C. Neil - The Hunt of a pipsqueak Jack the Ripper

PC Neil discovers Nichols' body in Buck's Row.

3:15 AM -- PC John Thain, 96J, passes down Buck's Row on his beat. He sees nothing unusual. At approximately the same time Sgt. Kerby passes down Buck's Row and reports the same.

3:40 or 3:45 AM -- Polly Nichols' body is discovered in Buck's Row by Charles Cross, a carman, on his way to work at Pickfords in the City Road., and Robert Paul who joins him at his request. "Come and look over here, there's a woman." Cross calls to Paul. Cross believes she is dead. Her hands and face are cold but the arms above the elbow and legs are still warm. Paul believes he feels a faint heartbeat. "I think she's breathing," he says "but it is little if she is." The two men agree that they do not want to be late for work and after arranging Nichols' skirts to give her some decency, decide to alert the first police officer they meet on their way. They eventually meet PC Jonas Mizen at the junction of Hanbury Street and Baker's Row and tell him of their find. In the meantime, Nichols' body has been found by PC John Neil, 97J. He signals to PC Thain who then joins him and the two are soon joined by Mizen. Thain calls for Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn, who resides nearby. The two return a few minutes later (around 3:50 A.M.) and Dr. Llewellyn pronounces life to have been extinct "but a few minutes." Buck's Row is ten minutes walk from Osborn Street. The only illumination is from a single gas lamp at the far end of the street. Polly's body is found across from Essex Wharf and the Brown and Eagle Wool Warehouse and Schneiders Cap Factory in a gateway entrance to Brown's stableyard between a board school (to the west) and terrace houses (cottages) belonging to better class tradesmen. She is almost underneath the window of Mrs. Emma Green, a light sleeper, who lives in the first house next to the stable gates. Her house is called the 'New Cottage'. She is a widower with two sons and a daughter living with her. That night, one son goes to bed at 9:00 PM, the other follows at 9:45. Mrs. Green and her daughter shared a first floor room at the front of the house. They went to bed at approximately 11:00 PM. She claims she slept undisturbed by any unusual sound until she was awakened by the police. Opposite New Cottage lives Walter Purkiss, the manager of Essex Wharf with his wife, children and a servant. He and his wife went to bed at 11:00 and 11:15 respectively. Both claimed to have been awake at various times in the night and heard nothing. Polly Nichols' body is identified by Lambeth Workhouse inmate Mary Ann Monk and the identification confirmed by William Nichols. An inventory of her clothes is taken by Inspector John Spratling at the mortuary. She was wearing: (overall impression -- shabby and marked)

Black Straw bonnet trimmed with black velvet Reddish brown ulster with seven large brass buttons bearing the pattern of a woman on horseback accompanied by a man.

Brown linseed frock White flannel chest cloth Black ribbed wool stockings Two petticoats, one gray wool, one flannel. Both stenciled on bands "Lambeth Workhouse" Brown stays (short) Flannel drawers Men's elastic (spring) sided boots with the uppers cut and steel tips on the heels Possessions: Comb White pocket handkerchief Broken piece of mirror (a prized possession in a lodging house) Observations of Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn upon arrival at Bucks row at 4:00 AM on the morning of August 31st. After only a brief examination of the body he pronounced Polly Nichols dead. He noted that there was a wine glass and a half of blood in the gutter at her side but claimed that he had no doubt that she had been killed where she lay.

HARRIET LILLEY, Born c.1841 in Lee, Hertfordshire. Married to brewer's carman William and living at 7 Buck's Row, Whitechapel. She said to the press on the afternoon of 6th September 1888 that: I slept in front of the house, and could hear everything that occurred in the street. On that Thursday night I was somehow very restless. Well, I heard something I mentioned to my husband in the morning. It was a painful moan - two or three faint gasps - and then it passed away. It was quite dark at the time, but a luggage went by as I heard the sounds. There was, too, a sound as of whispers underneath the window. I distinctly heard voices, but cannot say what was said - it was too faint. I then woke my husband, and said to him, "I don't know what possesses me, but I cannot sleep to-night." She also added that as soon as she heard of the murder she came to the conclusion that the voices she heard were in some way connected with it and that the cries were very different from those of an ordinary street brawl. An important statement, throwing considerable light on a point hitherto surrounded with some uncertainty - the time the crime was committed in Buck's-row, or the body deposited there - was made this afternoon by Mrs. Harriet Lilley, who lives two doors from the spot where the deceased was discovered. Mrs. Lilley said: - I slept in front of the house, and could hear everything that occurred in the street. On that Thursday night I was somehow very restless. Well, I heard something I mentioned to my husband in the morning. It was a painful moan - two or three faint gasps - and then it passed away. It was quite dark at the time, but a luggage went by as I heard the sounds. There was, too, a sound as of whispers underneath the window. I distinctly heard voices, but cannot say what was said - it was too faint. I then woke my husband, and said to him, "I don't know what possesses me, but I cannot sleep to-night." Mrs. Lilley added that as soon as she heard of the murder she came to the conclusion that the voices she heard were in some way connected with it. The cries were very different from those of an ordinary street brawl. It has been ascertained that on the morning of the date of the murder a goods train passed on the East London Railway at about half-past three - the 3.7 out from New-cross - which was probably the time when Mary Ann Nicholls was either killed or placed in Buck's-row.

ROBERT MANN, Witness at Mary Ann Nichols' and Annie Chapman's inquests. Recently alleged suspect.

Born c.1835, Mile End New Town. A pauper inmate at the Whitechapel Workhouse described as a dock Worker, Mann was in charge of the workhouse mortuary in Old Montague Street on the morning of 31st August 1888. He stated that on that morning, he was summoned by police to attend to a body at the mortuary. He arrived at about 5.00am, remaining there until the body was taken inside. He then locked the doors and went for his breakfast. After breakfast, Mann returned to the mortuary with fellow inmate James Hatfield and undressed the body. He did not recall being told not to touch the body and could not remember if Inspector Joseph Helson was in attendance. He also stated that the clothing was neither torn nor cut, but could not remember where the blood was. He said that Hatfield had to cut the clothing down the front to remove it. At the Nichols inquest, coroner Wynne Baxter noted that Robert Mann was subject to fits and that his statements were 'hardly reliable'. Mann was also present at the Annie Chapman inquest, though it was not universally mentioned in the press: Robert Mann: I have charge of the Whitechapel mortuary. On Saturday last I received the body of the deceased at the mortuary about seven o'clock. I was there most of the day. No one touched the body until the nurses came over and undressed it. I remained at the mortuary until the doctor arrived, and the door was locked. The police were in charge of it. No one touched the body except the nurses. I was not present when they laid the corpse out. The nurses mentioned in the above account were Mary Simonds and and Frances Wright). Robert Mann died of phthisis in Whitechapel in 1896.

JONAS MIZEN, Police Constable Jonas Mizen, 56H

Witness at Mary Ann Nichols' inquest. Born 1848 in Radwinter, Essex. Originally a gardener based in Mitcham, Surrey, he joined the Metropolitan Police in 1873, warrant no.56678, serving in H-division (Whitechapel) throughout his career. PC Mizen was on 'knocking up' duty in Hanbury Street at 4.15am on 31st August 1888 when he was approached by Charles Cross and Robert Paul. Cross said "you are wanted in Baker's Row" and after some explanation, Mizen went to Buck's Row where he found PC John Neil, some local residents and the body of Nichols. Mizen was sent by Neil to fetch the ambulance. Mizen had assured the inquest that he did not continue 'knocking up' before going to Buck's Row. He retired in 1898.