Jenny

Infirmary Patient

"Jenny" was mentioned by numerous newspapers on Thursday, 11th October, 1888 as being an inmate of the St George's-in-the-East infirmary who was visited by a representative from the Central News on Tuesday, 9th October, 1888.

According to the reporter, the women there had told him about a "street bully" who they were convinced was carrying out the murders.

The following version of the article appeared in The Eastern Evening News:-

A correspondent of the Central News, in company with Dr. Saunders, the medical superintendent, visited some of the wards at the Infirmary of St George's-in-the-East on Tuesday.

He found the unfortunate women in a state of great excitement over the Whitechapel murders.

Not one of them would entertain fanciful theories respecting the identify and objects of the murderer.

They were positive that the recent crimes have been the work of one man, who, by the description given and anecdotes related, appears to be a street bully of a somewhat superior type.

One woman, named Jenny, stated to Dr. Saunders that if she were well enough to get about she would soon find and identify the man who she is certain is the murderer.

He frequently maltreated the women of the streets, and extorted money from them under threats of "ripping them up."

They had sometimes appealed to the police, with the only result of a terrible beating from the scoundrel the very next night,

Jenny averred that every women in the ward would he able to pick the man out of a thousand.

She describes him as foreigner, about forty years of age.

She believed that he had been a doctor.

He dressed fairly well, and generally carried a big heavy stick."

Source: The Eastern Evening News, Thursday, 11th October, 1888.