Double event in Buck's Row?

[Joshua Rogan]

I've just come across this in Lloyds Weekly 2nd Sept 1888;

"Shortly after noon on Friday some men while searching the pavement in Buck's-row, above the gateway, in a different direction to that from which the woman came, or was brought, found two large spots of blood, and each about the size of a shilling. The first was about 25 feet from the gateway and the second 10 feet beyond. Both were a few inches from the kerb in the roadway and clearly defined. It was at once agreed they came either from the hands or the clothing of the murderer as he went away, and that they resulted from the squeezing out some blood-soaked clothing. Our representative discovered, however, on making inquiries the same night, that at a house near where the blood spots were a man, early on the morning of the tragedy, had made a murderous assault on his wife and cut her throat. She was carried to the London hospital, and it is very probable some blood dripped from her."

[Joshua Rogan]

This story is the nearest I can find to corroboration, although the time and location don't seem to fit....

The Eastern Argus 8th Sept
"Several evening contemporaries published on Tuesday a sensational account of a woman, who on leaving the Foresters Music Hall on the previous Saturday night, was accosted by a "well-dressed man" who eventually took her within a few yards of the spot in Buck's Row, where the brutal murder took place last Friday, and there robbed and assaulted her with the aid of a gang who came out of a court. This veracious account also stated that this gang threatened to "serve her the same as they did the other" if she was not quiet and wound up by saying this would be a good clue for the police to work up the murder with. There appears now to be no foundation for this "news". It originated, no doubt, from the fact that on Sunday, John Hummerstone, a labourer, living at 11, Key Street, which is in the vicinity of Buck's Row, savagely assaulted a woman named Smith with whom he had been living. He knocked her about in a brutal manner and then struck her with a knife. He was charged at Worship Street Police Court on Monday and remanded. On Tuesday he was again brought up at this court, and then a woman named Jess, living at 13, Key Street, gave evidence that she witnessed the assault, but she was afraid before of giving evidence.

The prisoner was then sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour."

[Joshua Rogan]

Lloyds Weekly 9th Sept
Henry Hummerston, 32, labourer, Key-street, Hoxton was charged, on remand, at Worship-street police-court, on Wednesday, with having assaulted and attempted to murder Eliza Smith. - The prosecutrix, a young woman, said she had been cohabiting with the prisoner for about two years. He had often assaulted her, and on this occasion he returned home the worse for drink, and, having a black eye, asked her who had done it. She told him she didn't know, but supposed he had quarrelled with somebody when drunk. From that he began to abuse her, and said she had done it. He struck her and got her down. She escaped from him and ran downstairs. He pursued her, and she ran into the backyard. Then he attacked her again and knocked her down. He kicked her in the mouth and in the body. Whilst she was down he threw himself upon her, and she saw that he had a knife in his hand. (The prosecutrix produced it - it was a table-knife with a large blade.) He drew it across her throat (the prosecutrix exhibited a slight cut passing half-way round her throat on the right side), and said that he meant making a "second Buck's-row murder" of it. She was rescued by the neighbours, who witnessed part of the assault. The magistrate sent for some of these witnesses, and they corroborated the prosecutrix as to the assault in the yard, and the prisoner's threat. At the same time it seemed that he had the woman quite in his power, and could have more seriously injured her. - Prisoner was now sent to six months' hard labour.