Poll' Born c.1838 Described as a big woman with a low voice and a drink reddened face, Mary Ann Connelly was an unmarried prostitute of about 50 years of age who had known Tabram for four or five months, although under the name of 'Emma Turner'. She had been living at Crossingham's Lodging House at 35 Dorset Street for two months. On the night of 6th August 1888, Connelly and Tabram met a guardsman and a corporal in the Two Brewers on Brick Lane at approximately 10.00pm. They proceeded to spend the rest of the evening in the company of the soldiers, visiting several pubs. They were seen by Tabram's sister-in-law, Ann Morris, entering the White Swan on Whitechapel High Street at about 11pm. At approx. 11.45pm, Connelly took the corporal into Angel Alley and Tabram took the guardsman into George Yard, undoubtedly for sex, which was the last time Mary Ann saw Martha alive. On 9th August 1888, Connelly went to Commercial Street Police Station to tell officers that she had been drinking with 'Emma Turner' on the night of the 6th. After the inquest and police questioning, authorities believed their best hope of catching the killer was through 'Pearly Poll', so naturally they were quite taken aback when she disappeared shortly thereafter. Some time later, however, Sergeant Eli Caunter located her staying with her cousin at 4 Fuller's Court, Drury Lane. Confident that they had their star witness, the authorities staged a parade of Scots Guards at the Tower of London. Either unwilling or unable to pick out her suspect, she added that the soldiers she was with had white cap bands, the mark of the Cold stream Guards. Another parade was held for Connelly, this time at Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, where she picked out two guardsmen. They provided unshakeable alibis, however, and were soon after released. The entire incident was quite embarrassing for the police, who finally concluded that Connelly was not going to help them. Connelly was also believed to have known Annie Chapman, according to a brief account in The Echo: Strangely enough, "Pearly Poll," who was with Martha Turner on the night of that poor creature's barbarous murder in George Yard buildings, knew Annie Chapman, and had actually lodged with her at 35 Dorset street, Spitalfields. "Pearly Poll" has been questioned as to her knowledge of "Dark Annie," but her answers on the subject have served little to elucidate the mystery. "Inspector Reid, Detective Sergeant Enright, Sergeant Goadby and other officers then worked on a slight clue given them by 'Pearly Poll.' It was not thought much of at the time; but what was gleaned from her and other statements given by Elizabeth Allen and Eliza Cooper of 35 Dorset Street, Spitalfields, certain of the authorities have had cause to suspect a man actually living not far from Buck's Row. At present, however, there is only suspicion against him.
Angel Alley: A slim passageway passing from Whitechapel High Street to Wentworth Street and next to George Yard on its eastern side where Martha Tabram was murdered. This seems to have been the most respectable street in this drab area in the mid 1800s, and was dominated by "bad houses". John Hollingshead reports in the first of 10 articles he wrote for the Morning Post, under the overall title of London Horrors, starting on 21st January 1861 (and thereafter daily, except Sunday) that they were "the cleanest looking houses in the district" and that the "windows have tolerably neat green blinds, the doors have brass plates, and inside the houses there is comparative comfort, if not plenty". This relatively high standard was evidently afforded mainly by the custom of farmers' men who supplied the Whitechapel Hay Market twice weekly. At the left-hand side of the entrance to this alley stood the Angel Public House!, whose owner was one Henry Burgess in 1888.
THOMAS BARRETT, Police Constable Thomas Barrett, 226H Witness at Martha Tabram's inquest. Born c.1857 in Sherborne, Dorset. Joined Metropolitan Police (H-division, Whitechapel) in 1883. Married to Ellen (b.1854) with three children, Albert (b.1885), Helena (b.1889) and Tom (b.1892) At 2.00am on the morning of 7th August 1888, Barrett was patrolling Wentworth Street when he came across a soldier loitering near the entrance to George Yard. Barrett described him as being a Private in the Grenadier Guards, aged between 22-26, 5ft 9ins tall, with a fair complexion, dark hair, a small brown moustache turned up at the ends and sporting a good conduct badge (but no medals). The soldier told Barrett that he was 'waiting for a chum who had gone with a girl'. PC Barrett was later summoned to George Yard Buildings by John Reeves who had just found the body of Martha Tabram, from where he sent for Dr Timothy Killeen. Barrett stated at the inquest that the deceased's clothes "were turned up as far as the center of the body, leaving the lower part of the body exposed; the legs were open, and altogether her position was such as to suggest in my mind that recent intimacy had taken place." Barrett also claimed that he would be able to recognize the soldier again and attended an identity parade at the Tower of London where he first picked out a private wearing medals. He then picked out a second man, stating that it was he and not the first man. Both soldiers were questioned and gave a good account of their movements on the night of the 6th-7th August.
