dead. Paul suggested they try and move the body and Cross refused, though as Paul rearranged Nichols' clothing, he touched her breast, believing there to have been some slight movement. The two men continued their walk to work, first approaching PC Jonas Mizen to tell him of their find, before Paul left Cross at Hanbury Street to go into work at Corbett's Court.
WALTER PURKISS, Born Walter Boyton Purkiss, c.1855, Braintree, Essex. In 1881, Purkiss is listed as living at New Cottage, Buck's Row with his wife Mary Ann, children Sydney b.1878, Lillian b.1877 and Florence b.1880 as well as Mary Anne's mother, Sophia Ballard. His occupation was carpenter and joiner. By 1888, the Purkiss family had moved to Essex Wharf where Purkiss was the manager. Walter and Mary Ann slept in the front first floor room, overlooking the murder site. On the evening of August 30th, they had gone to bed at about 11pm, but were awake at various times during the night - Walter was awake between 1.00am and 3.00am and his wife, having had a particularly sleepless night, was pacing the room at approx. 3.30am (or about the time of Nichols' murder). Neither had heard anything out of the ordinary and were not aware of the incident until PC John Neil called at their door.
JOHN SPRATLING, Inspector John Thomas Spratling. Witness at Mary Ann Nichols' inquest. Born 1845, St. Pancras, London. Joined Metropolitan Police in 1870 after working as a clerk. Married to Emma b.1847, Edgeware) with two children, Herbert (b.1880) and Frederick (b. 1882), Herbert dies 1889. Was rapidly promoted to Inspector of J-division(Bethnal Green) in 1887. Lived in Gore Road, Hackney. Spratling was called to Buck's Row at 4.30am, 31st August 1888, after Nichols' body had been taken to the mortuary. James Green, son of Emma Green who lived at New Cottage, had just washed away the blood, although traces could still be seen between the cobblestones. On going to the mortuary, he found that the body was still on the ambulance in the yard and whilst waiting for the attendant, proceeded to take a description of the deceased, although at this time he was not aware of any wounds on the body. Once inside, he undertook a more detailed examination and found that Nichols had been disemboweled. He at once sent for Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn. With Sergeant George Godley, Spratling made an examination of the East London and District Railway embankments and lines, as well as the Great Eastern Railway yard, but neither found any further evidence. Spratling questioned a constable who had been on duty at the Great Eastern Railway yard, but he had not heard anything. Questions were asked at several houses in Buck's Row, including New Cottage, Essex Wharf and the Board School - the caretaker of the school had also claimed to have heard nothing on the night of the murder. Inspector Spratling is said to have boasted that he smoked blacker tobacco and drank blacker tea than anyone else in the force and apparently lived so long that he subsequently drew more in pension than in pay. He retired in 1897 and moved out of London to Mortimer in Berkshire. He died in Reading in 1935.
JOHN THAIN, Police Constable John Thain, 96-J. Witness at Mary Ann Nichols' inquest. Born 1854 in Winston, Suffolk. Married to Elizabeth (b.1854) with one daughter, Lydia (b.1890). In 1881 he was listed as a Police Officer on the docks at Woolwich. Thain's beat took him along Brady Street and he passed the junction with Buck's Row every thirty minutes. At 3.45am, 31st August 1888, PC Thain was signalled by PC John Neil and went to find him standing by Nichols' body. He was sent to fetch Dr Rees Ralph Llewellyn and on his return found that Neil had been joined by two workmen. Thain helped to put the body on the ambulance and noted that the back of her dress was saturated with blood, which covered his hands. He stayed at the murder site whilst the body was taken to the mortuary, awaiting the arrival of Inspector John Spratling. He also witnessed the washing away of the blood by Emma Green's son. Afterwards, he searched Essex Wharf, the Great Eastern and East London railways, as well as the District Railway as far as Thomas Street, but found no weapon or other traces of blood. However, he was not involved in any house-to-house enquiries in Buck's Row itself.
