March 7 1869

X 

(deceased October 24 1885)

I went to meet them, and they called out, "Come on, there has been another murder." I asked where, and as they got to the corner of Berner-street they pointed down and said, "There."

I saw people moving some distance down the street.

I ran, followed by another constable - 426 H.

Arriving at the gateway of No. 40 I observed something dark lying on the ground on the right-hand side.

I turned my light on, when I found that the object was a woman, with her throat cut and apparently dead.

I sent the other constable for the nearest doctor, and a young man who was standing by I despatched to the police station to inform the inspector what had occurred.

On my arrival there were about thirty people in the yard, and others followed me in. No one was nearer than a yard to the body.

As I was examining the deceased the crowd gathered round, but I begged them to keep back, otherwise they might have their clothes soiled with blood, and thus get into trouble.

I felt the wrist, but could not discern any movement of the pulse. I then blew my whistle for assistance.

She was lying on her left side, with her left hand on the ground.

The right arm was across the breast. Her face was not more than five or six inches away from the club wall.

There were no signs of a struggle. Some of the blood was in a liquid state, and had run towards the kitchen door of the club. A little - that nearest to her on the ground - was slightly congealed. I can hardly say whether any was still flowing from the throat.

Dr. Blackwell was the first doctor to arrive; he came ten or twelve minutes after myself, but I had no watch with me.

Dr. Blackwell examined the body and its surroundings.

Dr. Phillips came ten minutes later.

Inspector Pinhorn arrived directly after Dr. Blackwell.

When I blew my whistle other constables came, and I had the entrance of the yard closed. This was while Dr. Blackwell was looking at the body. Before that the doors were wide open. The feet of the deceased extended just to the swing of the gate, so that the barrier could be closed without disturbing the body.

I entered the club and left a constable at the gate to prevent any one passing in or out.

I examined the hands and clothes of all the members of the club. There were from fifteen to twenty present, and they were on the ground floor.

There was a great deal of commotion. I did not see any person leave. I did not try the front door of the club to see if it was locked.

I afterwards went over the cottages, the occupants of which were in bed.

I was admitted by men, who came down partly dressed; all the other people were undressed.

As to the waterclosets in the yard, one was locked and the other unlocked, but no one was there. There is a recess near the dust-bin.

I do not recollect looking over the wooden partition.

I, however, examined the store belonging to Messrs. Hindley, sack manufacturers, but I saw nothing there.

When I returned Dr. Phillips and Chief Inspector West had arrived.

Several people were inside and outside the gates, and I should think that they would be sure to observe a man who had marks of blood.

It was quite possible, of course, for a person to escape while I was examining the corpse. Every one was more or less looking towards the body. There was much confusion.

I think he is more likely to have escaped before than after I arrived.

I am not on the Berner-street beat, but I passed the end of the street in Commercial-road six or seven minutes before.

I was coming towards Berner-street. A constable named Smith was on the Berner-street beat. He did not accompany me, but the constable who was on fixed-point duty between Grove-street and Christian-street in Commercial-road.

Constables at fixed-points leave duty at one in the morning. I believe that is the practice nearly all over London.

The Hanbury-street murder was discovered just as the night police were going off duty.

It was rather dark, but I think there was light enough for that, though the person would be somewhat indistinct from Commercial-road.

There are no public-house lights in Berner-street.

I was engaged in the yard and at the mortuary all the night afterwards.

• Long black cloth jacket, fur trimmed around the bottom with a red rose and white maiden hair fern pinned to it. (She was not wearing the flowers when she left the lodging house.)
• Black skirt
• Black crepe bonnet
• Checked neck scarf knotted on left side
• Dark brown velveteen bodice
• 2 light serge petticoats
• 1 white chemise
• White stockings
• Spring sided boots
• 2 handkerchiefs (one, the larger, is noticed at the post-mortem to have fruit stains on it.)
• A thimble
• A piece of wool wound around a card

In the pocket in her underskirt:

• A key (as of a padlock)
• A small piece of lead pencil
• Six large and one small button
• A comb
• A broken piece of comb
• A metal spoon
• A hook (as from a dress)
• A piece of muslin
• One or two small pieces of paper

She is found clutching a packet of Cachous in her hand. Cachous is a pill used by smokers to sweeten their breath.