The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1873-09-20 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

INQUEST.  The inquest upon the mutilated remains of the woman, parts of whom have been found in the Thames durinc, the last few days, was lelumed on Monday morning before Mr. \V. Carter, coroner. The mutilated remsios, which have been stitched together, lay in the eead-house under preservation in a bath of methylated spirits. The Coroner said the jury had had placed before them upon the last occasicn evidence as to the finding of two portions of the body. He proposed to take evidence relating to the pieces which had been found since, in order that the jary might consider whether they all belonged to one body. Richard Stratford, residing at Greenwich, who described himself as "a dragger of the river Thames seeking for what he could find," said, on Monday last, while following his occupation on the river Thames off Blackwall Point (the Surrey side), he saw a piece of flesh floating on the ebb tide. He secured it and thought it was part of the thigh. It was clean, with the exception of two patches of tar, which it might have got in the river. He took it to the polic.3 station. Thomas Ralph Evans, waterman, 4, Nelson-street, Woolwich, said he was rowing down by the dockyard wharf on Monday last, when he saw something floating upon the flood tide. He thought at first that it was a piece of pork, but after turning it over he concluded that it was part of a human being. He took it to the police station and left it there. William Bennett, platelayer, 22, Maxon-road, Plumstead, said on Tuesday last he was on° the bank of the river by the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, laying down .a narrow gauge railway, when he saw something white laying in the mud which had apparently been left by the ebb tide. He walked through the mud to it and found it to be part of a human being, the left aide he believed. He called, the attention of a police officer to it. He saw no mark upon the piece. John Prince, waterman and lighterman, 99, Manorstreet, Chelsea, said he was on the liver Thames on Tuesday last by the Albert Bridge Works. His duty was to pick up anythi g that fell from the works. He saw something which when picked up proved to be part of the left forearm. He gave it to the police. The separation had apparently taken place just above the elbow. Edward Patteson, carman, Lambeth-walk, said on Wednesday afternoon last he was sitting on a barge near White Hart Dock, Vauxhall, when he saw something floating between the barge and the embankment. It proved to be the right forearm and was severed just above the wrist. He gave it up ti) the police. William Prince, waterman's apprentice, brother to a previous witiless, said on Tuesday last he was off Wandsworth Distillery, rowing down from Putney, when he picked up a thigh, which was floating down on the ebb tide. He took it ashore and gave it up to the police. Joseph Gerrard, waterman, 110, Queen-street, Hammersmith, said on Thursday last he was on a barge by Hammersmith Bridge, when he saw part of a body floating on the river. It proved to be a foot severed just above the ankle, and he gave it to the police. Edmund Walker, inspector of Thames Police, said on Saturday morning last he was on duty off Easton's Wharf, Commercial-road, Lambeth, and secured something he saw floating, part of a leg from the knee to. the ankle. The :Coroner then proceeded with the jury and the above-mentioned witnesses to view the portions of the body which lay pieced together in the mortuary. Upon , their return the witnesses expressed themselves satisfied that the remains they had seen were those they had individually recovered. Dr. Kempstor was then recalled. He said—The first pertion found was the left thigh, divided below the hip joint by sawing through the bone and at the knee by severance with a knife at the joint,. There were no marks or bruises of any kind. The right shoulder and upper half of right arm were divided through the clavicle and the scapula, and at the biceps. The body generally was divided by a fine saw. This portion was marked with two patches of tar. The Coroner remarked that bodies were often marked with tar. Witness, continuing, said—the pelvis had been divided by cutting diagonally across the spinal cord beneath the lower 'lbs. The uterus and other internal organs were attached to this piece. The jury returned a verdict of "Wilful murder against some person or persor s unknown."