The Times (London).
29 June 1887
A very mysterious affair was brought to light yesterday at No 16 Batty street, Whitechapel. Among others living in the house there was a man named Isaac Angel, a boot rivetter, who, with his wife Rachel, occupied the two rooms on the first floor. On the top floor were two rooms, one of which was rented by a single young man named Israel Lipski, a Polish Jew, and by trade a walking stick maker. He was seen to go to his room Monday night, and nothing unusual was noticed in his appearance or manner. About half past six o'clock yesterday morning Angel got up and left home as usual to go to his employment, leaving his wife in bed. About half past 11 o'clock, Mrs. Leah Levy, another lodger, not having seen or heard anything of Mrs. Angel, became alarmed, and went up to the bedroom and burst open the door. A shocking sight then presented itself. Mrs. Angel was lying on the bed apparently dead. She was fearfully burnt, evidently with some acid, about the head, face, neck and breast. An alarm was at once raised, and Dr. J. Kay. of 100, Commercial road, sent for. He found that Mrs. Angel, who was 22 years of age, was quite dead, the cause of death being, in his opinion, poisoning by nitric acid. That opinion was strengthened by the finding of an empty phial in the room, which had evidently contained some of the acid in question. Lipski was then found lying under the bed, on his back, apparently in a dying state. His clothing was much burnt from the effects of the acid. The man was removed to the London Hospital, where he lies in a precarious condition. The matter is in the hands of the police, who have been unable to obtain any satisfactory solution of the affair. The officers have arranged for an interpreter to be in attendance at the hospital should Lipski, who does not speak English, be able to speak.
