Those letters

[Michael W Richards]

The ashes in the grate at Millers Court were possibly first searched on Friday while the body was in the room, then subsequent to the long autopsy early Saturday morning, Phillips, Macdonald, Bond, Abberline, Moore and Reid all returned in the afternoon, this time to sift the ashes.
The press conjectured they were looking for remains of organs due to the body being found incomplete after the autopsy.


The investigation made by the doctors yesterday was not the final one, mainly because the room was ill-adapted for the purpose of carrying out a complete autopsy. The post-mortem examination-in-chief was only commenced this morning, at the early hour of half-past seven, when Dr. Phillips, Dr. Bond, Dr. Hibbert, and other experts attended. Some portions of the body are missing, and, says an Echo reporter, writing at two o'clock this afternoon, Dr. Phillips and Dr. Bond, accompanied by Inspector Moor, Inspector Abberline, and Inspector Reid, are again paying a visit to Miller's-court, in order to examine the ashes found in the grate, as it is thought small parts of the body may have been burnt.
Echo, 10 Nov. 1888.

Regards, Jon S.

Hi Jon,

The press conjecture aside....since its meaningless,.... there are reports that stated Abberline and his small group, which included Reid and Godley and a Pearce, were sieving ashes Saturday morning....ergo, as the autopsy was being performed. So no looking for traces of organs which would certainly have been found Friday afternoon anyway.

I believe what the Inspectors return to the room suggests is that he believed that minute fragments of something might still be found there and be used later as evidence. Such as ...letter fragments, stamps, money. Although its not mentioned, nor would it have been, its possible that the Post Office Robbery the night of the Double Event allowed the burglars to obtain the plates used to print paper currency for HMG. Its a fact that their manufacture of paper currency was not centralized as it is today, and currency plates were shipped around the realm to allow local printing of money. Maybe that why a Senior Post Office Official showed up in Millers Court Monday morning. Withe RIC and a member of parliament.

A stamp, or money, has many identifiable characteristics..even when one only has a very small piece of them to examine.

Sieving ashes is just what it suggests.....running the ashes through a sieve to filter out larger pieces of materials. The fact that nothing was obtained but a hat rim and a piece of fabric Friday afternoon just about dismisses the idea completely that anyone would believe re-sieving them Saturday morning would produce any human remains.

All the best

[MsWeatherwax]

Hello Ms W. Thanks. (Not sure if I've welcomed you to the boards yet. Please consider that done.)

I dismiss most of the "MJK" identification stories in light of the news cutting ("The Echo" I think. Perhaps "Lloyds") in which "Mary" was as big a question mark then as she is now. Literally, not a trace of her origins.

Cheers.
LC

Thanks for the welcome, Lynn.

It does feel very much like she's lost to time. It would be lovely to think that with so many fantastic researchers out there, that one day her identity can be confirmed, but it looks highly unlikely, doesn't it?

[lynn cates]

optimistic

Hello Ms W. Thanks.

"It does feel very much like she's lost to time. It would be lovely to think that with so many fantastic researchers out there, that one day her identity can be confirmed, but it looks highly unlikely, doesn't it?"

That's a tad pessimistic for me. Hopefully, we'll find her--once we look in the right place.

Cheers.
LC

[MsWeatherwax]

I sincerely hope you're right.

Who knows, the answer could be sitting in a box of papers in the attic of someone who has no idea of their significance.

[lynn cates]

a hope

Hello Ms W. Thanks. Yes--or in a musty archive.

Cheers.
LC