Sgt. Edward Badham was directly involved in three Ripper-related murder investigations - those of Annie Chapman, Mary Kelly and Alice Mackenzie. For some reasons the London press quoted him under a plethora of different names, including Bedham, Betham, Baugham, Barry and Berry.

Badham was first called to testify at the Annie Chapman inquest on 13 September 1888, where he was questioned about his involvement in transporting the body from Hanbury street to the mortuary. His testimony was reported by the Times the next day as follows:

Sergeant Edmund Barry, 31H, stated that on Saturday last he conveyed the body of the deceased from 29, Hanbury-street, to the Whitechapel mortuary on the police ambulance. Detective-Sergeant Thicke examined the body and gave out a description of it to witness. In doing this that sergeant moved the clothing about. Two females from 35, Dorset-street, were also present, and described the clothing to witness. They did not touch the clothing or the body. Inspector Chandler then came.

On the same day the Daily Telegraph offered some additional detail to Badham's testimony:

Sergeant Baugham, 31 H, stated that he conveyed the body of the deceased to the mortuary on the ambulance.
[Coroner] Are you sure that you took every portion of the body away with you? - Yes.
[Coroner] Where did you deposit the body? - In the shed, still on the ambulance. I remained with it until Inspector Chandler arrived. Detective-Sergeant Thicke viewed the body, and I took down the description. There were present two women, who came to identify the body, and they described the clothing. They came from 35, Dorset-street.
[Coroner] Who touched the clothing? - Sergeant Thicke. I did not see the women touch the clothing nor the body. I did not see Sergeant Thicke touch the body.

Paul Begg notes that the ambulance shell used by Badham to convey Chapman's body to the mortuary was the very same one used previously for Polly Nichols. According to Begg, "when the body was brought through the passage of the house to the street it was greeted by a crowd estimated to number several hundred and described as very excitable." (Jack the Ripper: Uncensored Facts, p. 63)

The Manchester Guardian of 10 November 1888 reported that Sgt. Badham (they called him 'Betham') accompanied Inspector Walter Beck to the site of 13 Miller's Court after they were both notified of the murder by a frantic Thomas Boyer. It is generally accepted that Walter Beck was the first police official to arrive at the Kelly crime scene, but the authors of the Jack the Ripper A to Z point out that there are no official records to back up the claim that Badham accompanied him. (Several police officials would subsequently claim they were the first to arrive at the Kelly crime scene.)

Sgt. Badham was also on duty at Commercial Street police station on the evening of 12 November 1888. The inquest into the death of Mary Kelly had completed earlier that day. At around 6.00pm a man named George Hutchinson arrived at the station claiming he had seen Kelly with a man of 'respectable appearance' on the night of her death. Badham took Hutchinson's initial statement that evening.

History would in a way repeat itself on 17 July 1889, when Sgt. Badham was on duty in the vicinity of Castle Alley. He was inspecting the various constables patrolling the area that evening. Just a few moments after he had spoken with P.C. Walter Andrews, 272H, at around 12.48am, Badham heard Andrews' police whistle blow twice. Badham rushed back to Castle Alley, where Andrews had just discovered the lifeless, but still-warm, body of Alice Mackenzie. Sgt. Badham then enlisted the aid of two nearby constables to search the area and fetch a doctor.

Once again, just as he had done with Chapman, Sgt. Badham conveyed the body via ambulance to the Whitechapel mortuary.

That day, he submitted the following police report (MEPO 3/140 f. 272-273):

Commercial Street Station
Metropolitan Police
H Division
17th July 1889

I beg to report that about 12.48 am 17th inst. I visited PC272H Walter Andrews in Castle Alley, Whitechapel. He being on the Beat No. 11 on the 4th Section. I said to him alright he replied alright Sergeant. I then left him and went to visit another P.C. on an adjoining beat. I had only got about 150 yards from P.C.272H when I heard a whistle blow twice. I rushed to the bottom of Castle Alley and heard P.C. 272H say come on quick he ran up the alley, and I followed, and on the pavement closer to two vans on the right side of the footway I saw a woman laying on her right side with her clothes half up to her waist exposing her abdomen. I also noticed a quantity of blood under her head on the footway. The P.C. said here's another murder. I directed the P.C. not to leave the body or let anyone touch it until the Dr. arrived. The P.C. said it's quite warm as he touched her. I got the assistance of P.C. 101H here and P.C. 423 Allen. The former P.C. I directed to search the place and sent P.C. 423 for the Doctor, and Inspr. on duty, and upon his return to make search. Other Constables arrived shortly afterwards, also the Local Inspr. Mr. Reid C.I.D. I also hailed a passing cab and acquainted the Superintendent of what had taken place. Several men were drafted in different directions to make enquiries at Lodging Houses Coffee Houses &c to see if any suspicious man had recently entered them. The body was afterwards conveyed by me on the ambulance to the Whitechapel mortuary where the body was searched by Inspr. Reid who gave me a description of the body.
Description age about 40 length 5 ft 4 complexion pale hair and eye, brown top of thumb of left hand deficient also tooth deficient in upper jaw. Dress red stuff bodice patched under arms and sleeves with marone one black and one marone stockings brown stuff skirt kilted brown lindsey petticoat, white chemise and apron, paisley shawl. button boots. all old nothing found on person.

E Badham Sergt
Thos. Hawkes Insp.

Sgt. Badham testified at the inquest later that day, and his comments were recorded in the Times on 18 July 1889:

Police-sergeant Badham, 31 H, stated:- About 12 minutes to 1 this morning I was in Old Castle-street and saw Constable Andrews. I went up to him and said, "All right?" He replied, "All right, sergeant." I then left him and went to visit another man on the adjoining beat. I then went to Pell-lane, when I heard two blows from a whistle. I listened for the second blow to ascertain from where it came. On hearing the second whistle I rushed up Newcastle-street and met Andrews who shouted out, "Come on, quick." I threw my cape to the ground and rushed up after him. I saw a woman lying on the pavement on the near side with her throat cut, and her head lying in a pool of blood. The legs and stomach were exposed. I got the assistance of other constables and blocked up the ends of the alley, and directed Constable 423 H to fetch the doctor and acquaint the doctor on duty. I also directed Constable 101 H to search the place and also the surrounding streets; and Constable 272 H to remain with the body, and not to let any one touch it until the doctor arrived. Sergeant 21 H and the local inspector came up and made search. They were followed by Detective-Inspector Reid. I also acquainted the superintendent, and directed other constables to make careful inquiry at the lodging-houses, coffee-houses, and places where men were likely to go. In the meantime the doctor arrived. I also made search myself, but failed to find trace of any person that was likely to have committed the murder.
[Coroner] Had you been in the alley at all that night? - No.

As far as we can tell, Sergeant Edward Badham's involvement with the Whitechapel murders investigation ended at that point.

Official Sources

MEPO 3/140 f. 227-229
MEPO 3/140 f. 272-273

Contemporary Sources

Times (London) - 14 September 1888
Times (London) - 18 July 1889
Manchester Guardian - 10 November 1888
Daily Telegraph - 14 September 1888

Secondary Sources

The Jack the Ripper A-Z (Begg, Fido and Skinner)
Jack the Ripper: The Uncensored Facts (Begg)
The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook (Evans and Skinner)