Evening News
London, U.K.
16 November 1888
SIR CHARLES WARREN AND THE POLICE
With the exception of three, who were either out of town or indisposed, all the divisional superintendents of the Metropolitan Police attended at the residence of Sir Charles Warren yesterday, to express their deep regret at his leaving them, and they assured their retiring chief that during his term of office he had gained the respect and admiration of every man in the force. In reply, Sir Charles Warren attributed his resignation to the interference of Home Office subordinates with what he considered the routine work of his department, as the absolute veto or control of the Home Secretary he had never disputed.
Sir Charles Warren enjoys the luxury, just now, of being a less-abused man than he has been for a good many months past. At the same time, it can hardly be a pleasing sensation to him to be the recipient of the pitying goodwill of such men as Mr. Cunninghame Graham. Far pleasanter must have been the receiving of such a deputation as waited upon him yesterday, consisting of the superintendents of the Metropolitan Police. They came to express their regret at the loss of his services, and no higher compliment could have paid the ex-Chief Commissioner. The best judges of a man's qualities, after all, are those who serve under him, and this spontaneous action of the metropolitan superintendents is the sort of thing that Sir Charles is likely to remember with satisfaction.
TO-DAY'S POLICE
THE "JACK THE RIPPER" SCARE
Mary Ann Johnson, 30, and Christine de Grasse, 33, both women of ill repute, were charged, at Worship-street, with the offence of solicitation, a Polish Jew, named Wolf Leviehne being the prosecutor. - The prosecutor said that on the previous night he had occasion in pursuit of his occupation as travellar to go to Whitechapel. He completed his business, and at 11.30 he was on his way home to St. Ann's-road, Tottenham, when he was accosted by Johnson, who made a proposition to him which he declined. The woman then called out "You are Jack the Ripper," and the other woman, who had also accosted him, joined in the cry. An excited crowd soon collected, and fearing that the consequences might be very unpleasant for himself, witness took refuge in the Commercial-street Police-station, and then the police took the women into custody. The prisoners both said that they simply said that the prisoner "looked like Jack the Ripper" as he had a shining bag. - Mr. Bushby said the public must be protected from this kind of molestation, and he fined the prisoners 2£s. each. In default they were committed for 14 days.
A man named Edward Shannon, aged 44, a bricklayer, was charged, at Bow-street, with being a suspected person loitering for the supposed purpose of committing a felony. - Mr. Church, a job-master, of Kappel-street, stated that on Thursday night, at ten o'clock, he saw the prisoner in the neighbourhood dressed in woman's clothes. He followed him into Bedford-place, and owing to his suspicious manner in which he entered a doorway witness gave information to the police, and the accused was taken into custody. - Police-constable 299 E deposed that he touched the prisoner on the shoulder, and really thought he was a woman until he spoke and said, "I am here on a bit of business." At the station he said he was looking out for "Jack the Ripper." He was wearing a hat and veil and a skirt. - Mr. Bridge remanded him for inquiries.
THE EDITOR'S DRAWER
WHITECHAPEL MURDERS.
TO THE EDITOR OF "THE EVENING NEWS."
Sir - With regard to the number of letters - notably those which advocate relieving the distress of a certain class of women in the East-end - I would wish to say a few words. It must have been noticed that many of these letters are written by the clergy, missionaries, &c., all apparently taking the matter up in a too far advanced stage. Let us just for a moment glance over the list of the victims. We find the first was never identified; the second victim was a single woman; third and forth, Mrs. Nicholls and Mrs. Chapman, both apparently married; fifth, Elizabeth Stride, whose husband was drowned in the Princess Alice disaster; sixth, Mrs. Eddowes; seventh, Mary Jane Kelly, whose husband was killed in a colliery explosion. Therefore we find out of the seven victims no less than five had been married, one was single, and one never identified as either a married or single woman. Surely it is a fearful thing to contemplate that widows should be so utterly neglected that they are obliged to go on the streets for a livelihood. Where were the clergy when these women really required relief, when they had lost everything in the world that was dear to them, when they were suddenly left husbandless, homeless, and penniless? This was the time for the clergyman to have done good and saved a few of the above victims. I am writing of seven who have been brutally murdered; it must therefore be admitted that there are numbers of widows who have been driven to the same mode of life through the apathy of the very men who are paid to comfort and relieve distress. The cost of helping to maintain one widow is a mere trifle to most people, and persons who are able to relieve should be asked more often to be charitable quietly instead of by way of advertisement. If the proviacial clergy could be induced to take more interest in their duties and rather less interest in tea drinking, tennis, cricket, and the sunny side of life, widows such as these would not so often be driven to the metropolis, where they are obliged to take the desperate step of earning a bare existence by prostitution in the East-end of London. - I am, &c.,
DUTY
THE EAST-END MURDERS.
STARTLING AFFAIR IN BLACKFRIARS THIS MORNING
At about ten o'clock this morning, a man answering every description to the particulars furnished to the police by G. Hutchinson, as seen by him on the night of the murder of the woman Kelly, attracted attention in Queen Victoria-street, Blackfriars. Finding himself being watched, he immediately hurried his footsteps, and without giving time for any action to be taken, entered the Underground Railway station near by, and escaped.
