Penny Illustrated Paper (London)
22 September 1888

THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS.

Edward M'Kenna, who was taken to Commercial street Police station on Friday night, and there detained, was confronted on Saturday by several witnesses, who failed to recognise him, and he was in consequence liberated. It was ascertained that he had slept at a common lodging house in Brick lane on the night of the murder of Annie Chapman in Hanbury street.

Charles Ludwig, forty, a decently attired German, who professed not to understand English, and giving an address at 1 Minories, was charged on Tuesday, at the Thames Police Court, with being drunk and threatening to stab Alexander Finlay, of 51 Leman street, Whitechapel. The prosecutor said that very early that morning he was standing at a coffee stall in the Whitechapel road, when Ludwig came up in a drunken condition. In consequence, the person in charge of the stall refused to serve him. Ludwig seemed much annoyed, and said to witness, "What are you looking at?" He then pulled out a long bladed knife, and tried to stab witness with it. Ludwig followed him round the stall, and made several attempts to stab him, until witness threatened to knock a dish on his head. A constable came up, and he was then given into custody.

Constable 221H said when he was called to take the prisoner into custody, he found him in a very excited condition. Witness and Constable Johnson had previously received information that Ludwig was wanted on the City ground for attempting to cut a woman's throat with a razor. On the way to the station the prisoner dropped a long bladed knife, which was open, and when he was searched a razor and a long bladed pair of scissors were found on him. Mr. Saunders said it was clear the prisoner was a dangerous man, and ordered him to be remanded for a week. Considerable excitement prevailed in the neighbourhood, owing to a report that the prisoner, a German barber, was connected with the recent murders in Whitechapel, and that some important discoveries would result from his capture. Detective Inspector Helson, J Division, after the prisoner was remanded, had an interview with him in his cell; but, owing to the prisoner professing not to understand the English language, no information could be got out of him.

It is stated that on the day of the murder of Annie Chapman (the 8th inst.) a man was seen in the lavatory of the City News Rooms, Ludgate Circus buildings, changing his clothes. He departed hurriedly, leaving behind him a pair of trousers, a shirt and a pair of socks. Me. Walker, proprietor of the News Rooms, did not hear of the occurrence until late in the afternoon, when his attention was called to the clothes in the lavatory. He did not at the time attach any importance to the fact, and the clothes were thrown into the dust box and placed outside, being carted away in the City sewers' cart on the Monday. On the following Tuesday, however, he received a visit from a man who represented himself to be a police officer, and who asked for the clothes which had been left there on the Saturday. Mr. Walker replied that if he wanted them he would have to go to the Commissioners of the City Sewers, telling him at the same time what he had done with them. Two detectives called on Thursday week, and had an interview with Mr. Walker, and they succeeded in finding a man who saw the party changing his clothes in the lavatory, and he has given the police a description of him. He is described as a man of respectable appearance, about thirty years of age, and wearing a dark moustache.

Edward Stanley, the pensioner who was stated to have been frequently in the company of the murdered woman Chapman, on Sept. 14. placed himself in communication with the police, and satisfactorily accounted for his movements. The same day, the funeral of Annie Chapman took place, the utmost secrecy having been observed, and none but the undertaker, police, and relatives of the deceased knew anything about the arrangements. Shortly after seven o'clock a hearse drew up outside the mortuary in Montague street, and the body was quickly removed. At nine o'clock a start was made for Manor Park Cemetery. No coaches followed, as it was desired that public attention should not be attracted. Mr. Smith and other relatives met the body at the cemetery. The black covered elm coffin bore the words: "Annie Chapman, died Sept. 8, 1888, aged 48 years."

Mr. Wynne Baxter on Monday resumed the inquest relative to the death of Mary Ann Nicholls, who was found murdered in Buck's row, Whitechapel, on the 31st ult. The evidence did not throw any new light on the mysterious tragedy, and the inquiry was further adjourned till Saturday. The foreman of the jury expressed the opinion that if a substantial reward had been offered with regard to the first murder in the district the last two murders would never have been perpetrated. The scene of this murder was depicted in The Penny Illustrated Paper for Sept. 8, and the site of the murder of Annie Chapman was illustrated in the Issue of this paper for Sept. 15. Mr. Montagu's offer of £100 reward for the discovery of the murderer of Annie Chapman holds good.

On Wednesday Mr. Wynne Baxter resumed the inquiry into the death of Annie Chapman; Dr. Phillips again giving important evidence.

THE PERIL IN EAST LONDON

to which we called serious public attention in last week's Penny Illustrated Paper, has led the Times to publish a seasonable leading article on the true moral of the terrible murders in Whitechapel. The Times was evidently inspired to take this humane course by the powerful appeals made in its columns by that powerful and eloquent correspondent "S.G.O." and by that indefatigable Christian worker for the regeneration of Whitechapel, the Rev. S.A. Barnett, Vicar of St. Jude's. Trenchantly summing up the arguments of these hearty social reformers, the Times roundly declared:-

"London at large is responsible for Whitechapel and its dens of crime. If the luxury and wealth of the West cannot find some means of mitigating the squalor and crime of the East, we shall have to abate our faith in the resources of civilisation."

When a thoroughly reorganised Police Force has succeeded in curbing criminals, much will remain to be done, not only in Whitechapel, but also in every squalid and wretched London quarter where Vice is bred and the poor die of starvation. We have already mentioned in The Penny Illustrated Paper what we consider to be the best remedy. We repeat that were all religious bodies to combine to do their obvious Christian duty in this big city - were Archbishop Benson and Archbishop Manning, the Bishop of London and the Wesleyan President, the Rev. C.H. Spurgeon and "General" Booth to cooperate in the practical work of solacing the miserable, relieving the starving, and reclaiming the outcast, Society would be undeserving of the stigma at present justly cast upon it. In much the same sense as the timely letter of the Rev. S.A. Barnett, the Rev. W. Evans Hurndall, of Harley street Chapel, Bow, has written to the Press. When our luxurious Prelates return from their haunts of pleasure, and the rich of London have sated themselves with callous enjoyment and epicurean delights, perhaps they will take heed unto the warnings of "S.G.O." and the Press. On this pressing matter, the Rev. W. Evans Hurndall wries from the East End:-

"It needs but for suitable leaders to be forthcoming, and the impoverished multitudes of London will rise as one man. Ten thousand may be driven out of this square or that, but when half a million people spring to their feet, there will be another kind of reckoning. Why not deal with the matter while there is time? Those of us who are doing our best in East London will most gladly give up our posts to any who can do the very trying work better; but whilst we stand in the breach let us not be forsaken."