by Covell, Mike
The Star, a London based newspaper, featured the following, dated September 15th 1888,
WHITECHAPEL. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HEATH-STREET INCIDENT. A Man Arrested, but Mrs. Lloyd Says She Can't Identify Him - The Pensioner Makes a Satisfactory Statement - Bogus Bloodstains.
The police were yesterday in communication with the pensioner Edward Stanley, who is known to have been frequently in the company of the murdered woman, Chapman. Last night Stanley, who is a man of 47 years of age, attended at the Commercial-street Police-station, and made a statement, which was taken down by Inspector Helson. His explanation of his proceedings is regarded as perfectly satisfactory, and as affording no possible ground for associating him in any way with the recent outrage. In view of his relations with the deceased woman, Stanley felt considerable diffidence in coming forward, but after the expressions of opinion by the coroner at the inquest on Thursday he placed himself in indirect communication with the police. In was by arrangement that he subsequently proceeded to Commercial-street Police Station. Stanley has given the police. A FULL ACCOUNT OF HIS WHEREABOUTS since he last saw the deceased woman, which was on the Sunday preceding the murder. Since then he has been following his usual employment, and has taken no steps to conceal his movements. The man is described as superior to the ordinary run of those who frequent the lodging-houses of Spitalfields. He states that he has known Chapman for about two years, and denies that she was of a quarrelsome disposition. So far as he is aware, there was no man with whom she was on bad terms, or who would have any reason for seeking her life. Stanley will attend the inquest when the proceedings are resumed, though his evidence is not expected to throw much light on the tragedy. In respect to the pieces of newspaper discovered in Bayley's yard on Tuesday afternoon, where they had been, it was supposed, thrown by the murderer, who had first wiped his hands upon them when standing in the yard of No. 25, Hanbury-street, it has been alleged that they have been subjected to analysis, and the stains upon them proved to be those of human blood. On inquiry at the surgery of Mr. Phillips it was stated that these pieces of paper have not been examined as reported, and the doctor was so satisfied of the real nature of THE OTHER SO-CALLED BLOODSTAINS upon the wall that he has not thought it necessary to analyse the matter submitted to him. Mr. Phillips personally has hitherto withheld information from reporters upon conscientious grounds, and Inspector Abberline himself says that the surgeon has not told him what portions of the body were missing. From independent testimony it has been gathered that the description of them would enable the jury, if not the public, to form some idea of the motive of the singular crime, and at the same time it would perhaps enable the police to pursue their investigations on a wider basis, and probably with the object of showing that the guilty man moves in a more respectable rank of life than that to which the larger proportion of the inhabitants of Spitalfields and Whitechapel belong. The police at the Commercial-street police-station have made another arrest on suspicion. It appears that among the numerous statements and descriptions of suspected persons are several tallying with that of the man in custody, but beyond this the police know nothing at present against him. Throughout Thursday his movements are stated to have created suspicion amongst various persons, but it was not until last night he was handed over to a uniform constable doing duty in the neighborhood of Flower and Dean-street, on suspicion, in connection with the crime. When searched AN ODD ACCUMULATION OF ARTICLES was found - things only found on tramps, frequenters of common lodging-houses or casual wards. There were pieces of dress fabrics, old and dirty linen, two or three pocket-handkerchiefs, two small tin boxes, a small cardboard box, a small leather strap, some string, one spring onion, two purses with several compartments, usually carried by females, and somewhat worn. There is also said to have been found a small tableknife. The person to whom this curious assortment belonged is slightly built, about 5ft. 7in. or 5ft. 8in. in height, and, as may be imagined, dressed in very shabby attire. He has a very careworn look. Covering a head of hair somewhat inclined to be sandy, with beard and moustache to match, was a cloth skull cap. His name is Edward M'Kenna, and he gives an address at 15, Brick-lane, Whitechapel. He says the table-knife, which is rather the worse for wear, he uses FOR CUTTING HIS FOOD. According to his own statement, which is fairly detailed, he has recently been on tramp in Kent, and has only just returned to London. He gains a living by peddling laces and other small articles. The police do not attach great importance to the arrest, but have detained him for inquiries, as he answers the description of a man who acted in a suspicious manner in Heath-street on Monday night.
