Boston Daily Globe, 10 November 1888
Another curious circumstance is worth mentioning. The murder was not made known until 12 o'clock. Mrs. Paumier, who seems to be a credible person, sells walnuts in Sandys row, near the scene of the murder. She states that at 11 o'clock today a respectably dressed man carrying a black bag came up to her and began talking about the murder. He wanted to know everything about it. He did not buy any walnuts, and, after standing a few minutes, went away. Mrs. Paumier describes him as about 30 years old, 5 feet six inches in height. He wore a checked pair of trousers and a black coat.
Several girls in the neighborhood say the same man accosted them, and they chafled him. When they asked him what he had in the black bag he said: "Something that ladies don't like." This is all that is known of him.
If the police have further information they carefully conceal it, but there is no reason to believe that they have.
London Times, 10 November 1888
A Mrs Paumier, a young woman who sells roasted chestnuts at the corner of Widegate-street, a narrow thoroughfare about two minutes' walk from the scene of the murder, told a reporter yesterday afternoon a story which appears to afford a clue to the murderer. She said that about 12 o'clock that morning a man dressed like a gentleman came up to her and said, "I suppose you have heard about the murder in Dorset-street?" She replied that she had, whereupon the man grinned and said, "I know more about it than you." He then stared into her face and went down Sandy's-row, another narrow thoroughfare which cuts across Widegate-street. Whence he had got some way off, however, he vanished. Mrs Paumier said the man had a black moustache, was about 5ft 6in, high, and wore a black silk hat, a black coat, and speckled trousers. He also carried a black shiny bag about a foot in depth and a foot and a half in length. Mrs Paumier stated further that the same man accosted three young women, whom she knew, on Thursday night, and they chaffed him and asked him what he had in the bag, and he replied, "Something that the ladies don't like." One of the three young women she named, Sarah Roney, a girl about 20 years of age, states that she was with two other girls on Thursday night in Brushfield-street which is near Dorset-street, when a man wearing a tall hat and a black coat, and carrying a black bag, came up to her and said, "Will you come with me?" She told him that she would not, and asked him what he had in the bag, and he said, "Something the ladies don't like." He then walked away.
Manchester Guardian, 10 November 1888
Mrs. Paumier, a chestnut seller at the corner of Widcoate-street, a narrow thoroughfare about two minutes' walk from the scene of the murder, told a reporter a story which appear (sic) to afford a clue to the murder. She said that about 12 o'clock this morning a man dressed like a gentleman came to her and said, "I suppose you have heard about the murder in Dorset-street." She replied that she had, whereupon the man grinned and said "I know more about it than you." He then tared into her face and went down Sandys Row,, another narrow thoroughfare which cuts across Widcoate-street. When he had got some way off he looked back, as if to see whether she was watching him, and then vanished. Mrs. Paumier said the man had a black moustache, was about 5ft. 6in. in height, and wore a black silk hat, black coat, and speckled trousers. He carried a black bag about 1ft. in depth and 1 1/2 ft. in length. Sarah Roney, a girl about 20 years of age, states that she was with two other girls last night in Brushfield-street, which is near Dorset-street, when a man wearing a tall hat and a black coat, and carrying a black bag, came up to her, and said, "Will you come with me?" She told him she would not, and asked him what he had in the bag, and he said, "Something the ladies don't like. He then walked away.
Daily Telegraph, 10 November 1888
Almost the sole testimony which seems to have any bearing on the affair is that given by a young woman named Pannier [Paumier], who sells roasted chestnuts at the corner of Widegate-street, a narrow thoroughfare about two minutes' walk from the crime. Mrs. Pannier is reported to have stated that shortly after noon yesterday a man, dressed like a gentleman, said to her, "I suppose you have heard about the murder in Dorset-street?" and that when she replied that she was aware of it he said, "I know more about it than you." He then proceeded down Sandy's-row, a narrow thoroughfare which cuts across Widegate-street, looking back as if to see whether he was watched. Mrs. Pannier described this person as a man about 5 ft. 6 in. high, with a black moustache, and wearing a black silk hat, dark coat, and speckled trousers. He carried a black shiny bag about eighteen inches long and a foot deep. It will be remembered that this description agrees fairly well with a personage previously described, and that the black bag has more than once figured in the evidence given. It may be worth while to recall that at the inquiry into the Berner-street murder Mrs. Mortimer said, "The only man I had seen pass through Berner-street previously was a young man who carried a black shiny bag." Similarly Arthur Bachert [Albert Bachert] deposed: "On Saturday night at about seven minutes to twelve, I entered the Three Nuns Hotel, Aldgate. While in there an elderly woman, very shabbily dressed, came in and asked me to buy some matches. I refused, and she went out. A man who had been standing by me remarked that these persons were a nuisance, to which I responded 'Yes.' He then asked me to have a glass with him, but I refused, as I had just called for one myself. He then asked a number of questions about the women of the neighbourhood, and their ages, &c. He asked if l could tell him where they usually visited. He went outside and spoke to the woman, and gave her something, I believe. He was a dark man, height about 5 ft. 6 in. or 5 ft. 7 in. He wore a black felt hat, dark clothes, morning coat, black tie, and carried a black shiny bag." But the point in Mrs. Pannier's statement which engaged the greatest amount of attention, and which, if corroborated, might unquestionably possess real significance was her further averment that she had seen the same man on the previous evening, and that he had accosted three young unfortunates in Dorset-street, who chaffed him, and asked what he had in the bag, and he replied, "Something that the ladies don't like." It remains to be seen at Monday's inquest whether this statement, and especially the latter portion of it, upon which its significance really depends, is confirmed.
