Victims of Jack - Annie Chapman
THE SECOND SECTION OF THE JACK THE RIPPER WALK.
THE MURDER OF ANNIE CHAPMAN
8th September 1888
DIRECTIONS
Backtrack past the school building and head straight along Durward Street. Turn right onto Vallance Road, go over the pedestrian crossing and ahead into the narrow alleyway marked Hanbury Street.
A long walk now follows that will take you through an unremarkable post-war council estate. This area really IS NOT safe after dark unless you are at least five or six strong.
On arrival at the junction with Spelman Street, fork right along the continuation of Hanbury Street - where the tantalising aroma of curry from the district's Indian Restaurants hands appetisingly in the air - go over Brick Lane and keep ahead into the next section of Hanbury Street. The light brown brick monstrosity that lines the entire right side of this part of Hanbury Street was formerly the Truman Brewery building which was built in the mid 20th century.
Its construction necessitated the demolition of the old houses, including 29 Hanbury Street which used to stand about half way along on the right hand side. It was here on 8th September 1888 that Annie Chapman, Jack the Ripper’s second victim was murdered.
THE SECOND VICTIM OF JACK THE RIPPER.
ANNIE CHAPMAN. 
 A little before 6am on 8th September 1888 John Davis, an elderly resident of 29 Hanbury Street came downstairs, walked along the narrow passageway and opened the back door. The sight that he saw shook him to the core. Moments later two workmen walking along Hanbury Street were suddenly startled when the door of number 29 burst open and a wild eyed old man stumbled into the street. “Men” he cried “come here.” Nervously they followed him along the passageway and looking into the yard saw the mutilated body of Annie Chapman.
Her dress had been pulled up around her knees, exposing her striped stockings. A deep cut had slashed across her throat; her intestines had been tugged out and laid across her shoulder. Missing from the body were the uterus and part of the bladder. The contents of her pocket were found lying in a neat pile near to the body. The brass rings that she had been wearing at the time of her murder, had evidently been torn from her fingers and were never discovered. And, just a few feet away from the body, there lay a folded and wet leather apron.
The three previous murders had certainly caused disquiet in Whitechapel, but with the death of Annie Chapman that disquiet turned to hysteria, and mobs began turning their anger on anyone whom they thought might be responsible. The finding of the washed Leather Apron so close to Annie’s body led to anti-Semitism. Innocent Jews were attacked by angry crowds claiming that no Englishman was capable of such a crime and the spectre of full blown anti-Jewish rioting became a dreadful possibility.
It soon transpired that the leather apron found at the scene of the murder belonged to one of the residents of number 29 Hanbury Street and was not in any way connected to the murder or the murderer. This knowledge, however, did little to quell the racial unrest. As one newspaper reported “A touch would fire the whole district in the mood in which it is now” while The Jewish Chronicle warned that “There may soon be murders from panic to add to murders from a lust for blood.”
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