Kelly Inquest - The Scotsman

[Chris Scott]

Maria Harvey, of New Court, Dorset Street, knew deceased. On Monday and Tuesday she slept with the deceased. She saw the deceased on the Thursday night about seven o'clock. Joe came in whilst she was there. She left some clothes to be washed, including one man's shirts, petticoats belonging a child, and a black overcoat.
The Coroner - Two shirts belonging to the same man?
Witness - No, sir. She saw the coat again on Friday, when it was shown her by some gentlemen.

Inspector Walter Beck, of the H Division, stationed at Commercial street, said information was brought to the station at five minutes to eleven on Friday morning. He went at once and gave direction to prevent any one leaving the court, and he directed other constables to make a search.

Inspector G. Abberline, of Scotland Yard, said he was in charge of the case on behalf of the police. He reached the court about 11.30 on Friday last. When he reached the place he was informed by Inspector Beck that the bloodhounds had been sent for and were on their way, and Dr. Phillips said it would be better not to force the door until the dogs arrived. At 1.30 Superintendent Arnold arrived, and stated that the order for the dogs had been countermanded, and gave directions for the door to be forced. I looked through the window and saw how matters really were before we entered. I subsequently took an inventory of the things in the room. There were traces of a large fire having been kept in the grate, and the spout of the kettle had been melted off. We have since gone through the ashes of the grate, and found portions of the brim of a hat, and portions of a shirt. I consider that the articles were burnt to enable the murderer to see what he was about. There was a small piece of candle standing in a broken wine glass. The key of the lock had been missing for some time, and the door could be opened by putting a hand through the broken window and pushing the latch back. A man's clay pipe was found in the room, belonging to Barnett.
The Coroner said that was all the evidence they were prepared to lay before the jury today. It was for them to say whether they were satisfied with it, or whether they would adjourn and hear the further evidence on a future occasion. If the Coroner's jury came to the conclusion as to the cause of death, that was all they had to do. The police would take charge of the case, and it was for the jury to say whether they had heard sufficient evidence to enable them to come to a conclusion as to the cause of the death of Mary Jane Kelly. If that was the case, there was no occasion for a further adjournment; but the matter was one entirely for the jury.
The Foreman said the jury considered that they had heard enough evidence to justify them in coming to a verdict.
The Coroner - Then, gentlemen, what is your verdict?
The Foreman - Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown.
The Coroner - You are satisfied as to the identity of the deceased?
The Foreman - We are, sir, perfectly satisfied.
This closed the inquiry.

[Fisherman]

Yep, Ben, you would be right here. "Not very tall" is what the other sources have, so it seem reasonable to conclude that those two words were indeed ommitted.
One wonders, though, how errors like these came about so frequently...!?

The best,
Fisherman

[Ben]

You're welcome, Chris, and many thanks for sharing one of the lesser-known accounts of the Kelly inquest with the forum.

All the best!
Ben

[Chris Scott]

Hi Ben
many thanks for the correction
Chris

[Ben]

The "tall" reference is wrong.

The Scotsman had clearly ommitted the "not" (tall) in relation to the man's height. Every other version gives the man's height as "not tall". It's a basic error.

[Fisherman]

Yes, thanks, Chris! Well, well, well...! "A military appearance", perchance?

Letīs blame it on the papers, why donīt we!

The best,
Fisherman

[Chris Scott]

Hi Fisherman
Here is the extract:

[Chris Scott]

