The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1873-09-13 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SUSPECTED MURDER IN LONDON.  It is believed that an atrocious murder of a wommi has been perpetrated on or near the Thames, the body hacked to pieces, sod the piece. distributed over the river. Such is the horrible crime apparently brought to light by discoveriee made on SAtur lay and the preceding day which seem to leave no doubt as to this conclu-ii  ------- - A Thames policeman on Friday morning found in the mud off the B sttersea waterworks the left quarter of a woman's trunk. The diecovery was immediately made known an-I the mutilated part taken to the Clapham and Wandsworth Union workhouse, where Dr. Kem peter, the ilividonal surgeon, saw it, and pronounced it to be the portion of a body which had not been in the water more than twelve hours. The police at once commenced a minute search of the river, but the next discovery was made by a policeman in the employ of the South-Western Railway COMpony, alio, without knowing of the previous discovery, found the right aide of the trunk off Brunswick Mort, near the Nose Elms Station. This part oorrescottle I with the first part found, and the beadle's tnink, it wal apparent, had been severed with a very ehsrp knife, and a saw had also been used. Soon aft- r a portion of the lungs was found by Inspector ltl , id the Thames Police, under an arch of old Bs• ier,aibridge, and the other part near the Battersea rail.oay pier. The search was now coatinued for the other parts of the body, and on Saturday the face, with the scalp of a woman attached, was found off l.ineli. use. It wag evident at a glance that the murderer murderers had taken revolting precautions to prevent Identification, for the noise was cut from the face, but :411 Lung attached to the upper lip. There waa the mark of a bruise on the right temple, evidently caueed toy a blunt instrument, and this blow, it Is thought, WWI the cause of death. It will he olo.erved that several portions of the body were foot 'tin the neighbourhood of Battersea, below where the Vandle empties itself into the Thames, and at a port where trailing barges come; while another part wag Mund at Limehouse, near where the barges enter the rhomes. This fact has not escaped the attention f the police, and the first suspicion we% that the woman had met her death at the hands of people connect. I with the barge trade. It is the opinion of the miff cal men who have seen the remains that they do not to I,,ng to is" subject, used for dissecting purpose., to' that they belong to a woman who met a violent death. The woman's age appears to have been about 40 ; she had dark hair, very thin, and cut short (as would be the ca'- with a woman recently ill or recently discharged frern a prison), and there Waa a sear, as of an old burn, on the left breast. Dr. Reo,pster, the divisional surgeon, has made the fell 'wing report : _  _ " I have examined at the Flattens% Pd lice-station the ivft quarter of the thorax oft woman of fair skin and somewhat fat Death has taken pLiire within • few houn. The head, arra, and thee eide of the thorax and rest of the it uly have been separated with a knife and saw, and that in an