Although the Whitechapel Murders received a huge amount of newspaper coverage throughout the autumn of 1888, they were, of course, not the only crimes that took place in the East End of London.
Indeed, violent crime was commonplace in the district, and the newspapers continued to report on these incidents, despite the fact that many of them found themselves swamped by the abundance of column inches that were afforded the Jack the Ripper atrocities.
AN ATTACK ON ELLEN NORTON
On Wednesday, 12th September, 1888, Ellen Norton was stabbed in the head in Limehouse, down in the East End docks.
Her assailant, a Japanese sailor, was almost immediately taken into police custody and was charged.
He subsequently appeared before Mr. Lushington at the Thames Police Court.
The Tower Hamlets Independent And East London Advertiser reported the facts of the case in its edition of Saturday, 15th September, 1888:-
A STABBING CASE IN LIMEHOUSE
“Suze Waxim, a Japanese seaman, was charged with stabbing Ellen Norton, of Jamaica Passage, Limehouse.
On Wednesday night, the complainant was in a beerhouse, when she heard screams, and, going across the road to see what was the cause of it, she saw the prisoner going to stab her friend Shepherd, but instead of striking her with the knife he stabbed Norton in the head.
HE THREATENED TO RIP HER UP
Emily Shepherd said that she saw the prisoner take the knife out of his pocket, open it, threaten to rip her up, and then he said that if he could not have her he would have Norton.
WASHING BLOOD OFF HIS HANDS
Constable 448K apprehended the prisoner in the back yard of the Strangers’ Home, West India Dock Road, washing blood off his hands, and he told him that he was going to take him into custody for stabbing a woman.
He made gesticulations as if he did not understand and, when the charge was read over to him at the station, he made no reply.
A knife was brought to the station with stains of blood on it on Thursday morning by a seaman at the Home, who had found it behind a stove in the smoking room.
THE WOUND WAS SUPERFICIAL
George Anderson, doctor, of East India Dock Road, examined the complainant, and he found her suffering from a clean cut incised wound of the scalp, very superficial.
Mr. Lushington committed the prisoner for trial.”
ANOTHER EAST END OUTRAGE
Reynolds’s Newspaper, on Sunday, 16th September, 1888, published a slightly more detailed account of the outrage:-
A Japanese sailor, named Supiwajan, was charged at the Thames Police-court with cutting and wounding Ellen Norton, of 9, Jamaica-passage, Limehouse.
Prosecutrix, whose head was bandaged, said that at about twelve o’clock on Wednesday night she was in the Coach and Horses beershop, West India Dock-road, when she heard screams close by the Strangers’ Home.
SHE BLACKED OUT
She went out, and saw the accused in the act of stabbing her friend, Emily Shepherd.
Witness rushed forward, and received the knife into her head. She remembered no more until she was at the station, having her head dressed by a doctor.
Witness had been drinking, but had not been in the prisoner’s company.
THE SAME AS THE WOMAN ON WHITECHAPEL ROAD
Emily Shepherd said, the prisoner came up to her, and said to her, “If you go away from me tonight, I will rip you up the same as the woman was served in the Whitechapel-road.”
She screamed out, when the prosecutrix ran up.
The accused then said, “If I can’t have her, I’ll have you,” and stabbed Norton in the head with the long-bladed knife produced.
He next kicked the witness, and afterwards broke a plate-glass window at the Strangers’ Home.
ARRESTED AND TAKEN TO THE STATION
Constable 448K said that he heard screams of “Police!” and “Murder!”
On going towards the spot, he saw the prisoner jump through the glass panel of the door of the Asiatic Home. He gained admission to the Home, and found the prisoner in the yard washing the blood off his hands.
Witness took him into custody.
Sergeant Brown, 2K, produced the knife, which was covered with blood.
Mr. G. N. Anderson, surgeon, said that the prosecutrix had an incised wound in the scalp. The only fear of danger was from erysipelas setting in.
Mr. Lushington committed the prisoner for trial.”