15th Aug 1888 - Identity Parade
5.15pm
A week ago, in the early hours of 7 Aug 1888, a woman was found brutally stabbed. Newspapers continue to give it coverage.
Sheffield Evening Telegraph: "The Whitechapel Murder - Still surrounded by mystery." Here are some excerpts from today's paper: "All attempts by the Police to solve the mystery of the woman found in George Yd with 39 stabs in her body, have failed. A solider seen nearby on the evening of the murder has been interviewed by police, but refused to give any account of himself. A woman who was in deceased's company before the murder will to-morrow try to identify the soldier."
Yesterday Henry Samuel Tabram identified the body of his former wife, Martha Tabran, known as Martha Turner. And so today Pearly Poll went to try to identify the soldier she saw with her friend the night Martha was repeatedly stabbed.
Martha Tabram as depicted murdered in 'The Illustrated Police News'Martha had 39 stab wounds - 9 in the throat, 17 in her breast, and the rest in the lower part of her body including genitals.
Martha's wounds may have been made by two blades different blades, most or all of which were consistent with a knife or a dagger, all of the wounds were inflicted before death.
Martha was in a dress, a green skirt, brown petticoat, a long black jacket, brown stockings, side-spring boots & a black bonnet. The victims clothing was arranged to leave the lower part of her body exposed, with her legs lying open.
11am
There is a parade of Coldstream and Grenadier Guards at the Wellington Barrakcs for identification. Police officers arrive with Pearly Poll.
Noon
The men are paraded. She is asked to pick out who was with the deceased. Pearly Poll picks out a man wearing stripes as the one who went with the deceased woman. "That's him. I'm positive."'
When a few more have passed, the woman, scanning the features of every one intently, pointed to a private as being the 2nd man.
Conclusions will be reached on the 23rd at the inquest.
We'll buy Sunday's papers and see what more has progressed with this unusually brutal murder case at the weekend....