Olean Democrat
New York, U.S.A.
22 November 1888

London, Eng., Nov. 21.
Another case of woman murder and mutilation in Whitechapel was reported this morning, but was traced to the ravings of a drunken woman found at the station of the underground railway who said a man had attempted to cut her throat. The rumor created wild excitement, but the authorities at Whitechapel and Scotland Yard deny that the murder has occurred and attach no importance whatever to the woman's story.

The story so far reported is that the attempted murder occurred in George street at 9 o'clock this morning. The man and woman had passed the night together, and he suddenly attacked her with a long sharp knife, making a frightful gash in her throat. The woman struggled desperately and raised such an outcry that the man fled. Three men living in an adjacent house pursued him, but he made his way adroitly through the crowd in a way which showed thorough familiarity with the locality, and eluded his pursuers. It is said he was a short, stout, well dressed man and wore a light mustache. His victim recovered sufficiently afterwards to describe her assailant as tall, fair, well dressed and speaking pure English. The woman's name is Farmer.

Another version of the affair is as follows:

People were startled this morning over a report of another case of woman murder and mutilation in Whitechapel. The rumor was too readily believed, as everybody had been expecting another outrage and nobody was surprised. Inquiries made at Scotland Yard and at Whitechapel police stations show that the report of the murder was false. It originated from the hysterical story of a woman who was found drunk in the Commercial street station of the underground railway, and who said a man had attempted to kill her by cutting her throat. The woman is in the hands of the police, and will be farther examined when she gets sober, but the authorities attach no importance to her statement.