Sherlock Holmes Murder Most Foul (44 page)

John McCarthy states that once Thomas Bowyer had told him of his find, he had gone to the room with Bowyer and seen the body for himself. He had then dispatched Bowyer to Commercial Street Police Station to report the crime and seek help.

Inspector Walter Beck corroborates both testimonies, informing the court that he and Detective Walter Dew had accompanied Thomas Bowyer and John McCarthy, who had also turned up at the police station, back to Miller’s Court, where they, too, had seen the body.

Inspector George Lestrade, Scotland Yard, testifies that he had arrived at 13 Miller’s Court, Dorset Street, at about half past eleven, only to be told by Inspector Beck that the door of the room, which was locked, could not be forced, as the bloodhounds had been sent for. Two hours later, at about half past one, Superintendent Arnold arrived and informed Lestrade that the order relating to the bloodhounds had been countermanded. Acting quickly, Lestrade had given instructions for the door to be forced. Whilst Mr Joseph Martin, a photographer, had taken photographs of the deceased and her human remains on the bedside table, Lestrade had examined the fireplace, arriving at several conclusions, which he now shares with the court.

“There had been a large fire in the grate. So large, in fact, that the heat from the fire had melted the spout off a kettle. The ashes in the grate were sieved, but not a clue was to be found, except to say the ashes were probably the remains of the clothing that the witness Maria Harvey had given to the deceased. I believe the fire had been produced for the purpose of light as only a single candle was found present in the room. I was informed by the witness Joseph Barnett that he was not aware the key to the room was missing. I therefore drew the conclusion that, having completed his dreadful deed, the murderer had locked the door behind him and taken away the key.”

In a monotone voice, Dr MacDonald asks Lestrade to enlighten the court about the man the police had arrested in Miller’s Court, who they continue to detain at Bishopsgate Street Police Station. Complying with the request, Lestrade is evasively blunt.

“In this country a person is innocent until proven guilty. The man detained at Bishopsgate Street Police Station is being questioned by the police in accordance with that principle. If, however, it should transpire that guilt can be proven, he will be committed for trial. As to the identity of the man, and his occupation, I am not at liberty to disclose those details to the court at the moment.”

Having listened to the medical testimony of the divisional police surgeon, Dr George Bagster Phillips, who had informed the court that Mary Kelly had died due to the severance of her right carotid artery, Dr MacDonald addresses the jury.

“Members of the jury
,
the question I ask is whether you will adjourn to await further evidence. My own opinion is that it is not necessary for us to go over the same evidence again and again, which would require more time and expense
.
If you can come to a decision as to the cause of death, then you would have performed your duty. You are not here to determine who committed the crime, or pass sentence on anyone. It is for you to say whether you will conclude the inquiry today, or adjourn to another date to hear additional evidence. Members of the jury, the court will abide by your decision.”

After a short recess, the foreman of the twelve-man jury informs Dr MacDonald that, having heard sufficient evidence, the jury has reached a verdict.

Peering over his spectacles, MacDonald solemnly asks, “What is the verdict?”

The foreman coughs, clearing his throat, “Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown.”

With these eight words, the inquest into the death of Mary Kelly is concluded. However, one crucial witness, unknown to the police at present, has been hesitant about revealing himself. That is, until he reads in the late edition of
The Star
newspaper the testimony of Sarah Lewis, who had described the man she had seen loitering outside Crossingham’s lodging house, opposite the entrance to Miller’s Court on the morning of the murder.

“I see a man wiv a
wideawake
’at. There were no one talkin’ t’ ’im. ’E were a stout-lookin’ man, an’ not very tall. The ’at were black. I did not take any notice o’ ’is clothes. The man were lookin’ up the court. ’E seemed t’ be waitin’ or lookin’ fer someone. Further on there were a man an’ woman. She bein’ drunk. There were nobody in the court.”

♦
♦
♦
♦
♦

Wearily stepping into Commercial Street Police Station, Lestrade removes his glistening bowler hat and shakes the rain from it.

Holding a three-page statement, Chandler approaches him, “The funeral’s tomorrow, then?”

With his hand, Lestrade starts to brush the rain from his overcoat, “St Patrick's Cemetery, Leytonstone. As instructed by Mr Holmes, the cortège will leave St Leonard's Church in Shoreditch and travel through Spitalfields.” He points a cautionary finger at Chandler, “And mum’s the word about Mr Holmes. As far as you, or anyone else knows, he’s still detained at Bishopsgate Street Police Station.”

Chandler nods and hands Lestrade the statement, “You better read this, Inspector.”

