Funeral of Catherine Eddowes

THE EAST-END MURDERS.

The Metropolitan Police on Monday night made an arrest in Gray's-inn-road. Last Wednesday afternoon a man called at a clothing repairing shop, with an overcoat and a pair of trousers to be cleaned. They were both blood-stained. The coat was especially smeared near one of the pockets, and there were large spots of blood on various parts of the trousers. The man said he would call for them on Friday or Saturday. The manager
of the shop, seeing the blood stains, communicated with the police, who having examined the clothes, took them to Scotland Yard. Since then two detectives have been secreted on the premises, awaiting the stranger's return. Friday and Saturday passed without his calling; but on Monday evening he stepped into the shop a few minutes before closing time. Detective-serjeant Geo. Godley and a companion seized him, and he was taken to Leman-street
Police Station. The Prisoner accounted for the presence of the blood-marks by the assertion that he had cut his hand. The Prisoner further stated that he had had the garments by him in his lodgings for two or three weeks; but he refused to give his address. The man now in custody is of good physique. His height is about five feet seven inches, he has broad shoulders, and he is rather stout. His complexion is somewhat pale, and he has a brownish moustache.
He is neatly dressed in a dark coat and vest and tweed trousers, his hat being of hard felt. He was detained at the police-station for enquiries to be made as to his recent movements.

Sir Charles Warren, the Chief Commissioner of Police, has made arrangements for the employment of bloodhounds to track the murderer in the event of any further persons being found murdered under circumstances similar to those in the cases which have recently occurred in Whitechapel. An instruction has been issued to the police that they are not to remove the body of the victim, but to send notice immediately to a veterinary surgeon in the South-West District,
who holds several trained bloodhounds in readiness to be taken to the spot where the body may be found, and to be at once put on the scent. No details as to the plan which will be followed are given. The plan of operations will to a great extent depend upon the circumstances of any particular case in which the aid of the bloodhounds may be called into requisition.

The remains of Catherine Eddowes, who was murdered in Mitre-square, were on Monday removed from the City Mortuary in Golden-lane, to Ilford Cemetery for interment. Soon after one o'clock an open hearse was drawn up at the mortuary gates, followed by a mourning coach. The body which had been placed in a polished elm coffin, with the following inscription: - "Catherine Eddowes, died September 30th, 1888, aged 43 years," was brought out and placed in a car. Considerable
sympathy was manifested by those admitted within the walls of the mortuary for the deceased's relatives, all of whom were neatly attired in black, and who wept as this part of the painful ceremony was being performed. The deceased was followed to the grave by her four sisters, Harriet Jones, Emma Eddowes, Eliza Gold, Elizabeth Fisher, her nieces, Emma and Harriet Jones, and John Kelly, the man with whom she had cohabited. At half-past one the hearse moved away from the mortuary,
followed by the mourning coach, in which was seated the deceased's sisters. Golden-lane and the precincts of the mortuary have seldom presented a more animated appearance. The footpath was lined on either side of the road with person who were packed in rows five deep, the front row extending into the roadway. From the basement to the roof of the warehouses in the neighbourhood factory girls were to be seen, all of whom preserved silence as the body passed. The driver of the hearse
had much difficulty in penetrating the immense crowd which had by this time assembled outside the mortuary, and the traffic in the thoroughfare was, for the time being, stopped. Manifestations of sympathy were everywhere visible many among the crowd uncovering their heads as the hearse passed. A strong body of City Police, under the supervision of Mr. Superintendent Foster and Inspector Woollett kept the thoroughfare clear, and conducted the cortege to the terminus of the City boundary.
The route taken was along Old street, through Great Eastern-street into Commercial-street. On reaching Old-street the funeral car was met by a body of the Metropolitan Police, who under the directions of Inspector Burnham, of the G division, kept the roadway clear for its passage. Emerging into Whitechapel-road, the cortege passed slowly through a densely packed crowd, and proceeded rapidly along the Mile-end-road. After passing through Bow and Stratford it turned into the Ilford main road,
reaching the cemetery shortly before half-past three. Around the gates of the cemetery between 400 and 500 persons had congregated, most of whom displayed a respectful demeanour as the funeral car passed in. The service was conducted by the Rev. J. Dunscombe, at the close of which the coffin was borne to the grave and interred. No demonstration of any kind was attempted either at the cemetery or at any point on the return of the mourners.

