Brooklyn Daily Eagle
New York, USA
28 April 1891

After Chief Inspector Byrnes denied yesterday that he had stated on Saturday night that Frenchy No 2 was suspected of being the man who murdered Carrie Brown in the East river hotel last Thursday night he busied himself with what appeared to be a new clew. That his statement about Frenchy No 2 being suspected of the crime was as was published in the EAGLE last Sunday and in all other papers more than thirty newspaper reporters to whom it was read at different times during Saturday night agree. Inspector Byrnes said today that his statement of Saturday night had been so distorted that he would say nothing more for publication at present. He had endeavored to satisfy the public clamor for information relative to the murder of old "Shakespeare", he said, but found that he was misrepresented in all newspapers throughout the world, and therefore he would say nothing more of what he was doing.

In beginning work on his new clew the inspector put all his available men out to search the Fourth ward. They wandered about on the search for something and at midnight they took Mary Cody and Kitty Lynch from a sailors' resort on Cherry street. These two women were subjected to a long interview and after it was over that for which the detectives seemed to be searching appeared to have lost interest. The detectives were called in and those of them who were not permitted to go home started out as though they had definite destinations. Their wanderings ceased.

the result of this work was the arrest of a man early this morning. He was brought to the Oak street station house, and, after he had been locked in a cell, the police denied that they had such a prisoner. Acting Inspector McLaughlin was summoned and he soon appeared at the station house. At 10 o'clock Captain O'Connor went to the East river hotel, where he had a long talk with Landlord Jennings. When he returned to the station house he was accompanied by two central office detectives who had a prisoner, a rough looking man who was very much under the influence of liquor and who had a bloated face. It was said that there was blood under the finger nails of the prisoner. Acting Inspector McLaughlin went back to the cells and had a long talk with these two prisoners. Then Captain O'Connor requested the reporters to leave the station house, explaining that some police business was to be transacted in private. The two girls, Kitty Lynch and Mary Cody, were sent for, and Jennings was also brought to the station house. These three, together with the two prisoners, were brought together in the large sitting room, where Acting Inspector McLaughlin and several detectives had a long talk with them all. A dispatch was then sent to Michael Whalen, ex superintendent of the barge office, and after he had visited the station house Detective Sergeants Mulholland and McCluskey went out separately. They met a few blocks from the station house and traveled together to the Battery, and from there they went out on the bay toward the Italian passenger ship Assyria. Another search was begun in the low dives of the Fourth ward. It resulted in Detective Griffin bringing in an old woman, a pal of the dead victim of the man who may be Jack the Ripper. She was so much under the influence of liquor that she could not speak. Her arrest seemed to be the occasion of much pleasure among the police. Detectives were again summoned from police headquarters. Each of them was instructed by Acting Inspector McLaughlin, and they then strayed off hurriedly to execute the orders received. Mary Cody and Kitty Lynch were permitted to depart. They walked to the East river hotel and were greeted with a demonstration by street corner loungers who knew them and who knew that they were arrested last night in the Jack the Ripper case. At the hotel they were joined by Jennings and two detectives. They were still there late this afternoon.

It is generally believed now that the police were at sea in placing suspicion upon frenchy No. 2. He was employed in Spechman's saloon close to the East river hotel a few days ago. Mary Minitor, the housekeeper at the East river hotel never saw the man who accompanied old "Shake speare" on the night she was murdered until he appeared at the hotel with her that night. Frenchy No. 2 was a regular visitor at the hotel and she knew him well. Among the women of Water street the belief that the murder was committed by Jack the Ripper of London, is growing stronger, and each one lives in constant dread of being his next American victim.

The police bore an air of confidence after the consultation with Jennings and the two girls this morning. They seem to have new hope of clearing up this case into which they have put more effort than in any other piece of detective work on record.