Still A Big Mystery

by **Karen** Sun 9 May 2010 - 13:29

STILL A BIG MYSTERY.

NO TRACE OF THE PERPETRATOR OF THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS.

Some Facts Heard at the Coroner's Inquest, but Not Enough to Solve the Crime - A Number of Ineffectual Arrests.

New York, Oct. 2. - The London dispatch says: "The excitement over the Whitechapel murders has steadily increased. As in the preceding cases, however, the murderer continues unknown and unsuspected. The Berner Street victim has been identified as Elizabeth Stride, alias "Long Liz," a widow. The other is still unknown, but is believed to be a street walker known as "Mag." Her face is so fully cut that it is difficult to recognize her. The coroner has begun an inquest on the first woman. As before in all these horrible crimes the duty of investigation is left to devolve on the coroner, and the detectives sit at the inquest listening to the sworn testimony to find out who did it. The whole police management of cases, as indeed the system under which they work is idiotic in the extreme. Indignation meetings were held in several places in Whitechapel yesterday to denounce Sir Charles Warren and Home Secretary Matthews. The only trace to the murderer that is considered of any value is the story of a watchman who saw a man and a woman leaving Aldgate Station going toward Mitre Square. The man returned shortly afterward alone. The police have a good description of him. The daring character of the murderer is evident from the fact, that two people at least saw a man and woman together in the Berner Street gateway, and one saw him throw her down. He went away and left her there, but it was half an hour before it was known that she had been murdered. In the second case the policeman swears he was not absent over fifteen minutes from Mitre Square, and must have been watched by both man and woman as he went through, they following. A number of men were placed under arrest yesterday on suspicion, but all were released. There is every prospect that these murders, like their predecessors, will pass undetected.

Source: The Syracuse Daily Journal, Tuesday October 2, 1888