Читать книгу The Hunt of a pipsqueak Jack the Ripper - C. Cranston Neil - Страница 4

Born: Martha White, May 10, 1849, at 17 Marshall Street, London Rd., Southwark Father: Charles Samuel White, a warehouseman Mother: Elisabeth (Dowsett) Brothers: Henry (twelve years older than Martha), Stephen (8 years older) Sisters: Esther (10 years older), Mary Ann (3 years older) Martha's parents separated and in May of 1865 Charles was lodging alone in the house of Mrs. Rebecca Glover. The house was located at 31 Pitt Street, St. George's Row. His health was questionable, he suffered severe diarrhea in October and a surgeon was called to examine him. The surgeon found him troubled by his familiar situation and complaining of bad circulation and cold. According to his daughter Mary Ann, he also stated that he had a weak back and was unable to work. On October 11th his estranged wife, Elisabeth, visited him for the first time since their separation. Over the next few days she visited often and on the evening of November 15th, both she and her daughter Mary Ann had supper at his lodging. The meal consisted of bread, butter, and beer. According to his landlady, Mrs. Grover, he was cheerful that evening. At approximately 10:00 PM, he rose to go to bed and while removing his waistcoat he fell to the floor and died. As there was no evidence of any thing suspicious, the death was ruled as coming from natural causes. He was 59 years old. On Christmas Day, 1869, Martha married Henry Samuel Tabram at Trinity Church in St. Mary's Parish, Newington. He was a foreman furniture packer. A short, well dressed man with iron gray hair, mustache and imperial. They had already been living together in Pleasant Place and moved to 20 Marshall Street in February 1871. The new house was very near by the house in which Martha was born. Martha had two sons by the marriage, Frederick John, born in February 1871 and Charles Henry, born in December of 1872. The marriage ended in 1875. Henry left due to Martha's heavy drinking. He gave her an allowance of twelve shillings per week for three years but reduced it to 2s 6d due to her pestering him in the streets for money. She had a warrant taken out against him and had him locked up. He had also learned that she was living with another man. At this time he refused to support her any further. Henry Turner was a carpenter with whom Martha lived, off and on, for twelve years. He is described as a short, dirty man who dressed in a slovenly manner. He was young and had a pale face, light moustache and imperial. Their relationship also appears to have been greatly effected by Martha's drinking. Turner stated at the inquest into her death: "Since she has been living with me, her character for sobriety was not good. If I give her money she generally spent it in drink." Martha was in the habit of staying out late at night, usually not returning before 11:00 PM and occasionally staying out all night. Her excuse was usually that she had been taken with hysterical fits and had been taken to the police station. Turner had witnessed these fits and stated that they usually came about due to drunkenness. In 1888 Turner was out of regular employment and making his living hawking cheap trinkets, menthol cones and needles and pins. The couple lodged in the house of Mrs. Mary Bousfield at 4 Star Place, Commercial Road. Bousfield described Martha as a person who would "rather have a glass of ale than a cup of tea." She also said, however, that she was not a perpetual drunk. The couple left their lodgings without notice and behind in the rent approximately 4 to 6 weeks prior to the murder. Perhaps out of guilt, Martha secretly returned one night and left the key to the lodging without seeing the landlady. Turner left Martha for the last time in July of 1888. At the time of her death he was living at the Victoria working man's home on Commercial Street. She tried to carry on earning a living through selling trinkets and prostitution. It is very likely that whatever small amount of money she made was spent on drink. Indeed, Turner is quoted as saying "If I gave her money she generally spent it on drink. In fact it was always drink. When she took to drink, however, I usually left her to her own resources, and I can't answer to her conduct then." Her last known address was 19 George Street, Spitalfields (known as Satchel’s Lodging House). Turner saw a destitute Martha for the last time on Leadenhall Street, near Aldgate pump on August 4, 1888. He gave her 1s 6d to buy trinkets for trade with which she might earn some sort of living. On Bank Holiday Monday, August 6th, Martha went out with Mary Ann Connelly, who was known as "Pearly Poll." They were seen throughout the evening in pubs in the company of a soldier or soldiers. According to Pearly Poll, she and Martha picked up two guardsmen, a Corporal and a Private in the Two Brewers public house and drank with them in several pubs including the White Swan on Whitechapel High Street.

11:45 PM Martha and Pearly Poll went separate ways. Martha with the Private into George Yard and Pearly Poll and the Corporal into Angel Alley. Both, obviously, for the purpose of having sex.

1:50 AM: Elizabeth Mahoney returned to her home in George Yard Buildings. At the time that she ascended the stairs to her flat she saw no one or anything unusual in the building.

2:00 AM: PC Thomas Barrett saw a young Grenadier Guardsman in Wentworth Street, the north end of George Yard. Barrett questioned his reason for being there and was told by the Guardsman that he was waiting for a "chum who went off with a girl."

