Living in England in late September, 1888, must have been, for many, a terrifying experience. Not only had the Whitechapel murders been given extensive newspaper coverage, but other crimes and murders were also given widespread publicity, so much so that people must have gone about in constant states of nervousness.
The Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald, on Wednesday, 26th September 1888, decided to provide its readers with a round-up of as many violent crimes as it could fir into one article:-
MORE MURDERS AND HORRORS
“The inquest on Mary Ann Nichols, who was murdered in Whitechapel early on the morning of the 1st inst., was concluded on Saturday.
The coroner pointed out the remarkable similarity of all the features of this crime and those of three others, the four murders occurring within five months near the place where the inquest was held.
The Jury returned a verdict of murder by some person or persons unknown.
THE BIRTLEY MURDER
The body of a woman has been found at Birtley, near Gateshead, under circumstances which lead to the conclusion that a horrible murder has been committed, followed by mutilation of a similar character to that which was committed in Whitechapel.
M’KILL THE KILLER
A young man named M’Kill, who came to this country from Sydney as a stowaway, was charged, at Glasgow on Saturday, with having, while in a railway carriage in Haverstock-hill tunnel, thrown a man named King out of the window, thereby causing his death.
The charge against M’Kill was founded on his self-accusation under circumstances which corroborated his statement.
He was sent to London to be prosecuted.
THE MURDEROUS SEAMAN
At the Central Criminal Court on Saturday, Patrick Kelly, seaman, who on the previous day had been put on his trial for the murder of a sailor at sea, on which occasion the Jury could not agree, and were discharged, was indicted for the murder of another man.
The prisoner fatally stabbed his two sea-mates, and the only question was the soundness of his mind.
The Jury now found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death.
AN EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY
An extraordinary discovery was made on Saturday afternoon, at Heeley, Sheffield, involving the death of two persons -Robert Snowden, a potato salesman in Sheffield Market, and his wife, Mary Snowden.
Mrs. Snowden left home on Thursday morning, after a disagreement with her husband.
On Saturday morning Mr. Snowden’s son left home for business about six o’clock, his father promising to follow. He did not do so.
In the afternoon the young man returned home and found his father dead in bed.
An hour later he noticed his mother’s bonnet and shawl in the house, and on searching further he discovered her body hanging in the cellar. She had apparently been dead several hours. She had been seen to go to the house about eight o’clock.
A medical man, Dr. Doherty, is of opinion that the man died from natural causes. He had been suffering from bronchitis, and the supposition is that Mrs. Snowden on returning to the house, finding him dead, committed suicide.
A GARROTTING OUTRAGE
A garrotting outrage was committed late on Friday night at Nether-edge, a suburb of Sheffield.
Charles Barr, assistant at one of the Sheffield free libraries, was returning home when three men set upon him, rifled his pockets, and left him lying unconscious on the footpath, where he was afterwards found by the police.
THE MURDEROUS GIRL
The girl Mary Griffin, who was apprehended at Plymouth, on her own confession, for the murder of a little boy named Delafield, last June, by throwing him from the battlements of the citadel, with the object of stealing his clothes, was on Saturday brought before the Plymouth magistrates.
Evidence confirmatory of her confession having been given, the accused was remanded.
HE SHOT AT THEM
Alfred Wilmott, 22, an accountant, was charged at St. Albans on Monday, with shooting at Alfred Webdale, with intent to murder him, in the billiard room of the George Hotel, St. Albans, on Saturday afternoon.
It appears that the prosecutor, while playing with a person named Cooke, called the prisoner “The Baron”, referring to a racehorse, and that the prisoner pulled out a revolver and fired at the players, who, however, ducked beneath the table and were not injured.
The prisoner was remanded.
A FATAL ASSAULT
A brutal assault, which terminated fatally, was committed on Monday evening, at Sheffield, upon Rebecca Evans, aged 17.
She was standing at the street corner with friends, when a youth named Frederick Laite, grinder, to whom she had made a remark, came towards her.
She ran away, and he followed.
When he overtook her, he seized her by the shoulders, planted his knee her back, and pulled her over. As she fell he kicked her.
The girl was taken up dead, her neck having been broken.
Laite was arrested.
A WHITECHAPEL JOB
A verdict of Wilful Murder was returned on Tuesday, at the inquest, against George Nicholson, a journeyman baker, of Birmingham, for the brutal murder of his wife.
The prisoner deliberately smashed the woman’s head in with an axe, took her watch and chain, pawned it, and with the proceeds made on to Walsall, where he was arrested on Sunday.
The prisoner was heard to say ” I’ll make a Whitechapel job of her.”