Times (London)
26 June 1889

At Greenwich, James Collins, 62, wood carver, of 17 Dorset street, Spitalfields, was charged on remand with cutting and wounding Emma Edwards, of 29 Giffin street, Deptford, with a knife with intent to do her grievous bodily harm. The evidence went to show that the prisoner and the prosecutrix formerly lived together. A few days ago, as the woman was passing along Giffin street, she saw the gleam of a knife in the prisoner's hand. She felt herself stabbed, and the prisoner was arrested. He declared that he had no intention to stab the woman, but that he fell against her, and that the knives and tools in his pocket caused the injury. This was shown by the evidence to have been impossible. Inspector Knapp stated that at the police station the prisoner tried to get at the prosecutrix, whom he said he would "settle" at the first opportunity. He threatened to murder the prosecutrix several times. Mr. Kennedy said it was an aggravated assault, and sentenced the prisoner to six months' imprisonment with hard labour.

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After more than a fortnight of patient and unremitting investigation the metropolitan police have at length been able to place practically beyond doubt the identity of the woman, portions of whose mutilated remains have been found in the Thames from time to time since the 4th inst. By means of certain scars, and the clothing incautiously or recklessly left by the murderer, a number of persons have been able to declare in the most positive manner that she was Elizabeth Jackson, well know in some of the common lodging-houses in the Chelsea district. She was last seen alive on the 31st of May. Since then she has not been in any of her accustomed haunts, and facts in the possession of the police leave little doubt that upon the evening of that day she met her murderer. The police on their part have traced the woman's movements up to the hour almost of her disappearance. She certainly has not since been in any of the many common lodging houses within the metropolitan area, nor an inmate of any of the casual wards, workhouses, or hospitals in London. Living from hand to mouth she must have been without means to leave London except on foot, and her physical condition made it practically impossible for her to go on tramp. Among the other evidences of identification was that furnished by a sister of Jackson, who stated that she had a peculiar scar on one of her wrists. The remains in Battersea Mortuary were, in consequence of this statement, again examined by Dr. Bond, Dr. Hibbert, and Dr. Felix Kempster. The flesh of the wrists was somewhat decomposed; but on lifting the skin the experts mentioned arrived at the conclusion that a scar similar to that described by the sister had certainly existed.