Editing Mary Ann Nichols (section)

=== Neil, John (constable) (Sep 2) ===
"John Neil, police-constable, 97J: Yesterday morning I was proceeding down Buck's row, Whitechapel, going towards Brady-street. There was not a soul about. I had been round there half an hour previously, and I saw no one then. I was on the right-hand side of the street, when I noticed a figure lying in the street. It was dark at the time, though there was a street lamp shining at the end of the row. I went across and found deceased lying outside a gateway, her head towards the east. The gateway was closed. It was about nine or ten feet high, and led to some stables. There were houses from the gateway eastward, and the School Board school occupies the westward. On the opposite side of the road is Essex Wharf. Deceased was lying lengthways along the street, her left hand touching the gate. I examined the body by the aid of my lamp and noticed blood oozing from a wound in the throat. She was lying on her back, with her clothes disarranged. I felt her arm, which was quite warm from the joints upwards. Her eyes were wide open. Her bonnet was off and lying at her side, close to the left hand. I heard a constable passing Brady-street, so I called him. I did not whistle. I said to him, 'Run at once for Dr. Llewellyn.' and seeing another constable in Baker's-row, I sent him for the ambulance. The doctor arrived in a very short time. I had, in the meantime, rung the bell at Essex Wharf, and asked if any disturbance had been heard. The reply was "No".  Sergeant Kirby came after, and he knocked. The doctor looked at the woman, and then said, "Move the woman to the mortuary. She is dead, and i will make a further examination of her"  We then placed her on the ambulance, and moved her there. Inspector Spratley came to the mortuary, and while taking a description of the deceased turned up her clothes, and found that she was disemboweled. This had not been noticed by any of them before. On the body was found a piece of comb and a bit of looking-glass. No money was found, but an unmarked white handkerchief was found in her pocket.

* Coroner: Did you notice any blood where she was found?
* Neil: There was a pool of blood just where her neck was lying. The blood was then running from the wound in her neck.
* Coroner: Did you hear any noise that night?
* Neil: No, I heard nothing. The farthest I had been that night was just through the Whitechapel-road and up Baker's row. I was never far away from the spot.
* Coroner: Whitechapel-road is busy in the early morning, I believe. Could anybody have escaped that way?
* Neil: Oh, yes, sir. I saw a number of women in the main road going home. At that time anyone could have got away.
* Coroner: Someone searched the ground, I believe?
* Neil: Yes, I examined it while the doctor was being sent for.
* Inspector Spratley: I examined the road, sir, in daylight.
* A juryman (to witness): Did you see a trap in the road at all?
* Neil: No
* A juryman: Knowing that the body was warm, did it not strike you that it might just have been laid there, and that the woman was killed elsewhere?
* Neil: I examined the road, but did not see the mark of wheels. The first to arrive on the scene after I had discovered the body were two men who work at a slaughter-house opposite. They said they knew nothing of the affair, and that they had not heard any screams. I had previously seen the men at work. That would be about a quarter past three, or half an hour before I found the body.

(Sep 4) - "The Constable has been severely questioned as to his "working" of his "beat" on that night, and states that he was last on the spot where he found the body not more than half an hour previously - that is to say at 3.15.  The beat is a very short one, and quickly walked over would not occupy more than twelve minutes. He neither heard a cry not saw any one. Moreover, there are three watchmen on duty at night close to the spot, and none of them heard a cry to cause alarm.  It is not true, says Constable Neil, who is a man of nearly twenty years' service, that he was called to the body by two men. He came upon it as he walked, and flashing his lantern to examine it, he was answered by the lights from two other constables at either end of the street.  These officers had seen no man leaving the spot, and the mystery is most complete.