S3 – 2_ Rome & Babylon - The Modern Babylon

Historical Context of the Regent's Park Murder of $1888$

• The Incident: On a spring evening in $1888$, a woman named Lizzie and a man named Joseph (a printer's machinist) were on a double date in Regent's Park. They were accompanied by Lizzie's sister and a coworker of Joseph's.

• The Setting: Regent's Park was considered a "shining glory" of London, often described in lofty terms as part of the "Rome of modern history." At the time, London had recently (in $1824$) repealed ancient laws against walking the streets at night, thanks to the advent of gaslighting.

• The Assault: The group was approached by approximately half a dozen young men. One voice asked, "Are you Macy?" before attacking Joseph. Despite Joseph's strength, he was overwhelmed.

• The Murder Weapon: Joseph was stabbed with a "sailor's dagger" featuring a $6$-inch blade. The weapon was later found by Scotland Yard sanitary workers dredging the sewers.

• The Aftermath: Joseph died in Lizzie's arms in a cab on the way to the hospital. Lizzie attempted to pursue the attackers, yelling "Stop, thief!", but was assaulted herself (kicked in the ribs) while bystanders refused to intervene.

• Motive and Suspects: The attackers were identified as members of a gang called "The Deck." Joseph was a victim of mistaken identity; the gang intended to target a rival who had attacked them in the park the previous night.

The Architectural Refashioning of London

• Visionary Leaders: The growth of $19\text{th}$-century London is largely attributed to Prince Regent George IV and his architect, John Nash.

• Modernization Projects:

  • Development of Regent Street and Regent's Park to replace "pestilent alleyways" and "squalid hovels."

  • Transformation of Buckingham House into a palace.

  • Construction of three new bridges across the Thames.

  • Implementation of gaslighting, starting in $1807$ and becoming widespread by the $1840\text{s}$.

  • Installation of new sewers designed to carry waste to the river.

  • The Holborn Viaduct ($1867$): The largest and most expensive project of the century, built to serve the financial district.

• The Cost of Progress: For the new city to arise, older areas had to be demolished. This was carried out by "Nash's housebreakers."

The Dispossession and Displacement of the Poor

• West End Clearances: In the early $1800\text{s}$, areas like St. Giles were demolished to build Oxford Street and Shaftesbury Avenue. More than $5,000$ poor residents were relocated to the East End.

• Docklands Development: The construction of the St. Katharine Docks required clearing neighborhoods known as Cat's Hole, Pillory Lane, and Dark Entry. This single project displaced over $11,000$ people.

• Lack of Compensation: While property owners received compensation, the poor were simply turned out. Many became homeless or contributed to extreme overcrowding as they moved deeper into the East End.

• The Social Divide: Middle-class Victorians linked the squalid conditions of the East End to the "bad morals" of its inhabitants, largely ignoring the historical role of displacement and architectural reform in creating those conditions.

Law Enforcement: Figures and Career Trajectories

• Charles Warren: Appointed to coordinate efforts against both violence and vice in the modern city.

• Detective Inspector Donald Swanson: A highly respected officer known for quick thinking and decisive action.

  • The Fleet Street Case ($1870$): As a constable, Swanson tracked a gang that drilled holes into a pawnbroker's shop shutters. He arrested three of the four thieves, including a woman named "Curly Paul."

  • The Illegal Playhouse Case ($1871$): Swanson and Sergeant Frederick Abberline investigated George Sanger, a theater impresario putting on unlicensed plays. Sanger charged $400$ attendees for "programs" instead of tickets to bypass licensing laws. The performance was documented as attracting "drunks" and "women of immoral character."

• Career Shifts: Swanson was transferred to Bow in the East End, and Abberline to Whitechapel. By $1887$, both had moved to the Central Office at Scotland Yard's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The Murder of Martha Tabram ($August \text{ } 1888$)

• Discovery: Martha Tabram was found dead on the landing of George Yard Buildings on $08/07/1888$ at approximately $04:50\text{AM}$. She was discovered by a dock worker.

• Pathology: She had been stabbed $39$ times, primarily in the abdomen. A surgeon suggested the wounds were made with an ordinary penknife, though one wound in the sternum suggested a larger blade, such as a dagger or bayonet.

• Witness Testimony: "Pearly Paul" (likely the same woman from Swanson's $1870$ case) testified she and Martha had been drinking at the White Swan Pub with two soldiers (Grenadier or Coldstream Guards) on the night of the murder.

• Investigation Failure: Despite identity parades at the Tower of London and Wellington Barracks, identification failed. The soldiers Paul picked out had alibis. The investigation reached a dead end, and the responsible inspector went on vacation.

• The Victim's Background: Martha was an alcoholic who had been separated from her husband, Henry Tabram, for $13$ years. She was later the partner of Henry Turner for $9$ years before their separation.

Media Sensationalism and "Modern Babylon"

• The East London Advertiser: Attempted to defend the neighborhood's reputation, arguing that crimes in the East End were unfairly used to paint all residents as ruffians compared to crimes in the West End (like Regent's Park).

• Henry James: Described London in $1876$ as a "strangely mingled monster" and the "murky modern Babylon."

• W.T. Stead and The Pall Mall Gazette: In July $1885$, Stead published "The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon," an exposé on child sex trafficking.

  • The Stunt: To demonstrate the ease of trafficking, Stead drugged a girl and shipped her to Paris under the care of the Salvation Army. He was subsequently sued by the girl's parents for fraud.

  • Legal Impact: The articles whipped the public into a fury and eventually led to the age of consent being raised from $13$.

  • Social Impact: The series deepened the middle-class distrust of the poor and reinforced the view of the East End as an "exotic," dangerous land similar to the "darkest Africa" described by missionaries.

The Murder of Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols

• The Discovery: On the early morning of $August \text{ } 31, \text{ } 1888$, laborer Charles Cross discovered a body slumped against a gate on the cobbles of Buck's Row.

• The Victim: Polly Nichols. Her face was warm, but her hands were deathly cold.

• Injuries: Her throat had been cut, and she had several deep, jagged abdominal wounds inflicted with a very sharp knife. The attack was estimated to have lasted approximately $5$ minutes.

• Significance: This murder occurred only one mile east of where Martha Tabram was killed and is considered the beginning of the "Whitechapel murders" narrative that would possess the nation.

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