John Eddowes
Witness – A boatman, residing in Albion Street, Wolverhampton, just 250 yards from Bilston Street.
Friday, 12th March 1886
THE DROWNING OF A WOLVERHAMPTON WOMAN
BIRMINGHAM DAILY POST – BOATMAN ARTICLES 1881 TO 1890
At the Town Hall, yesterday, an adjourned inquest was held by the Borough Coroner (Mr W H Phillips) touching the death of Theresa Collins (23), married, whose body was at eight o’clock on the morning of Sunday, the 7th ult, found in the Birmingham Canal, near Norton’s Mill, in Old Mill Street.
From previous evidence it seems that deceased for about twelve months had been separated from her husband, George Collins, by trade an edge-tool striker, but who has of late been earning his living as an out-porter or by doing jobbing work, and who lodges in Bilston Street.
Deceased has been supporting herself by prostitution, and the evidence of four persons goes to show that she was seen alive about eleven o’clock on Saturday night; but beyond this no evidence was forthcoming which would enable the police to follow up the subsequent movements of the woman.
When, on the following day, the body was recovered from the water by the police, marks and bruises were discernible which led to the belief that there had been foul play.
On a post mortem examination being made, Mr Vincent Jackson, surgeon, discovered that in addition to bruises over the eye and behind the ear, four of the ribs were broken, but this he believed to have been caused subsequent to immersion.
The other injuries he considered the woman sustained before death, and that she died from drowning.
John Eddowes, a boatman of Albion Street, Wolverhampton, deposed yesterday that at about a quarter to one on Sunday morning, the 7th ult, he moored his boat near to Norton’s Mill, having just arrived from Great Bridge. Wile waiting there he saw a young man come on to the towpath from the direction of Mill Street, and shortly afterwards a young woman followed him.
The woman addressed him as “Harry”, and he responded. A little later an elderly man, wearing light clothes, came from the same direction as the other persons, and stood near to witness’s boat. He remarked to himself, “She is a long time coming,” and when witness spoke to him he made no reply.
Presently the young man and woman whom witness had first seen walked along the towing-path, and passing the elderly man, went on towards the mill. Subsequently the elderly man repeated his former remark, and after lighting his pipe he went away.
Owing to the steam and fog issuing from the water witness was unable to identify any of the persons he saw, but the young woman wore a long jacket, and was wrapped up. The Coroner, having summed up, read, at the request of the jury, the evidence given at the previous enquiry by Clara Pritchard, a married woman, 8 Court, Dudley Road, and of Arthur Jurance, tin-plate worker, Bath Street, Bilston Street.
Pritchard deposed that at about a quarter past eleven she saw the deceased at the corner of Berry Street, in company with Arthur Jurance. Deceased showed her half a crown in a purse, and after wishing her good night, went down Horseley Fields with Jurance. Jurance had deposed that he had known the deceased for four months, and last saw her on the night of Tuesday previous to her body being found, in the Bush Inn, Walsall Street. He described his movements on the Saturday night, and stated that he had not been at the spot where the body was found for a period of six months.
After a short deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of “Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown”, and the Coroner concurred in the verdict.
The witnesses were bound over to appear at the Assizes, if called upon.
Feb 2016
Catherine Eddowes 