I found this article in The Aberdare Times November 17th, November 1888. There may be some mistakes in the article due to the way it's translated from the photographed copy. This article was published 8 days after the death of Mary Jane Kelly, who was brutalised by Jack the Ripper.
LONDON MURDER HORRORS, ANOTHER HIDEOUS CRIME. -In the forenoon of Friday of last week, the inhabi- tants of the East-end of
London were again thrown into a state of consternation by the discovery that another horrible murder had been perpetrated in their midst, the revolting character of which far exceeded any of the five others which have been committed in the neighbourhood since August last year. The victim is again a woman, and her assailant committed his demoniacal work under the woman's own roof, in, it is belived, , broad daylight. Notwithstanding the comparative publicity which must have attended his movements, the murderer managed to effect his escape without leaving behind him trace more tangible than he did six weeks ago, when Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were butchered in Berner-street and Mitre-square respectively. Dorset-street, Spital- fields, the scene of the latest outrage, is the heart of a somewhat notorious neighbourhood. It is composed largely of lodging-houses, which are frequented by persons of the lowest station in life, amongst then", being thieves and some of the most degraded women. It was here that Annie Chapman, who was murdered in Hanbury-street, on the 8th of September, lived, the scene of the present crime being a court directly opposite the house to which that un- fortunate woman was in the habit of resorting. From Mitre-square, the scene of one of the murders of Sep- tember 30, Hanbury-street is scarcely a stone's throw. The victim of Friday's crime is a young woman named Mary Jane Kelly, aged "6, who had for some time lived with a man called Barnet, known also as Danny. Barnet worked sometimes at Billings- gate as a porter, and sometimes as a drover or a hawker of oranges in the streets. They occupied a room in a house in Miller-court, Dorset-street, a turning out of Commercial-street, Spitalfields. There are eight or ten small houses in the court, which is entered by a low archway and a narrow passage from Dorset-street, and forms a cul-de-sac. A small general shop in Dorset-street adjoins the entrance to the court, tenanted by Mrs. M'Carthy, who also owns the houses in the court. Kelly appears to have tenanted a top room in one of Mrs. M'Carthy's houses. She had a little boy, aged about six or seven years, living with her, and latterly her circumstances had been so reduced that she is reported to have stated to a companion that she would make away with herself, as she could not bear to see her boy starving. There are conflicting statements as to when the woman was last seen alive, but that upon which most reliance appears to be placed is that of a young woman, an associate of the deceased, who states that at about half-past ten o'clock on the Thursday night she met the murdered woman at the corner of Dorset-street. Kelly informed her that she had no money, and it was then she said that if she could not get any she would never go out any more, but would do away with herself. Soon after they parted, and a man who is described as respectably dressed came up and spoke to the murdered woman Kelly and offered her some money. The man accom- panied the woman to her lodgings, which are on the second floor, the little boy being sent to a neighbour's house. Nothing more was seen of the woman. On Friday morning, it is stated, the little boy was sent back into the house, and the report goes that he was sent out subsequently on an errand by the man who was in the house with his mother. Confirmation of this statement is, it is true, difficult to obtain, and it remains in doubt whether any one really saw the unfortunate woman on the morning of the horrible discovery, although a tailor named Lewis says he saw Kelly come out about eight o'clock, and go back. Another statement is to the effect that Kelly was seen in a public-house at the corner of Dorset-street and Com- mercial-street about ten o'clock on Friday morning, and that she there met Barnet, and had a glass of beer with him. Just before eleven Mrs. M'Carthy with her son went to pay her customary visit for the purpose of collecting the day's rent. Young M'Carthy appears to have first sent a man named Bower to the house, which, though entered from the court, is really a part of Xo. 2G, Dorset-street. Bower failed to obtain an answer to his knocking, and look- ing through the window saw to his horror the woman lying on the bed in a state of nudity, horribly muti- lated. He called M'Carthy, who also looked through the window, and seeing that the body was cut about almost beyond recognition h3 hurried away with Bower and ran to Commercial-street Police-station, where they informed the police. Inspector Beck and Sergeant Betham, 31 H, who were in charge of about forty