This morning a Star reporter saw Mrs. Lloyd and her daughter, of Heath-street, Commercial-road, to whom has been attributed a sensational story about a man with a knife. Mrs. Lloyd says the statement which has been printed in the newspapers has been very much exaggerated, and she herself attaches no importance whatever to the incident. “What has been put into the papers,” she said, “was put in without my consent. If anything serious or important had happened I should, of course, have immediately gone to the police. The truth is this. At eleven o'clock I was standing near my front door, and my daughter was sitting on the steps. Some boys chased a man up the street. The man crossed the road and went up to my daughter, looked in her face, and ran away without saying a word.” “DID HE HAVE A KNIFE?” asked our reporter. “That I couldn't say,” replied Mrs. Lloyd, “as he ran, he had one hand behind him, and seemed to be holding something in it, but what it was, I don't know. I didn't see anything glittering, and couldn't say whether it was a weapon at all.” “Did he make any attempt to stab your daughter?” “Not at all. I have been told the police have taken into custody and have got at Commercial-street Station a man who answers the published description of the man I saw, and I have been asked to go to the station and see whether I can identify him. But I know I CAN'T SWEAR TO ANY MAN. I can only say that the man I saw was short in stature, and I think he had a sandy beard. But all I could say positively on this point is that the man wasn't dark. As for the statement that he was mad, he might very likely have only had something to drink. The boy ran after him in Commercial-road, and I saw no more of him.” Regarding the man Pigott, who was captured at Gravesend, nothing whatever has been discovered by the detectives in the course of their inquiries which can in any way identify him with the crime or crimes; and his release, at all events from the custody of the police, is expected shortly.
The Times, a London based newspaper, featured the following, dated September 15th 1888,
THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS. The police at the Commercial-street station have made another arrest on suspicion in connection with the recent murders. It appears that among the numerous statements and descriptions of suspected persons are several tallying with that of the man in custody, but beyond this the police know nothing at present against him. His apprehension was of a singular character. Throughout yesterday his movements are stated to have created suspicion among various persons, and last night he was handed over to a uniform constable doing duty in the neighbourhood of Flower and Dean-street on suspicion in connection with the crime. On his arrival at the police station in Commercial-street the detective officers and Mr. Abberline were communicated with, and an inquiry concerning him was at once opened. On being searched perhaps one of the most extraordinary accumulation of articles were discovered–a heap of rags, comprising pieces of dress fabrics, old and dirty linen, two purses of a kind usually used by women, two or three pocket handkerchiefs, one a comparatively clean white one, and a white one with a red spotted border; two small tin boxes, a small cardboard box, a small leather strap, which might serve the purpose of a garter string, and one spring onion. The person to whom this curious assortment belongs is slightly built, about 5ft. 7in. or 5ft. 8in. in height, and dressed shabbily. He has a very careworn look. Covering a head of hair, inclined somewhat to be sandy, with beard and moustache to match, was a cloth skull cap, which did not improve his appearance. Suspicion is the sole motive for his tempor
ary detention, for the police, although making every possible inquiry about him, do not believe his apprehension to be of any importance. Regarding the man Pigott, who was captured at Gravesend, nothing whatever has been discovered by the detectives in the course of their inquiries which can in any way connect him with the crimes, and his release, at all events, from the custody of the police is expected shortly. In connexion with the arrest of a lunatic at Holloway, it appears that he has been missing from his friends for some time now. The detectives have been very active in prosecuting their inquiries concerning him, and it is believed the result, so far, increases their suspicion. He is at present confined in the asylum at Grove-road, Bow. All inquiries have failed to elicit anything as to the whereabouts of the missing pensioner who is wanted in connexion with the recent murder. On the question as to the time when the crime was committed, concerning which there was a difference between the evidence of the man Richardson and the opinion of Dr. Phillips, a correspondent yesterday elicited that Mr. Cadoche, who lives in the next house to No. 29, Hanbury-street, where the murder was committed, went to the back of the premises at half-past 5 a.m. As he passed the wooden partition he heard a woman say “No, no.” On returning he heard a scuffle and then someone fell heavily against the fence. He heard no cry for help, and so he went into his house. Some surprise is felt that this statement was not made in evidence at the inquest. There is a very strong feeling in the district and large numbers of persons continue to visit the locality. Annie Chapman, the victim of the crime, was buried early yesterday morning at Manor Park Cemetery. Some of her relatives attended the funeral.
