We are informed that a general movement is going on among some of the Irish and radical organisations of the metropolis with a view of endeavouring to revive the Trafalgar square meetings in support of the right of public meeting, free speech, and the amelioration of the condition of the unemployed. Some of the South London branches have promise their adhesion to the movement, as it is considered that the excitement at the East end and the extra work cast on the police will afford them a favourable opportunity in Trafalgar square. It is intended, if possible, to hold the first autumn meeting this year on Saturday afternoon next. The plan proposed is to proceed to the square by various routes. The proposal awaits the adhesion of the other clubs.
An arrest took place last evening at Haggerston. A man was noticed making inquiries at lodging houses and acting generally in a suspicious way. Police constable Joyce, H division, was on duty in the locality, and his attention was called to the unknown man. Joyce took him into custody, and brought him to Commercial street police station. The person, whose movements in the opinion of the constable justified his arrest, reached Commercial street at nine o'clock, and he was there detained pending further investigations. Inquiries having been made, the police considered there was no reason for holding the prisoner in custody, and he was liberated at half past ten o'clock. The police at Bethnal green and Leman street have effected no other arrest.
Our Dublin correspondent telegraphs that the Dublin detectives do not regard the letter received by them and signed Jack the Ripper of much moment. The document, which is plainly written, states that the 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 that his reason for so doing was because his sister had joined them. He defied Mr. Mallow (the chief of the Dublin detective force) and all his officers to discover him when he committed the crime.
Sir Charles Warren witnessed a private trial of bloodhounds in one of the London parks at an early hour yesterday morning. The hounds are the property of Mr. Edwin Brough, of Wyndyate, near Scarborough, who for years past has devoted himself to bloodhound breeding. It has been Mr. Brough's practice not only to breed for bench points, but to train his animals to exercise those peculiar faculties with which they have been endowed by nature. On Oct. 4th Mr. Brough was communicated with by the metropolitan police as to the utility of employing bloodhounds to track criminals, and negotiations followed which resulted in that gentleman coming to London on Saturday evening, bringing with him two magnificent animals named Barnaby and Burgho. Of the two Barnaby is better known on the show benches, but Burgho, in his body, feet, and legs, is as nearly perfect as possible. Burgho is nearly two years younger than his kennel companion. He is a black and tan, and is a rare stamp of hound, powerful, well formed, and exceedingly well grown. His head measures twelve inches in length, and he is on of the fastest hounds Mr. Brough has ever bred. Burgho has been trained from a puppy to hunt "the clean shoe" - that is to say, to follow the trail of a man whose shoes have not been prepared in any way by the application of blood or aniseed, so as to leave a strongly marked trail. Barnaby has been similarly taught, but his training was not commenced until he was at least a twelve month old. The hounds have been accustomed to working together, which is a considerable advantage in following a trail. Mr. Brough's system of training the hounds is as follows. When they are puppies, four or five months old, he gives them short runs of about a hundred yards, to begin with, on grass and up wind. To encourage the young dogs, everything is made as easy for them as possible. The man whom they are going to run is always someone whom they know, and he caresses and fondles the puppies before he starts. The dogs are allowed to see him start, and the quarry gets out of sight as quickly as possible and conceals himself. The trainer, who must know the exact course the man has taken, puts the puppies on the line and encourages them by voice and gesture to follow up the trail. It is quite likely at first that some of the litter, perhaps all of them, will not put their noses down or understand what is required of them, but the trainer takes them along until they reach the man, and he rewards them with some dainty. The is repeated until very soon the hounds know what is required of them, and once started on the trail work for themselves. The difficulties are gradually increased, but not until they are twelve months old can the animals be taught to go across country. Eventually they can be trained to cross roads and brooks, and when they are at fault, maybe over running the line, they will make their own casts and recover the trail. Mr. Brough tried Barnaby and Burgho in Regent's park at seven o'clock on Monday morning. The ground was thickly coated with hoar frost, but they did their work well, successfully tracking for nearly a mile a young man, who was given about 15 minutes' start. They were trained again in Hyde Park on Monday night. It was, of course, dark, and the dogs were hunted in a leash, as would be the case if they were employed in Whitechapel. They were again successful in performing their allotted task, and at seven o'clock yesterday morning a trial took place before Sir Charles Warren. To all appearance the morning was a much better one for scenting purposes than was that of Monday, but the contrary proved to be fact. In all, half a dozen runs were made, Sir Charles Warren in two instances acting as the hunted man. In every instance the dogs hunted persons who were complete strangers to them, and occasionally the trail would be crossed. When this happened the hounds were temporarily checked, but either one or the other would pick up the trail again. In one of the longest courses the hounds were checked at half the distance. Burgho ran back, but Barnaby, making a fresh cast forward, recovered the trail and ran the quarry home. The hound did this entirely unaided by his master, who thought that he was on the wrong track, but left him to his own devices. In consequence of the coldness of the scent the hounds worked very slowly, but they demonstrated the possibility of tracking complete strangers on whose trail they had been laid. The Chief Commissioner seemed pleased with the result of the trials, though he did not express any definite opinion on the subject to those present.