constables who had been held in readiness in anticipation of a possible Socialist disturbance at- tending the Lord Mayor's Show, at once proceeded to the scene of the murder, running to the house as quickly as they could. By this time the news had spread so rapidly that over a thousand persons were gathered in tho street, and these were rapidly cleared away from the court and the side of Dorset- street adjoining, while the inspector entered the house. The house in which the murder was committed is entered by two doors situate on the right-hand side of the passage, and has several rooms. The door first reached from the street leads to the upper rooms; the second opens directly into one room, which is situated on the ground floor. It was in this room that the murder was committed. The fireplace faces the door, and a bed stands behind the door when it is placed open. W hen an entrance had been effected a terrible sight presented itself to the police officers. The body of the woman, perfectly nude, was stretched out on the little bed, the clothes on which were satu- rated with blood. Theunfortunatewomanhadbeencut and hacked by the assassin's knife in a manner which was revolting beyond all description. The fiendish assailant was not conh,¡t with taking the life of his victim by severing the head from the body, but he had exercised an infernal ingenuity in despoiling the corpse of its human semblance. Both ears and the nose had been cut off, and the flesh of the cheeks and forehead peeled off; the breasts were cut away, evidently with a sharp knife, and placed on the table near the bed. The abdomen had been ripped open and disemboweller, portions of the entrails lying about tho bed, the liver being placed between the legs. Both thighs had been denuded of flesh, laying bare the bones, and the excised portions laid on the table. Some of the internal parts of the body had been taken away, while, in addition, one arm was almost severed from the trunk, and one hand thrust inside the empty cavity of the abdo- men. Medical assistance was immediately sum- moned, and a description of the discovery tele- graphed to all the metropohtan police-stations in the terse sentence: "The woman is simply cut to pic�s." Within a very short time half a dozen cabs arrived in Dorset-street from Whitehall, conveying detectives from tho Criminal Investigation Department, among them being Inspectors Abberline and Reid. Never before had so many men been despatched to the scene of a murder from Whitehall. The sceno in the narrow courtway, leading to the house was one of extraordinary excitement. The whole space was closely packed with detective officers, and quite a small army of plain-clothes constables was located in Dorset-street within an astonishingly short space of time. Dr. Phillips, the divisional surgeon of police, soon arrived, and was followed by Dr. Bond, of West- minster, divisional surgeon, of the A Division, and Dr. J. R.
Gabe, of Mecklenburg-square, and two or three other surgeons. They made a preliminary ex- amination of the body, and sent for a photographer, who took several photographs of the remains. Mean- while the excitement in the neighbourhood was spreading, until the dwellers in the immediate locality became worked up into a perfect frenzy. Women rushed about the streets telling their neighbours the news, and giving utterance in angry voices to expres- S oris of rage and indignation. Notwithstanding the stolid reticence of all the police engaged at the scene, the main facts of the crime So"n became common knowledge, and, spreading far and wide, drew a gr< at concourse of people to the thoroughfare from which the court runs. Great efforts were made at first to keep the side of Dorset street clear in the vicinity of Miller court, in the expectation that bloodhounds might have to be employed but though it is understood that a telegram asking for them was sent to Sir Charles Warren, they were not sent. Barnet was sent for, and he at once identified tho body as that of Kelly, or "Cringer," as she was called owing to the colour of her hair. Barnet made a statement to the police, the purport of which did not ccms out. Sir Charles Warren did not visit the scene of the murder, but during the afternoon Colonel Monsell, chief constable of the district, and Chief-constables Howard and Roberts went down and inspected the interior of the house. All the constables and detectives available were distributed throughout the district, and a house- to-house visitation was commenced. All who knew the deceased woman were interrogated as to the per- sons last seen in her company, without, however, eliciting any immediate clue. At four o'clock in the afternoon the body was re- moved from Dorset-street to Shoreditch Mortuary, which stands at the back of Shoreditch Church. The mutilated remains were placed in a coarse coffin, which had apparently been used on many previous occasions for the conveyance ot the dead, and which was partially covered with a coarse canvas cloth. The