Dr. George Baxter (sic) Phillips, M.R.C.S., (sworn) - I am surgeon to the H Division of the Metropolitan Police and reside at 2 Spital Square. On Friday morning I was called by the police about eleven o'clock, and proceeded to Miller's Court, which I entered at 11.15. I found a room, numbered 13, having two windows. (Photograph of the premises produced.) There were two windows looking into the court. Two of the panes in the lesser window nearest to the passage were broken, and, finding the door locked, I looked through the lower broken pane and satisfied myself that the mutilated corpse lying on the bed was not in need of any immediate attention from me. I also came to the conclusion that there was nobody else upon the bed or within view to whom I could render any professional assistance. Having ascertained that it was probably advisable that no entry should be made into the room at the time, I remained until about 1.30 when the door was broken open leading into the room. The door was broken open by Mr. M'Carthy. The direction was given by Superintendent Arnold. The police before that prevented Mr. M'Carthy from breaking the door open. The yard was in charge of Inspector Beck. On the door being opened it knocked against a table which was close to the left hand side of the bed, and the bedstead was close up against the wooden partition. The mutilated remains of a female were lying two thirds over towards the edge of the bedstead nearest the door of entry. She had only her chemise upon her or some underlinen garment, and on my subsequent examination I am sure the body had been removed, subsequent to the injury which caused her death, from the side of the bedstead which was nearest to the wooden partition before named. The large quantity of blood under the bedstead,and the saturated condition of the palliasses, pillow, and sheet at the top corner of the bedstead nearest the partition, lead me to the conclusion that the severance of the right carotid artery was the immediate cause of her death, and was inflicted while the deceased was lying at the right side of the bedstead, and her head and neck in the top right hand corner before alluded to.
At this stage, the inquiry was adjourned for a quarter of an hour for luncheon. During the adjournment, the Coroner's officer reported that an officialof the Shoreditch Vestry had been persuading the jury that they ought not to have been summoned to this inquest at all.
On the jury reassembling, the Coroner said - May I ask, gentlemen, this? It has been reported to me that during your brief absence for luncheon some one has made a statement to you that you ought not to have been summoned. Is that the fact?
The Foreman - So far as I know nothing of the kind has taken place.
Several jurors added that there was no truth whatever in the statement.
The Coroner - Then I must have been misinformed. I should have taken care that if I had found anybody interfering with my jury he would have had a quiet life for the next week.
The inquiry then proceeded.

Julia Venturney deposed - I occupy a room in Miller's Court, and the man I am now living with is named Harry Owen. I knew the deceased. It was some time before I came acquainted with her, but when I knew her she told me that her name was Kelly, and she was a married woman. I know the young man Joe Barnett with whom the deceased lived. They lived happily together. He objected to her walking the streets. I have frequently seen the deceased the worse for drink; but when she was cross, Joe Barnett would go out and leave her to quarrel with herself. She told me that she was fond of another man - that she could not bear the man (Joe) that she was living with, although he was very good to her. Strangely enough, the other man, she said, was named Joe. Witness went to bed on Thursday night in Miller's Court about 8 p.m. She did not sleep. She could not tell why, but she did not sleep at all. Perhaps she dozed a bit. She heard a strange sound with some door, which was not like the way in which the deceased used to shut the door. There was no noise in the court that night, and she heard no singing. If there had been any singing, she must have heard it. The deceased used to sing Irish songs.

[Chris George]

"He was tall, and a "stout" looking man."

He was ...TALL??

The best,
Fisherman

Yes it might mean stout in width but it could also have meant stout in terms of formidable looking rather than fat.

Chris

[Fisherman]

"He was tall, and a "stout" looking man."

He was ...TALL??

The best,
Fisherman

[Chris Scott]

Sarah Lewis, living at 24 Great Pearl Street, Spitalfields, a laundress, said - I know Mrs. Keyler, in Miller's Court, and saw her on Friday morning about 2.30 a.m. This I noticed by Spitalfields Church clock. In Dorset Street I saw a man with a wideawake on, stopping on the opposite side of the pavement. The man was alone, and was not talking to anybody. He was tall, and a "stout" looking man. He had dark clothes on. A young man went along with a young woman, who was drunk. The man I noticed was looking up the court, as though he was waiting for some one. I stopped at Keyler's that night. I had had a few words at home. The court was quiet. I sat in a chair, and fell asleep. I woke up at 3.30 as the clock "went." I sat awake until nearly five. A little before four I heard a female shouting "Murder" once. It was loud, and there was only one shout. The cry was from where the shop is. There was no repetition. It was a young woman's voice. I took no notice. I was not alarmed. I left the house at half past five in the afternoon. I could not get out sooner, because the police would not let us leave. On Wednesday night I was going with a friend along the Bethnal Green Road at eight o'clock in the evening, when a gentleman passed us, and he followed us back again. He wanted us to follow him. He said he didn't mind which of us. He went away, and came back to us, and said if we went along a certain entry he would treat us. He put down his bag - his black, shiny bag - and said to my friend, "Are you frightened? I've got something in my bag." Then he began feeling about his clothes, and we ran away. He was a short, palefaced man, with a black moustache. The man appeared to be about forty. His bag was not very large - about six to nine inches long. The hat he wore was a round one, rather high - a stiff felt hat. He had a long overcoat on, and a short black one underneath. His trousers were dark. On the night of the murder, I saw him again in Commercial Street. I cannot tell you where he went when we left him. We did not look behind us. On Friday morning, about half past two, on my way to Miller's Court, I met the same man, who was accompanied by a female. They were in Commercial Street, near the Britannia public house. He was wearing the same clothes, with the exception of the overcoat. He had the black bag with him. They were standing talking together. I passed on, but looked back at him. I went on my way. I did not tell a policeman, as I did not pass one on my way. I saw the man talking to the woman at the corner of Dorset Street, and left them there.
The Coroner - Should you know the man if you saw him again?
Witness - I should.

