The Legend of Jack the Ripper

Ch17: Will there be light!

On the night of Saturday 14th February 1891, Detective-sergeants Record and Kuhrd managed to locate Frances Coles's father, James William Cole, who was in Bermondsey Workhouse, and Mary Ann Coles, her sister, who lived in Kingsland. According to the East London, Advertiser:-The very feeble old man was taken to the mortuary in a cab and had no difficulty in identifying the body as that of Frances Coles, his daughter. Another sister, named Selina, is also known to be living at Kingsland. The deceased was at one time engaged as a labeller at a wholesale chemist's factory in the Minories. It has transpired that she left her lodgings in Thrawl-street about five weeks ago, but on Thursday last, between 9 and 10 o'clock, returned and asked her landlady, Mrs Hague, to let her come back, and promised to pay what she owed. She then went away, but Mrs Hague subsequently saw her in a public house at the corner of Montague-street. She was with a man, who was treating her to drink. He was of fair complexion and had a light moustache. Mrs Hague also identified the body.

It soon transpired that her companion had been James Thomas Sadler, a fifty-three-year-old merchant seaman and fireman on the S.S. Fez, whom she had met in the Princess Alice Pub on February 11th, two days before her murder. Sadler was a former client of hers and, after a few drinks, they decided to spend the night together.They spent most of February 12th 1891 on a pub crawl around the area and by evening both of them were extremely intoxicated.At around 7.30 pm that evening, Frances turned up at a millinery shop at 25 Nottingham Street where she bought a black crepe hat, paying for it with 2s. 6d. That Sadler had given her some hours before.

According to Peter Hawkes, who appeared on the second day of the inquest, on the previous Thursday, 12th February, a woman came into the shop and asked to be shown some hats. He showed her several and she selected a black crepe hat, the price of which was 1s 11d. After Hawkes told her the price, she went outside the shop and spoke to a man who had been looking in at the window. She went away in the company of the man but returned shortly after having decided to buy the hat. She handed over 2s and Hawkes gave her half-penny change. She was already wearing an old black hat with an edging of beads.Having been to the mortuary, Hawkes identified the body of Frances Coles as being the woman who bought the hat. He also said that whilst at the Police Station, he saw several men, one he claimed was James Sadler, the man outside his shop.

Later that night, as they were making their way along Thrawl Street, Sadler was attacked by a woman in a red shawl who came upon him from behind. Two men who were with the woman then robbed him of his watch and money.
It appears that Frances watched the attack and failed to intervene, much to Sadler's disgust who told the police during questioning that he had been angry at Frances for not helping him when he was down. An argument ensued and the two of them went their separate ways.

At 11.30 pm a very drunk Frances Coles turned up at the lodging house where they had spent the previous night. Sitting down on a bench in the kitchen she rested her head on her arms and promptly fell fast asleep.

A very belligerent Sadler turned up soon after, his face bloodied and bruised. "I have been robbed," he told Charles Guiver, the night watchman, "and if I knew who had done it I would do for them." Guiver helped Sadler clean up in the backyard.

But since Sadler didn't have any money to pay for a bed he had no choice but to ask him to leave.

At 12.30 am on 13th February Frances woke up and, since she also lacked the money for a bed, was forced to leave the lodging house.At 1.45 am Frances met fellow prostitute Ellen Callanan on Commercial Street. Shortly after this meeting, according to Calana's later testimony, she said, She told me she had been turned out of Shuttleworth's, where she had been having something to eat. I went by the public house clock. I walked up Commercial-street towards the Minories with her and asked her what she was going to do. A man spoke to me. He was a very short man, with a dark moustache, shiny boots, and blue trousers, and had the appearance of a sailor. It was not Sadler. Because I would not go with him he punched me and tore my jacket. Frances was about three or four yards away at the time. We were both just getting over drunkenness. He went and spoke to Frances then, and I said, "Frances, don't go with that man, I don't like his look." She replied, "I will," and I then said, "If you are going with that man I will bid you goodnight." I left them at the bottom of Commercial-street going towards the Minories, and I went to Theobald's lodging house, Brick-lane. I watched them till they turned round by the public house into White street. I first heard of the murder on Friday at 5 a.m., and in consequence of advice, I went to Leman-street Police station and stated what I knew. I was then taken to the mortuary and identified the body as that of Frances.'''