Probibility of Martha Tabram Being a JtR Victim

[GUT]

G'Day Brenda

I'm ready for the book as well! VERY interesting Pearly Poll facts I didn't know about. Does anyone remember years ago when there was debate on the boards that ol' Pearly was possibly a drag queen type man?

I haven't seen that one, when was it? I'll try and find it here or was it pre the crash, that I keep hearing about.

[Brenda]

.

GUT, it's been a long time back, so I am thinking before The Crash (capital letters!)....that Crash was a real heartbreaker.

I just remember that at some point (the Tabram Inquest, I believe, or either a newspaper report), Pearly Poll was described as being very "mannish"....leading some to believe she was a drag queen type who serviced men who were into that sort of thing. It's been years since I've even read the Tabram inquest, but I remember distinctly getting a feeling from the start that Pearly wasn't very well looked-upon, and wondered if this possible "obviously it's a man" prejudice was the reason.

Or maybe it was just that she was a big liar, as Tom says.

[Brenda]

.

I was just reminded of that Pearly Poll discussion of long ago when Tom listed out how Pearly Poll fits in with several of the murdered women. I couldn't help but wonder....if she were indeed a man, wow...that opens up a lot of possibilities there.

[Brenda]

.

Here is a press report:

http://www.casebook.org/press_reports/east_london_observer/elo880818.html?printer=true

The woman who identified the poor unfortunate was Connolly, otherwise known as "Pearly Poll," a tall, masculine looking woman,

"Pearly Poll" was asked, "Can you see either of the men you saw with the woman now dead?" "Pearly Poll," in no way embarrassed, placed her arms akimbo, glanced at the men with the air of an inspecting officer, and shook her head. This indication of a negative was not sufficient. "Can you identify anyone?" she was asked. "Pearly Poll" explained, with a good deal of feminine emphasis, "He ain't here."


Not much to go on there, but enough to spur discussion. The use of "feminine emphasis" seems strange.

[GUT]

G'Day Brenda

Thanks

[Tom_Wescott]

Pearly Poll was described as a "big, masculine looking woman", but I don't think for a second she was a man in drag. She was too well-known to the police and infirmary to have kept that hidden. Anything's possible though.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Brenda]

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Tom, do you know if she was ever arrested? Pearly Poll, that is. I'm betting on "YES"

[Tom_Wescott]

Tom, do you know if she was ever arrested? Pearly Poll, that is. I'm betting on "YES"

I would be shocked if she had not been arrested numerous times. I wish we had more information on that.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[GUT]

G'Day Tom

Hard to imagine her getting away with hiding it an infirmary and if she was ever on a workhouse neigh on impossible.

[Tom_Wescott]

G'Day Tom

Hard to imagine her getting away with hiding it an infirmary and if she was ever on a workhouse neigh on impossible.

Yes, I kept it in the back of my mind (that Poll might be a man), but found absolutely nothing to support that and evidence (such as what you mentioned) to suggest she was indeed a female, albeit an apparently unattractive one.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[GUT]

G'Day Tom

But at least some men still pad her???? No accounting is there?

[Tom_Wescott]

G'Day Tom

But at least some men still pad her???? No accounting is there?

Absolutely no accounting! But what's often overlooked is that for many of these women, prostitution was only one of the illegal activities they participated in to make money.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Paddy]

Mary Anne Connolly

A Mary Ann Connolly (an unfortunate) was murdered in South Wales around 1892. She was murdered by a soldier called Thomas Edwards of Usk, he was hung. He said it was revenge for something she had done to a friend of his, in the past.

Does anyone know if Pearly Poll stayed in Whitechapel area?

Pat.................................

[Debra A]

A Mary Ann Connolly (an unfortunate) was murdered in South Wales around 1892. She was murdered by a soldier called Thomas Edwards of Usk, he was hung. He said it was revenge for something she had done to a friend of his, in the past.

Does anyone know if Pearly Poll stayed in Whitechapel area?

Pat.................................

The woman we all seem to agree is Pearly Poll ( b c 1850s) in the 88 Whitechapel Infirmary records shows up in the same records again 1893, Pat. Apparently after having a tracheotomy and spending 10 weeks in hospital. John Barnett, Joseph's brother appears in the admission book next to her on that occasion. The same woman is also in the Infirmary prior to 88 for alcoholism and rheumatism and resident at George St Spitalfields, listed as a prostitute.

http://www.jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=17649

[GUT]

G'Day Tom

Absolutely no accounting! But what's often overlooked is that for many of these women, prostitution was only one of the illegal activities they participated in to make money.

They did whatever it took legal or not. I'm not sure I blame them, I've got a lot of sympathy for them.