Charles Hiscoke

Charles Hiscoke was stabbed in Harwar Street by hooligans on the night of Tuesday 9 October 1900.

He was a carman and had lived at 135 Old Bethnal Green Road where he was employed.

He had been sent out on an errand to take a harness to Shepherdess Walk in Hoxton but didn't return.

It was said that when he went out he had very little money. It was also said that he had no enemies.

He called at the harness shop at 7.15pm.

A woman that was closing the shutters on her house said that she saw him at about 7.30pm on the Tuesday beneath a street lamp on Harwar Street near the railway arch talking to two other youths. She said that they didn't appear to be quarrelling and had been talking very quietly and a few minutes later Charles Hiscoke turned and said 'Goodnight' and walked away. However, she said that he then turned back and as far as she could see one of the other youths struck him. She said that she didn't see any weapon.

The woman said that she and another woman then went to Charles Hiscoke's aid and found him covered in blood and apparently dead.

The assault was seen by a 13-year old boy who had been stood on the opposite side of the road. He said that he saw one of the youths take a knife out of his pocket and stab Charles Hiscoke. He said that after that he ran off towards Hackney Road.

Another youth said that he saw two lads running away from Charles Hiscoke and said that he would recognise them again saying that he knew them by sight and had seen them fighting in Haxton the week before. He said that he had seen them four times altogether and was certain that he would recognise them again.

When a policeman arrived at 7.50pm he said that he found Charles Hiscoke dead and his body was taken to the mortuary.

The post-mortem showed that Charles Hiscoke had a clean puncture wound in his breast which had penetrated directly through to the heart and had severed a cartilage. The divisional surgeon said that his death would have been instantaneous. He said that the weapon was a sharp one and that it had cut through his coat, vest and underclothes.