The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-12-13 00:00:00

HIE SUPPOSED MUTILATION OF A
WOMAN.

On Monday, at the St. Giles Coroner's Court,
London, Dr. Danford Thomas, the coroner for Central
Middlesex, concluded the inquest upon the mutilated
remains of a human body found some six weeks since
in Fitzroy-square, and other places. The medical
evidence at the first day of the inquiry was to the
effect that the various parts were portions of the body
of a woman, whose age was probably 25 or over. The
parts had been separated by some blunt instrument.,
and not for the purposes of dissection. Several pieces
were missing, and it was suggested that these might
perhaps be those which were found a month earlier
in Mornington-crescent, and buried by order of the
coroner. .

The coroner said that since the last occasion on
which they met Dr. Winter Blyth hal made an
analysis of the powder with which the remains were
covered, and Drs. Jakins and Lloyd had consul*,
with the result that it was quite clear that the two
sets of remains had nothing to do witla each other.
Inspector John Langrish, Criminal Investigation
Department, Bow-street, in examination said that he
had had charge of this case, and had been prosecuting
inquiries, but had failed to obtain any further informa-
tion. Several persons had been reported as missing,
but they had all been traced and found alive. Up to
the present time he had not been able to prove the
identity of the body. Men had been placed to keep
observation on various parts of the district, but no
further remains had been discovered. In reply to a
juryman, the inspector said that when any houses
were reported to them as suspicious, observation was
kept on them, and within a short period two persons
had been convicted on charges of abortion.
The Coroner: The police have no power to enter
any houses of ill-fame unless they are called in.
A juryman: It is very much to be regretted.
Dr. Winter Blyth, medical officer and analyist for
Marylebone, said that he had examined some portions
of a body sent to him, and found it covered with chlo-
ride of lime, or common bleaching powder. This
would have a deodorising effect, and also a preserva-
tive action. No analysis had been made to detect
poison. He thought the value of such an analysis
now would be only small, but a mineral poison like
arsenic might be traced in the muscular tissues. Alka-
loids would only be found in the internal organs, which
were missing.—Dr. Samuel Lloyd, the divisional
surgeon of the district, said that he had made a further
examination of the remains and found the ears were
pierced for earrings. He had been in consultation
with Dr. Jenkins, who had examined some remains
found in Mornington-crescent in September, and the
conclusion he had come to was that the remains must
have been those of two different bodies. In the
pieces of a human body on which they were bolding
the inquiry there were some signs of skill in the dis-
articulation of the joints, the removal of the internal
organs, and the separation of the lower part of the
body. A theory for the removal of the internal
organs was that it might be either to attempt to hide
the sex, or to disguise the actual cause of death. It
was quite impossible to state what that actual cause
was. Dr. Jakins, Osnaburg-street, said that on Sept.
25 he was sent for to Albany-street Police-station
to examine sonic remains, which proved to be a left
arm, forearm and hand, and two feet, all of which had
been properly dissected. They had undoubtedly been
used for anatomical purposes. There was no.chloride
of lime on them.

The Coroner said that he himself saw the remains,
and on finding that they had undoubtedly been used
anatomically, he, in the exercise of his discretion, gave
orders for their burial.

Dr. Lloyd, recalled, in reply to the Jury, said that
he was utterly unable from the appearance of the
remains to assign any cause of death. The way in
which the joints had been disarticulated showed that
whoever did it, knew where to find them properly. He
did not think that they were placed in the positions
they were found by medical students for the purpose
of creating a scare.
The Coroner pointed out that under the present
regulations at hospitals and other public institutions
it was practically impossible for students, even if they
felt so inclined, to carry away portions of a body and
strew them about in this manner, without it being
detected. There being no further evidence, tha
Jury consulted in private for half an hour, and
eventually returned the following verdict: " The
Jury having viewed the remains of a woman, whose
age is believed to be from twenty-five to forty years
of age, the said remains having been found in various
places in the parishes cf St. Giles and St. Pancras,
are strongly of opinion, that although the medical
witnesses are unable to assign the cause of death,
owing to the advanced state of decomposition and
the absence of the viscera and other internal organs;
from the character of the evidence generally,
death did not arise from natural causes, but they
believe an abortion had been, previous to death, either
attempted or 'completed, and that some person or
persons are thereby chargeable with the cause of
death. Further, the jury call the special attention of
the Home Secretary to the case, and suggest that a
substantial reward be offered with a view to procuring
evidence with regard to the identity of the deceased,
and to the circumstances attending her death.
This concluded the inquiry, but some strong obser-
vations were addressed by the jury to the coroner with
regard to the inconvenience of the newly-constructed
court.