straps of tho coffin were sealed. The coffin was conveved in a one-horse ordinary furniture van, and was escorted by several constables under Sergeant Betham. A largo crowd followed. At the mortuary another throng was waiting to see the coffin transferred to the building. The photo- grapher who had been called in to photograph the room and the body removed his camera from the premises at half-past four, and shortly afterwards a detective officer carried from the house a pail, with which ho left in a four-wheel cab. The pail was covered with a newspaper, and was stated to contain portions of the woman's body. It was taken to the house of Dr. Phillips, 2, Spital-squaro. The windows of the room where the crime was com- mitted were boarded up and a padlock put on the door. The streets were patrolled by the police all th3 evening, and no one was allowed to loiter near the place. "At night the neighbourhood was a scene of restless excitement and activity, the streets being filled'with thousands of idlers, attracted doubtless by morbid curiosity. What is believed to be an important fact has transpired, which, if truf- puts a frejh com- plexion Oil the theory of tho murders. It appears.that the catUe boats bringing live freights ( to I.cn3on arc in the ha'r/.t of coaling I into the Thames oa Ihuisdays or Friday?, and leave again for the Continont on Sundays or Mondays. It has already been a matter of comment that the recent revolting crimes have been committed at the end of the week, and an opinion has been formed among some of the detectives that the murderer is a. drover or a butcher employed on one of these boats, of which there are many, and that he periodically appears and disappears with one of the steamers. Tins theory is held to be of much importance by those engaged in this investigation, who believe that the murderer does not reside in the locality, or even in this country at all. It is pointed out that at the inquests on the previous victims, the coroners had expressed the opinion that the knowledge of physio- logy possessed by a butcher would have been sufficient to enable him to find and cut out the parts of tho body which in several cases were abstracted. The non-appearance of the bloodhounds on the scene of the latest murder is accounted for by the fact that during recent trials in Surrey tho animals bolted, and, it is understood, have not been recovered. The excitement in the neighbourhood of Dorset-street on Friday night was intense. The police experienced great difficulty in preserving order, and one constable, who is alleged to have struck an onlooker, was so mobbed and hooted that he had to beat a retreat to Commercial-street Police-station, whither he was followed by a large crowd who were only kept at bay by th*1 presence of about half-a-dozen stalwart con. stables who stood at the door, and prevented any one from entering. POLICE PROCLAMATIONS. � PARDON OFFERED TO ACCOMPLICES. The Scotland-yard authorities have issued the fol- lowing proclamation:� «' Murder.�Pardon.�Whereas, on November 8th or nth, in Miller-court, Dorset-street, Spitalfields, Mary Janet Kelly was murdered by some person or persons unknown, the Secretary of State will advise the grant of her Majesty's gracious pardon to any ac- complice not being a person who contrived or actually committed the murder, who shall give such information and evidence as shall lead to the dis- covery and conviction of the person or persons who committed the murder.�(Signed) CHARLES WARRKX, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, Metro- politan Police Office, 4, Whitehall-place, Nov. 10th, 1888." A correspondent forwards copies of descriptions of certain men who were last seen in the company of the woman who was murdered in Berner-street and of the woman who was mutilated in Mitre-square. These authentic descriptions, we have reason to know, have been secretly circulated by the authorities of Scotland-yard since Oct. 2G, but the complete details have never been made public. Th s reticence is one of the mysteries of police administration, and it is difficult to find an explanation to account for the fact that this important information has been confi- dentially communicated to police-officers throughout the kingdom, but has been withheld from the people who have had the best opportunities of seeing and of, therefore, recognising the assassin. The point where the police appear to have been at most pains to sup- press is the significant one that the unknown mur- derer has the appearance of a sailor." The notice is headed: Apprehensions sought. Murder. Metro- politan Polico Distjict and it proceeds The woodcut sketches, purporting to resemble the persons last seen with the murdered woman, which have appeared in various newspapers, were not authorised by police. The following are the de- scriptions of the persons seen At 12.35 a.m., 30th September, with Elizabeth Stride, found murdered at one am., same date, in Berner-street�A man, aged 28, height 5ft. 8in., com- plexion dark, small dark moustache; dress, black ciagonial coat, hard felt hat, collar and tie respect- able appearance; carried a parcel wrapped up in a newspaper. At 12.45 a.m., 30th, with same woman,in Berner- street, a ir.an, age about 30, height 5ft. 5in., com- plexion fair, dark hair, small brown moustache, full face, broad shoulders; dress, dark jacket and trousers, black cap with peak. Information to be forwarded to the Metropolitan Police Office, Great Scotland-yard,