MORE WRITING ON THE WALL
Early this morning the attention of the police Barmondsey was drawn to some writing chalked on Wren's buildings, Thomas-street. It was as follows "Dear Boss - I am going to do three more murders. Yours, Jack the Ripper."
Nothing remarkable occurred in the East-end yesterday in connection with the recent series of crimes. The murderer appears to be as far from justice as ever. No fresh particulars regarding him have come into the possession of the police. The detectives continue to be drafted to various parts of the metropolis and suburbs to investigate statements which have hitherto without exception proved absolutely worthless. Little or no importance is attached by the police to the story told by the man Packer as published yesterday morning. During the day there was the customary batch of arrests on suspicion, but in no instant was a prisoner's detention of long duration. One of the arrests was made at Dover. The funeral of the deceased woman will take place on Monday.
SYMPATHY IN LONDON
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 last evening a young lady took to Mr. M'Carthy a beautiful floral wreath which she had made for this the purpose, and desired to place it personally on the coffin of the deceased. In consequence of the funeral arrangements not having been completed, this, she was informed, she could not do.
A SUSPECTED INDIVIDUAL
Mr. Galloway, a clerk employed in the C**** and living at Stepney, has made the following statement: "As I was going down the Whitechapel-road in the early hours of Wednesday morning, on my way home, I saw a man coming in the opposite direction, about fifty yards away. We both crossed the road simultaneously, and came face to face. The man had a very frightened appearance, and glared at me as he passed. I was very much struck with his appearance, especially as he corresponded, in almost every particular, with the man described by Mary Ann Cox. He was short, stout, about 35 to 40 years of age. His moustache, not a particular heavy one, was of a carroty colour, and his face was blotchy through drink and dissipation. He wore a long, dirty, brown overcoat, and altogether presented a most villainous Appearance. I stood still and watched him. He darted back almost immediately to the other side of the road, and then, apparently to avoid a group of women a little further on, crossed the road again. I determined to follow him, and just before reaching the coffee-stall past the church he again crossed the road. On nearing George-yard he crossed over and entered a small court. He reappeared in a couple of minutes, crossed Whitechapel-road for the sixth time, and preceeded up Commercial-street. Up to this point he had walked along briskly, but directly he got into Commercial-street he slackened speed and accosted the first woman whom he met alone, but was repulsed. On approaching Thrawl-street, a policeman on point duty suddenly appeared. The man was evidently startled, and for a moment it looked as though he would turn back or cross the road. He recovered himself, however, and went on. I then informed the constable of what I had seen, and pointed out the man's extraordinary resemblance to the individual described by Cox. The constable declined to arrest the man, saying that he was looking for a man of a very different appearance.
HUMAN BLOOD AND HAIR.
The police at Battersea are in search of a man who is stated to answer to the description of the man wanted for the murder of Mary Jane Kelly. He was seen under somewhat singular circumstances yesterday afternoon. He entered a coffee-house in that neighbourhood, and displayed some hair, which is stated to have been human, with congealed blood attached. No one thought to detain him, but information was subsequently given to the police. It is understood that he left the hair behind him.
CRYING FALSE NEWS.
The following letter is addressed to a contemporary:
Sir - Can nothing be done to prevent a set of hoarse ruffians coming nightly about our suburban squares and streets, yelling at the top of their hideous voices, "Special Edition" - "Whitechapel" - "Murder" - "Another: of 'em" - "Mutilation" - "Special Edition" - "beautiful - Awful - Murder!" and so on, and hearly frightening the lives out of all the sensitive women and children in the neighbourhood? Last evening (Wednesday), for instance, their cry was, "Special-Murder-Paper-Jack-The Ripper-Caught-Paper-Whitechapel-Paper-Got 'im at Last-Paper-Murder-Ripper-Paper-Murder-Got the Ripper-Paper-At Last."
These awful words were bawled out about nine o'clock in a quiet part of Kensington; and a lady who was supping with us was so greatly distressed by these hideous bellowings that she was absolutely too unnerved to return home save in a cab, because she would have to walk about a hundred or two yards down a quiet street at the other end of her journey by omnibus.
Now, I venture to ask, Sir, is it not monstrous that the police do not protect us from such flagrant and ghastly nuisance?
I enclose my card, and beg to subscribe myself.
PEMBROKE-SQUARE
Kensington, November 15.
ANOTHER ARREST
The Central News says that a man was arrested at Market Harborough, last night, on suspicion of being the Whitechapel murderer. He has been lodging in the neighbourhood for two months, but has been frequently absent. He is a very dark, swarthy-looking man, and speaks with a slightly foreign accent. His behaviour at Harborough has been always very quiet, but he has no occupation nor apparent means of subsistence. The account he has given of himself to the police is not satisfactory.
STABBING OUTRAGE IN WHITECHAPEL.
Edward Nagel, aged 19, was attacked last night, between seven and eight o'clock, whilst walking in New-road, Whitechapel, by two men who stabbed him in the face and back. They immediately made off, and escaped without difficulty. Nagel was conveyed to the London Hospital, where he now remains.
