THE WEITEGHAFEL MURDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9184, 13 October 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE WEITEGHAFEL MURDER.

A MUTILATED WOMAN, Mb. Collier resumed the inquiry at the Working Lads' Institute, Whitechapel, on April 23, into the death of the woman Maria Turner, aged 35, who was discovered early on the morning of August 7 lying dead on the first lloor landing of some model dwelling known in Commercialstreet, Spitaliiofd. - The woman when found presented a shocking appearance, her body being covered with 39 stab wounds, some of which had been done with a bayonet. How the woman came to be in these dwellings is a mystery which the police as yet have not solved. The affair caused great excitement and much interest was manifested in the proceedings. It is worthy of mention that the murder was committed on Bank Holiday night, and is almost indentical with another murder which was perpetrated near the same spot on the night of the previous Bank Holiday. The victim in each case was a poor unfortunate, and their cowardly assailants have up till now evaded capture. Mr. Hosirv Samuel Tabran, of G, River Terrace, East Greenwich, seated that ho was a foreman pucker u> a furniture warehouse, lie identified the body of the woman now dead as hid wife. Her name was Martha Til bran, and she was 3!) years of age. He lust saw her alive IS months ago in the Whitochapcl Road. Witness had been separated from her 13 years. He went before Mr. Benson, the magistrate, and said ho should not, live with h'*r on account of her intemperate habits. She took out a warrant, for his arrest for desertion, but he agreed to allow her l'2s a week. This was carried on for three years, but afterwards finding how she was living, he only gave her 2sb\l a week. She was at that time living with another man. Henry Turner, who stated that he lived at the Working Men's Homo, Commercialstreet, deposed that ho was a carpenter by trade, but latterly he had got his living as a hawker. Up till three weeks previous to this affair he was living with the deceased. They had lived together on and off for nine years. He last saw her alive on the Saturday before her death, when they mot accidentally in Lcadenhall-street. Witness first heard of her death on the day of the inquest. Mary Ann Connelly ("Pearly Poll") was next called, but Inspector Reid asked that she might be cautioned previous to being sworn. This the coroner did, and she said that she had been lodging at a lodginghouse in Dorset-street. She was a single woman, and gained her livelihood on the streets. She had known the deceased for four or live months under the name of '■ Emma." The lust time she saw her alive was on Bank Holiday, at the corner of George-yard, Wliitoohapel. They went to a public-house together, and parted about 11.4,"). The}' were accompanied by two soldiers, one a private and the other a corporal. The coroner, in summing up, said he was bound to acknowledge that the military authorities had rendered every possible assistance. Ho was sorry for several reasons that the perpetrator of this crime, which was one of the most horrible crimes that had been committed for some time past— the details being so horrible that there was ; a refinement of brutality about some parts of it which was nothing less than fiendish— ; had not been traced. After a few minutes' consultation the jury • returned a verdict to the etl'ect that the ! murder was committed by some person or persons unknown ; and welded a rider, in I which they stated their opinion that tlui j staircases of theso model dwellings, which ; existed all over London, should bo lighted up at night.