Jack the Ripper

“ For some time it was doubtful whether all these horrors were the work of one or two persons, but this last murder convinces the medical men that there are two entirely distinct sets of murders and two different men responsible for them. ”

“ The present horrible discovery will no doubt recall to many people in the metropolis the somewhat similar dismemberment of the remains of the woman Harriet Lane, killed by the Wainwright brothers. In that case the body was disinterred that it might be more securely hidden elsewhere. Whilst being conveyed to the Borough a workman, who, prompted by curiosity, had discovered the horrible nature of Wainwright's bundle, followed the cab, and ultimately succeeded in attracting the attention of the police, and securing the capture of the murderer. ”

“ The brutal manner in which the present victim has been dealt with suggests an equally callous and ferocious murderer as living and moving about among the community. For weeks he must have kept the body concealed near either his office or apartments, waiting for favourable opportunities to make away with the body piecemeal. ”

“ He struck the light to assist him to find his tools. He at first thought that the parcel was one of the workmen's old coats. George Brigden, labourer in the service of Messrs. Gurner and Son, said he was in the vault Tuesday afternoon last. Mr. Cheque, the foreman bricklayer, told him there was a parcel in the vault, and asked him to get a light and bring it out. He thought it was a parcel of bacon. He drageed it into the light and, with his pocket knife, cut the strings. (The strings were produced.) He found it was the body of a woman. ”

“ At present only the foundations and a portion of the first storey have been built, and the place is surrounded by a high hoarding. The ground structure consists of a vast labyrinth of brick passages, archways, and vaulted chambers. As was pointed out by the foreman of the works, there are really but two possible modes of ingress to the archway where the body was found, namely, either over the high hoarding from the Embankment side, or from a little alley-way called Cannon-row, almost opposite the Home Office in Parliament-street. ”

“ LONDON. Oct. 2--The trunk of a woman was found in a recess of the new police offices on the Thames embankment this afternoon. The head, arms and legs were missing. The remains, which were in an advanced state of decomposition, were wrapped in rough cloth and tightly bound with cord. ”

“ The body is that of a woman about 45 years of age. The height is exactly five feet. The complexion is fair, with wavy brown hair; the eyes are blue, and two lower teeth have been knocked out. The nose is rather large and prominent. ”

“ Although there are a large number of men employed on the works, very few of them, it is said, would have readily found their way through the intricate vaults to the spot where the mutilated trunk was concealed. To a stranger venturing alone among these dark corridors there would seem to be a danger of failing to find his way out again. Unfortunately no night-watchman is kept at the place, and any one once within the hoarding after dark or working hours could safely move about at leisure free from all observation. ”

“ Again, the murderer must have purchased the antiseptics and disinfectants in considerable quantity, and possibly some chemist may be able to supply the police with a clue. It is to be hoped that every effort will be made to drag the criminal to justice, and that in a few days the public may learn of the arrest of this new monster in human shape. ”

“ The small gate was on a latch, which the workmen knew how to open. There were no watchmen outside. The approaches to the vault were made by planks laid crossways. It was a wide road. The vault was very dark. There were no appearances that the locks had been forced on Monday morning. From his knowledge of the works he thought it would require a previous experience of them to get to the vaults. He had been several times in the in the vault recently. He had noticed no smell. He had not used lights as he knew his way about pretty well. Wildbore drew his attention ot the parcel. ”

“ It is that the young woman of whose body portions are now coming to light in such a mysterious manner has been the victim of an unlawful operation, and in order to conceal this the miscreant has removed that portion of the body which would almost undoubtedly have decided such a point. ”

“ This work was published in 1888 and is anonymous or pseudonymous due to unknown authorship. It is in the public domain in the United States as well as countries and areas where the copyright terms of anonymous or pseudonymous works are 134 years or less since publication. ”

“ The difficulties of access to the ground are so great from the side facing the Embankment that the officials connected with the works regard them as well-nigh insuperable to a person loaded with so heavy a bundle as the remains must necessarily have been. ”