[Sam Flynn]

Thanks for the observation about the Morning Advertiser, Sam.

Oh, don't mention it.


(Sorry - feeling a bit under the weather.)

[Chris Scott]

Caroline Maxwell, of 14 Dorset Street, wife of Henry Maxwell, said - My husband is a lodging house deputy. I have known the deceased for about four months. I also know Joe Barnett. I believe the deceased was an unfortunate girl. She was a young woman who never associated with any one much, beyond bowing "Good morning."
The Coroner - You must be very careful about your evidence, because it is different to that given by any one else.
Witness - I am quite sure what I say. She was so rarely out at that time. I saw her at the corner of Miller's Court on Friday morning at eight, because my husband had not left off, and he leaves off at half past eight. My husband had a man to call at seven a.m. That was his last call. I had never seen the deceased about at that time in the morning. I spoke to her, "What, Mary, what brings you out so early?" And she said, "Oh, Carrie, I do feel so bad." Although I had only spoken to her twice previously, I knew her name, and she knew mine. I asked her if she would have a drink. She said, "I have just had half a pint of ale, and I have brought it up." The beer she had thrown up was about three yards away from her on the pavement. She did not say where she had the beer, but by the motion she made I should imagine that she had it at the Britannia beer house, at the corner of the street. I left the deceased then, saying I could pity her feelings. I then went to Spitalfields Market to get my husband's breakfast, and on my return I saw her outside the Britannia public house talking to a man. That would be about a quarter to nine.
The Coroner - What description could you give of this man?
Witness - I could not give any. I did not pass them, but I saw them from the distance. I was between fourteen and fifteen years away from them. I am sure it was the deceased that I saw outside the public house. The man I saw was not tall. He was short, and a little taller than I am (the witness was about 5 feet 5 inches in height.) The man had a plain coat on. I did not notice his hat. The deceased was wearing a dark skirt, velvet bodice, and a marone shawl. She had no hat on. I have seen the deceased in drink, but she was not an habitual drunkard. She was a quiet girl as far as I saw her. She was never about with anybody that I saw. What she did elsewhere, of course, I don't know.
A Juror - If the man that you saw the deceased with had worn a silk hat, should you have noticed it?
Witness - I don't know that I should have done so. I am accustomed to see all classes of people, but I don't take any notice of them.
But would you have noticed his hat if it had been a silk one?
If he had worn a silk hat I might have noticed it.

[Christine]

Note that M'Carthy says they broke TWO panes of glass, which would mean that the photo in the 13 Millers Court thread does show the lower pane broken, or if it doesn't, it's not contemporary after all.

Certainly is an interesting version Chris, thanks.

Obviously Barnett is downplaying Marys drinking, as Mary Ann and McCarthy knew she liked to drink, but I was taken by how he alludes to his earning potential a few times, like he did ok by her when he could, and she'd get excited by his just bringing meat in... when he could. He, just like John Kelly at Kates inquest, attempts to portray the relationship as a "partnership", and as a quiet couple.....John Kelly says they went to bed together most every night early....and yet doesnt miss Kate until Tuesday...and Joe B says that Mary only drank once or twice...and was ecstatic over veal chops as gifts. This partnership idea ..as in "we decided we'd get along with each other"...not as a romance....did you hear him say once he ever loved Mary?...sounds like a congenial common-law relationship for practical reasons.

I dont believe that if Barnett was involved, it was a crime of passion. Maybe more of practicality or necessity.

Keep it coming Chris...Im looking forward to this version of Abberline's remarks.

Cheers.