Margaret Franklin
Friend of Alice McKenzie and a witness at her inquest.
Margaret Franklin, a widow and lodger at the White House, 56 Flower and Dean Street, appeared on the second day of the McKenzie inquest. She stated:
I have known the deceased for 15 years. Between 11:30 and 12 o'clock on Tuesday night I saw the deceased and was speaking to her. I was sitting with two others on the steps of a house at the top of Flower and Dean-street. Deceased was passing and going in the direction of Brick-lane and Whitechapel. We exchanged a few words. I do not think she was under the influence of drink. I have often seen her out as late as that, as she did domestic work for the Jews. I did not see her speak to anyone in Brick-lane on Tuesday night. The only name I knew her by was Alice. I knew she was living in Gun-street with a man that I knew by the name of Bryant. It was the same one that gave evidence yesterday. I have never seen her talking with other men. She worked hard for the Jews and they do not give much. It had just begun to rain when deceased passed.[1]
The two other women present were Catherine Hughes and Sarah Mahoney.
Franklin also gave a statement to Sergeant Pearse CID on 22nd July 1889:
I live at 56 Flower and Dean, I have known the deceased woman about 14 or 15 years in the neighbourhood I cannot say if she was married, but she used to live with a blind man, I have only known her as 'Alice'.
I was sitting on a door-step in Brick Lane on Tuesday 16th when I saw her passing toward Whitechapel about 20 minutes to 12. I asked her how she was getting on, she said "All right I can't stop now". She did not appear to have been drinking. She was wearing a shawl I did not see her again. It commenced to rain slightly just after she left us.[2]
