Whitechapel (47 page)

“FUCKING TELL ME! I NEED TO KNOW!” He broke down in tears curling into a foetal possession as he sobbed loudly and was now inconsolable. Littlechild sat on the side of the bed and put his arm round him; an action to which Robert responded to by grabbing Littlechild’s jacket and pulling himself into it in a scared child like fashion.

“I’m sorry lad. Let it all out. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t go and see her when you get out. Remember her as she was.”

“I don’t even have a picture of her. Did she suffer?” he asked with tears streaming down his face and mucus pouring from his nose. His face was swollen and puffed out.

“Look. She did have her throat cut. Not as deep from what the doc said. The rest of it is very much the same. Maybe a bit more aggressive.”

“Why shouldn’t I see her?” He asked needing desperately to know.

“She….she has had her face disfigured. You wouldn’t know her.”

“Like Eddowes?” Littlechild knew he was forced to be honest.

“Much worse. Robert, she hasn’t got a face anymore. I’m sorry, really I am. You wanted to know and you’d find out anyway.”

Robert was again unable to speak and Littlechild stayed with him for several hours with his subordinate coming in to see him and receive orders to go and carry out. Littlechild knew with what this young man had suffered this was not a time for him to be left alone. He sent instructions to The Street for an officer to be with him at all times for the foreseeable future, ideally a close colleague from his shift.

Abberline and Godley returned to The Street to personally take the initial description from a man called George Hutchinson, who they would later call back for further complete details of the night’s events in statement form, of a potential suspect to pursue. With the assistance of a local artist, a radical idea of Abberline’s to try to gain a physical picture early on of a potential suspect; they sat Hutchinson down and gained a useful description to immediately circulate to the police patrolling on the streets and eventually to the general public.

‘A man of a respectable Jewish appearance wearing a long dark coat with an astrakhan collar and cuffs, a dark jacket and trousers, light waistcoat, dark felt hat turned down in the middle like a homburg or trilby, button boots a black tie with a horseshoe shaped pin and a thick gold chain. He was around thirty-four and about 5’6”. He had a pale complexion, dark cropped hair, and a very slight moustache.’

The accompanying picture was considered very useful by the patrol officers who used it to at least have a basis of suspects to stop and speak to. Arnold addressed Abberline over this radical idea.

“Now then, Abberline, you have shown remarkable initiative in doing this picture thing, try to capitalise on any results it may bring, eh?”

“Yes, Superintendent, we will. I want to see the noose for this ‘Ripper’ making money for old rope in the traditional sense more than anyone.”

“Good. Keep me informed. I have several interviews with the press to deal with. I shall be at The Yard.” With that he left leaving Abberline to plan a new tack perhaps to stop any further bloodshed by hopefully apprehending the suspect.

***

Tuesday 13
th
November; Robert Ford turned up at Commercial Street Police Station not with any hope of returning to work but to see Abberline to discover the truth behind Mary’s murder. He had now hardened himself to any further out pouring of emotion and took a cold view of the world around him. His dream of settled happiness had gone along with any aspirations for the future. He had resigned himself to one mission and one mission only; to avenge the deaths of the two dearest people to him who had been cruelly taken.

He went straight through to the incident room with his left arm still in a light plaster cast where he met Abberline and Godley. They were sat at their desks pawing over piles of statements, many of them useless, to see if they picked up something new, some vital clue so far overlooked, that would lead them to the killer or killers. They both looked up when they saw him.

“Young Robert. Come and take a seat, lad,” said Abberline.

“Thank you, sir. I’d like to read the pathologists statement regarding the injuries to her please.” Godley and Abberline looked at each other both considering his request very carefully; they did not know he was coming and two pictures from the crime scene of Mary’s murder formed part of a gruesome display of victims pictures which adorned one of the walls. Before they could do anything Robert had spotted them and walked straight over to the display and stood transfixed staring at the awful photographic evidence of his love’s horrific end. Abberline looked at Godley both of them remaining silent with no idea of what to say to try to consol him. He studied them for over a minute before turning and facing the detectives who were surprised by the lack of emotion in his face.

