23rd Aug 1888 - Martha Tabram's Inquest & Annie Millwood
It's Thursday 23rd Aug 1888 and today the murder inquiry into Martha Turner aka Tabram is concluded. She was killed in the early hours of Aug 7th 1888.
2.00pm
At the murder inquiry, the Coroner takes his seat in the large reading room just beneath the portrait of the Princess of Wales.
Last week's papers reported an ID parade in great deal. Two soliders last seen with the victim were the Police's only lead.
A noon last Wednesday there was a parade of Coldstream and Grenadier Guards at the Wellington Barrakcs for identification. 11 o'clock police officers arrived with Pearly Poll. The men were paraded. She was asked to pick out who was with the deceased.
'"Pearly Poll" picked out a man wearing stripes as the one who went with the deceased woman. "That's him. I'm positive." When a few more had passed, the woman, scanning the features of every one intently, pointed to a private as being the 2nd man. Books showing the time at which the suspected men left & returned to barracks were at the disposal of Insp Reid & Sgt Caunter. One was a private with good conduct stripes, of exemplary character, and in the barracks by 10 o'clock on Bank Holiday night. The second man, also a man of exceptionally good character, was told that no stain rested upon him. Clearly mistaken identity. Neither of the men worse side-arms when they left the barracks on Bank Holiday & could not have been in each other's company. It is asserted that Pearly Poll has identified 2 innocent men who could not have been in Whitechapel at the time she said'. The police will not further seek her aid in elucidating the mystery.' Saturday's East London Observer adds more colour ...
Many visited George yd buildings since the murder with the morbid purpose of seeing the place where the deceased was discovered. There is still a large surface of stone flags crimson-stained at the spot where the blood oozed from the poor creature's heart. The police authorities regard as little short of marvellous the fact that no dweller in this model block heard any disturbance. Mr. Francis Hewitt, the superintendent of the dwellings, was exactly 12 ft away "And we never heard a cry," remarked he. Mrs. Hewitt remarked that early in the evening she did hear a single cry of "Murder." Something that was not uncommon anyway.
All this was examined today at the inquest, 2 weeks and 2 days since her body was found. Witnesses and evidence brought forth. DI Reid said that Pearly Poll had identified 2 soldiers of the Coldsteam Guards as their companions that night. Both had alibis. Police would be pleased if anyone would give information of having seen anyone with the deceased on the night of Bank Holiday. The Coroner, in summing up, said that the crime was one of the most brutal that had occurred for some years. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased Martha Tabram had been murdered by some person or persons unknown.
So Whitechapel had an unsolved murder in Autumn 1888. A frenzied stabbing with wounds beyond those that killed. And no suspect.
But, not mentioned at the inquest today, was an event that occurred six months ago just minutes from the recent murder site... A woman called Annie Millwood was living at 8 White's Row, Spitalfields. She was 38 years year old when she was attacked...
On Saturday 25th Feb 1888 Annie was attacked by a complete stranger and stabbed multiple times in the 'lower part of her body'. Despite suffering knife wounds to her legs, she escaped & was admitted to Whitechapel Infirmary. Annie recovered & was released. Due to her survival from the incident, it was given no coverage in the papers at the time, and the attacker was never caught. Her attack came to light when she died a month later. First considered a result of the wounds, later declared natural causes. Martha & Annie were about the same age, lived in the same place, both attacked by a stranger, both stabbed - just 6 months apart. Is it possible that two strange, motiveless knife-attacks in the Whitechapel area are related? The police aren't considering it.
That's all for this evening, but have a little look at 7pm tomorrow night. There's a young woman I think you should meet ...