Casebook Message Boards: Ripper Suspects: Ripper Suspects: Other Suspects
Author: Robeer Sunday, 07 July 2002 - 03:58 am | |
This thread is for discussion of a number of miscellaneous suspects that are mentioned by various press reports. As Donald Rumbelow aptly observed it is entirely possible none of the traditional suspects may prove to be JtR and when someday the murderer's ID is finally revealed ripperologists will collectively say, "Who?!" And it is true that in the more famous serial murder cases the police actually had detained the murderer for questioning during the investigation but failed to follow up making an arrest until much later. Keeping these two thoughts in mind I thought it might be worthwhile to assemble a list of 'other suspects' . ______________________________________________________ Times (London) Monday, 10 September 1888 Soon after the murder was discovered, a woman of the same class reported to the police that a man had accosted her in thestreets of Spitalfields at an early hour that morning, but that she tried to avoid him. Thereupon he began to knock her about; she screamed, and he ran off. He gave her two brass medals for half sovereigns. She was asked to describe the man, but her description of him was not considered clear. Still the police determined to follow up the matter, more particularly because the woman states that the man seemed ready to kill her. The woman's description did not answer the description of a man for whom they have been searching in connexion with the murder of Mary Ann Nichols - a man known as "Leather Apron" - and they incline to the opinion that, after the hue and cry raised about him during the past few days, he would not have ventured into the neighbourhood of Spitalfields, where he is so well known. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) Monday, 10 September 1888 A young woman named Lyons stated that at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon she met a strange man in Flower and Dean-street. He asked her to come to the Queen's Head publichouse at half-past 6 and drink with him. Having obtained from her a promise that she would do so he disappeared, and was at the house named at the appointed time. While they were conversing Lyons noticed a large knife in the man's right-hand trousers pocket, and called another woman's attention to the fact. A moment later Lyons was startled by a remark which the stranger addressed to her. "You are about the same style of woman as the one that's murdered," he said. "What do you know about her?" asked the woman, to which the man replied, "You are beginning to smell a rat. Foxes hunt geese, but they don't always find 'em." Having uttered these words the man hurriedly left. Lyons followed until near Spitalfields Church, when, turning round at this spot and noticing that the woman was behind him, the stranger ran at a swifter pace into Church-street and was at once lost to view. One noteworthy fact in this story is that the description of the man's appearance is in all material points identical with the published descriptions of the unknown, and up to the present untracked, " Leather Apron." ______________________________________________________ Times (London) Monday, 10 September 1888 On Saturday evening a somewhat suspicious incident occurred at Deptford. About 7 o'clock a man in a hurried manner entered the shop of a newsagent in Grove-street, near the entrance to the Foreign Cattle Market, and in an excited tone asked for a copy of the special Star containing an account of the Whitechapel murder. The newsagent replied that he had not one left. The man then asked for a special Evening News, and received the same reply. "Then," said the man, "let me have a special anything." The newsagent was at the time reading the special Standard, and told him he could have that if he liked. The man snatched the open paper from his hand, threw a penny down upon the counter, rushed out of the shop, and, by the light of the gas in the shop window, appeared to eagerly and excitedly read the account of the tragedy. Indeed, his manner and appearance were so remarkable, that the newsagent suspected that he might be in some way connected with the murder, and leaving the shop, told a boy who was passing to hurry away for a policeman and bring one back to the shop immediately. The boy started off, and the newsagent returned to his shop, and on doing so was observed by the man, who appeared to become alarmed at the circumstance, for he crushed up the newspaper in his hand, started across the road, ran down Emily-place, and disappeared. The newsagent is of opinion that he probably ran that way towards a car on the Deptford and Southwark Tramway which runs to Tooley-street, and would take him out of the neighbourhood in a few minutes. The man wore an old felt hat pulled well forward over his eyes, and his coat collar being up, the impression of the newsagent is that he was endeavouring to conceal his features. He was of stout build, full-chested, rather ruddy complexion, slight moustache, a beard scrubby or of several days' growth, and looked, to use the newsagent's words, "as if a little soap would have done him good." He was wearing an old brown overcoat, well worn and greasy at the pockets. He stood about two minutes outside the shop reading the paper, and was watched by the newsagent through the window. A constable afterwards came to the shop and took down in writing the statement of the newsagent. A man was arrested at Deptford yesterday afternoon on suspicion of being connected with the East-end tragedy, but there is reason to believe that he will be able to establish his innocence and will soon be released. