The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1873-09-13 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

HORRIBLE DISCOVERY IN THE  THAMES.  The mutilated parts of a woman have been found in the Thames in a condition which leaves no doubt that she had been brutally murdered, hacked to pices, and the parts thrown into the river. The discovery was first made on Saturday morning, about 6.30 by Constable Facie, whose attention was called to the left upper quarter of a woman on the shore of Battersea Waterworks. At 10.30, Police Constable Fleury, one of the South-western Railway police, found the corresponding quarter of the same body at Brunswick Wharf, Niue Elms. Inspector Marley found under the second arch of Battersea Bridge a set of lungs. another policeman found another set of lungs near Battersea Railway Pier. The skin of a woman's face has been found near Limehouse, evidently having been purposely stripped off to prevent identification. The various divisional police surgeons have minutely examined the parts of the body, and given it as their positive opinion that the body has not been dissected for anatomical purposes, but that it has been sawn and cut t.i pieces. The portions of the body are lying at the Clapham Workhouse to await identification. A small mole appears on the right Fide of the neck, and a light brown mole on the inner side of the right nipple. There is also a scar on the left breast, apparently the result of a burn in childhood. The scalp of the woman has also been found, with dark hair, and the ears pierced for earrings. Up till dark on Saturday the Thames police were still a rtively engaged in netting and dragging the river round Battersea and other parts in the hope of finding the remaining portions of the mutilated woman. In the afternoon Dr. Ketnpster made a further examination of a part of the head found at Litnehouse, which he states is undoubtedly part of the bead belonging to the mutilated remains he had examined, and which were found at Battersea. The woman, he states, "is evidently the victim of a recent murder." There is a large bruise on the right temple which he should think was caused by a blow from a blunt instrument. and which would probably cause death. There was a fracture on the skull, the skull being divided from the upper part of the wound. The fresh state of the mutilated portions show that they had not been in the water long, and that the murder had not been committed many hours, the probability being that it was done on Thursday night. Along with the skin, which his bees turn from the face, there is a portion of the nose, which lies been a rather short and thick one. There is also a cut over the left lip. In addition to the nose, there is one of the ears attached to the skin, which isnf large size. The medical opinion is that the body is that of a woman about 40 years of ago. Upon the skin over the upper lip there are short hairs, showing her to have been of full habit of body. The hair upon the scalp is thin, the eyebrows are dark. Every inquiry possible was made of the park keepers aud bridge toll takers, but they recollect no one of suspicious appearance. There is great excitement in the neighbourhood, and the general belief expressed is that the murder was probably committed on a barge, or that the parts have been taken taken down the river and thrown from a boat. On Sunday eight, an elderly man in apparently easy circumstances, wont to the Clapham Ithioll, and baying viewed thd skin of the face, into which wax had been run, positively identified it as that of his daughter. The police were at once communicated with, and are now engaged in making inquiries into his statement of her disappearance. Other parts of the mutilated remains of the woman's body found in the Thames, were found on Tuesday and Wednesday, turd on Thursday a foot, much smaller than one found on Wednesday, was picked up at Hammersmith. A difficulty has thus arisen in determining whether the mutilated remains belong to each other, and the suspicion that possibly a double murder has been committed has been raised. The police are, of course, endeavouring to arrive at the truth of the eircutustances connected with the terrible affair, and there is ao lack of information of certain kinds, but what has already been supplied has not as yet led to any practical result.