1898 Torso Murder

[Uncle Jack]

Press report from the Delphos Herald dated January 21st 1898 about another possible torso murder. Not sure if this has been posted before so apologies if it has....

"JACK THE RIPPER"
"WOMAN'S BODY FOUND WITH LEGS MISSING"

London, Jan 21 - The mutilated body of a woman was found in the rear of a church in Shoreditch. The body was enclosed in a sack and both legs were missing. The police have no clue to the identity of the dead woman or the cause of death. The East End is in a commotion over the resemblance of the case to the many murders committed by the mysterious Jack the Ripper.

Could this be another torso murder? I was interested because the remains were found not far from Whitechapel.

[Rob Clack]

Here's a more detailed Newspaper article from The Illustrated Police News, Saturday 29 January 1898.




Rob

[looby64]

Not heard of this Uncle Jack, thanks for pointing it out, can you imagine the fear it must of caused that Jack could be back to his killing spree again.

[Uncle Jack]

"Dr Wynn Wescott, the coroner"

Is this the same Wynn Wescott later to be a suspect? Coincidence if it is.

Thanks for posting the report Rob

[smezenen]

The second sentence of the article states that the earlier report was incorrect. the article goes on to say that the previously reported body was confused with one found in the canal and moved to the mortuary in a sack.

Not sure if im reading this right but it looks like the same body reported twice. , and not two seperate murders.

[mattwill]

"Dr. Jackmann"? Why hasn't this man been questioned?!

[kensei]

I've said it before- just how many people with the inclination and the nerve to run around cutting women into little pieces and the stealth to get away with it could reasonably be expected to be at work in the same place at the same time? (Even in a city as big as London.) Those torso murders- however many of them there were- will always have me wondering if they were more of Jack's work.

[Mike Covell]

The Dalston Murder

Northern Echo, Wednesday, October 4, 1899
Reynolds's Newspaper, Sunday, October 8, 1899
Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Sunday, October 8, 1899
Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Sunday, October 15, 1899

All feature reports on the Dalston Murder.
Florence Elizabeth Wells, 27 years old, and married, was stabbed in the neck twice, cutting the jugular, and causing her to die. Thomas Patrick Skeffington was tried for her murder, he had allegedly told police the victim was a loose woman. Skeffington's age ranges from 20 to 23 depending on which report you read. Not quite mutilation, and too young to be Jack, but an interesting case and in the same area.