Sadler's Interview With His Solicitor

THE WHITECHAPEL MURDER.

SADLER'S INTERVIEW WITH HIS SOLICITOR.

At the inquest evidence has been given showing that at 2:15 there was nobody in the archway passage called Swallow-gardens, but that a second or two later, at the most, the woman was discovered by Police-constable Thompson dying, footsteps having been heard by him as he walked up Chamber-street. The jury will probably have before them exact measurements to enable them to determine the probabilities or improbabilities of the case. Actual experiment has demonstrated that, walking at the rate of three miles an hour, in the thick of the midday traffic, a man may reach Swallow-gardens from Mint-pavement by either of the following routes, and in the times given:
(a) Via Little Tower-hill, towards the Minories, taking Union-row on the right, thence across the top of King-street, into Royal Mint-street and Swallow-gardens; a distance of about 320 yards - three and a-half minutes.
(b) Via Little Tower-hill, Union-row, Royal Mint-street, and through Little Prescot-street arch (instead of Swallow-gardens, with which it runs parallel), round the corner to the right into Chamber-street, and entering No. 45 arch by that end, opposite the schools, a quarter of a mile - five minutes.
Further trial has proved that from Chamber-street to White's-row the direct way would lead through the retired portion of Chamber-street, past the dark arches, stables, and courts, crossing the top of Great Prescot-street, into Mansell-street, which opens into Whitechapel High-street, opposite Aldgate East Railway-station; thence along the High-street into Commercial-street, and thus to White's-row, which is parallel with Dorset-street, on the same side of the way - time, ten minutes.

SADLER REASSERTS HIS INNOCENCE.

Mr. Wilson, prisoner's solicitor, had an interview with Sadler at Holloway on Saturday, in the course of which the accused positively asserted his entire innocence of the crime. He has given a detailed account of his movements from the time he left White's-row, and he alleges that had be been in the company of the deceased he would not have been applying at the dock gates for leave to get to his ship for a bed, which fact has been proved in evidence. He also pointed to the corroboration of his account that he had been set upon at the dock gates at the time in question. He denies all knowledge of the knife which Duncan Campbell says he bought of him at the Sailors' Home on Friday, the 13th, at eleven o'clock, and declares that such a weapon was never in his possession. Asked whether he could account for the periods to which his wife had referred, Sadler, it is stated, answered, "I could have told you everything if I had not lost my diary. I used to enter everything in a book all throughout my life, and that book I used to carry in a black bag; but the bag and all the things in it, including my diary, was stolen from me some time ago. I only wish I could recover it. It had some curious things in it, which I had seen in the course of my travels." To be sure of dates he wanted, he said, more time to think.

WHEN SADLER WAS AT SEA.

It is stated that Sadler's discharges are in proper order, and that they include one with a signature corresponding to that attached to the duplicate ship's articles preserved at the Registry General, showing that the accused duly signed off the Winestead on Oct. 2, 1888, upon which he had embarked on Aug. 17, 1888, and that he was therefore at sea during the period in which four of the series of the Whitechapel murders took place.

Source: The Echo, Monday February 23, 1891, Page 3