SARAH LEWIS

HEARD A CRY OF MURDER

Was Staying With Friends In Miller's Court.

At around 2.30am, on 9th November, 1888, Sarah Lewis, a laundress of 24 Great Pearl Street, having argued with her husband, decided to spend the rest of the night with her friend Mrs. Keyler and her husband at number 2 Miller's Court, which was a first floor room.

According to her police statement, as she approached the court there was a man standing against the lodging house on the opposite side of Dorset Street, although she was unable to describe him. This man may well have been George Hutchinson.

Her statement was taken on 9th November – probably in the Keylers room, as she later testified that the police wouldn't let them out until 5.30pm.

By the time of Mary Kelly's inquest, Mrs Lewis had evidently given more thought to what she had seen, and went into a lot more detail in her testimony:-

Sarah Lewis, Great Pearl Street, stated:- I visited a friend at Miller's Court on Friday morning at half-past two o'clock. I saw a man standing on the pavement. He was short and stout, and wore a wideawake hat.

I stopped with my friend, Mrs Keyler. I fell asleep in a chair, and woke at half-past three. I sat awake till a little before four.

I heard a female voice scream, "Murder," loudly. I thought the sound came from the direction of the deceased's house. I did not take much notice, for such cries are often heard.

At eight o'clock on Wednesday night, when with a female friend, I was accosted in Bethnal Green Road by a gentleman who carried a bag. He invited one of us to accompany him. Disliking his appearance we left him. The bag was about nine inches long.. The man had a pale face, dark moustache, wore dark clothes, an overcoat, and a high felt hat.

On Friday morning, when coming to Miller's Court, about half-past two, I met that man with a female in Commercial Street. As I went into Miller's Court they stood at the corner of Dorset Street. "

Source: The Shields Daily Gazette, Tuesday, 13th November, 1888.