London, S.W. At 1.35 a. m., 30th Sept., with Catherine Eddows, in Church-passage, leading to Mitre-square, where she was found murdered at 1.45 a.m., same date, a man, age c0, height 5ft. 7 or 8in., complexion fair, mous- tache fair, medium build; dress, pepper-and-salt colour loose jacket, grey cloth cap, with peak of the same material, reddish neckerchief tied in knot; appearance of a sailor. Information respecting this man to be forwarded to Inspector M'William, 26, Old Jewry,
London, E.C.' INQUEST AND VERDICT. On Monday morning, at the Shoreditch Town Hall, Dr. Macdonald, coroner for North-East Middlesex, opened the inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of Mary Jeanette Kelly, aged 24, who was murdered and mutilated early on Friday morning in the room which she rented in Miller-court, Dorset- street, Spitalfields. Considerable excitement was manifested in the neighbourhood of the Town Hall large crowds assembled, and watched with interest the arrival of the coroner and the jurymen. A jury having been sworn, Joseph Barnett said he had been a fish porter, and was now a labourer. lie had been living in Lewes street, Bis-hopsgate, but since Saturday at his sister's house at 21, Fortpool-street, Gray's-inn- road. He had lived with Marie Jeanette Kelly� Kellv was her maiden name�one year and eight months. He had seen the body, and idoutified her by the ears and eyes. They had lived in 13 room, Miller-court, for over eight months. He left her on the 30th of last month because she had a woman staying in their room, whom she bad taken in out of compassion. That was the only reason for leaving her, and being out of work had nothing to do with it. He left her on the Tuesday between five and six p.m. He last saw her alive between 7.30 and 7.45 on the night she was supposed to have been murdered. He called on her to see how she was. Th" witness stayed a quarter of an hour. They parted on friendly terms. He told her that having no work he had no money to give her, and was sorry he had not. He had found Mary Kelly to be genf ra'ly sober, but she had been drunk sevrral times. On many occasions he talked with Kelly about her relations. She told him she was born in Limerick, and when very young went to Wales. About four years ago she came to
London, Her father was
John Kelly, a gaffe. at some ironworks in Carnarvonshire or Carmarthenshire. She had one sister who travelled with materials from one market. place to another. She said she had six brothers at home, and one in the army. She stated that she was married, when about 16, in Wales, to a collier of the name of Davies. Her husband afterwards was killed in a colliery explosion. After her husband's death she went to Cardiff with, or to see, a cousin, and lived a bad life there for a long time. When she came to
London she lived with a marame in the West-end. A gentleman asked her to go to France; she went, but soon returned, and lived in RatclilY-highway with a man opposite the Commercial Gasworks. She then lived in Pennington-street with Joseph Flemming, a mason's plasterer, who afterwards resided in the Bethnal-green- road. The witness first met Kelly in Commercial- street, and they had drink together. They afterwards took lodgings at a place in George-street, Commer- cial-street, not far from where the George-yard murder was committed. On several occasions Kelly used to ask the witmss to read everything in the newspapers about the murders, and seemed interested to know whether the culprit was apprehended. She never expressed fear of any particular man. Thomas Bowyer, 27, Dorset-street, Spitalfields, stated that he was a servant to Mr. M'Carthy, and served in his chandler's shop. At a quarter to eleven on Friday morr-mg he was ordered by his employer to go to Mary Jane's room, No. 13, to get the rent which was in arrears. He knocked at the door, but received no answer. He knocked anain, and, as there was still no reply, went round the corner of the house, where there was a broken window. He put his hand through the aperture, pulled the curtain aside. looked in and saw two lumps of flesh lying on a table close by the bed. The second time he looked he saw a body on the bed and blood on the floor. Very quietly the witness then went ba.ck to his employer and told him what he had seen. They immediately went to the police-station, but on the way Mr. M'Carthy looked in at the window of No. 13. The witness l ad often seen Mary Kelly 11)8 last witness. lie saw the woman drunk onlY once. Mr. M'Carthy's shop is at the corner of the court.