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) September 11, 1888 "The Whitechapel Murders" Two arrests were made yesterday, but it is very doubtful whether the murderer is in the hands of the police. The members of the Criminal Investigation Department are assisting the divisional police at the East-end in their endeavours to elucidate the mystery in which these crimes are involved. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) Wednesday, 12 September 1888 Mrs. Fiddyman, the landlady of the house into which it was stated a blood-stained and wild-looking man entered shortly after the hour at which the murder was probably committed on Saturday morning, has been taken to Leman-street Station, and on seeing Pizer she expressed herself as quite certain that he was not the man who came into her house on the occasion spoken of. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) Friday, 14 September 1888 The man arrested at Holloway has for some reason been removed to the asylum at Bow. His own friends give him an indifferent character. He has been missing from home for nearly two months, and it is known that he has been in the habit of carrying several large butcher's knives about his person. Inquiries are now being made with a view to tracing his movements during the past two months. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) September 15, 1888 THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS. The police at the Commercial-street station have made another arrest on suspicion in connection with the recent murders. It appears that among the numerous statements and descriptions of suspected persons are several tallying with that of the man in custody, but beyond this the police know nothing at present against him. His apprehension was of a singular character. Throughout yesterday his movements are stated to have created suspicion among various persons, and last night he was handed over to a uniform constable doing duty in the neighbourhood of Flower and Dean-street on suspicion in connection with the crime. On his arrival at the police station in Commercial-street the detective officers and Mr. Abberline were communicated with, and an inquiry concerning him was at once opened. On being searched perhaps one of the most extraordinary accumulation of articles were discovered--a heap of rags, comprising pieces of dress fabrics, old and dirty linen, two purses of a kind usually used by women, two or three pocket handkerchiefs, one a comparatively clean white one, and a white one with a red spotted border; two small tin boxes, a small cardboard box, a small leather strap, which might serve the purpose of a garterstring, and one spring onion. The person to whom this curious assortment belongs is slightly built, about 5ft. 7in. or 5ft. 8in. in height, and dressed shabbily. He has a very careworn look. Covering a head of hair, inclined somewhat to be sandy, with beard and moustache to match, was a cloth skull cap, which did not improve his appearance. Suspicion is the sole motive for his temporary detention, for the police, although making every possible inquiry about him, do not believe his appehension to be of any importance. Regarding the man Pigott, who was captured at Gravesend, nothing whatever has been discovered by the detectives in the course of their inquiries which can in any way connect him with the crimes, and his release, at all events, from the custody of the police is expected shortly. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) September 16, 1888 Thomas Ede, a signalman in the employ of the East London Railway Company, said he saw a man on the line on the morning of the 8th. The CORONER observed that had no reference to this inquiry. The 8th was the morning of the other murder. It was decided to take the witness's evidence. Witness, continuing, said on Saturday morning, the 8th inst., he was coming down the Cambridge-heath-road, and when just opposite the Foresters' Arms saw a man on the opposite side of the street. His peculiar appearance made witness look at him. He appeared to have a wooden arm, as it was hanging at his side. Witness watched him until he got level with the Foresters' Arms. He then put his hand down, and witness saw about 4 in. of the blade of a long knife sticking out of his trousers pocket. Three other men were also looking at him and witness spoke to them. Witness followed him, and as soon as he saw he was followed he quickened his pace. Witness lost sight of him under some railway arches. He was about 5ft. 8 in. high, about 35 years of age, with dark moustache and whiskers. He wore a double peak cap, dark brown jacket, and a pair of overalls over a pair of dark trousers. He walked as though he had a stiff knee, and he had a fearful look about the eyes. By the CORONER. - Witness should say the man was a mechanic. The overalls were perfectly clean. He could not see what kind of a knife it was. He was not a muscular man. Inspector Helson said they had been unable to trace the man. