George Haslip
Witness at Emma Elizabeth Smith's inquest.
Born George Ernest Haslip in 1864, Poplar, London[1]. House surgeon on duty at the London Hospital, Whitechapel Road at the time of Emma Smith's attack. Also called 'Hellier'[2] and 'G.H. Hellier'[3].
Dr. Haslip stated in his inquest testimony that when Smith was admitted to the hospital, she had been drinking but was not intoxicated. She was bleeding from the head and ear, and had other injuries of a revolting nature. Haslip found that she was suffering from rupture of the peritoneum, which had been perforated by some blunt instrument used with great force. Smith told him that at 1.30 that morning she was passing near Whitechapel Church when she noticed some men coming towards her. She crossed the road to avoid them, but they followed, assaulted her, took all the money she had and then committed the outrage. She was unable to say what kind of instrument was used, nor could she describe her assailants, except that she said that one was a youth of 19. Emma Smith died on the morning of Wednesday 4th April as a result of peritonitis caused by her injuries[4].
