Ephraim Thorn

[A.P. Wolf]

I know it is a popular concept that the Whitechapel Murderer may have commited suicide after the murder of Mary Jane Kelly, but I don't like popular concepts, so I'm suggesting that the murderer may have attempted suicide before the murder of Kelly, and when that failed, and he was set free by the courts, he went back to his killling... and then begarred off to Birmingham to run a grog shop and kill his wife; just like Ephraim Thorn:

'Daily News
United Kingdom
5 December 1888


THAMES - ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

Ephraim Thorn, 44, provision merchant, of Cable street, Whitechapel, was charged with attempting to commit self murder by throwing himself in front of a railway train. Mr. G.H. Young defended. Richard H. Chapman, station master ay Leman street Railway Station, on the Great Eastern Railway, said, at 10.30 on Friday morning he was on the platform waiting for the up train. As the train was coming to a standstill he saw prisoner walk from the covered way of the platform, put his hands together and make a jump in front of the engine, which was some yards away. The accused fell between the metals. The engine struck him and rolled him over. The train was stopped, and witness called out, "What have you got down here for?" Prisoner crawled from under the engine and witness assisted him on to the platform. Dr. H. Smith, house surgeon at the London Hospital, said when defendant was admitted he had a black eye, a small wound over the left eyebrow, and two scalp wounds. He had been drinking. The accused told witness he had had fits. He was detained in the hospital until Tuesday. For the defence it was urged that at the time the prisoner was under the influence of drink. Thorn was very sorry for what he had done, and would never again attempt the rash act. Defendant said he would never touch drink again. Having heard the prisoner bore a very good character, Mr. Saunders allowed him to go away. '

[How Brown]

Nice one, A.P. !

How much later did Thorn kill his wife ? Was he drinking when he did it ?

[A.P. Wolf]

Ephraim Thorn is quite a rare name, How, so I was pleased to find a report in the 'Birmingham Daily Post' of the 13th January 1891 giving details of how Thorn's wife, Sarah, died in Her Majesty's prison service, shortly after being thrown out on the streets by Ephraim on Christmas Day... his allegation that she drank too much.
The magistrate gave him short shrift, practically accusing him of causing the death of his wife.
As I said before, these items connected with Victorian tube stations are of interest to me at the moment, and the fact that Thorn chose this tube station for his attempted suicide makes the situation even more interesting.

[A.P. Wolf]

In that he might have gone back to the place where everything started:

'
The Eastern Post & City Chronicle
Saturday, 14 April 1888.
THE LATEST WHITECHAPEL MYSTERY.
A WOMAN'S MEMORY GONE.
Malvina Haynes, who received very serious injuries to her head and scalp on the night of Bank Holiday, has been from that time until Tuesday lying quite unconscious at the London Hospital, no sounds but moans having escaped her lips. The sufferer has been under the care of Mr. George E. Haslip, the house surgeon, and yesterday the patient, upon regaining consciousness was only able to briefly relate the circumstances of the outrage. On many points her memory is an entire blank; and when questioned as to what her assailant was like, she replied, "I cannot remember, my mind is gone." The hospital authorities at once communicated with Detective-sergeant William New, who has charge of the case, and certain information which casually passed from the woman's lips may perhaps

LEAD TO A CLUE
respecting the would-be murderer. Mr. Haynes, the husband, who is a hard-working house painter, living at 29, Newnham Street, Great Alie Street, Whitechapel, has expressed his deep sense of unremitting skill and kindness his wife has received from the surgical and nursing staff at the hospital, and from a statement which he has made it appears that his wife, himself, and some friends spent Bank Holiday together by seeing some of the sights of the Metropolis, and in the evening Mrs. Haynes returned with them to her home. She went out later on, and

SCREAMS WERE SHORTLY HEARD
in the vicinity of Leman Street Railway Station. A constable then discovered Mrs. Haynes lying insensible on the ground in a pool of blood. Besides her brain being affected by the injury, Mrs. Haynes is suffering from a scalp wound of rather an extensive character. A man who was said to have been near the unfortunate woman at the time of the occurrence, and who resided in the district, has since left the neighbourhood. The police hope that he may come forward, as his testimony might aid the ends of justice, by relating what he saw of the outrage. '