Lestrade sighs, “It’s nigh on half past seven. I’m tired, wet and hungry. Can’t it wait until after the funeral tomorrow?”

Chandler motions to a corridor behind him with his head, “He’s back there. Came in here about six o’clock tonight and offered to make a statement. Quite freely, like.”

Lestrade takes the statement from Chandler, “What’s he say?”

Chandler exhales loudly, “Says he saw Mary Kelly with a bloke a few hours before she was murdered. Thinks it may have been the Ripper.”

♦
♦
♦
♦
♦

    
Commercial Street

         No. 6.                                         Metropolitan Police

Special Report.                                  
H
Division

12
th
November 188
8

Reference to
Papers

Re murder
             
At 6pm 12
th
George Hutchinson of the

                          Victoria Home Commercial Street came

                          to this station and made the following

                         statement.

                        
About 2 am 9
th
I was coming by Thrawl

                         Street, Commercial Street, and just before I

                         got to Flower and Dean Street I saw the

                       murdered woman Kelly. and she said

                        to me Hutchinson will you lend me

                         sixpence. I said I cant I have spent

                         all my money going down to Romford.

                         she said good morning I must go and

                        find some money. She went away towards

                         Thrawl Street. a man coming in the opposite

                         direction to Kelly tapped her on the shoulder

                         and said something to her they both

                         burst out laughing. I heard her say

                         alright to him. and the man said you

                         will be alright for what I have told

                         you. he then placed his right hand around

                         her shoulders. He also had a kind of

                         a small parcel in his left hand. with a

                         kind of strap round it. I stood

                         against the lamp of the
Ten Bells
Queens Head

                         Public House and watched him. They both

                         then came past me and the man hid

                         down his head with his hat over his

                         eyes. I stooped down and looked

                         him in the face. He looked at me

                                                  Signed
George Hutchinson

Page 2

continued
                 
stern. They both went into Dorset

                         Street I followed them. They both

                         stood at the corner of the court for

                         about 3 minutes. He said something

                         to her. she said alright my dear

                        come along you will be comfortable.

                         He then placed his arm on her shoulder

                         and gave her a kiss. She said she had

                         lost her handkerchief. he then pulled

                         his handkerchief a red one out and

                         gave it to her. They both then went up

                         the Court together. I then went to the

                         court to see if I could see them but

                         could not. I stood there for about

                        three quarters of an hour to see if they

                         came out they did not so I went away.

                        
Description age about 34 or 35. height 5ft6

                         Complexion pale, dark eyes and eye lashes

                        
dark
slight moustache, curled up each

                         end, and hair dark, very surley looking

                         dress long dark coat, collar and cuffs

                         trimmed astracan, and a dark jacket

                         under. light waistcoat, dark trousers

                         dark felt hat turned down in the middle

                         button boots and gaiters with white

                         buttons. wore a very thick gold chain

                         white linen collar. black tie with horse

                         shoe pin. respectable appearance

                                                      Signed
George Hutchinson

Page 3

continued
     w
alked very sharp. Jewish appearance.

                        Can be identified.

                                                      Signed
George Hutchinson

Placing his wet bowler hat down beside the statement on the table in front of him, Lestrade slowly removes his damp overcoat, hanging it over the back of a chair. With Chandler in attendance, Lestrade seats himself at the table, suspiciously staring at George Hutchinson sitting opposite him.

Lestrade drums the surface of the table with his fingers, “What took you so long, Mr Hutchinson?”

Taking off his widewake hat and plonking it down on the table, Hutchinson grins cockily, “Ain’t a clue wot yer mean, guv’nor.”

Chandler interjects, “This is Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard.
[417]
Wipe that grin off your face.”

Hutchinson blanches and then appeals to Lestrade, “Came in ’ere o’ me own free will, Inspector. Ain’t no need fer ’im t’ talk t’ me like that, is there?”

Lestrade ignores his plea, “Mary Kelly was found dead on Friday morning. You could have given us your statement on Saturday, or Sunday, but you left it until tonight, Monday, why?”

Hutchinson fidgets in his chair uncomfortably,
[418]
“I spilled me guts t’ a copper on fixed-point duty on Sunday. Told me t’ come ’ere. So I’m ’ere, ain’t I?”

Chandler snaps, “That was yesterday. Answer the Inspector’s question. Why did you leave it until tonight?” He slams a folded newspaper down upon the table in front of Hutchinson, “Wouldn’t have anything to do with Mary Kelly’s inquest report, would it?”

Lestrade growls, “You were seen by a witness, loitering near the scene of the murder. Came in here tonight to clear your name, didn’t you?”