Notwithstanding the apparently conclusive evidence given at the inquest by Michael Kelly, as to the identity of the Berner-street victim, many people have continued to believe that the murdered woman was really Elizabeth Watts, wife of a former wine merchant at Bath. It will be remembered that Mrs. Mary Malcolm, of Red Lion-square, swore that the deceased was her sister, Elizabeth Watts, whom she had last seen on the Thursday preceding the murder. News has succeeded in finding Elizabeth Watts in the person
of Mrs. Stokes, the wife of a brickyard labourer, living at Tottenham. Mrs. Stokes says: - "My father was a publican in the village of Colerne, near Chippenham, Wiltshire. There were eight children in our family, four girls and four boys. I have one sister in New Zealand, and one brother still lives in Wiltshire. But I have no idea where the rest of the family are. My maiden name was Elizabeth Perrin. I have been married three times. My first husband was Mr. Watts, a wine merchant at Bath, to whom I was married
at Bristol. My second husband's name was Sneller, whom I married at Deal; and my third and present husband's name is Stokes, to whom I was married in St. Andrew's Church, New Kent-road, on December 15, 1884. He has been employed lately at Ploughman's Brickfield, Tottenham. Mrs. Malcolm, who gave evidence at the inquest, is my sister, but I have not seen her for years, and I do not expect to see her until I attend the adjourned inquest on the 23rd inst. My sister, Mary Malcolm, has never, as she swore, given me any money.
It is untrue that I saw her on the Thursday preceding the murder. I was out washing on that day at Mrs. Peterkin's laundry, near White Hart-lane. I never used to meet her, as she said, in Red Lion-street, to receive a shilling from her. I am not short of clothes, and I never lived in Commercial-road nor kept a coffee-house in Poplar. I may take a little drink now and then; but my sister never saw me in drink. My two children by my first husband, Watts, were taken from me, and that preys on my mind at times. I never quarrelled with
my first husband. Watt's friends did not approve of our marriage on account of my being a poor girl. He was sent abroad and died in America, leaving me with the two children, a boy and a girl. Where they are I do not know. Their father's friends took the children from me, and I was placed in a Lunatic Asylum of Fisherston House, near Salisbury. The Relieving Officer of Bath got me out, and I then went to live as a domestic servant at Walmer. There I made the acquaintance of Sneller, whom I afterwards married at Deal Church. He was engaged
on a vessel in the Royal Navy, which was stranded on St. Paul's Island, and there he died. His half pay was then stopped, and I was left destitute. Subsequently I was put in the Peckham Lunatic Asylum, under Dr. Stocker and Dr. Brown, because I endeavoured to gain possession of my two children, whom I have never seen or heard of since they were taken from me. The Lunacy Commissioners afterwards pronounced me to be sane, and I was again discharged perfectly destitute. Owing to my troubles my memory is somewhat impaired. I married my present
husband, Stokes, four years ago.

A meeting was held on Monday evening, at the Three Nuns, Aldgate, to form an East London Trade and Labourers' Society Vigilance Committee. Mr. John Chandler presided. It was unanimously resolved: - "(1.) That this special Committee of the various trade and labour organisations in the East End of London, now in conference assembled, herewith renew their determination to do everything in their power in assisting the authorities to effect the capture of the Whitechapel and Aldgate assassin. (2.) They would most earnestly recommend that all open gates,
passages, alleys, sideways, and the precincts of common lodging-houses in the districts of Spitalfields, Whitechapel, St. George's-in-the-East, and the Dock districts be closely watched henceforth, with a view to the prevention of future crimes and the eventual apprehension of the murderer, (3.) That the number of working-men patrols be increased." It was stated that 57 patrols had already been arranged for, and that it was desired to increase the number to 79.

Source: Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser, 12 October, 1888, Page 3