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) Wednesday, 19 September 1888 THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS. Several reports were current in London yesterday as to discoveries by the police in connexion with the Hanbury-street murder; but the value of the clues said to have been obtained is extremely doubtful. One statement is to the effect that on the day of the murder a man changed his clothes in the lavatory of the City News Rooms, Ludgate-circus, and left hurriedly, leaving behind him a shirt, a pair of trousers, and a pair of socks. The attendant threw the discarded clothes into the dustbin, and they were carted off in the City Sewers cart on the following Monday. The police are said to be endeavouring to trace these clothes, but decline to give information on the subject. It is obviously difficult to conceive why the murderer, having possessed himself of a change of clothes, should pass from Whitechapel to Ludgate-circus and change his dress in a quasi-public place such as the City News Rooms. The police, however, will thoroughly sift the matter. Charles Ludwig, the German charged yesterday at the Thames Police-court with being drunk and threatening to stab, was at once connected by popular imagination with the murder. Our police report will show that some of the circumstances of the case seem to support such an hypothesis. The youth who was threatened early yesterday morning stated to a correspondent that the first he saw of Ludwig, as he calls him, was about a quarter to 4 o'clock. The prisoner was then at the top of Commercial-street, in company with a woman, whom he was conducting in the direction of the Minories. "I took no notice of this at the time," added the witness, "except to make a remark to a coffee-stall keeper. In about a quarter of an hour the woman ran back in a state of fright, as it seemed. At any rate she was screaming and exclaiming, ' You can't do that to me.' Again I thought little of it, as I only fancied she had had some drink, but within five minutes the prisoner came up and asked for a cup of coffee at the stall where I was standing. He, at all events, was drunk, and would only produce a halfpenny in payment for the coffee which was given him. I suppose he noticed me looking at him, for he suddenly turned round and asked in broken English, ' What you looking at?' I replied that I was doing no harm, but he said, 'Oh, you want something,' and pulled out a long penknife, with which he made a dash at me. I eluded him and snatched from the stall a dish, which I prepared to throw at his head, but as he retreated after making the first dash I only called to a policeman who was near by and had him arrested. He is slightly built, and perhaps about 5ft. 6in. in height, dark complexioned, and wearing a grizzled beard and moustache. I should think he is about 40 years of age. There is something the matter with one of his legs, and he walks stiffly. I heard that at the police-court this morning he pretended not to understand English, but his English when he addressed me was plain enough, though broken; and besides, when the officer who had him in charge told me on the way to Leman-street to see that he did not throw anything away, he at once dropped the penknife - which had till then been in his possession - as if the idea of getting rid of it had only just occurred to him. I have never seen him before. " Ludwig entered the employment of Mr. C. A. Partridge, hairdresser, the Minories, a fortnight ago last Saturday. On Monday night last he went to an hotel in Finsbury, where he had previously lodged, and remained there until about 1 o'clock in the morning. He produced a number of razors, and acted in such a manner that some of the inmates were quite frightened. The landlady of this hotel states that on the day after the last murder in Whitechapel Ludwig called early in the morning and washed his hands, stating that he had been injured. Another person has alleged that there was blood on the man's hands, but as to this the landlady cannot speak. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) Monday, 24 September 1888 THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS. On Saturday, Mr. Wynne E. Baxter, coroner for the South-Eastern division of Middlesex, resumed his adjourned inquiry at the Working Lads' Institute, Whitechapel-road, respecting the death of Mary Ann Nichols, who was found brutally murdered in Buck's-row, Whitechapel. William Eade, recalled, stated he had since seen the man whom he saw with the knife near the Foresters'-hall. He had ascertained that his name was Henry James, and that he did not possess a wooden arm. The CORONER said the man James had been seen, and been proved to be a well-known harmless lunatic. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) Friday, 28 September 1888 THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS. A man, giving the name of John Fitzgerald, gave himself up at Wandsworth Police-station on Wednesday night and made a statement to the inspector on duty to the effect that he committed the murder in Hanbury-street. He was conveyed to Leman-street Police station, where he is now detained. The officers engaged in the case were yesterday tracing his movements about the time of the murder, but their inquiries are not yet complete. It is believed that the man had been drinking to excess for some days past. