Brooklyn Daily Eagle
New York, USA
27 April 1891

Jack the Ripper, or whoever murdered Carrie Brown in the East river hotel, New York, last Thursday night is still at large and the New York police seem to be baffled in their efforts to run him down. All their old clews seem to be exhausted and they now appear to be busy looking for new ones.

Inspector Byrnes denied today that he had said the man "Frenchy" is the man who committed the deed. The type written statement which Acting Inspector McLaughlin read to a number of reporters Saturday night and which was prepared by Inspector Byrnes referred to " Frenchy" several times as the suspected man. Inspector Byrnes said today that he did not want the impression to go abroad that he had positively stated that he knew who the murderer was. "I did not say I knew who the man was nor that frenchy was the man," said the Inspector. "I said he was suspected of being the man. As soon as the newspapers get through discovering the murderer I can do better work on this case."

Inspector Byrnes also denied that a man was arrested on the steamship Philadelphia of the Red D line last night. The watchman at the pier states positively that a man was arrested there and Captain O'Connor of the Oak street station admitted that such an arrest had been made. The man was taken into custody on suspicion of being the murderer, but was not held.

The man who answered the description of the one who occupied the room with old Shakespeare, and who was brought into police headquarters with his hands shackled by Captain Reilly, Saturday afternoon, seems to have mysteriously disappeared. He has not been arraigned in any police court yet, and he is probably held at police headquarters.

Inspector Byrnes found the sister of Frenchy today and after questioning her he sent his detectives out on a new hunt.

The police of Brooklyn are still busy on the case. A drunken man who was arrested on Meserole street answered the description of the murderer, and early this morning Neils Hansen, a Swede, was arrested in a Furman street boarding house on suspicion. Detective McCauley came over with Mary Miniter to look at these prisoners. They saw at once that neither of them was the wanted man.

Detectives Conway and Noonan of the Second Brooklyn precinct made an arrest this afternoon that may prove to be important. They have been watching a lodging house at 125 Furman street ever since old Shakespeare was killed. At noon a man known as Frenchy came to the place. He was immediately placed under arrest. He does not answer the description sent out by the New York police, but because he is called Frenchy and says he lives at the Fourth ward hotel, the name by which the East river hotel is generally known, he is held. He said his name is Eli Coumanio. He is also known as John Williams. Detectives are coming from New York to look at him.