine. Running downstairs I saw Mrs. Wilson, partially dressed, wringing her hands and crying, 'Stop that man for cutting my throat! He has stabbed me!' She then fell fainting in the passage. I saw all that as I was coming downstairs, but as soon as I commenced to descend I noticed a young fair man rush to the front door and let himself out. He did not seem somehow to unfasten the catch as if he had been accustomed to do so before. He had a light coat on, I believe. I don't know what kind of wound Mrs. Wilson has received, but it must have been deep, I should say, from the quantity of blood in the passage. I do not know what I shall do myself. I am now 'keeping the feast,' and how can I do so with what has occurred here? I am now going to remove to other lodgings."