A new branch of the Church of England Working Men's Society is about to be formed in Whitechapel in connexion with St. John's Church, Grove street, Commercial road, E. The parish, which has been rendered notorious by the awful crimes recently committed in the neighbourhood of the church, is regarded by the Society as a suitable spot for a new branch and many of the men connected with church work in the locality have formed themselves into a special vigilance association.
Last night a public meeting, to consider the condition of the streets in Spitalfields, was held in the Buxton street schoolrooms, Brick lane. The Rev. J. Farnsworth presided, and the meeting was also addressed by Mr. E. Pickersgill, M.P., Mrs. Jas. Branch, and others. The Chairman said they had met on an occasion which demanded the interest, and not only the interest but likewise the scorn, of every thinking man in the East end of London. They wished to show that it was not Whitechapel, but someone imported into it that was the cause of these murders, and to say that they, as men of the East end of London, scorned the action. As men they prayed that the murderer might soon be brought to justice; and as politicians they hoped to show that they were anxious to relieve some of the darkness and blackness amidst which they lived. (Cheers.)
Mr. James Branch moved the first resolution, as follows:- "That this meeting deplores the recent outrages which have occurred in the East end of London, and declares that it has no confidence in the present management of the police; and records its conviction that the police will never be confidently supported by the public until they are under the direct control and management of the ratepayers." (Applause.) He commented at length on the management of the police, and, in referring to the murders, touched upon the necessity of improving the conditions under which poor people were housed, as these were often a cause of immorality and crime.
Mr. John Hall seconded the resolution.
Mr. E.H. Pickersgill, M.P., supported the motion. He said they were face to face with a series of outrages which he would not say were without parallel, but the oldest of them would have to go back a good many years to find a parallel. They were outrages that had not only outraged the East of London, or even London as a whole, but the whole country had been ringing with the noise of them. In speaking of the police, he wished to say at the outset that they must not be unjust to them, because of the difficulties surrounding these cases from the peculiar circumstances of the murders. But these outrages did not stand alone. The streets of London had for some time past been becoming less secure than they were. Anyone who had watched the records in the public Press must have noticed that street outrages, and outrages wherein the perpetrators had not been traced, had been increasing in a very alarming manner in the last year or two. Until two murders had been committed in Whitechapel very little was done to increase the number of police in the locality, but now it was swarming with them. Of all the suggestions that had been made, he thought that of supplying the police with rubber soled boots was the most sensible one, because everyone knew the heavy military tread of the policeman could be heard at night time a quarter of a mile at least. He dared say that military tread was very dear to the military ear of the Chief Commissioner, but it certainly gave timely warning to evildoers. They could not have a police that was an effective military body that would be at the same time an effective force for detecting crime. Sir Charles Warren had deserved well of his country in his military career, but he ought never to have been put in the position he now occupied. Sir Charles Warren had complained that he had not enough men, but he found from the last annual report that the number of men had been reduced during the year, but the officers had been largely increased. What was wanted was not more officers, but more men. As to the question of offering a reward, this was an exceptional case, and a reward would, at all events, have given more confidence to the honest people who have to live and carry on their work in the neighbourhood. (Hear, hear.) As to the question of more legislation, he would take care to raise his voice in Parliament should such a proposal come before it - that if the poor couples were called upon to produce their marriage certificates - to see that the same was done when going, under the same circumstances, to the Grand, Limmer's, or any other large hotels. (Loud applause.) He agreed that the neighbourhood might be better lighted; but they were a poor neighbourhood, and, as the lighting of the East end concerned also the West end, the other end of the town should bear their share of the cost. (Cheers.) He had no fault to find with the rank and file of the force, many of whom were brave men, but he did find fault with the management of the force. (Loud cheers.)
The motion was carried and it was decided to send copies of it to the Home Secretary and Sir Charles Warren.
