On Friday August the 31st, 1888, the body of a woman, showing signs of terrible mutilations, was discovered in a dark gateway in Buck’s Row, in Whitechapel.
That evening, several newspapers, provided their readers with as much detail as they had been able to discover about the victim and the locality at which her body was discovered.
Inevitably, since the reporters were were relying either on on local informants, or on what they could gleam or overhear from police officers present at the scene, one or two inaccuracies crept into the reports on the murder that were published that day.
The following article appeared in that day’s edition of the London Evening Standard:-
HORRIBLE MURDER IN WHITECHAPEL
Scarcely has the horror and sensation caused by the discovery of the murdered woman in Whitechapel some short time ago had time to abate, than another discovery is made, which, for the brutality exercised on the victim, is even more shocking, and will no doubt create as great a sensation in the vicinity as its predecessor.
The affair, up to the present, is enveloped in complete mystery, and the police have as yet no evidence to trace the perpetrator of the horrible deed.
THE DISCOVERY OF THE BODY
The facts are that as Constable John Neil was walking down Bucks-row, Thomas-street, Whitechapel, about a quarter to four o’clock this morning, he discovered a woman, between thirty-five and forty years of age, lying at the side of the street with her throat cut right open from ear to ear, the instrument with which the deed was done tracing the throat from left to right.
The wound was about two inches wide, and blood was flowing profusely, in fact, she was discovered to be lying in a pool of blood.
OTHER WOUNDS DISCOVERED
She was immediately conveyed to the Whitechapel Mortuary, where it was found that, besides the wound in the throat, the lower part of her person was completely ripped open.
The wound extends nearly to her breast, and must have been effected with a large knife.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DECEASED
As the corpse of the woman lies in the mortuary it presents a ghastly sight.
The victim measures 5ft 2 ins. in height. The hands are bruised, and bear evidence of having engaged in a severe struggle.
There is the impression of a ring having been worn one of the deceased’s fingers, but there is nothing to show that it had been wrenched from her in a struggle.
Some of the front teeth have also been knocked out, and the face is bruised on both cheeks and very much discoloured.
The deceased wore a rough brown ulster, with large buttons in front.
Her clothes are torn and cut up in several places, leaving evidence of the ferocity with which the murder was committed.
The only way by which the police can prosecute an enquiry at present is by finding someone who can identify the Deceased, and then, if possible, trace those in whose company she was when last seen.
THE MOOD IN BUCK’S ROW
In Bucks-row naturally the greatest excitement prevails, and several persons in the neighbourhood state that an affray occurred shortly after midnight, but no scream were heard, nor anything beyond what might have been considered evidence of an ordinary brawl.
The woman has not yet been identified.
She was wearing workhouse clothes, and it is supposed she came from Lambeth.
A night watchman was in the street where the crime was committed, he heard no scream and saw no signs of the scuffle.
The body was quite warm when brought to the mortuary at half-past four this morning.
THE POLICE AT WORK
Immediately on the affair being reported at the Bethnal-green Police-station two inspectors proceeded to the mortuary and examined the clothes, in the hope of being able to discover something likely to lead to her identification.
In this they were not successful, as the only articles found on the body were a broken comb and a piece of looking-glass.
The wounds, of which there are five, could only have been committed by a dagger or a long sharp knife.
THE GANG THEORY
The officers engaged in the case are pushing their inquiries in the neighbourhood as to the doings of certain gangs known to frequent these parts, 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 those poor creatures, and where their demands are refused violence follows.
Bucks-row is a narrow passage running out of Thomas-street, and contains about a dozen houses of a very low class.
THE MURDER COMMITTED ELSEWHERE
It would appear as if the murder was committed in a house and the body afterwards removed to the place where it was found, the nature of the abdominal wounds being such that it would be hardly possible for them to be inflicted whilst the Deceased was dressed.
The body was warmly clad.
LATEST PARTICULARS
The police have no other theory to account for the horrible murder discovered this morning than that it is the work of a lunatic, who is at large in the neighbourhood.
This also is the general opinion in the neighbourhood, and the inhabitants of the whole district are almost wild with excitement.
Many people are afraid to go out of doors, and, when night falls, people will be afraid to venture out.
The actual spot where the murder took place is surrounded with a dense crowd, and police are on duty to keep order.
Inspector Helson, who has charge of the case, is making the most strenuous exertions to trace the murderer, but at present there does not appear to be much likelihood of success.
THE DECEASED’S DESCRIPTION
The dead woman is about 35 years of age, dark hair, small features, of the average height, and well nourished, by no means exhibiting any signs of starvation.
Yet she must have been very recently an inmate of Lambeth Workhouse, because the name of that institution was found on the petticoat she was wearing.
Her clothes consist of a brown ulster, showing signs of hard usage, a brown linsey skirt and jacket, a grey linsey petticoat, a flannel petticoat, dark blue ribbed stockings, braid garters, and side-spring shoes.
The bonnet was black straw, faced with black velvet.
WOUNDS TO THE BODY
In addition to the throat being cut by two gashes, the body was ripped upwards, two wounds having been inflicted. These are thought to have been committed before the injuries to the throat were inflicted, but the precise fact cannot be ascertained until the inquest, when the medical man is examined.
The first cut in the body was probably the earliest wound inflicted, and the wretched victim probably started from her murderer, causing the knife to penetrate the groin and slip across the left hip.
In all probability the woman then fell, when her assailant with one desperate cut upward opened the body from groin to breast bone.
Then the wounds were inflicted in the throat.
Here, again, there were two cuts, one reaching the left ear to nearly the middle of the throat, and the other a separate and distinct gash passing from ear to ear.
There are blood stains in the street showing that the Deceased was probably carried some distance before being laid where the was found.
THE MYSTERY OF THE AFFAIR
This fact adds considerably to the mystery which envelopes the whole affair.
The ferocious character of the wounds certainly justify the belief that the poor woman was attacked by a maniac.
They could not have been inflicted by the victim, nor are they likely to have been the work of several hands.
With regard to the weapon used, the current belief is that the murder must have been committed with a butcher’s knife.
THE THIRD MURDER
This is the third murder of a woman which has taken place in Whitechapel within twelve months.
In each case the victim was put to death by stabs or cuts, and when found was either dead or so near death as to be incapable of giving any clue as to who had attacked her.