John McCarthy was Mary Kelly’s landlord, and was the second person to arrive at the scene of her murder – the first being Thomas Bowyer, wo, because he was a pensioner from the Indian Army, was known in the locality as “Indian Harry.”
On the 9th of November, 1888, John McCarthy gave an interview to a news agency reporter, and this was published by several newspapers in the days that followed, the following version being taken from The South Wales Daily News of Saturday the 10th of November:-
JOHN MCCARTHY’S ACCOUNT
John McCarthy, the owner of the houses in Miller’s court, who keeps a chandler’s shop in Dorset-street, has made the following statement:- ”
The victim of this terrible murder was about 23 or 24 years of age, and lived with a coal porter named Kelly, passing as his wife. They quarrelled, however, some time back and separated.
A woman named Harvey slept with her several nights since Kelly separated from her, but she was not with her last night.
THE DECEASED WOMAN’S ANTECEDENTS
The deceased’s Christian name was Mary Jane, and since her murder I have discovered that she was an unfortunate, and walked the streets in the neighbourhood of Aldgate.
Her habits were irregular, and she often came home at night the worse for drink.
Her mother lives in Ireland, but in what county I do not know. The deceased used to receive letters from her occasionally.
BEHIND WITH HER RENT
The unfortunate woman had not paid her rent for several weeks – in fact, she owed me 30 shillings altogether – so this morning, about 11 o’clock, I sent my man to ask her if she could pay the money.
THE BODY DISCOVERED
He knocked at the door, but received no answer.
Thinking this very strange, he looked in at the window, and, to his horror, he saw the body of Kelly lying on the bed covered with blood.
He immediately came back to me, and told me what he had seen.
I was, of course, as horrified as he was, and I went with him to the house, and looked in at the window.

A GHASTLY SIGHT
The sight I saw was more ghastly even than I had prepared myself for.
On the bed lay the body as my man had told me, while the table was covered with what seemed to me to be lumps of flesh.
I said to my man, “Harry, go at once to the police station and fetch someone here.”
THE POLICE SENT FOR
He went off at once and brought back Inspector Beck, who looked through the window as we had done.
He then despatched a telegram to Superintendent Arnold, but before Superintendent Arnold arrived, Inspector Abberline came and gave orders that no one should be allowed to enter or leave the court.
The inspector waited a little while, and then sent a telegram to Sir Charles Warren to bring the bloodhounds, so as to trace the murderer, if possible.
So soon as Superintendent Arnold arrived he gave instructions for the door to be burst open.
I at once forced the door with a pickaxe, and we entered the room.
THE WORK OF A DEVIL
The sight we saw I cannot drive away from my mind. It looked more like the work of a devil than of a man.
The poor woman’s body was lying on the bed undressed.
She had been completely disembowelled, and her entrails had been taken out and placed on the table. It was those that I had seen when I looked through the window, and took to be lumps of flesh.

HORRIBLE MUTILATIONS
The woman’s nose had been cut off, and her face gashed and mutilated so that she was quite beyond recognition.
Both her breasts, too, had been cut clean away, and placed by the side of her liver, and other entrails on the table.
I had heard a great deal about the Whitechapel murders, but I declare to God I had never expected to see such a sight as this.
The body was, of course, covered with blood, and so was the bed.
The whole scene is more than I can describe, I hope I may never see such a sight again.
NOTHING WAS HEARD
It is most extraordinary that nothing should have been heard by the neighbours, as there are people passing backwards and forwards at all hours of the night, but no one heard as much as a scream.