The Eastern Post & City Chronicle
Saturday, 17 November 1888.
The police are constantly in receipt of statements, the sifting of which causes an immense waste of time and labour. A considerable proportion of these statements prove to have been made simply for the love of notoriety, while others are inspired by the hope of obtaining money from the police or credulous reporters. The theory originally stated by Dr. Forbes Winslow that the murderer is a homicidal lunatic is gaining ground daily. The description given by Hutchinson agrees with the opinion expressed by Dr. Winslow at the time of the Hanbury Street murder that the murderer belongs to a respectable class of the community. It is, therefore, satisfactory to learn that inquiries are still being made at lunatic asylums, and that the police will soon be in possession of a fairly complete list of homicidal patients recently discharged as cured. It is stated that several houses at which the murderer is believed to call occasionally are under the closest police surveillance.
The funeral of the murdered woman Kelly has been definitely arranged to take place on Monday. The hearse will leave the Shoreditch mortuary at 11 o'clock, and the remains will be interred in Chingford Cemetery. It is not expected that any of the victim's relatives or friends will put in an appearance. The excitement in the neighbourhood of Dorset Street has considerably subsided, but two policemen still guard the entrance to Miller Court [sic], to the great inconvenience of the humble dwellers therein, and the pecuniary loss of the landlord, M'Carthy, who is losing tenants every day.
An arrest has been made at Dover in connection with the Whitechapel murders. A suspicious looking character was seen near the railway station, and as he answered the description given of the murderer, he was taken into custody. He made a statement to the police, and two constables were sent in charge of the man to verify it. It proved accurate, and he was released. The affair has caused some sensation in the town. The railways and channel steamers are being watched by the police.
The murderer appears as far from justice as ever, and the detectives continue to be helplessly drifted all over the metropolis and suburbs by statements lodged by individuals who regard everybody with suspicion in the district, and report the most trivial circumstances, which of necessity takes from the neighbourhood a large number of men whose services are of the most importance there at the present time. By an order from Whitehall, all statements, no matter how insignificant, must immediately be investigated. This is, of course, essential, for there is no knowing how, when, or where the murderer will be caught - possibly as a result of a statement such as are now invariably proved to be useless, in fact, ridiculous. This is very important in view of the very vexed question of insufficient police protection being provided in Whitechapel again cropping up, as it appears to be doing. No blame can possibly be attached to the local chiefs, who have undoubtedly done their best to place their men in such positions as to afford the best protection to the inhabitants. More men are decidedly necessary, at all events in the present state of the district, and the murderer would have very little opportunity of repeating his daring exploits if, as an officer remarked, "they had as many men down there as there are provided to look after one another around the Royal Aquarium and the Houses of Parliament". It is understood that the police will not renew the house-to-house search, as it was found when last adopted to be a failure. The officers discovered nothing but poverty and vice, while a great number of the houses, if such they can be termed, they were resolutely refused admission.
At midnight the police had no persons under detention at the East End stations. All the suspects satisfied the police that they were in no way connected with the crimes, and were accordingly liberated.
The police received another letter from "Jack the Ripper." It commenced with "Dear Boss," and went on to explain that the writer always addressed his cousin in those terms. He threatened to perpetrate another murder in the locality on Wednesday next, on which occasion he would inflict injuries on his victim, identical to those of his last.
As an instance of the widespread sympathy with the unfortunate victims in the East End which prevails throughout this great metropolis of strangers, it may be stated that a young lady took to Mr. M'Carthy a beautiful floral wreath which she had made for the purpose, and desired to place it personally on the coffin of the deceased.