Hutchinson blurts, “Ain’t a clue wot yer talkin’ ’bout.”

Lestrade turns his attention to the statement, “All right, Georgie boy...” He looks at Hutchinson disdainfully, “Don’t mind if I call you Georgie, do you?”

Hutchinson shakes his head, “Most folks do.”

Lestrade peruses part of the statement.

                  I was coming by Thrawl

                  Street, Commercial Street, and just before I

                  got to Flower and Dean Street I saw the

                  murdered woman Kelly. and she said

                  to me Hutchinson will you lend me

                  sixpence. I said I cant I have spent

                  all my money going down to Romford.

Lestrade looks at Hutchinson, “Having traipsed all the way back from Romford and knowing that your lodgings in Commercial Street had closed at midnight, you had walked right past them and met Mary Kelly approaching you from the other direction, walking away from 13 Miller’s Court in Dorset Street, where she lodged.”

Hutchinson nods.

“And she knew you by name?”

Hutchinson nods again, “Met ’er nigh on three years ago. Down in
[419]
Shadwell, b’fore she moved up ’ere.”

Lestrade strokes his moustache, “So, on the night in question, both you and her were without money?”

Hutchinson frowns,
[420]
“Wot yer drivin’ at, Inspector?”

“Mary Kelly was a prostitute, right?”

Hutchinson responds defensively, “’Er kind ’as t’ make a livin’, guv..., Inspector.”

Lestrade muses, “If she were out
[421]
peddling her wares, surely she would have offered herself to you for a price, rather than ask you for money, don’t you think?”

Hutchinson gulps.

Lestrade continues, “On the other hand, she may have already procured a punter and was going to meet him, which meant she had no need of you at all.”

Chandler places both his hands on the table and leans closer to Hutchinson, “Mary Kelly didn’t ask you for sixpence. You asked her.”

Stumped, Hutchinson remains silent.

Lestrade chuckles, “You see, Georgie boy, if you lied about the sixpence...” He taps the statement with his finger, “How much of this do you expect us to believe?”

Hutchinson shrugs his shoulders indifferently.

Folding his arms, Lestrade places them on the table, “But to show you that I am a fair man, I’m going to give you the
[422]
benefit of the doubt.” He returns to the statement.

                     She went away towards

                     Thrawl Street. a man coming in the

                     opposite direction to Kelly tapped

                     her on the shoulder and said something

                     to her they both burst out laughing.

                     I heard her say alright to him. and the

                     man said you will be alright for what

                     I have told you. he then placed his

                     right hand around her shoulders. He also

                     had a kind of a small parcel in his left

                     hand. with a kind of strap round it.

Lestrade stares at Hutchinson again, “If I were to walk down Commercial Street, I’d find Thrawl Street is situated beyond Flower and Dean Street, on the same side, right?”

Hutchinson nods.

“And you stood on the corner of Flower and Dean Street and watched Mary Kelly walk towards Thrawl Street?”

Hutchinson nods again.

Chandler looks at Lestrade, “One for words, isn’t he, Inspector?”

Amused by the remark, Lestrade asks Chandler, “What would you say the distance is between the two streets?”

Chandler considers the question, “From Flower and Dean Street to Thrawl Street?
[423]
Ten yards, give or take a foot.”

Lestrade turns back to the statement and narrates a particular paragraph, “I heard her say alright to him. And the man said you will be alright for what I have told you.” Looking at Chandler, he motions to Hutchinson with his hand, “And there’s Georgie boy, at least thirty feet away, but he can hear everything Mary Kelly and her companion are saying to each other. Believe that?”

Chandler quips, “Not unless he’s got the ears of an elephant.”

Lestrade turns to Hutchinson, “You a drinking man, Georgie?”

Hutchinson grins, “Second nature, Inspector.”

“What’s the name of the tavern opposite your lodgings?”

“The Princess Alice.”

“Now if you were to walk up Commercial Street, what would be the name of the next tavern?”

“The Queen’s Head.”

“Corner of Fashion Street, right?”

Hutchinson nods yet again.

“And the next one?”

“The Britannia, corner of Dorset Street.”

Lestrade commends him, “You know your taverns, all right. And the one past Spitalfields Church?”

“The Ten Bells.”

Paraphrasing Hutchinson, Lestrade murmurs, “The Ten Bells.” He turns back to the statement again.

                  
I stood against the lamp of the
Ten Bells

                   Queens Head Public House and watched

                   him. They both then came past me and

                   the man hid down his head with his hat

                   over his eyes. I stooped down and looked

                   him in the face. He looked at me stern.