30th-31st Aug 1888 - Polly Nichols' Final Hours
7.30pm
Events resume tonight as Polly (who we met last week) goes out on the cold, wet streets looking for business. We'll bump into Polly again, but not for a quite a few hours yet ...
11.00pm
Tonight, the rain is harsh and the heavens are opening frequently as Polly walks down Whitechapel road, look for a customer. As Polly walks, there are claps of thunder and the broad street is illuminated by flashes of lightning as people rush by her.
12.30am
Polly leaves the Frying Pan Public House on the corner of Brick Lane and Thrawl Street.
1.20am
Back at her lodging house at 18 Thrawl Street, Polly Nichols finds herself lacking in money and not welcome to stay. The Duputy of the lodgings tells her to leave the kitchen, but on leaving she insists that he save a bed for her. "I'll soon get my doss money," says Polly. "See what a jolly bonnet I've got now." Indeed she has a new black bonnet to wear. And off Polly goes with her new black bonnet in the rain, to find a male client to procure the money she needs for her lodgings.
2.27am
We are about to bump into Polly Nichols again, who has been drinking and prostituting herself as was her routine. On Whitechapel Rd, Emily meets a very drunk Polly Nichols at the corner coming down Osborne st. Polly staggers against the wall. Emily remarks upon the church clock striking 2.30. Polly tells her she's drunk away her doss money three times over that day. Polly says she's going to try once more to earn her doss money, but then will go back to Flower and Dean st and bed with a man. "I've had my doss money three times today and spent it." Polly tells Emily, "It won't be long before I'm back." Polly and Emily finish chatting and Polly staggers off down Whitechapel Road.
3.15am
PC John Thain & Sgt Kerby each pass down Buck's Row on their respective beats. All seems relatively quite in the early morning.
3.30am
The drunk Polly Nichols has walked half a mile up Whitechapel road and then noth into Buck's Row (later renamed Durward Street). A man approaches Polly in Buck's Row. A narrow, dark, claustrophic street. Ideal maybe for a prostitute to pick up business.
Together in a gateway by a row of cottages, the couple move closer. The man suddenly grips Polly by the throat and squeezes. Then, furiously and psychotically, he rips at her. He slashes at her abdomen and groin. And then before he's seen, escapes.
3.40am
Charles Cross, a carman, is on his way to work at Pickfords when he sees the body of Polly lying in the gateway in Buck's Row.
He calls over to Robert Paul who is also passing by. "Come and look over here, there's a woman!" The second man feels her skin.
The men arrange Polly's skirt a little more dignified and continue towards work but with the intention of finding a policeman.
3.45am
PC John Neil is on his beat and he next discovers the body of Polly. It was a densely populated area, far from desserted. PC Neill signals to nearby PC Thain who joins him at the body. PC Jonas Mizan arrives too, having been alerted by the first men.
PC Thain calls for Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn who lives nearby.
3.50am
Dr Llewellyn arrives and pronounces Polly to have been dead only a few minutes. Just a small amount of blood was in the gutter.
4.00am
Onlookers arrive, amongst them three men from Barber's Slaughter Yard in Winthrop Street. No-one had witnessed anything. Dr. Llewellyn decides that the body should be moved to the mortuary for a more detailed examination later in the day.
4.10am
A horse-drawn ambulance arrives which into which the body is loaded.
4.20am
Constables Neil and Mizen and Sgt Kerby take take the woman to the mortuary in Old Montague. St. Constable Thain waits in Buck's Row.
4.30am
Inspector John Spratling, J Division, is on Hackney-road when an officer comes to tell him of the murder. He heads south quickly.
4.45am
In Buck's Row, Emma Green's son is washing away the last of the blood but small traces can still be seen in the cracks. Inspector John Spratling arrives, and Sgt. Const. Thain shows him where the body had lain before he decides to visit the mortuary.
5.10am
Dr Llewellyn is sent for by the Inspector to see the injuries he has discovered on the body. The abdoment is ripped extensively.
6.00am
Inspector John Spratling is making an examination at Buck's Row and Brady St but fails to trace any marks of blood.
6.22am
Spratling goes with Sergeant Godley to the East London and District Railway lines and embankment looking for traces of blood.
6.40am
Spratling and Godley head to the Great Eastern Railway yard to continue searching, but find no traces of blood.
6.45am
A watchman of the Great Eastern Railway, whose box is 50 yds from the spot where the body was discovered, heard nothing unusual.