Weekly Herald
September 7th, 1888
HORRIBLE MURDER OF A WOMAN.
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The sensation caused by the discovery of a murdered woman in Whitechapel,
a short time ago has scarcely abated when another discovery is made, which,
for the brutality exercised on the victim, is even more shocking. As Constable,
John Neil, was walking down Bucks Row, Thomas Street, Whitechapel, about
a quarter to four o'clock on Friday morning he discovered a woman, between
thirty-five and forty years of age, lying at the side of the street with
her throat cut and bleeding profusely. She was immediately conveyed to
the Whitechapel Mortuary.
THE BRUTALITY OF THE MURDER
is beyond conception or description. Not only was the unfortunate woman's
throat cut in two gashes with a sharp instrument, but the knife was stabbed
into the lower part of the abdomen and savagely drawn upwards twice, one
cut cutting the left groin and the hip, and the other slitting the abdomen
as high as the breast bone. The hands are bruised, and bear evidence of
there having been a severe struggle. Some of the front teeth have also
been knocked out, and the face is bruise3d on both cheeks, and very much
discoloured. The clothes are torn and cut up in several places, bearing
evidence of the ferocity with which the murder was committed.
Bucks Row is a narrow passage running out of Thomas Street, and contains
about a dozen houses of a very low class. It would appear as if the murder
had been committed in a house, and the body afterwards removed to the place
where it was found. The only
ARTICLES FOUND ON THE DECEASED WOMAN
were a broken comb and a piece of looking glass. This fact leads the
police to think that the woman belonged to the unfortunate class, and that
she spent her nights in common lodging-houses. The wounds, of which there
are five, could only have been committed with a dagger or a long sharp
knife. The officers engaged in the case are pushing their inquiries in
the neighbourhood as to the doings of certain gangs known to frequent the
locality, and an opinion is gaining ground amongst them that the murderers
are the same who committed the two previous murders near the same spot.
It is believed that these gangs who make their appearance during the early
hours of the morning, are in the habit of blackmailing these unfortunate
women, and when their demands are refused violence follows, and in order
to avoid their deeds being brought to light they put away their victims.
They have been under the observation of the police for some time past,
and it is believed that, with the prospect of a reward and a free pardon,
some of them might be persuaded to turn Queen's evidence, when some startling
revelations might be expected.
The greatest excitement prevails in the district. Several persons in
the neighbourhood state that there was some disturbance shortly after midnight,
but no screams were heard, nor anything beyond what might have been considered
evidence of an ordinary brawl. The murdered woman has been identified.
She was wearing workhouse clothes, and it is supposed that she came forth
from Lambeth. The body was quite warm when brought to the mortuary at half-past
four on Friday morning.
