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

MARY ANN MONK, Witness at Mary Ann Nichols' inquest. Described as a 'young woman with a flushed face and a haughty air', she was a former inmate of the Lambeth Workhouse and she knew Nichols from her time there six or seven years previously. She also claimed to have last seen her six weeks previously in a pub in the New Kent Road and drank with her. Mary Ann Monk was the first person to positively identify Nichols' body in the mortuary at 7.30pm, 31st August 1888.

PATRICK MULSHAW, Witness at Mary Ann Nichols' inquest. Born c.1857 in Spitalfields, In 1861, the family were living at 5 Thrawl Street, Spitalfields. Ten years later they were residing at 17 Goulston Court, Goulston Street.

In 1888 he was living at 3 Rupert Street, Whitechapel and was a night porter in the employ of the Whitechapel District Board of Works. On the night of August 30th 1888, he was at the back of the Working Lad's Institute watching some sewer works - he started work at 4.45pm and was situated in Winthrop Street. He remained at his post until 5.55am the next morning. He had dozed a few times during the night, but believed he was not asleep between 3.00 and 4.00am. He did not see anyone around after midnight and heard no cries for assistance. He did however, see two constables, one of whom was PC John Neil, but he couldn't say what time that would have been.

A man later passed by and said "Watchman, old man, I believe somebody is murdered down the street". Mulshaw promptly went to Buck's Row and saw several police officers and working-men standing by Mary Ann Nichols' body. Patrick Mulshaw was later recorded as living with his mother and several brothers at 33 John Street, St George in the East and was described as a general Worker.

JAMES MUMFORD, not called to Mary Ann Nichols' inquest. Born c.1853, Whitechapel, married to Emma (b.1855). A horse slaughter man employed at Harrison, Barber & Co, Winthrop Street. After being informed of the murder of Mary Ann Nichols by PC John Thain at 4.15am, 31st August 1888, Mumford accompanied co-workers Henry Tomkins and Charles Bretton to the scene in Buck's Row. In 1891, Mumford is recorded as living at 22 Winthrop Street opposite the slaughterhouse with his wife and three children, James b.1886, Frederick b.1889 and Alice b.1891

JOHN NEIL, Police Constable John Neil, 97J Witness at Mary Ann Nichols' inquest. Born 1850, County Cork, Ireland. Joined Metropolitan Police in 1875, J-division Bethnal Green throughout his career. Married to Mary b.1850 with two daughters, Henrietta b.1880 and Julia b.1881. PC Neil discovered the body of Mary Ann Nichols whilst on beat duty at approximately 3.45am, 31st August 1888. He had walked from Thomas Street into Buck's Row and was heading eastwards towards Brady Street. Hearing PC John Thain walking along Brady Street, he summoned him with his lamp and later, he was joined by PC Jonas Mizen who had been alerted to the discovery of Nichols' body by the carmen Charles Cross and Robert Paul. It is likely that Neil missed Cross and Paul by minutes and testified that he saw nobody about. The furthest he had been from the murder spot all night was Baker's Row. With the aid of his lamp, he noticed the wound to Nichols' throat and that blood was still oozing out. He felt her arm, which he claimed was still warm and noted that her eyes were wide open. Her bonnet was lying nearby. He immediately dispatched PC Thain to fetch Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn and told PC Mizen to fetch the ambulance. Whilst waiting for Dr. Llewellyn, he was joined by Henry Tomkins, James Mumford and Charles Bretton who worked at Harrison, Barber & Co, horse slaughterers in nearby Winthrop Street and who he had seen at 3.15am, ie thirty minutes before finding Nichols' body. Neil also rung the bell of Essex Wharf to enquire if a disturbance had been heard, to which the answer was 'no', as well as examining the area around the body, on which he found no traces of wheel-marks. PC Neil remained with the body (in accordance with procedure) until it was removed to the mortuary. In 1889, John Neil was a reserve police officer, JR 11. He retired from service in 1897 after receiving an injury whilst on duty.

ROBERT PAUL, Born 1857, Mile End, London. Married to Julia Hurley, father of eight children: from 1880to 1895, Robert Paul was a carman working in Corbett's Court off Hanbury Street, Spitalfields, he lived at 30 Foster Street, Whitechapel. He was on his way to work as he passed down Buck's Row at approx. 3.45am on 31st August 1888, when he was approached by Charles Cross who had just discovered the body of Mary Ann Nichols. Paul felt her face and hands and said "I think she's breathing but it's very little if she is". He thought she may be 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.