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) Monday, 1 October 1888 A man named Albert Barkert [Bachert] has made the following statement: - ''I was in the Three Nuns Hotel, Aldgate, on Saturday night, when a man got into conversation with me. He asked me questions which now appear to me to have some bearing upon the recent murders. He wanted to know whether I knew what sort of loose women used the public bar at that house, when they usually left the street outside, and where they were in the habit of going. He asked further questions, and from his manner seemed to be up to no good purpose. He appeared to be a shabby genteel sort of man, and was dressed in black clothes. He wore a black felt hat and carried a black bag. We came out together at closing time (12 o'clock), and I left him outside Aldgate Railway Station. Times (London) Tuesaday, 2 October 1888 Albert Backert, of 13, Newnham-street, Whitechapel, made a further statement yesterday in amplification of that which has already been published. He said: - On Saturday night, at about seven minutes to 12, I entered the Three Nuns Hotel, Aldgate. While in there an elderly woman, very shabbily dressed, came in and asked me to buy some matches. I refused and she went out. A man who had been standing by me remarked that those persons were a nuisance, to which I responded "Yes." He then asked me if I knew how old some of the women were who were in the habit of soliciting outside. I replied that I knew, or thought, that some of them who looked about 25 were over 35. He then asked me whether I thought a woman would go with him down Northumberland-alley - a dark and lonely court in Fenchurch-street. I said I did not know, but supposed she would. He then went outside and spoke to the woman who was selling matches and gave her something. He returned, and I bid him good-night at about ten minutes past 12. I believe the woman was waiting for him. I do not think I could identify the woman, as I did not take particular notice of her; but I should know the man again. He was a dark man, about 38 years of age, about 5ft. 6in. or 5ft. 7in. He wore a black felt hat, a dark morning coat, a black tie, and a carried a black shiny bag. ______________________________________________________ Times (London) Monday, 1 October 1888 Last night, shortly before midnight, a man, whose name has not yet transpired, was arrested in the Borough on suspicion of being the perpetrator of the murders in the East-end. Yesterday morning a tall dark man wearing an American hat entered a lodging-house in Union-street known as Albert-chambers. He stayed there throughout the day, and his peculiar manner drew upon him the attention of his fellow lodgers. Certain observations which he made regarding the topic of the day aroused their suspicions. He attracted the notice of the deputy keeper of the lodging-house, whose suspicions became so strong that he sent for a policeman. On the arrival of the officer the stranger was questioned as to his recent wanderings, but he could give no intelligible account of them, though he said he had spent the previous night on Blackfriars-bridge. He was conveyed to Stones-end Police-station, Blackman-street, Borough. _______________________________________________________ Times (London) Thursday, 4 October 1888 An American, who refuses to give his name or any account of himself, was arrested last night on suspicion of being the East-end murderer. He is well dressed, rather tall, of slight build, and clean shaven. He accosted a woman in Cable-street, asked for her to go with him, and threatened that if she refused he would "rip her up." The woman screamed, and the man rushed to a cab. The police gave chase, got upon the cab, seized the man, and took him to Leman-street Police-station, where he asked the inspector in charge, "Are you the boss?" The man is detained at the police-station as well as two others who were conveyed there during the evening. ________________________________________________________ The Toronto Daily News (Canada) Thursday, 4 October 1888 WHITECHAPEL MURDERS LONDON Oct. 3-- There is now in the London Hospital, with a serious cut on her arm, a woman who has solemnly declared she received the injury while protecting her throat form an attempt made to cut it by a man who, having engaged her in conversation and struck an immoral bargain with her, tripped her up, then threw her heavily on the pavement, and attacked her, knife in hand, with murderous intent. _________________________________________________________
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Author: Martin Fido Sunday, 07 July 2002 - 05:55 am | |
Robeer, Your Holloway man is Jacob Issenschmidt; details to be found in many Ripper books. Bachert's Three Nuns man seems more likely to have been a naive punter on the prowl than the Ripper. All the best, Martin F
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Author: Brenda L. Conklin Sunday, 07 July 2002 - 10:02 am | |
I wonder how the police went about eliminating suspects? Was it simply a matter of the suspect accounting for his time at the time of the murders? It seems like it would be easy to lie, especially if the police weren't following up like they should. But I am not doubting the police, I am sure they did everything possible and did their jobs correctly. It just seems like they were able to eliminate suspects very quickly. I have been intriqued by the several reports (two listed here) describing a man with a bad knee, who "walked stiffly"....there are at least 3 descriptions and I feel these descriptions are the same person, though not necessarily the Ripper. Also it seems that cutting a woman's throat was quite the favorite pastime in the East End. There are numerous incidents of this happening in reports that aren't even related to JTR.
