Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1875-09-18 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

SUPPOSED BRUTAL M URDER IN LONDON.  On Saturday evening, about five o'clock, an atrocious murder was discovered in a most singular manner by a man who was engaged by a man and a female in the Commercial Road, Whitechapel, London, to convey two parcels to a cab in waiting in the East End. It appears that at about half-past four o'clock on Saturday afternoon a man was accosted by a young woman named Alice Day, residing at 5, Queen's Court, Commercial Road, and asked him to help her to convey two parcels wrapped up in American canvas to a cab. The woman was after- I wards joined by a man who drove up in a cab, No. 8505. He told the driver to wait as he had a good fare, and requested the cab-driver to keep his seat whilst he went to fetch the luggage from his town residence. The man, on entering the front room of an empty house, was horrified by noticing the mutilated hand of a dead body protruding slightly from one of the bundles. He kept his own counsel, and did not make any remarks or reference to the strong smell arising from the contents of the parcel. In about five minntes after entering the empty house, the man got into the cab and recovered the parcel from the man, and directly afterwards the young  woman got into the cab and sat beside the man, with their backs towards the driver, the parcels being deposited beneath the back seat. The man then ordered the cabman to drive towards London Bridge, and immediately the cab started the man made up his mind to follow. On nearing King William Street, City, the man became slightly exhausted, and though calling out to various policemen to stop the cab they took no notice of his cries. In passing over London Bridge, owing to the great traffic, the cab proceeded at a slow pace, but the man failed to draw the attention of the police until he arrived in the Borough. On nearing the 'Hen and Chickens" in the Borough, the man ordered the cabman to halt at an empty house, situated at No. 54, High Street, Boroik.fli. At this juncture the notice of police constable, Nos. 48 X anu 290 of the M division, was attracted to the parties in the cab, and the man having briefly recounted to them his adventure, they opened the cab door and asked the man to inform them of the contents of the parcels. The smell arising from them was unbearable, and in order not to attract the attention of the pedestrians, the officers ordered Ole cabman to drive to the Stonesend Police Station in the borough. When the police opened the smallest parcel, which was wrapped up in a black piece of American canvas, they found that the contents consisted of the decomposed trunk or a female adult. The second parcel was larger, though the contents were packed up in the same material. The assassins had sewed up the paroel as they supposed in a very careful manner, but one aide being left slightly open, the fingers of the murdered woman were protruding. Inside it was the head of a female apparently about 26 years of age, but it was in such a decomposed state through being immersed in lime that it was impossible to tell her exact age. Her auburn hair was partially burnt off the crown of the head through the action of the lime, atql the eyes were not discernible. The arms and leg:, which had I been amputated in a very unskilful manner, were al.° in the parcel. It is believed that the man and woman intended to have buried the murdered woman under the flags in the kitchen in the empty house 54, High Street, Borough. The man has given his name to the police as Henry Wainwright, 36, residing at Schoolhouse Lane, Chingford, Essex.