TIMOTHY KILLEEN,
Dr. Timothy Robert Killeen Witness at Martha Tabram's inquest. Living at 68 Brick Lane in 1888, Dr. Killeen was called to the scene of Tabram's murder at George Yard Buildings, arriving at at about 5.30am on 7th August 1888. In his witness testimony, Dr. Killeen stated that Martha Tabram had 39 stabs on the body. She had been dead some three hours. Her age was about 36 and the body was very well nourished. Dr. Killeen had since made a post-mortem examination of the body. The left lung was penetrated in five places, and the right lung was penetrated in two places. The heart, which was rather fatty, was penetrated in one place, and that would be sufficient to cause death. The liver was healthy, but was penetrated in five places, the spleen was penetrated in two places, and the stomach, which was perfectly healthy, was penetrated in six places. Dr. Killeen did not think all the wounds were inflicted with the same instrument. The wounds generally might have been inflicted by a knife, but such an instrument could not have inflicted one of the wounds, which went through the chest-bone. His opinion was that one of the wounds was inflicted by some kind of dagger, and that all of them were caused during life. Further coverage of the inquest revealed more medical evidence: He had since made a post mortem examination, and on opening the head found there was an effusion of blood between the scalp and the bone. The brain was pale but healthy... There was food in the process of digestion in the stomach. Dr. Keeling then described where the wounds had been made, and in answer to questions stated positively that there were no signs of there having been recent connation. In his opinion the wounds were caused by a knife, or some such instrument, but there was a wound on the chest bone which could not have been caused by a knife. An ordinary penknife could have made most of the wounds, but the puncture in the chest must have been made with a sword bayonet or a dagger. The wounds, he was of the opinion, were inflicted during life, and it was impossible for them all to have been self-inflicted, though some of them might have been. Then in reply to questions from the coroner as to whether he could tell whether the wounds were made by a right or left-handed person, the doctor said one of the wounds might have been made by a left-handed man, but not the others. Dr. Killeen's tenure in East London appears short; from 1891 his address is listed as Clonfeigh, Ennis, Co. Clare
Mary Ann Nichols
HENRY BIRCH, Henry Birch was the proprietor of a milk-stand in the yard of Number 2, Little Turner street, Commercial Road. He claimed to have sold a glass of milk to a "frightened", suspicious-looking man on the night after the Polly Nichols murder. His story appeared in The Star:
Not later than a quarter-past eleven a man stepped hurriedly into a yard entrance at No. 2, Little Turner-street, Commercial-road. On one side of the yard is a milk stand. The man asked for a glass of milk, and, when served, drank it hurriedly, then, looking about in a frightened manner, asked if he might step back into the yard. The proprietor, Henry Birch, did not object, but presently, his suspicions being aroused, he stepped towards the man and found him drawing on a suit of new overalls over his ordinary clothes. The pants were already on, and he was stooping to take a jacket from a black shiny bag that lay at his feet when Birch stepped up to him. He seemed to be very much upset by the interruption, and for a moment could not speak. Presently he said, "That was a terrible murder last night, was'nt it?" and before Birch could answer he had added, "I think I've got a clue," and, snatching up his bag, he disappeared down the street. Mr. Birch then thought he might be a detective, adopting a disguise for some purpose, but the police believe he was the man who assaulted the woman in Cambridge Heath-road, and that he donned the overalls to mislead anyone who might be tracing him. They have the name of the woman referred to, and her description