Morning Advertiser (London)
31 December 1888
Margaret Keefe, 27, a laundress, of 18, Waterloo-street, St. Luke's, and Mary Ann Sullivan, 19, a flower seller, of the same address, were charged with being disorderly at Clerkenwell-road.-Police constable 334 G said early on Saturday morning, he heard screaming in Clerkenwell-road. On going there he found Sullivan on the ground and Keefe screaming, "I thought it was Jack the Ripper that got hold of me." The witness requested them to leave, but they refused. Their screaming was so persistent that it caused 12 constables to leave their beats. The prisoners were then taken in custody, and on the way to the station Sullivan spat in the witness's face.-Mr. Horace Smith characterized the prisoners' conduct as most disgraceful, and fined them each 20s., or 14 days' imprisonment.
Thames
Morris Lewis, 22, a Polish Jew, was charged, on remand, before Mr. Lushhington, with stealing a number of articles, valued at 5l., belonging to Julius Levy, a tailor, of 161, Cannon-street-road, St. George's-in-the-East. He was further charged with stealing things from the house of Esther Abrahams, 36, Fashion-street, Spitalfields,--Mr. Blackwell, barrister defended.-Levy stated that between seven and eight o'clock on the evening of the 8th the prisoner went to him and asked if he wanted a presser. He replied he did not, and then Lewis told him where he had been working. The prisoner then went downstairs, and about 12.30 the next morning the witness missed two jackets, two overcoats, two waistcoats, &c., worth 5l. The things were taken from the first floor front room. At the time the accused called the door of the room in question was unlocked, and shortly before that the witness saw the things safe. The door was unlocked all the evening. He afterwards saw the prisoner and gave him into custody. Lewis said, "I known nothing of it." Later on he said, "If you go to my father he will give you double the money."-Esther Abrahams, 36, Fashion-street, Spitalfields, said that on the 19th inst. she went out for a few minutes, and on coming home she found the door of her room unlocked. She then saw a man coming downstairs, and afterwards missed clothing to the value of 6l, from her room. The prisoner subsequently knocked at her door, and asked if she knew a presser named Harris. She told him she had been robbed, and he said, "I saw the thief wrapping up all your things in a bag. I know the thief quite well, and can get your things back." He afterwards brought her some of the things back. Her brother afterwards gave the prisoner 1s. for his trouble. When the prisoner was in custody he said, "Will you go home to my father's place and get your things back, and not go against me."-Mr. Lushington thought no jury would convict on the first charge, and that would be dismissed. With regard to the second charge, he should commit the prisoner for trial. He would accept bail in two sureties of 40l each.
Greenwich
Edward Isaac Smith, 30, lighterman, of 15, Silver-street, Rotherhithe, was charged before Mr. Marsham, on a warrant, with assaulting James Farrow, a constable of the M division.-Mr. Scard defended.-The constable said that at two o'clock on the morning of December 26 he was in Rotherhithe-street, when the prisoner and three women met him. The prisoner said, "You are the man that assaulted these women," to which he replied, "You have made a mistake." The prisoner then struck him with a violent blow on the jaw, and knocked him down. He repeated the assault, knocking him down again. Witness drew his truncheon and struck the prisoner, who seized the truncheon and gave him a violent blow on the head with it, inflicting a severe wound. Witness's head was dressed at the police-station, and he had been unable to lie down since. Prisoner went away and witness followed him, but failed to arrest the prisoner.-In cross-examination, the constable said he was not in a dark corner, nor did he run out and put his arm around a Mrs. Warren, or try to kiss her.-Mrs. Warren applied for a summons against the constable, and said that he ran from a dark place, caught her round the waist, and kissed her.-Miss Hall said that Mrs. Warren, on approaching the dark corner, said she would not pass there, as "Jack the Ripper" was crouching down. Upon that the constable sprang out and kissed her.-Mr. Marsham granted the summons and remanded the prisoner on bail.
ALLEGED ATTEMEPTED MURDER
On Saturday night a miner named Charles Williams is alleged to have attempted to murder a young woman named Mary Phillips, with whom he had previously cohabited. The parties had been separated for some time, and on Williams seeing the woman in the street, he, it is said, struck her several times on the breast with a knife. Fortunately the knife came into contact with the steels in the woman's stays, or she would no doubt have been killed, the blade of the knife being broken by the force of the blow. Williams was arrested shortly afterwards.