HENRY TOMKINS, Witness at Mary Ann Nichols' inquest. Horse slaughterer employed by Harrison, Barber & Co, Winthrop Street. occupier of 12 Coventry Street, Bethnal Green. habitually describe as 'rough looking' and 'a roughly dressed young fellow of low stature' At about 12.20am, 31st August 1888, Tomkins and fellow employee Charles Bretton left the slaughterhouse for a stroll to Wood's Buildings and returned to work at 1.00am. The gates of the slaughterhouse were open and all was quiet. He did not recall hearing anything untoward and saw nobody about until PC John Thain came to collect his cape at 4.15am and told him of the murder. Tomkins went to Buck's Row with James Mumford and Bretton to see the body. Apparently by that time there were three or four constables and a doctor present. This testimony conflicts with that of PC Thain who claimed that the workmen were already there when he arrived with Dr Rees Ralph Llewellyn.
Inquest testimony
as reported in The Times:
"Five teeth were missing, and there was a slight laceration of the tongue. There was a bruise running along the lower part of the jaw on the right side of the face. That might have been caused by a blow from a fist or pressure from a thumb. There was a circular bruise on the left side of the face which also might have been inflicted by the pressure of the fingers. On the left side of the neck, about 1 in. below the jaw, there was an incision about 4 in. in length, and ran from a point immediately below the ear. On the same side, but an inch below, and commencing about 1 in. in front of it, was a circular incision, which terminated at a point about 3 in. below the right jaw. That incision completely severed all the tissues down to the vertebrae. The large vessels of the neck on both sides were severed. The incision was about 8 in. in length. the cuts must have been caused by a long-bladed knife, moderately sharp, and used with great violence. No blood was found on the breast, either of the body or the clothes. There were no injuries about the body until just about the lower part of the abdomen. Two or three inches from the left side was a wound running in a jagged manner. The wound was a very deep one, and the tissues were cut through. There were several incisions running across the abdomen. There were three or four similar cuts running downwards, on the right side, all of which had been caused by a knife which had been used violently and downwards. the injuries were form left to right and might have been done by a left handed person. All the injuries had been caused by the same instrument."
Inspector Joseph Helson, J-division, is notified of the murder at 6.45am and at the mortuary he is shown the body and the extent of the mutilations. With all of her faults Nichols seems to have been well-liked by all who knew her. At the inquest her father says, "I don't think she had any enemies, she was too good for that."
Inquest: Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols
(The Daily Telegraph, Monday, September 3, 1888)
On Saturday [1 Sep] Mr. Wynne E. Baxter, the coroner for South-East Middlesex, opened an inquiry at the Working Lads' Institute, Whitechapel-road, into the circumstances attending the death of a woman supposed to be Mary Ann Nicholls, who was discovered lying dead on the pavement in Buck's-row, Baker's-row, Whitechapel, early on Friday morning. Her throat was cut, and she had other terrible injuries.
Inspector Helston, who has the case in hand, attended, with other officers, on behalf of the Criminal Investigation Department.
Edward Walker deposed: I live at 15, Maidwell-street, Albany-road, Camberwell, and have no occupation. I was a smith when I was at work, but I am not now. I have seen the body in the mortuary, and to the best of my belief it is my daughter; but I have not seen her for three years. I recognize her by her general appearance and by a little mark she has had on her forehead since she was a child. She also had either one or two teeth out, the same as the woman I have just seen. My daughter's name was Mary Ann Nicholls, and she had been married twenty-two years. Her husband's name is William Nicholls, and he is alive. He is a machinist. They have been living apart about seven or eight years. I last heard of her before Easter. She was forty-two years of age.
The Coroner: How did you see her?
Witness: She wrote to me.
The Coroner: Is this letter in her handwriting?
Witness: Yes, that is her writing. The letter, which was dated April 17, 1888, was read by the Coroner, and referred to a place which the deceased had gone to at Wandsworth.