Throughout late September, 1888, the big story in the newspapers was that of the two inquests into the deaths of Annie Chapman and Mary Nichols that were being heard at the Working Lads Institute by the Coroner Wynne Edwin Baxter.

However, criminal acts continued to occur throughout the metropolis, and, on Wednesday the 26th of September, 1888, The London Evening Standard reported on one such case:-

THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC

Today, at the Hammersmith Police-court, Philip Hoed was brought before Mr. Paget, charged with assaulting Police-constable 140, F division.

The Constable, whose right eye was blackened, deposed that last night he was off duty in plain clothes, and came out of the Assembly Rooms in High-street, Kensington, about a quarter to eleven o’clock, to return home to the station, where he lived.

He met two other constables, named Goodman and Smallpiece, who were in plain clothes, and they walked with him.

FOLLOWED BY A DOG

A dog followed Goodman, and Witness suggested that they should take it to the station.

At the entrance of the court at the station Goodman said that he would take the dog home with him.

Witness said, “Very well,” and stooped down and patted it.

THE ALTERCATION

The Prisoner, who was in the company of two other men, came by and said, “Why don’t you leave it alone?”

The witness asked him why he did not mind his own business.

The Prisoner then struck him on the nose, and cut his lip.

He followed him to the public-house, and, on opening the door, the Prisoner struck him in the eye.

OUTSIDE THE CROWN PUB

By the Magistrate: He had no chance of calling to Goodman, as he had left and turned the corner.

Cross-examined: He was outside the Crown public-house, adjoining the police-station, when the prisoner struck him. He did not go to the door and say, “Take that.”

The Prisoner said that the constable struck him, and he had a mark on the eye.

FURTHER WITNESSES TESTIFY

Police-constable Smallpiece was then called, and he said that he did not witness the assault.

Frank Scott, waterman at the Crown, said that he saw Murphy (the constable) patting the dog and the prisoner strike him twice.

He had not see Murphy strike him back.

The constable had not the chance.

HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO HURT THE DOG

The Prisoner made a statement to the effect that he came down Church-street towards the police-station, and saw the constable holding the dog by the neck.

He said, “Don’t hurt the dog,” and passed on into the public-house.

TAKE THAT

The constable followed, and said, “take that.”

He replied, “What?”

He said, “Take that,” and struck him.

He (the Prisoner) said, “Take that,” and struck him back, not knowing that he was a constable.

He had two witnesses to call.

A SUMMONS FOR ASSAULT

In reply to the Magistrate, the prisoner said that he was a horsekeeper, living in Portlands-place, Fulham.

Mr. Paget remanded the Prisoner on his own recognisances, and granted him a summons (free) against the constable for an assault.

He directed him to bring his witnesses with him.