London, Oct. 1.
The two women found murdered near the scene of the former butcheries in Whitechapel have been recognized as dissolute characters who have long frequented that vicinity. One of them was found in Berner street with her throat cut from ear to ear. The other was discovered in Mitre square. She, like the first mentioned victim, had her throat cut, but in addition she had been disemboweled and her nose had been cut off.

The murderer had evidently been disturbed in his work in Berner street, and had no time to mutilate the body of his victim. The discovery of the bodies completely paralyzed the police and Gen. Sir Charles Warren, chief commissioner, was at once called out of bed. He repaired immediately to the scene of the murders, and gave orders to have the police force in that district strongly reinforced.

All London is in a fever of excitement and the denizens of Whitechapel are in a state of terror, owing to the resumption of the horrible butcheries, the fourth of which it was hoped, and quite generally believed, would be the last of the ghastly series. The police are positively helpless and their tacit admission of failure to find any clue whatsoever to the perpetrator of the terrible crimes only serves to add to the consternation of the unfortunate creatures whose calling has manifestly made them the objects of the inhuman butcher's fury. The number of theories advanced as accounting for the murders, and seeking to establish the identity of the murderer, is positively bewildering, but none of them is accepted by the police as the correct one, although the Scotland Yard detectives have nothing more plausible to offer for themselves. The absolutely impotent condition of the police in the matter has led them, however, to catch at straws in the way of evidence which, in ordinary cases, would be spurned by the self important burrowers for dynamiters and divers for parcels of sawdust and the most significant of these is a latter which was received at the office of the Central News company in one of the postal deliveries on Thursday afternoon. The letter, addressed to "Dear Boss" and signed "Jack the Ripper". After boasting that he committed all of the Whitechapel murders, the writer continues: "I love my work and want to start at it again. The next job I do I shall cut off the lady's ear and send it to the police. Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work and then give it out to the police straight."

A remarkable feature of the Mitre square murder is the fact that one of the dead women's ears was nearly severed, and this circumstance is held to indicate that the real murderer wrote the letter. Most of the newspapers issued extra editions yesterday, giving copiously details of the tragedies and volunteering much advice to the police which they will do well to follow. Great crowds visited the scene of the murders today and gazed at the bloodstained pavement with a degree of fascination difficult for the police to overcome in their efforts to keep the highways clear. The lodging houses, alleys etc., of the Whitechapel district are being scoured by detectives tonight.

The first murder occurred shortly after midnight in a narrow cut leading from the street, and directly beneath the windows of a Socialist club for foreigners. A concert was in progress in the club rooms at the time, and a large number of persons were present, but not a sound was heard from the victim. The second murder occurred three quarters of an hour later, in Mitre square, five minutes walk from the scene of the first tragedy. The police patrol the square every ten minutes, but the murderer managed to elude them. The vigilance committee will resume their patrol of the district, extending their lines of watchfulness.

LATER: the woman murdered in Berner street has been identified as Elizabeth Stride, a native of Stockholm and an inmate of a low lodging house. The identity of the other woman has not as yet been established. In consequence of the refusal of Home Secretary Matthews to offer a reward for the detection of the murderer, the residents of the east end on Saturday forwarded a petition to the Queen herself, praying her to authorize the payment of a reward.