3:30 AM: Alfred Crow returned to his lodging in George Yard Buildings and noticed what he thought was a homeless person sleeping on the first floor landing. As this was not an uncommon occurrence he continued on to bed.

John Reeves left his lodgings in the George Yard Buildings at 4:45 AM. By this time the light was improving inside the stairwell. Reeves also noticed the body on the first floor landing but he was also aware that it was lying in a pool of blood. Reeves went off to find a policeman. He returned with PC Barrett. Although not yet identified, the body was that of Martha Tabram. The body was supine with the arms and hands by the side. The fingers were tightly clenched and the legs open in a manner to suggest that intercourse had taken place. Others who testified at the inquest include Francis Hewitt, the superintendent of George Yard Buildings and Mrs. Mary Bousfield (also known as Luckhurst), Martha's former landlady at 4 Star Street. The Post-Mortem: The post-mortem examination of Martha Tabram was held by Dr. Timothy Killeen (also spelled Keeling or Keleene) at 5:30 AM on the morning of August 7th. Tabram was described as a plump middle-aged woman, about 5'3" tall, dark hair and complexion. The time of death was estimated at about three hours before the examination (around 2:30-2:45 AM). In all, there were thirty-nine stab wounds including: 5 wounds (left lung) 2 wounds (right lung) 1 wound (heart) 5 wounds (liver)

2 wounds (spleen) 6 wounds (stomach) According to Killeen, the focus of the wounds were the breasts, belly, and groin area. In his opinion, all but one of the wounds were inflicted by a right-handed attacker, and all but one seemed to have been the result of an "ordinary pen-knife." There was, however, one wound on the sternum which appeared to have been inflicted by a dagger or bayonet (thereby leading police to believe that a sailor was the perpetrator). Wearing at the time of her death: A black bonnet Long black jacket A dark green skirt Brown petticoat Stockings Spring sided boots showing considerable age.

ALFRED CROW Born, c.1867 in Whitechapel, cab driver No.6.600 and resident of 35 George Yard Buildings. Crow claimed to have seen a body presumably Tabram's on the first floor landing of George Yard Buildings at 3.30am, 7th August 1888, as he returned from his evening out. However, he paid no attention as it was apparently common to find strangers sleeping there. He was unable to say whether the person was alive or dead. He got up at 9.30am and had heard no noise whilst he was in bed. George Yard at 10 p.m. dark like a cave. In 1891, Alfred was living with his parents, George and Martha in Lolesworth Buildings, Thrawl Street.

The Jack The Ripper Connection An intriguing tale from a Cabman's Shelter, Daily Telegraph, October, 1888. Mr. Thomas Ryan, who has charge of the cabman's reading-room and shelter in Westbourne-grove, relates a story of a man who made a mysterious statement to him on Sunday afternoon. According to this narrative a street attendant brought a man to the shelter about four o'clock in the afternoon and said, "This 'ere gentleman wants a chop, guv'nor; can you cook one for him. He says he's 'most perished with cold." Mr. Ryan replied, "Certainly, I will cook you one with pleasure. Come in." The man accordingly entered and sat down. He was about 5 ft 6 in in height, wore an Oxford cap and a light check Ulster with a tippet, which he did not loosen all the time. He had a thick moustache, but no beard, had clean white hands, was round-headed, his eyes very restless, and he seemed to have been drinking. Several cabmen were in the shelter at the time, talking of the murders discovered that morning at Whitechapel. Ryan exclaimed, "I'd gladly give a good deal if I could only find the fellow who did them." The stranger, looking into Ryan's face, quietly replied "Don't you know who committed the murders? I did them. I've had a lot of trouble lately. I came back from India and got into trouble at once. I lost my watch and chain and £10." Mr. Ryan and the other persons present were much surprised at this statement, but as the man appeared to be under the influence of liquor they did not pay much attention to it, more especially as he produced a bottle, apparently of brandy, out of his pocket and offered them a drink. Mr. Ryan told him they were all teetotalers there, and got him to sign a temperance pledge. He signed the book as "J. Duncan; doctor; residence, After doing this he said, "I could tell a tale if I wanted," and relapsed into semi-somnolence. Mr. Ryan called his attention to the fact that he had not filled in his proper residence, and the man replied, "I have no fixed place of abode at present. I'm living anywhere." After eating his chop and again offering the company a drink he disappeared, and has not since been heard of. The London omnibuses needed 16,000 drivers and conductors, by 1861. Conductors were allowed to keep 4 shillings a day out of the fares they collected, and drivers could count on 34 shillings a week, for a working day beginning at 7.45 and ending often past midnight. A worker’s average wage was between 20 and 30 shillings a week in London, probably less in the provinces. This would just cover his rent, and a very sparse diet for him and his family. In 1891 the top rate of pay for an East Sussex constable was £1/6/10d weekly.