The newspapers of 20th November 1888 were reporting on the funeral of Mary Kelly, which had taken place the previous day (19th November 1888). She was laid to rest in Leyton Cemetery.
An hour before her body was removed from the mortuary several hundred people gathered around St Leonard's Church in Shoreditch, and watched in silence as the funeral arrangements were made. On top of the coffin, which bore the inscription "Marie Jeanette Kelly, died November 9, 1888, aged 25 years," were placed two crowns and a cross, made of heartsease and white flowers.
By 12.30pm as the cortege set of for the Cemetery the crowd had swollen to several thousand people but, according to one newspaper report they:-
manifested the utmost sympathy, the crowd, for an East-end one, being extremely orderly. Vehicles of various descriptions took up positions outside the church railings, and traffic was completely blocked until the hearse moved on.
Meanwhile the search for the murderer continued and several Jack the Ripper Suspects were also being reported on.
In West Bromwich there was much excitement when a man, who resembled the publish description of the Whitechapel Murderer, went to a house in Tentany Lane, and asked the woman who lived there if she knew of any houses of ill-repute anywhere near as he had come from London specially to :-
"...destroy the frequenters of such dwellings. He added that he was determined that they should no longer cumber the earth."
When the woman replied that there were no such houses in the vicinity the man hurried away. The woman didn't raise the alarm immediately and so the police had little luck in tracing the man who was described as being:-
"of medium height, about 35 years of age, with dark moustache, and of gentlemanly address."
In London, at the Thames Police Court, a "strange looking man" named Samuel Graham, aged 52, was charged with being a wandering lunatic.
A police Constable, giving evidence against him said that at around 5.45pm on the previous Monday several people had complained that Graham had:-
rushed at them while in the East India-road. Graham then knocked at a house door, saying, "He’s in there."
As he acted very strangely, witness took him to the station, when he knelt down and appeared to be praying."
According to Inspector King Graham had, for the previous few days:-
been wandering about and he had been to the station complaining that persons were following him. Graham had been charged on suspicion with being the Whitechapel Murderer.
After consideration by the Magistrate Graham was sent to the workhouse.
Another stir occurred on the previous Saturday when a Police Constable was walking along Harrrow Road when he heard a crowd shouting "Jack the Ripper."
Pushing his way through the constable found James Bunyan of kensal Road pinning Gersee Somo against a wall.
According to Somo he had been walking along Harrow Road when Bunyan began following him. Suddenly Bunayn cried out "I'll have you" and the crowd began shouting "He’s Jack the Ripper."
Bunyan then grabbed hold of Somo and pinned him against a wall, crying out, "Now I’ve got you." A struggle ensued, during which Somo's coat was torn. He tried to run away, but prisoner followed him, screaming, "I’ll have you."
According to the police constable, when he arrived at the scene he could get no satisfactory explanation from Bunyan for his actions so he took him into custody.
At his subsequent Court appearance the Magistrate remarked that:-
"the horrible tragedies in Whitechapel seemed to have an extraordinary effect on some people. There were so many instances of this kind that it was scarcely safe to go about the streets."
Bunyan was given 14 days in prison.
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