John M'Carthy, grocer and lodging-house keeper, residing at 27, Dorset-street, deposed to sending the last witness to call for the rent. He came back in five minutes and stated what he had seen on looking in at the window. The witnesa satisfied himself that his man's statement was correct, hod then went for the police. Inspector Beck, who was on duty, came at once to the court. Wary ^ad lived in the court with Barnett for 10 months. Tho witness did not concern himself to know whether they were man and wife. The two bad a row occasionally, and that is how the window was broken. Evirj thing in the room was the witness s property. Thereat of tho room was 4s. Gd., and the deceased was aldut 2Ds. in arrears. The witness frequently saw the woman the worse for drink, When sober she was an exceptionally quiet woman, and he could tell when she had been drinking, because she became noisy and sang songs.. Mary Ann Cox said she lived at No. 5 room in the court. She had known Mary Kelly about nine months. On Thursday night, about a quarter to twelve, the witness met her in the court very intoxi- cated. A short, stout man, shabbily dressed, was with her. He had a "longjsh dark coat on, and carried a. pot of ale in his hand. He wore a round hat, had a blotchy face, and full, carroty moustache, with a shaven chin. She followed them into the court,, and whmi Kelly was go,ng^ iuto her house witness said, Good night, Mary,' hut the man slammed the door in her face. However, she heard Mary Kelly say Good. night; I'm going to have a song," and then sing, A violet I plucked from Mother's Grave." At one a.m. the witness came homo to warm her hands, and Kelly was still singing. At three o'clock the witness came home again, and then all was still, the light being out in Kelly's room. The witness was worried about her rent, and did not go to sleep. She heard some one go down the court at a quarter-past six, but that would be top lata for the men in the court who worked ia the market. She did not know who it was, but she heard a man's footsteps. I he man the witnfE-S saw with Kelly was about 35 years of age. The man's boots must have been old, for although the place was very silent at that time he made no noise when walk- ing up the court with the woman. By the jury: The witness would not know the man again if she saw him. Elizabeth Prater, a married woman who had been deserted by her husband five years since, stated that she lived in No. 20 room, just above the gateway in Miller-court. Mary Kelly lived below her. The wit- ness returned to her room close upon one a.m. on Friday. From the stairs on the way to her own room witness did not notice a light in Kelly's apart- ments, although through the beading of the wall she had often seen a glimmer. The witness slept in her clothes all night, but previously barricaded her door. She slept very soundly the whole night. At about four am. her kitten, which often got on to the bed when the room was cold, came and rubbed her face and woke her. As the witness, who had been drink- ing, turned over to slap the cat, she heard a faint cry Tike someone waking out of a nightmare, saying, Oh, murder." About 5.30 a.m. the witness got up and went to the public-house to get some rum. Men were then harnessing horses in Dorset-street, which was the usual practice. There was no singing in Kelly's room at 1.30 a.m. Caroline Maxwell, of 14, Dorset-street, wife of a lodging-house deputy, said she knew Kelly as a young woman who never associated with anyone. tihe saw her standing at the entrance to the court on Friday morning about eight o'clock. The witness had just come out of the lodging-house, which was immediately opposite Miller-court. It being an un- usual thing to see her up at that time, the witness said,"Why, what brings you up so early?" Kelly replied, Oh, Carry, I do feel so bad." The witness asked her if she would have a drink, but she declined, saying that she had just had half a pint of ale, but could not retain it. By the motion of her bead it must have been the Britannia beershop at the corner, where she had had the drink. The witness then left her, went into Bishopsgate to get her husband's breakfast, and on returning saw Kelly standing out- side the Britannia talking to a man. That was about 8.45 a.m. The witness was standing at her door about 25 yards off, and so could give no definite description of the man. He was a short man, dressed in dark clothes, and wearing a sort of plaid coat Sarah Lewis, of 24, Great Pearl-street, a laundress, 3aid 8h6 knew Mrs. Keyler, in Miller-court. On Friday morning at half-past two o'clock she was at the room of her friend at No. 2, immediately opposite the room of the murdered woman. When she went into the court she saw a man standing near the lodging-house door opposite. He was wearing a wideawake hat, and was not very tall, but was a stout- looking man. He was looking up the court, and seemed to be waiting for someone. She also saw another man and woman coming along, the latter having her hat off, and being the worse for drink. When the witness got to Mrs. Keyler's she fell asleep in a chair, and awoke in about an