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After being reminded on a thread on the Casebook forum about the 1885 Burton/Cunningham dynamite case, I came up with a few "coincidental" circumstances involving these cases.
Let me start by laying the ground work with a few things. First, in the Law Journal of April 7, 1888, I found a case of bankruptcy for a Henry Harris, furniture maker, residing at 32 Great Prescott Street. Harry Harris, witness with Lawende, was said to live on "Castle Street" Whitechapel, which has since proven to be at 34, Newcastle Street, Whitechapel in both the 1891 and 1901 Census. He is listed as a furniture dealer living with his father. This was in September of 1888. Prior to this, I believe Debs has found him in the 1871 and 1881 census living at Catherine Wheel Alley which is directly behind the Bishopsgate Police Station. Joseph Lawende was living at 3, Tenter Street South up until about 1885. These two addresses are practically neighbors, so it could be that this Great Prescott Street, Henry Harris, is our witness and knew Lawende from the neighborhood.
On my map the blue line is the route of PC Thompson as he patrolled the night of the Coles murder.
I went on duty at 10 o'clock on Thursday night. My beat was to patrol Chamber-street and Prescott-street. I started from the bottom of Chamber-street up that street, and then along Prescott-street. In doing so I passed small portions of Mansell and Leman streets. There are three arches leading from Chamber-street to Royal Mint-street. The railway is over each of these passages.
What time did you pass from Chamber-street to go under the arch? -
As near 2:15 as I can tell. The entrance to the arch is opposite the Catholic schools. At that time I did not know the place was known by the name of Swallow-gardens, but I have heard so since. The roadway under the arch is partially taken away and boarded up from the crown of the arch to the ground. What remains is a roadway, enabling one cart to pass at a time. I should say the length of the arch is something over 40 yards. There are two ordinary street gas-lamps to light this arch, and they throw a light down the archway. I cannot tell the exact position of the light at the other entrance. If I was standing at the Chamber-street entrance to the archway I should be able to see any one in the centre of the arch. I could see right through it; and I can do this at night. The centre part is not very light in the daytime. The archway is much used by carts and horses belonging to the Great Northern Railway Company. Their stables, which are about 30 yards away from the arch, are in Chamber-street. At a quarter-past 2 I came up Chamber-street from Leman-street. When about 80 yards away from the arch I looked at the clock on the top of the tower of the Co-operative Stores in Leman-street. It was then very near 2:15. I walked direct up Chamber-street to the arch. I turned down the arch with the intention of going as far as Royal Mint-street.
The short red line represents the passage of Swallow Gardens as we see from Thompson's testimony the arch was directly across from the Catholic School which can be seen on this map (R.C SCH.) The green rectangle is 32 Prescott Street and the dark red rectangle in Lawende's address in 1885.
Now to go back to the 1885 Tower of London bombing and the case of Burton and Cunningham. Here is testimony from Inspector Abberline in regard to where Cunningham was living at the time.
...on the Saturday evening, while Cunningham was detained, I went to 32, Great Prescott Street, and saw the landlady, Miss Kelly, and in consequence of what she told me I spoke to Cunningham, and took a note next night of what he said; this is it—I said to Cunningham, "We have made inquiries at 30, Great Prescott Street, and find when you arrived there you had with you a large brown box and bag; the landlady states that you afterwards took the brown box away, and you told her you had borrowed it from a friend; now if you like to refer me to your friend we will make inquiry if you think it will be for your benefit"
Is there perhaps some importance to 30 and 32 Great Prescott Street?
In conclusion, here is a map of Castle Alley and the McKenzie murder scene.
I find it rather interesting that Harry Harris's home backed up directly to the murder scene of Alice McKenzie. There was a 7' hoarding at the back of these houses but it was stated the upper floor of the homes could be seen from the alley. Harris would have been living here, according to the census anyway, in 1888, 1889 and 1891.
Let me start by laying the ground work with a few things. First, in the Law Journal of April 7, 1888, I found a case of bankruptcy for a Henry Harris, furniture maker, residing at 32 Great Prescott Street. Harry Harris, witness with Lawende, was said to live on "Castle Street" Whitechapel, which has since proven to be at 34, Newcastle Street, Whitechapel in both the 1891 and 1901 Census. He is listed as a furniture dealer living with his father. This was in September of 1888. Prior to this, I believe Debs has found him in the 1871 and 1881 census living at Catherine Wheel Alley which is directly behind the Bishopsgate Police Station. Joseph Lawende was living at 3, Tenter Street South up until about 1885. These two addresses are practically neighbors, so it could be that this Great Prescott Street, Henry Harris, is our witness and knew Lawende from the neighborhood.
On my map the blue line is the route of PC Thompson as he patrolled the night of the Coles murder.
I went on duty at 10 o'clock on Thursday night. My beat was to patrol Chamber-street and Prescott-street. I started from the bottom of Chamber-street up that street, and then along Prescott-street. In doing so I passed small portions of Mansell and Leman streets. There are three arches leading from Chamber-street to Royal Mint-street. The railway is over each of these passages.
What time did you pass from Chamber-street to go under the arch? -
As near 2:15 as I can tell. The entrance to the arch is opposite the Catholic schools. At that time I did not know the place was known by the name of Swallow-gardens, but I have heard so since. The roadway under the arch is partially taken away and boarded up from the crown of the arch to the ground. What remains is a roadway, enabling one cart to pass at a time. I should say the length of the arch is something over 40 yards. There are two ordinary street gas-lamps to light this arch, and they throw a light down the archway. I cannot tell the exact position of the light at the other entrance. If I was standing at the Chamber-street entrance to the archway I should be able to see any one in the centre of the arch. I could see right through it; and I can do this at night. The centre part is not very light in the daytime. The archway is much used by carts and horses belonging to the Great Northern Railway Company. Their stables, which are about 30 yards away from the arch, are in Chamber-street. At a quarter-past 2 I came up Chamber-street from Leman-street. When about 80 yards away from the arch I looked at the clock on the top of the tower of the Co-operative Stores in Leman-street. It was then very near 2:15. I walked direct up Chamber-street to the arch. I turned down the arch with the intention of going as far as Royal Mint-street.
The short red line represents the passage of Swallow Gardens as we see from Thompson's testimony the arch was directly across from the Catholic School which can be seen on this map (R.C SCH.) The green rectangle is 32 Prescott Street and the dark red rectangle in Lawende's address in 1885.
Now to go back to the 1885 Tower of London bombing and the case of Burton and Cunningham. Here is testimony from Inspector Abberline in regard to where Cunningham was living at the time.
...on the Saturday evening, while Cunningham was detained, I went to 32, Great Prescott Street, and saw the landlady, Miss Kelly, and in consequence of what she told me I spoke to Cunningham, and took a note next night of what he said; this is it—I said to Cunningham, "We have made inquiries at 30, Great Prescott Street, and find when you arrived there you had with you a large brown box and bag; the landlady states that you afterwards took the brown box away, and you told her you had borrowed it from a friend; now if you like to refer me to your friend we will make inquiry if you think it will be for your benefit"
Is there perhaps some importance to 30 and 32 Great Prescott Street?
In conclusion, here is a map of Castle Alley and the McKenzie murder scene.
I find it rather interesting that Harry Harris's home backed up directly to the murder scene of Alice McKenzie. There was a 7' hoarding at the back of these houses but it was stated the upper floor of the homes could be seen from the alley. Harris would have been living here, according to the census anyway, in 1888, 1889 and 1891.
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