“Do you have that report, sir?” Robert asked again of Abberline.

“Yes,” he passed it to him. “Here it is. I have no doubt having seen those pictures that I need not warn you it does not make pleasant reading.”

“I accept that, Guv. Before I start there is little for me to live for beyond work. I appreciate that I may be subject to a discipline inquiry still but I’d like to get back to work as soon as I can.”

“Good, I’m sorry to learn of your motivation for returning but I am glad you wish to. I’ll discuss the matter with Mr Arnold and see what he says.”

“I appreciate that, Mr Abberline,” said Robert nodding his head and straightening his lips briefly in appreciative acknowledgment. He then settled down to read the report on Mary’s injuries made by Dr Thomas Bond; he would find it quite comprehensive.

The position of the body

The body was lying naked in the middle of the bed, the shoulders, but the axis of the body inclined to the left side of the bed. The head was turned on the left cheek. The left arm was close to the body with the forearm flexed at a right angle and lying across the abdomen. The right arm was slightly adducted from the body and rested on the mattress, the elbow bent and the forearm supine with the fingers clenched. The legs were wide apart, the left thigh at right angles to the trunk and the right forming an obtuse angle with the pubes.

The whole of the surface of the abdomen and thighs was removed and the abdominal cavity emptied of the viscera. The breasts were cut off, the arms mutilated by several jagged wounds and the face hacked beyond recognition of the features. The tissues of the neck were severed all round down to the bone.

The viscera were found in various parts viz: the uterus and the kidneys with one breast under the head, the other breast by the right foot, the liver between the feet, the intestines by the right side and the spleen by the left side of the body. The flaps removed from the abdomen and the thighs were on the table.

The bed clothing at the right corner was saturated with blood, and on the floor beneath was a pool of blood covering about two feet square. The wall by the right side of the bed and in line with the neck was marked by blood which had struck it in a number of separate slashes.

Post-mortem examination

The face was gashed in all directions the nose, the cheeks, eyebrows and ears being partly removed. The lips were blanched and cut by several incisions running obliquely down to the chin. There were also numerous cuts extending irregularly across all the features.

The neck was cut through the skin and other tissues right down to the vertebrae the 4
th
and 5
th
being deeply notched. The skin cuts in the front of the neck showed distinct ecchymosis.

The air passage was cut at the lower part of the larynx through the cricoid cartilage.

Both breasts were removed by more or less circular incisions, the muscles down to the ribs being attached to the breasts. The intercostals between the 4
th
and 5
th
and 6
th
ribs were cut through and the contents of the thorax visible through the openings.

The skin and tissues of the abdomen from the costal arch to the pubes were removed in three large flaps. The right thigh was denuded in front to the bone, the flap of skin, including the external organs of generation and part of the right buttock. The left thigh was stripped of skin, fascia and muscles as far as the knee.

The left calf showed along gash through skin and tissues to the deep muscles and reaching from the knee to five inches above the ankle.

Both arms and forearms had extensive and jagged wounds.

The right thumb showed a small superficial incision about one inch long, with extravasations of blood in the skin and there were several abrasions on the back of the hand moreover showing the same condition.

On opening the thorax it was found that the right lung was minimally adherent by old firm adhesions. The lower part of the lung was broken and torn away.

The left lung was intact: it was adherent at the apex and there were a few adhesions over the side. In the substances of the lung were several nodules of consolidation.

A closing paragraph covered the remains of food in Mary’s stomach and intestines. Robert already horrified inwardly by the pictures on the wall could not believe from this report the savagery with which she had been attacked, and just hoped that she had died quickly before the killer began his mutilations. Re-instated to the police or not he would find the man responsible for these crimes and kill him. He remained silent with Abberline noting that he had finished reading.

“You all right, son?” he asked with fatherly concern.

