Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper – 13 September 1885 © The British Library Board, BNA
2. What has happened to Alexander Munroe?
3. What does Thomas McCarthy’s arrest tell you about Whitechapel at the time?
4. How long had Alexander lived at the boarding house? What does this tell you about his life?
Transcript
Alleged murder in Spitalfields
At Worship-street police-court, on Tuesday, Thomas McCarthy, 17, labourer, was charged with the manslaughter of a man named Alexander Munroe, by stabbing him on the night of the 5th inst. Police serjeant 15 H said that early that morning he received certain information from a man named Richard Butler, in consequence of which he made inquiries at the London hospital, and learned that a man named Alexander Munroe was lying dead there from a wound in the abdomen. Afterwards witness proceeded to a lodging-house, 6, Little Pearl-street, Spitalfields and there apprehended the prisoner, whom he found in bed, and charged him with killing the man, Alexander Munroe. The prisoner said “It was not me; I was in bed at the time.” – Mr Hannay: The man died at the hospital. Was no statement taken from him; no magistrate sent for? – The Serjeant: No, sir; and the police knew nothing of the matter until the man Butler went to the station. – Richard Butler, a shoemaker, said that at the time in question, Saturday, the 5th, he was a lodger in the house, 6, Little Pearl-street. The prisoner was also a lodger, and the deceased man, Munroe, he knew had been lodging in the house for years. At about 12.20 on the Saturday morning, witness, having taken some beer into the common kitchen, was sitting there, and saw the prisoner cutting tobacco on the corner of a table. Munroe entered, and put his arm on the prisoner’s neck in play, and witness saw the prisoner push him, but there was no roughness. In about two minutes Munro staggered, and said he was stabbed. Witness said he could not believe it, but on looking he saw the man was bleeding from a wound on the right side, just below the ribs. There was a little blood, but witness thought it only a scratch, and as Munroe refused to go the hospital, witness left him and went to bed – Detective serjeant Rolfe, H division, said that there was a number of witnesses in court to say that the prisoner was not the “Little Tommy” who stabbed the man. The house in question was a resort of thieves, and the prisoner himself had been wanted for watch robbery; but there was some doubt now whether a mistake had not been made as to this matter. – Other witnesses were then called, who said a different man altogether had stabbed deceased. – Mr Hannay commented strongly on the fact that deceased was in the hospital on Saturday and Sunday, and died on Monday morning, and no deposition was taken. On the application of the police, he decided to remand the prisoner to give time for the fullest inquiry.
Another Arrest
Thomas Hewington, 26, described as a labourer, was brought up at Worship-street on Wednesday, charged with the manslaughter of Alexander Munro, by stabbing him in the kitchen of a lodging house in Little Pearl-street, Spitalfields, on the night of the 4th inst. – on the previous day Thomas M’Carthy was before the court on the same charge, but it became clear in the course of the case that the wrong man had been arrested. – Detective-serjeant Rolfe, H division, deposed to arresting Hewington at nine o’clock that morning in a lodging-house in star-street. Commercial-road. Prisoner was in bed at the time, and when told what he would be charged with, replied, “I’m glad you’ve come. I know all about it. I am sorry for poor Alec.” He afterwards made a statement to the effect that the negro had entered the kitchen of the lodging house drunk and calling them all bad names, and he, Hewington, whilst cutting some tobacco, lost his temper and struck Munroe with the knife he was using. He added that he was sorry for it, and had gone to see Munroe at the hospital where he had told the nurse that he (Hewington) had stabbed the man. – Mr. Hannay said it would not be necessary to take the evidence of the other witnesses against the prisoner. It was a case which he should remit to the Public prosecutor, as it would require to be thoroughly sifted. The lad McCarthy must be discharged, but would be held in custody on the information of the police that he was wanted for robbery from the person, which charge could be gone into when he was brought up next week. – Hewington being asked if he wished to make any statement, though advised that he had better not do so, said “I am sorry for what I did, and very sorry for Alec.” He was then remanded in custody.
On Thursday Sir John Humphreys held an inquest at the London hospital on the body of Alexander Hayes Munroe, aged about 35 years, a pugilist, and a man of colour, who died from the effects of a stab inflicted by a man named Thomas Ewington. – Henry Cook of 6 Little Pearl-street Spitalfields said his wife was the deputy of a common lodging house. He had known deceased as a lodger on and off for about four or five years. On Saturday the deceased came home about midnight and was then very drunk. On going into the kitchen witness heard him say, “You dirty dogs.” Another man was there, and his name was Thomas Ewington. The latter when he saw him was cutting a piece of tobacco. On turning round witness saw the deceased wriggling about “as though he had a punch in the wind.” Mr Walter Blakston, house surgeon at the London hospital, said he had made a post-mortem examination. In the centre of the small intestine was a small wound a quarter of an inch in depth, from which had exuded some irritating matter which set up inflammation. That brought about death. The jury returned a verdict of “Manslaughter” against Thomas Ewington.