Mary Ann Bryant

Mary Ann Bryant was found dead in a house at 15 Sophia Street, Cardiff on 9 November 1917.

She was said to have been hacked to death.

She was said to have belonged to the unfortunate class and to have been known as Polly Bryant.

She was found dead in bed about 8am at 15 Sophia Street in Tiger Bay, a district in which the residents were mostly aliens. The area was also described as the docks district. She had lived alone.

Her body was found by a neighbour, who found her door open and, on going into her bedroom, found her with a terrible gash in her throat, and other marks of mutilation about her body. It was said that the police were reticent on several points, but it was stated that, not content with cutting her throat, that the murderer had mutilated her body in a fiendish way, there being a terrible wound right across her abdomen.

The wound to her neck was said to have been sufficient to have caused death.

A blood-stained razor was found near her body.

It was noted that nothing was heard by neighbours until her body was found in the morning.

She was last seen with a foreigner the night before, described as having either been a Scandinavian or a Russian. The man was described as:

• 25 to 28 years of age.
• Slight build.
• About 5ft 9in in height.
• Light moustache.
• Dressed in blue clothes, with a square-cut jacket of the jumper type, and dark cap.

The man was said to have spent the night with her.

It was noted that he had left behind him in Mary Bryant's bedroom a soft turned-down khaki collar, size 15, and a light brown sock.

The man was said to have been seen at Mary Bryant's house the night before she was found dead and to have been seen hurriedly leaving.

It was noted that Mary Bryant had many acquaintances amongst the alien residents of the district, and in particular, amongst the Scandinavian colony, and it was that fact that the police said gave them one of their clues, that being that the man she was last with had been Scandinavian. However, it was also reported that the police were searching for a Russian seaman.

Sophia Street has since been redeveloped but was just north of where Loudoun Square is today.