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Author: Robeer Monday, 08 July 2002 - 08:59 am | |
Brenda, You ask a very good question. It appears there was no standard procedure in place on how to question and verify witnesses or suspects. So apparently it was left up to each policeman to deal with suspects/witnesses in their own way. Chances are JtR was stopped and questioned by police but each officer may have had a preconceived image in his head about what JtR was supposed to look like and if the real JtR looked harmless he was of course, turned loose without a further thought. The published description of the suspect may have made matters worse. The first description we find the police using is the earlier of two descriptions of suspects seen with Annie Chapman. Why the earlier of the two? We don't know, but if this description is not JtR then it further complicated the job of catching him. There is an incident where a PC failed to respond to a situation based on the fact the man in question did not fit the description provided by headquarters. In fact, the suspect you mention with the stiff leg is a good example. He is deemed 'harmless' and that is the end of the investigation. The Victorian police were simply not sophisticated enough to deal with a serial killer. Evidently nor was the modern Yorkshire PD either. They stopped and questioned the Yorkshire Ripper 3 times and let him go. In one instance the murder weapon was laying on the car seat in plain sight. And if you think that is incompetance then consider this. One of the victims who survived an assault by the Zodiac killer was shown a picture of one of the suspects several years later and immediately identified the man as the assailant. When asked why he waited so long to make this identification he responded this was the first time any police officer ever showed him the picture. Now that's incompetence that leaves us speechless. Robeer
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Author: Robeer Monday, 08 July 2002 - 11:40 am | |
Here is a summary of 20 other suspects mentioned in press reports. _______________________________________________ Mon 10 Sep 88 1. Spitalfields suspect. Witness: unnamed woman. Location: streets of Spitalfields. Time: morning. Description: “The woman's description did not answer the description of a man for whom they have been searching in connexion with the murder of Mary Ann Nichols - a man known as "Leather Apron"......” _______________________________________________ Mon 10 Sep 88 2. Lyons suspect. Witness: young woman named Lyons. Location: Queen’s Head Pub/ Flower & Dean-street. Time: 3:00 PM. Description: “One noteworthy fact in this story is that the description of the man's appearance is in all material points identical with the published descriptions of the unknown, and up to the present untracked, " Leather Apron." _______________________________________________ Mon 10 Sep 88 3. Deptford suspect #1. Witness: newsagent. Location: Grove-street. Time: 7:00 PM. Description: “The man wore an old felt hat pulled well forward over his eyes, and his coat collar being up, the impression of the newsagent is that he was endeavouring to conceal his features. He was of stout build, full-chested, rather ruddy complexion, slight moustache, a beard scrubby or of several days' growth, and looked, to use the newsagent's words, "as if a little soap would have done him good." He was wearing an old brown overcoat, well worn and greasy at the pockets.” _______________________________________________ Mon 10 Sep 88 4. Deptford suspect #2. Witness: unknown. Location: unknown. Time: unknown. Description: unknown. *Arrested by poclice the day before. _______________________________________________ Tue 11 Sep 88 5./6. Two witnesses arrested. *The report from The Times is somewhat confusing. The two suspects could be Pizer and one other unnamed suspect plus the transfer of Pigott, or the reference is to Pizer and Pigott. Pizer is a well known suspect so will not be counted on this list. 5. Unknown suspect. Witness: unknown. Location: unknown. Time: unknown. Description: none. 6. William Henry Pigott. Witness: unknown. Location: Brick-lane, Whitechapel. Time: at half-past 4 on Saturday morning he saw a woman fall in a fit. Description: "He wore no vest, had on a battered felt hat, and appeared to be in a state of high nervous excitement........He gave his age as 52, and stated he was a native of Gravesend,....." *Pigott "was taken into custody on Sunday night at the Pope's Head publichouse, Gravesend. Attention was first attracted to Pigott because he