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I have been in the force seventeen years.

I went on duty at 9.45 upon my regular beat. That extends from Duke-street, Aldgate, through Heneage Lane, a portion of Bury-street, through Cree-lane, into Leadenhall-street, along eastward into Mitre-street, then into Mitre-square, round the square again into Mitre-street, then into King-street to St. James's-place, round the place, then into Duke-street, where I started from.

That beat takes twelve or fourteen minutes. I had been patrolling the beat continually from ten o'clock at night until one o'clock on Sunday morning.

I passed through Mitre-square at 1.30 on the Sunday morning. I had my lantern alight and on - fixed to my belt. According to my usual practice, I looked at the different passages and corners.

I next came into Mitre-square at 1.44, when I discovered the body lying on the right as I entered the square.

The woman was on her back, with her feet towards the square. Her clothes were thrown up. I saw her throat was cut and the stomach ripped open. She was lying in a pool of blood.

I did not touch the body. I ran across to Kearley and Long's warehouse. The door was ajar, and I pushed it open, and called on the watchman Morris, who was inside. He came out.

I remained with the body until the arrival of Police-constable Holland.

No one else was there before that but myself.

Holland was followed by Dr. Sequeira.

Inspector Collard arrived about two o'clock, and also Dr. Brown, surgeon to the police force.

The door of the warehouse to which I went was ajar, because the watchman was working about. It was no unusual thing for the door to be ajar at that hour of the morning.

I was continually patrolling my beat from ten o'clock up to half-past one.

I noticed nothing unusual up till 1.44, when I saw the body.

I did not sound an alarm. We do not carry whistles.

My beat is not a double but a single beat. No other policeman comes into Mitre-street.