Thomas Coram

Witness at Elizabeth Stride's inquest.

Resident of 67 'Plummer's Road' (probably Plumber's Row) who was employed at a coconut warehouse. He was returning home from seeing friends at 16 Bath Gardens, Brady Street in the early hours of 1st October 1888, when at about 12.30am he passed No. 253 Whitechapel Road (a laundry business belonging to Mr Christmas) and noticed a knife lying on the bottom of two steps that led to the front door. A bloodstained handkerchief was folded and twisted round the handle and the blade was 9 to 10ins long.

Coram did not touch the knife but noticed PC Joseph Drage on fixed-point duty and brought his attention to it. Drage took the knife and Coram accompanied him to Leman Street Police Station.

Before finding the knife, Coram stated that he had probably passed a dozen people between Brady Street and where the knife was found, as well as three police officers. He said that it was quite light and that the knife could be easily seen from the street.