sever[ing] all the tissues down to the vertebrae" ("Inquest: Polly").
Annie Chapman. In the film, Annie is portrayed as fairly lively but always in some tension about food and rent. She is lured to a walled yard by a coachman, a free ride, a laudanum-laced drink, and grapes--fruit being a luxury for the poor. When the coach stops, drunken Annie stumbles toward the yard. The sound effects and the reaction of the carriage driver make clear that she is being murdered. The next images are of the Inspector's investigation of the scene, with Annie flat on her back and eyes open. The important information is that in addition to being disemboweled, Annie's body has also been relieved of its uterus.
The actual facts of Annie's life and death parallel those of Polly. Annie, a well-liked and friendly type, drank too much and rarely had enough money for lodging. According to testimony of her friend Amelia Palmer, she was the widow of a veterinar
...