Morning Advertiser (London)
17 December 1888
WORSHIP-STREET.
Ellen Marks, 22, tailoress, and Alice Hutchinson, 24, boxmaker, both living in Dorset-street, Spitalfields, were charged, before Mr. Bushby, with wilful damage to a piano organ. - The prosecutor, a man named Phelps, is an Englishman, but passes as an Italian, and lives in the Italian colony at Saffron-hill. He is an organ-grinder, and on Friday he went into the neighbourhood of Spitalfields, and after playing the organ to a crowd of girls from the lodging-houses he left it while he went into a public-house to get drink. Some of the girls, who had been dancing, ran away with the organ, which, being on wheels, was easily moved. When they were some distance away with it a cry was raised that "Jack the Ripper" was after them, and the girls scattered, but two of them ran the organ down a court, and eventually upset it, damaging it to the extent of 5l. - A witness named Hinks identified the prisoner Marks as one of the girls who upset the organ, and Hutchinson was identified by the prosecutor. - Both the prisoners denied the charge, but called no witnesses. - Mr. Bushby sentenced them to six weeks' hard labour each.
Margaret Kennedy, 33, was charged with attempting to stab William Klein, fishmonger, of 72, Chrisp-street, Poplar. - The prosecutor said that at about 10.30 on Friday night he was standing at his shop door talking to a brother tradesman when the accused came up "like a mad woman." She picked up some haddocks and threw them at him, saying, "I will have your blood." The prisoner then tried to pull the boards down so as to get into the shop, but he prevented her from doing so. She then picked up a long fish-knife and made a rush at the witness with it. He stepped back and avoided her. The prisoner was about to throw the knife at him when a police-constable rushed up and got the knife from her. - A constable gave corroborative evidence, and said that if he had not pinioned the accused she would have struck the prosecutor with the knife. She said, "I am Jack the Ripper's wife. Dead men tell no tales." She was very violent all the way to the station. - Mr. Lushington committed the prisoner for trial.
