Discovery of limbs

The Edgware-Road Murder. - Discovery of the Limbs. This morning, about half-past eleven o'clock, as two labourers were employed in cutting osiers in a marshy piece of ground situate close to Coleharbour-lane, Camberwell, they observed something tied up in a piece of coarse sacking and concealed amidst a heap of weeds and rushes. One of them lifted the bundle, and, anxious to see what it contained, called his companion to witness the discovery. He then with his knife cut the cord which was tied round the bundle, and, to the horror and consternation of himself and his companion, the legs and thighs of a human body dropped from the sacking. The poor fellows were so thunderstruck at this horrible discovery, that for some time they were unable to utter a word, and continued staring in mute dismay, first on the mangled remains before them, and then on each other.

It was then agreed that information should be given to the Brixton police station, which was not more than 300 yards from the spot, and soon after some constables arrived and took possession of the remains.

A surgeon residing in the neighbourhood was then sent for, by whom the limbs were examined, when it was found, that one of the thighs had been cut from the body close to the hip joint, and that the other had been separated lower down, so that a portion of the upper part of the thigh must have been left attached to the body in the form of a stump. The thighs and legs were of a large size, and particularly well formed, and the toenails appeared to have been recently cut and trimmed. The upper portion of one of the thighs, near the hip joint appeared to have been knawed by a rat, but the limbs were not much decayed.

The surgeon gave it as his opinion, that the limbs most probably belonged to the body of the woman which was found some short time ago near Paddington, although, from the size of the limbs, he almost doubted whether they could have belonged to the body of a female.