United Kingdom
11 October 1888
FRESH ARRESTS AND RELEASES
ALLEGED LIVERPOOL CLUE
Up to eleven o'clock last night there had been no further arrests, and there is now no person in custody. The police do not appear to be any nearer the detection of the murderer.
Shortly before closing time yesterday morning three men in the Black Swan public house, Hanbury street, George Lucas, James Miller and Thos. Pearman, being struck by the demeanour of a stranger who was present, submitted him to interrogation, and finally to a search. The three men assert that they took from him a large clasp knife, and that with the assistance of a constable they conveyed him to Commercial street Police Station, where two more knives, four rings, some hair pins, and some money was found upon him. After inquiries had been made, however, the man was liberated.
A well informed correspondent of the Globe states that he has gleaned the following information from an authentic source; and from careful inquiries he is able to relate the news as fact, though for obvious reasons names and addresses are for the present suppressed. A certain member of the Criminal Investigation Department has recently journeyed to Liverpool, and there traced the movements of a man which have proved of a somewhat mysterious kind. The height of this person and his description are fully ascertained, and among other things he was in possession of a black leather bag. The man suddenly left Liverpool for London, and for some time occupied apartments in a well known first class hotel in the West end. It is stated that for some reason or other this man was in the habit of "slumming." He would visit the lowest parts of London and scour the slums of the East end. He suddenly disappeared from the hotel, leaving behind him the black bag, and he has not returned. He left a small bill unpaid, and ultimately an advertisement appeared in the Times setting forth the gentleman's name, and drawing attention to the fact that the bag would be sold to defray expenses unless claimed. This was done last month by a well known auctioneer in London, and the contents, or some of them, are in the possession of the police, who are investigating the affair. Of these we (the Globe continues) of course cannot more than make mention, but certain documents, wearing apparel, cheque books, and prints of an obscene description are said to form the foundation of a most searching inquiry now on foot. It has been suggested that the mysterious personage arrived in Liverpool from America, but this so far is no more than a suggestion.
A Dublin correspondent telegraphed yesterday:- Jack the Ripper's letter to the Dublin police contains a curious statement, not appearing in his other productions. The writer stated that a murder of a woman would be committed either in the east or west of Dublin, that the writer was determined to do away with "unfortunates," and his reason was because his sister had joined them. He defied Mr. Mallon and all his detectives to discover him.