had some bloodstains on his clothes. Superintendent Berry, the chief of the local police, was communicated with, and a sergeant was sent to the Pope's Head to investigate the case." _______________________________________________ Wed 12 Sep 88 7. Fiddyman suspect. Witness: Mrs. Fiddyman. Location: Prince Albert publichouse. Time: “entered shortly after the hour at which the murder was probably committed on Saturday morning”. Description: “a blood-stained and wild-looking man”. *Mrs. Fiddyman was taken to Leman-street station to see suspect Pizer but said it was not the same man. _______________________________________________ Fri 14 Sep 88 8. Holloway suspect: Jacob Issenschmidt. Witness: unknown. Location: Holloway. _______________________________________________ Sat 15 Sep 88 9. Flower & Dean-street suspect. Witness: unknown. Location: arrested Flower & Dean-street. Time: Friday night. Description: “It appears that among the numerous statements and descriptions of suspected persons are several tallying with that of the man in custody......The person to whom this curious assortment belongs is slightly built, about 5ft. 7in. or 5ft. 8in. in height, and dressed shabbily. He has a very careworn look. Covering a head of hair, inclined somewhat to be sandy, with beard and moustache to match, was a cloth skull cap, which did not improve his appearance.” _______________________________________________ Sun 16 Sep 88 10. Henry James. Witness: Thomas Ede. Location: “coming down the Cambridge-heath-road, and when just opposite the Foresters' Arms saw a man on the opposite side of the street.” Time: “on the morning of the 8th”. Description: “His peculiar appearance made witness look at him. He appeared to have a wooden arm, as it was hanging at his side.........He then put his hand down, and witness saw about 4 in. of the blade of a long knife sticking out of his trousers pocket........He was about 5ft. 8 in. high, about 35 years of age, with dark moustache and whiskers. He wore a double peak cap, dark brown jacket, and a pair of overalls over a pair of dark trousers. He walked as though he had a stiff knee, and he had a fearful look about the eyes.” Weapon: “witness saw about 4 in. of the blade of a long knife sticking out of his trousers pocket.” ---------------- 24 Sep 88 William Eade, recalled, stated he had since seen the man whom he saw with the knife near the Foresters'-hall. He had ascertained that his name was Henry James, and that he did not possess a wooden arm. The CORONER said the man James had been seen, and been proved to be a well-known harmless lunatic. _______________________________________________ Wed 19 Sep 88 11. City News Rooms, Ludgate-circus susepct. Witness: unknown. Location: City News Rooms, Ludgate-circus. Time: sometime the day before. Description: none. _______________________________________________ Wed 19 Sep 88 12. Charles Ludwig. Witness: a youth. Location: at the top of Commercial-street, in company with a woman, whom he was conducting in the direction of the Minories. Time: “early yesterday morning......was about a quarter to 4 o'clock.” Description: “He is slightly built, and perhaps about 5ft. 6in. in height, dark complexioned, and wearing a grizzled beard and moustache. I should think he is about 40 years of age. There is something the matter with one of his legs, and he walks stiffly. I heard that at the police-court this morning he pretended not to understand English, but his English when he addressed me was plain enough, though broken;” Weapon: pen knife, razors. _______________________________________________ Fri 28 Sep 88 13. John Fitzgerald. Witness: none. Location: Wandsworth Police-station. Time: “on Wednesday night”. Description: none. _______________________________________________ 30 Sep 88 14./15. PC Halse suspects. Witness: PC Halse. Location: Wentworth-street. Time: 2:00 AM. Description: none. _______________________________________________ Mon 1 Oct 88 16. Albert Backert suspect. Witness: Albert Backert. Location: Three Nuns Hotel, Aldgate. Time: “On Saturday night, at about seven minutes to 12, I entered the Three Nuns Hotel, Aldgate.......We came out together at closing time (12 o'clock), and I left him outside Aldgate Railway Station.” Description: “He appeared to be a shabby genteel sort of man, and was dressed in black clothes. He wore a black felt hat and carried a black bag.......He was a dark man, about 38 years of age, about 5ft. 6in. or 5ft. 7in. He wore a black felt hat, a dark morning coat, a black tie, and a carried a black shiny bag.” _______________________________________________ Mon 1 Oct 88 17. Borough suspect. Witness: the deputy keeper of the lodging-house. Location: a lodging-house in Union-street known as Albert-chambers. Time: “Last night, shortly before midnight”. Description: “a tall dark man wearing an American hat”. *He was conveyed to Stones-end Police-station, Blackman-street, Borough. _______________________________________________ Thur, 4 Oct 88 18. Cable-street suspect. Witness: a woman in Cable-street. Time: unknown. Description: “An American, who refuses to give his name or any account of himself, was arrested last night on suspicion of being the East-end murderer. He is well dressed, rather tall, of slight build, and clean shaven.” _______________________________________________ Thur 4 Oct 88 19. London Hospital suspect. Witness: woman victim. Location: unknown. Time: unknown. Description: none. *Witness was attacked when the man “tripped her up, then threw her heavily on the pavement, and attacked her, knife in hand, with murderous intent.” _______________________________________________ Date unknown 20. PC Spicer suspect. Witness: PC Spicer. Location: “On this particular night I had walked my beat backwards and had come to Henage-street, off Brick Lane. About fifty yards on Henage-street is Henage-court. At the bottom of the court was a brick-built dustbin. Both Jack and a woman (Rosy) were sitting on this.” Time: unknown. Description: “He was always dressed the same – high hat, black suit with silk facings and a gold watch and chain. He was about 5 feet 8 or 9 inches and about 12 stone, fair moustache, high forehead and rosy cheeks.” _______________________________________________ Robeer
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Author: Robeer Tuesday, 09 July 2002 - 03:59 am | |
Times (London) Monday, 8 October 1888
Times (London) Friday, 12 October 1888
Times (London) Tuesday, 16 October 1888
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Author: Robeer Tuesday, 09 July 2002 - 06:16 am | |
Times (London) Thursday, 18 October 1888
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Author: Robeer Tuesday, 09 July 2002 - 06:24 am | |
Times (London) Friday, 19 October 1888
Times (London) Saturday, 20 October 1888
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Author: Robeer Tuesday, 09 July 2002 - 07:06 am | |
Times (London) Saturday, 10 November 1888
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Author: Robeer Tuesday, 09 July 2002 - 07:21 am | |
Week of Sun, 11 Nov thru Sat, 17 Nov 1888. Times (London) Monday, November 12, 1888
Times (London) Tuesday, 13 November 1888
Times (London) Wednesday, 14 November 1888
Times (London) Thursday, 15 November 1888
Times (London) Saturday, 17 November 1888
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Author: Robeer Tuesday, 09 July 2002 - 11:52 am | |
Times (London) Monday, 19 November 1888
Times (London) Thursday, 22 November 1888
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Author: Robeer Tuesday, 09 July 2002 - 02:11 pm | |
Times (London) Monday, 24 December 1888
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Author: Tom Wescott Tuesday, 09 July 2002 - 10:52 pm | |
Robeer, You've done an excellent job in compiling this list of little-discussed contemporary suspects and descriptions. Just a couple of minor corrections, though: Halse was a Detective Constable with the City Police, so his title should be 'DC Halse' and not 'PC Halse', and 'Mrs. Fiddyman' should read 'Mrs. Fiddymont'. The papers made an error as to her name. Keep up the great work! This thread will no doubt be of great interest and use to people for a long time to come. Yours truly, Tom Wescott
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Author: graziano Wednesday, 10 July 2002 - 01:12 am | |
Errata
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Author: Warwick Parminter Saturday, 03 August 2002 - 07:02 am | |
Ally, I would like to say I think this is a very interesting board and thread, I hope you are going to keep it,it would be very useful thanks to Robeer and others, I hope you are not aiming to delete eventually sincerly Rick
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Author: Esther Wilson Thursday, 26 September 2002 - 10:05 am | |
I've just re-watched the JTR movie with Michael Cain and I would like to know more info about Robert James Lees and Richard Mansfield. I'm not saying that I think they had anything to do with the murders but I would like to learn more about them none the less. Any websites etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Esther
