The murder of Mary Kelly took place in he room, 13 Miller’s Court, off Dorset Street, in Spitalfields.

As news of this latest atrocity began to spread throughout London, journalists began descending on the vicinity in order to gather as much information about the latest crime and the latest victim.

Amongst them was a reporter from The Evening News, and, in its edition of Saturday the 10th of November, the newspaper published the following article about a woman who appears to have been an important witness:-

THE MURDER OF MARY KELLY

Immediately opposite the house in which Mary Jane Kelly was murdered is a tenement occupied by an Irishman, named Gallagher, and his family.

On Thursday night Gallagher and his wife retired to rest at a fairly early hour.

Their married daughter, a woman named Mrs. Kennedy, came home, however, at a late hour.

Passing the Britannia, commonly known as Ringer’s, at the top of Dorset street, at three o’clock on the Friday morning, she saw the deceased talking to a respectably dressed man, whom she identified as having accosted her a night or two before.

THE CRY OF “MURDER”

She passed them without taking any notice, and went home to bed.

Between half past three and four o’clock in the morning Mrs. Kennedy, who passed a very restless night, heard a cry of, “Murder” that seemed to come from the opposite side of the court, but according to her, she little thought of the awful tragedy that was then being enacted.

She went to sleep, and it was not until eleven o’clock in the morning that she heard of the murder.

So far as can be ascertained, Mrs. Kennedy is the only person who heard the cry of “Murder” that came from the unfortunate woman.

In connection with Mrs. Kennedy, it may be mentioned that she and her sister, a widow, were, on Wednesday night last, accosted by a man when they were walking down the Bethnal Green road.

It was about eight o’clock when this occurred.

THE MAN WITH THE BLACK BAG

The man is described by Mrs. Kennedy as having on a pair of dark mixture trousers and a long dark overcoat. He wore a low crowned brown hat and carried a shiny black bag in his hand.

Further, it was stated that he was a man of medium stature, with dark moustache, and that he had an extremely awkward gait, which could at once be recognised.

The stranger refused to stand Mrs. Kennedy and her sister a drink, but invited them to go with him down a dark sideway off the main road.

I’M NOT JACK THE RIPPER

They accompanied him as far as a gateway with a small door in it, but when he stepped through and left his bag on the ground, saying he would take either of them with him, a feeling of distrust seized the women.

Mrs. Kennedy picked up the bag, whereupon the stranger exclaimed that he was not Jack the Ripper.

Just then the women noticed the unnatural glare of the man’s eyes, and instinctively fled from the spot leaving him behind.

They subsequently ascertained that the same man accosted other women the same night.

IT WAS THE SAME MAN

Mrs. Kennedy is confident that the man whom she noticed speaking to the woman Kelly at three o’clock on Friday morning is identical with the person who accosted her on the previous Wednesday.

Both she and her sister are most positive in their assertion that they could at once identify the man if they saw him.