The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1890-02-22 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

EASTERN  TIM INQITEST.  The inquest upon the body of the girl Amelia!, des, found Brutally outraged and murdered i the I empty house, 126, Portway, West Ham, tip on I Monday commenced at the King's Head, West Ham-lane, before Mr C. Lewis, Coroner.— Chas. Jeffs, the father of the deceased, wee the first witness called. He gave evidence) of the girl's leaving home on the 31st lan. and of the !subsequent search. He identified the clothes I which were found on the deceased as I those his daughter was in the habit ! of wearing. Ile identified the scarf found round her neck. When be searched for his daughter he entered only one house in the ! terrace, abandoning the search because the watchman said no oue could get in. Nothing was said about 126. Deceased was nursemaid in a family for a month recently. Elizabeth Harmer, a tiny child, testified to seeing the deceased tit the top of West-road on the evening of the 31st deanery on the way towards Week Ham Church—Sergeant Forth having been celled to give evidence as to the finding of the body, Mx Atkins, solicitor, representing deoessed's friends, asked that Samuel Roberts, caretaker, might leave the con:rt.—Mr Roberts, the builder of the houses, and the son of the caretaker, also retired, but before leaving asked Mr Jeffs if the deceased had not been in service before the visit to Weston-superMare, and before going to Knox's.—Mr Jeffs rePlied in the affirmative. She bad been for a few weeks with Mrs Harvey in the neighbourhood • was not rare of the address.—The witness Fort]; described the search of the houses in the terrace. The caretaker said she couldn't let them enter 126 as she had never had the key. In the upper room he sew marks on the floor es though something had been dragged. He found the body in a cupboard; the left knee was exposed. Dr. arogons gave evidence as to making a postmortar' examination of the body of the dead girl. Before the body was stripped blood was found on the underclothing. was blood and froth on the nose and mouth. The false was swollen, as was also the tongue. Round the neck was a deep constriction, in which were particles of wool corresponding with the material of the scarf. The brain was badly congested, and the reseals gorged with blood. Intercourse had taken place, in which violence had been used, and the appearances were indicative of previous chastity. The cause of death was strangulation. The contents of the stomach had not yet been examined. Death had ensued about a fortnight ago.—At this stage the enquiry was adjourned for a fortnight—lt was arranged that steps should be taken to have a reward offered. Mr Bowden, a juryman, offered £25 towards this, and another ,gove five gninese.—The Coroner said that he I would make application to the Home Secretory in the matter.  The police, it is stated, are in the possession of clues which are regarded as of a promising character in connection with the Wed Ham murder. They have ascertained that the deceased girl Jeffs had made acquaintances not known to her parents, and it is considered as decisive that the criminal was not only well acquainted with her, but was a resident in the neighbourhood, and that he obtained entrance to the house by a key which fitted the front door.—A notice has been posted at the Town Hall and other prominent places at Weld Ham, announcing that a reward of £.lOO will be paid by Mr F. Smith, Mayor of West Ham, to any person who will give such information as will lead to the oonviction of the man who strangled Aineha Jeffs, on or about the 31st January, 1890, in 126, Portway, West Ham, Efforts are being made by Mr Foden, a juror, to obtain £2OO for the purpose of another reward.  The girl who has been missing from her home at Highgate for a weak or more has been reoovered. and restored to her parents. It appears that when the girl, who was a servant; left her place in tins Archway-road, she went to live at a house in ficholdEelikroad, Upper Holloway, where she had resided until Tuesday evening, and the landlord of the house, after seeing the report of the girl's absence in the papers, thought his lodger answered to the description, end at once went to the Polies 1 Station and gave information. The girl was found to be a runaway servant, and she tees sent home to her friends.  reeovered 1