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Author: alex chisholm Thursday, 26 September 2002 - 11:26 am | |
Hi Esther I can’t help with regard to Lees, but a brief account of Mansfield’s career can be found at http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/whowaswho/M/MansfieldRichard.htm The two most comprehensive biographies are “Richard Mansfield: The Man and the Actor” by Paul Wilstach (New York, Scribner’s, 1908), and “The Life and Art of Richard Mansfield” by William Winter (New York, Moffit, Yard & Co., 1910). And, if you can wait until next year, McFarland & Co. will be publishing a study of Richard Mansfield and his stage production of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, by Professor Martin Danahay and yours truly. – Shameless plug there. Best Wishes alex
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Author: David O'Flaherty Thursday, 26 September 2002 - 11:31 am | |
Alex, please let us know when your book about the Jekyll & Hyde production is released--it's a subject I'd enjoy reading about. Thanks, Dave
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Author: David Radka Thursday, 26 September 2002 - 12:46 pm | |
Alex, I am interrested in obtaining a script of the play as it was performed in London. Will you include it in your book? Best of luck with it. David
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Author: Jack Traisson Thursday, 26 September 2002 - 03:32 pm | |
Hi Esther, Here is an informative site on Robert James Lees: http://www.rjlees.co.uk/main.html Alex, Excellent news; congratulations! I look forward to reading you and Professor Danahay's study of Mansfield's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. Cheers, John
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Author: alex chisholm Thursday, 26 September 2002 - 07:48 pm | |
Dear Dave, David, and John Thank you all for your encouragement. To answer a couple of questions: - Martin and I are contracted to have a finished manuscript with McFarland by August 2003. We are confident, however, that the work will be completed by the end of this year. So with any luck the book should be on sale by this time next year. The centre piece of the book will be the full script of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, as presented by Mansfield at the Lyceum, London 1888. Other features will include a biography of Mansfield; the Stage in the 1880s; and, of course, Jack the Ripper, with particular focus on the ways in which the two sensations became popularly linked at the time. Substantial appendices will include interviews with Mansfield, reviews of Jekyll & Hyde, and, among other things, the infamous letter to the City police suggesting Mansfield as the Whitechapel murderer. (I should like to say that, in compiling such documentary evidence, Nick Connell and Stewart Evans have been unstinting in their generosity) I find it a very exciting project to be working on, and only hope it will prove to be of some interest to Ripperologists. Sorry for rambling on and interrupting an interesting topic. Best Wishes alex
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Author: Caroline Morris Friday, 27 September 2002 - 04:24 am | |
Hi Alex, I certainly look forward to your book on this subject. Will it mention anything about the contemporaneous spoof production, written I believe by George Grossmith, and called 'Hide and Seekill'? I'd love to know more details about this, how successful it was, who were the actors etc, but I know virtually nothing about it. Thanks, and good luck with it! Have a great weekend all. Love, Caz
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Author: Esther Wilson Friday, 27 September 2002 - 07:36 am | |
Thank you all for your help and information....you guys are great! I'll be checking out those websites and waiting for the new book to come out.
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Author: alex chisholm Friday, 27 September 2002 - 10:54 am | |
Hi Caz “Hide and Seekyll (The Real Case Of)” will be touched upon in our book as George Grossmith’s half-hour musical farce appears specifically to have been a parody of Mansfield’s Lyceum performances. The farce, with Lionel Brough in the title role, was presented at the Royalty Theatre London on 3 September 1888, as an end-piece to “The Paper Chase.” It received the inevitable mixed reviews and closed on the 15 September 1888, after which the company embarked on a provincial tour. I’ve emailed you a couple of the reviews, which I hope you receive ok and find of some interest. Best Wishes alex
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