Police News

17th August 1889

Murderous Assault at Leytonstone

   Early on Saturday morning a murderous attack was made on a woman at Harrow-green, Leytonstone but fortunately the injuries are not of a dangerous character.

     Philip Springett, aged sixty, a stoker at a chemical works at Bow, has lived for the last two or three years with a Mrs. Ellen Hudgell, a married women living apart from her husband at 106, Lansdowne-road, Harrow Green, Essex. She had with her two daughters, Julia, aged six, and Alice, aged thirteen.

    The pair did not live comfortably together, and frequent quarrels arose about money matters. At about half-past five o'clock on Saturday morning Springett got up to go to work, when words arose between him and Mrs. Hudgell in the course of which he seized a razor and attacked the woman.

     Ellen Hudgells two girls slept in the same room, and the eldest one rushed to the assistance of her mother, and succeeded in pulling him away, but not until he had cut her on each side of the neck and on the chin. In the confusion Mrs Hudgell ran downstairs and hid in a coal cellar. Springett went after her, but failing to find her he washed his hands and left the house.

   Soon afterwards Mrs. Hudgell went to the Harrow Green Police station and the doctor having dressed her wounds she was then sent on to the London Hospital.

   Inspector Bodger took the case in hand, and at once went to the factory at Bow, but up to seven o'clock on Sunday night Springett, who is well-known, had not been arrested.

    Mrs Hudgell's wounds are not serious and her life is in no danger.

    Ellen was married to Henry Hudgell in Bethnal Green in 1858 they had 8 children 2 of which died.

   Sometime after 1881 she separated from her husband and took up with Philip Springett, but in the 1891 census she is back with Henry and Alice, but no sign of Julia.

Ellen died 1 year later in 1892 aged 52 and 3 years after the attack.