THE LONDON MURDERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3060, 21 November 1888, Page 2

THE LONDON MURDERS.

, A. furthur addition to tlio annals of crime was.brought to light on October 2nd, the scene on this occasion being within a stone's throw of the-House of Parliament, The body proved to.be that of a woman of about twenty-five years of age, and was discovered ill an unfinished builr ding on the Thames Embankment, Intense excitement prevailed in the neighborhood oil tlio fact becoming known, and for several hours groups of persons gathered together discussing the subject. For the past twelve months the new police offices in place of those at Scotland Yard, have been in tlio course of erection, flie sight being that on the Embankment, oil which the Opera House waftpiiayp b'eei)'built.'-Tjie contractors iii'o tlessrs J.'Qroyjif 'and Sous of Wilton works, Nov/ North itoad, and tho building is advancing rapidly. A largo number of hands aro employed; but it was nover deemed necessary to engage a niglit. watchman./ In addition to a lengthy hoarding on the embankment, .which \i 16ft in height, there is another hoarding. of ft Mmfe • description running along Canon row—a tliorouglifave loading.out of Parliament Street, 'arid running directly- at ijii'wa'i! ;o{ ! |.hb' ; Sinbankment; 1 ' •: This for the purpose. -.:'jrbe baseraeatjand

| otlier the building were compjefedjllie former oontaiuiug a lnim; bei-of faults. Several of these-ar6 tlcscriUed 'as being extremely dark in tho corner; In fulfilling tlieii' diiiiea the workmen frequently passed! to : and fro, but observed nothing .particular- to attract' their attention. On Monday morning, October Ist, tbe foreman in makin? bis. rouncU. happened to glance in a corner of one of the vaults, obscured from view, and about sixty, or seventy yards from the principal gate in Canon row, but comparatively out of reach of the Embankment, his eye alighted on a dark-looking object, . lyhioh had tbo appearance of an old coait, • and which bsibelieved had been .thrown thereby one of the workmen." The following day two or three pieces of black or.dark material, used for ladies dresses, were discovered in different parts of the works, and lie sent a labourer to get the parcel lie had seen in the. vault.On bringing it to the lipht tlie men were horrified, and the stencil arrising from it almost overcame them.; The covering was of the same material as that:previously spoken of, but it was tied with cord. On removing the fastening it' mutilated trunk was exhibited,; the head, arms, and legs being cut oway. .The body itself was further bound with' cords, but was frightfully decomposed. From its appearance it was that of a woman of somuwhat full proportions. The foreman.immediately; communicated with the police at King street station, and in a few minutes Inspectors 'Peter and Marshall - arrived,. accompanied by other officers. Intimation of the discovery was also conveyed to. Dr Bond, who in'turn directed Dr Hibbert'to attend. The latter ! gentleman made a brief examination . and at once pronounced the remains to be those of a woman. After a > more minute investigation the'iM< cal gentleman is stated to have ■ expressed au idea that the woman' had been dismembered. by [ an. unskilful person, and further, he was fully of opinion tliat the- arm recently found at Pimlico; as well as the one founds • near the Blind Asylum; South London , belonged to the same individual'. Aftor. further investigatioiii it became apparent that -the;'body 1 inust j'liave : been-carried bodily and.'placed'in the iposition in which .it was found/ It is impossible l for anything to lodge in suoli a manner if thrown over , the hoarding on the, embankment, and it .would be equally difficult for 'any person to climb ovor at that part in order to gain accessi to: the,vault. The police at present are completely in the dark as to the m&thod adopted iu gaining access to the bulling, but they incline to the opinion that it is the act:ofsome one fully cognisant ofthoarrangements. , , The post mortem examination of the remains, was made on .October 3rd by Mr Uond, the divisional police surgeon, and Mr. Hibbert, his assistant, at the / Wcstminstei*. Mortuary. The autopsy, which lasted about an' hour and a half, was necessarily of a limitedcharacter,, owing to.,;the advanced ptate of decomposition in ■which the trunk was i found. The doctors are preparing an elaborate report to be presented to the Coroner at the inquest, which is' to be held oil October Bth, and decline, to give . any detailed information' until then. It has, hpwever, been ascertained that the body : ,ia tliatof a ished woman,.that the' ariii foufid iii the Thames .at -Pinilico, )vas beyond doubt cut from thisiirunk, that the cord tied round the limb is similar to that- by which the parcel was tied, and that death- -from what cause, cannot bp ascertained—must have taken place about three 'weeks ago,/ decomposition, having : being hastened by exposure. ■ The clothing in which the body, was 'wrapped has been disinfected and cleaned, and is now proved, to have been a rich ! broclio silk underskirt. This is 1 looked upon' as proving'' that the woman did not belong to the poorest class of society. ,