hour. She sat awake until shortly before four o'clock, when she heard a female shout or scream in a loud voice. The sound came from the direction of Mary Kelly's room, but the witness took no notice of it. On Wed- nesday night last, at eight o'clock, the witness and another woman were going along the Bethnal-green- road, when a gentleman passed them and then turned round and followed them. He asked them to follow him he did not care which one. He had a black shiny bag, and the witness's friend, not liking the look of him, said, Come on; let's go." The man, who was short and pale-faced, then put down his bag, and said, What are you frightened of ? Do you think I have got anything in my bag?" He after- wards unbuttoned his coat as if to get something from his pocket. The two women then ran away. The man, who was about 40 years of age, wore a high, round hat and a long coat. On Friday morning, while on the way to Miller-court, about 2.30, the witness met tho same man with a woman in Com- merce-street, near the Britannia beershop. He had not his overcoat on then, but still carried the black baO". The witness recognised the man at once, and helooked at her. Tho witness would know the man again. Dr. George Phillips, surgeon to the H Division of the Metropolitan Police, residing at 2, Spital-aquare, stated that he was called by the police on Friday morning about eleven o'clock to Miller-court. Ho found room 13 locked and so looked through the broken pane of glass, and satisfied himself that the mutilated corpse lying on the bed was not in need of any attention from him. He also came to the con- clusion that there was no one else in the room. Having ascertained that it was advisable that no entrance should be effected at that time, he remained until about 1.30 p.m., when the door was burst open. On the door being opened it knocked against a table svhich was by the side of the bedstead. The latter was close against the wooden paitition. Tho muti- iated remains of a female were lying two-thirds over towards tho edge of the bedstead nearest the door. The body had been removed subsequent to the injury which caused death from the side of the bed nearest the partition. The large quantity of blood under the bedstead, and the saturated condition of the palliasse, pillow, and sheet at the top corner of the bedstead nearest the partition, led witness to the conclusion that the severance of the right carotid artery, which was the immediate cause or death, was inflicted while the deceased was lying on the right side of the bedstead, with her head and neck in the top right-hand corner before alluded to. Julia Venturney, No. 1 room, Miller-court, stated that she had known Mrs. Kelly for some time. She had told the witness that she was very fond of another man besides the one she lived with. He used to come and see her and give her money. The wit- ness heard no noises on Thursday night. Maria Harvey, who lives in Dorset-street, stated that she knew Kelly, and slept with her on Monday and Tuesday nights last. She was in the house on Thursday when Barnett came in. The witness left some clothes with Kelly, including a man's black overcoat, some under-linen, and a black satin bonnet. The witness was a great friend of Kelly; she had never heard her say she was afraid of any man. Inspector Beck, H. Divison, deposed to being sum- moned by M'Carthy and Boyer to the room in Miller- court. He did not know whether the woman was known to the police. Inspector Abberline, from Scotland-yard, stated that he reached the court about 11.30 a.m. on Friday last. He did not force the door, as he had received an intimation that some bloodhounds which had been sent for were coming, and Dr. Philips said that if the door was not opened it would be a better test of their scent. Later on Superintendent Arnold arrived and informed the witness that the order for the bloodhounds had been countermanded. Then the door was forced. The witness corroborated the evidence of Dr. Philips as to the position in which the body was found. In the room there were traces of a large fire having been kept up in the grate, so much so that the spout of the kettle was melted off. The ashes had been examined, but nothing of importance was found. A quantity of women's clothes had been burned, and the only reason the witness could ascribe for this was that it was done to afford the murderer sufficient light to perform his ghastly work. It was not true, as supposed, that the key of the door was taken by the murderer. That had been missing for some time according to the man Barnett, who also stated that a clay pipe found in the room belonged to him. The Coroner then said if a coroner's jury found out the cause of death that was all they had to do. They had nothing to do with arresting any culprit. If the jury were satisfied that the woman met her death as described by the
doctor then there was an end to the matter. The foreman said tho jury were of opinion that they had heard sufficient evidence to bring in a ver- diet of wilful murder against some person or persons Unknown. A verdict to that effect was accordingly returned, and the inquiry terminated.
