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Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1368
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 7:49 am: |       |
Here is a detailed account of Lardy's evidence from the Daily News:
19 October 1888
THE EAST END MURDERS
SUPPOED IMPORTANT ARREST
A REMARKABLE STORY
The City Police have under observation a man whose movements in Whitechapel, Mile Emd, and Bermondsey are attended with suspicion. A man, who is said to be an American, was arrested in Bermondsey at one o'clock yesterday morning, and taken to the police station. His conduct, demeanour, and appearance gave rise to great suspicion, and his apprehension and general particulars were wired to the City police. Following this a conference took place yesterday afternoon between a young man named John Lardy, of Redman's row, Mile end, and the head of the detective department at the Old Jewry, at which he stated as follows: "At 10.30 last night I was with a friend and a young woman outside the Grave Maurice tavern, opposite the London Hospital, when I noticed a man whom I had never seen before come across the road, look into each compartment of the tavern, and enter the house. He came out again directly, and carefully looked up and down the road, and then walked over the road to the front of the hospital, where two women were standing talking. They were, I believe, loose women. The man said something to them, but I did not hear his words. The women shook their heads and said, "No." I said to my friend, "What a funny looking man! I wonder if he is the murderer." My friend replied, "Let us follow him." We said good night to our friend and followed the man. When opposite the Pavilion Theatre he drew himself up in an instant, and carefully looked round. We believe that he saw us following him, and he disappeared into a doorway. We stopped for a moment or two, and he came out of his hiding place and went into a newspaper shop next door. During the whole time we saw him his right hand was in his overcoat pocket, apparently clutching something. He bought a paper at the shop, and folded it up on his chest with his left hand, and then left the shop, lokking up and down the road as he did so, and carefully reading the placards outside the shop window. He afterwards started off towards Aldgate, and we followed him. When he got to the corner of Duke street (the street leading to Mitre square) he turned, and, seeing that we were following him, recrossed the road and walked back to Leman street and went down it. When he reached Royal Mint street he went into King street, which is very narrow, and my friend and I ran round to the other end of the street, hoping to see him come out there. Just as we got to the other end of King street we heard a door close, and we waited to see if the man reopened it, for we felt sure that he was the man, although we had not seen him go into the house. We both waited for 25 minutes, when we saw the same man come out of the house. He came up the street, and we stepped back and allowed him to pass, and he went in the direction of the Whitechapel road. He went away so quickly that we lost sight of him in the fog, which was then very thick. The time then was just after 12. When he reappeared from the house we noticed that he was very differently dressed to what he was when we first saw him, the most noticeable being his overcoat. At first he was wearing a sort of short frock coat reaching his knees only, but when he came out of the house in King street he had on a large overcoat which reached to within three inches of the ground. From what I could see he appeared to be between forty and forty five years of age, and from 5ft 11in to 6ft high. (A man 5ft 11in was placed before Lardy, who said, "My man was a little taller than you.") He wore a low hat with a square crown, but I cannot describe either his trousers or boots. Hehad the apperance of an American. His cheek bones were high and prominent, his face thin, cheeks sunken, and he had a moustache only, his cheeks and chin being clean shaven. The moustache was, I believe, a false one, for it was all awry, one end pointing upward, and the other towards the ground. His hair was dark, apparently black, and somewhat long."
From what has since some to the knowledge of the police it is inferred that on leaving King street, the stranger made his way over London Bridge into Bermondsey, where he was apprehended, and there is no doubt that the description of the Bermondsey and King street men tally in nearly every particular.
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CB
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Thursday, September 09, 2004 - 11:55 am: | |
Hi Chris,
Could this be Tumblety. I have read a similiar account. I want to say that it was in Stuart Evans book. The First American Serial Killer [I believe that was the title] but I can not be sure. I checked the book out of the library and have since checked it back in. I will thumb through the book again and see if it is indeed in there.
Take care,CB |
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