“No. Not really. I don’t believe I ever will be. I’d like to ask that if I am re-instated I’d like to join your team, sir.”

“Yes. A bloke that has shown the resilience you have deserves to be on board.”

“Thanks. I’ll be off home now gentlemen.” Robert got up from the desk and left the office to make his way back to his lodgings in Bakers Row.

He arrived home within around half an hour to find the landlady had kindly looked after Bruiser. He took the dog upstairs with him and sat down on his bed. His world was still in turmoil and his plans no longer of any relevance. He decided as best he could one handed to tidy up his room beginning with the mess of clothes that were strewn around the room on top of the table, chair and littering the bed. He pulled at a jacket hanging over the back of the chair which began to pull the chair backwards. He attempted to stop it falling but with only one hand just dropped everything. He walked frustrated backwards to the bed and dropped himself back onto it. He began to sob with frustration and heartbreak; Bruiser jumped onto the bed and cuddled up next to him with his head resting on his paws all too aware of the emotions in the room.

***

That evening Sean Miller was walking along Sidney Street towards Commercial Road on his own with thoughts in mind of how he could persuade members of the Vigilance Committee to turn against the authorities following this most recent atrocity. So deep in thought was he that he was unaware of the carriage pulling up alongside and keeping pace with him. After a few seconds he looked across at it aware of it only when the door opened towards him. As he looked inside he was grabbed by his lapels and dragged into the interior by a huge portly suited man sporting a large beard that sat him down and slapped some manacles onto his wrists. He had tried to struggle but somewhat pointlessly against his colossal strength. He then became aware of a smart older suited man sat in front of him in the darkness of the interior. He lent forward allowing the street lighting to highlight his features and spoke menacingly.

“So, Mr Miller. I think you maybe responsible for hurting a good friend of mine. What gives you the right to do that eh?”

“He was a fucking pig spying on an innocent man and other working men,” Miller replied aggressively.

“Really? Well, well, we fucking pigs have to stick together, you Fenian bastard. You are plotting seditious activities. For that we must ensure you leave the country,” said the man sitting back into the dark.

“Oh, yeah? And how are you going to do that then, pig?”

“Quite simply. We can help you on you’re way.” The bearded man held tightly onto Miller and gagged him as the well dressed man tied some large lead weights to Millers legs that were sitting on the floor of the carriage. Miller looked out of the window to see that they were alongside the Regents Canal Dock, now known as the Limehouse Basin, a large expanse of inland water linking to the Thames. Miller began struggling and making muffled sounds of protest that then broke into pleading as the carriage stopped along side of the water.

“Like we said, Mr Miller we’ll help you leave the country.” The driver got down from his perch and with the large bearded man they pulled the bucking and screaming Miller from the carriage with his weights and carried him to the edge of the dockside. The smartly dressed man joined them and looked into the black water lapping against the harbour side.

“Hopefully your countrymen will get the message when they forever wonder what happened to poor old Sean Miller. Way you go chaps.”

The two men swung him sideways a couple of times to gain some momentum before letting go and tossing Miller into the dock and watched him instantly sink, leaving only a trail of bubbles.

“Well done, chaps, a job well done,” replied the smartly dressed John Littlechild as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe his hands that had been soiled by the tying of the weights. They all got back onto or into the carriage and rode off.

***

Friday 16
th
November; Tumblety returned to Commercial Street Police Station to be charged with all four counts of indecent assaults investigated by Detective Sergeant Thick. Abberline and Godley knew he was there but had still not had a result on the handwriting analysis. It was a great personal frustration and setback to them to watch impassively as he came and went from the police station over the other matters. Tumblety’s bail date to appear at the Central Criminal Court or ‘Old Bailey’ was set to be the following Tuesday, the 20
th
. The Ripper investigation team could only hope to have a result by then. He strolled out from the front entrance of The Street with an air of unconcern as he knew he would challenge these allegations at court and his social standing against, it would seem a callow youth making the claims, would win him the day.