At the inquest on the body of the woman murdered in Berner street, and who had previously been identified as Elizabeth Stride, Mrs. Mary Malcolm, of Red Lion square, swore that the deceased was her sister, Elizabeth Watts, whom she had last seen alive on the Thursday preceding the murder. Elizabeth Watts has now been discovered in the person of Mrs. Stokes, the wife of a brickyard labourer living at Tottenham. Mrs. Stokes says:- "My father was a publican in the village of Colerne, near Chippenham, Wiltshire. There were eight children in our family, four girls and four boys. I have one sister in New Zealand, and one brother still lives in Wiltshire. But I have no idea where the rest of the family are. My maiden name was Elizabeth Perrin. I have been married three times. My first husband was Mr. Watts, a wine merchant at bath, to whom I was married at Bristol. My second husband's name was Sneller, whom I married at Deal; and my third and present husband's name is Stokes, to whom I was married at St. Andrew's Church, New Kent road, on December 15th, 1884. He has been employed lately at Plowman's Brickfield, Tottenham. Mrs. Malcolm, who gave evidence at the inquest, is my sister, but I have not seen her for years, and I do not expect to see her until I attend the adjourned inquest on the 23rd inst. My sister, Mary Malcolm, has never, as she swore, given me any money. It is untrue that I saw her on the Thursday preceding the murder. I was out washing on that day at Mrs. Peterkin's laundry, near White Hart lane. I never used to meet her, as she said, in Red Lion street, to receive 1s from her. I am not short of clothes, and I never lived in Commercial road nor kept a coffee house in Poplar. I may take a little drink now and then, but my sister never saw me in drink. My two children, by my first husband, Watts, were taken from me, and that preys on my mind at times. I never quarrelled with my first husband. Watts's friends did not approve of our marriage on account of my being a poor girl. He was sent abroad, and died in America, leaving me with the two children, a boy and a girl. Where they are I do not know. Their father's friends took the children from me, and I was placed in the lunatic asylum of Fisherton House, near Salisbury. The relieving office of Bath got me out, and I then went to live as a domestic servant at Walmer. There I made the acquaintance of Sneller, whom I afterwards married at Deal Church. He was engaged on a vessel in the Royal Navy, which was stranded on St. Paul's Island, and there he died. His half pay was then stopped, and I was left destitute. Subsequently I was put in the Peckham Lunatic Asylum, under Dr. Stocker and Dr. Brown, because I endeavoured to gain possession of my two children, whom I have never seen or heard of since they were taken from me. The Lunacy Commissioners afterwards pronounced me to be sane, and I was again discharged, perfectly destitute. Owing to my troubles my memory is somewhat impaired. I married my present husband, Stokes, four years ago."
At the Bow street Police Court yesterday, George Richard Henderson, a person of rather singular appearance, was charged, before Mr. Vaughan, with being a suspicious person loitering about the streets. Police constable 411 E said that at about 3.30 a.m. there was considerable excitement in Covent Garden market, where it was rumoured that Jack the Ripper was going about threatening people. He saw the prisoner wandering about aimlessly. The accused carried a black bag, and his actions were very strange. Several people - Covent garden porters and others - appeared to be alarmed, and the witness took the prisoner to the station. There the accused was searched, and as 54 pawn tickets were found in his possession and he could give no proper account of himself, he was detained. Amongst other things found on him was a rough draft of a letter which has recently appeared in print, suggesting to the Home Secretary that those who were harbouring the Whitechapel murderer felt that they were equally guilty as accomplices after the act, and could not come forward and give him up, no matter for what reward, until a free pardon was offered to them. Witnesses were called for the prisoner, and satisfactorily explained that he was a respectable man, and Mr. Vaughan discharged him, at the same time advising him not to go about the streets in a similar way again. At such an hour in the morning he was much better at home.
At the Clerkenwell Police Court yesterday, James Phillips, 37, cab washer, and William Jarvis, 40, cab washer, of hackney road, were charged, before Mr. Bros, with cutting and wounding Detective Sergeant Robinson, of the G division, in Phoenix place, St. Pancras, on Tuesday morning. Jarvis was further charged with cutting and wounding Henry Doncaster, a private person, on the same occasion. The prisoners' heads were bound with bloodstained bandages, and Sergeant Robinson's face had surgeon's straps upon wounds around the left eye. Mr. Ricketts, solicitor, appeared for the prisoners. Detective Sergeant Robinson said that between twelve and one o'clock that (Tuesday) morning he was on duty, disguised in woman's clothing, and, in company with Detective Sergeant Mather, who was in ordinary dress, a man named Doncaster, and several Italians, was watching the actions of a man who was in company with a woman under suspicious circumstances. They were in Phoenix place at about twenty minutes to one, when two men (not the prisoners) came up to him and asked him what he was doing there. He answered that he was a police officer, and they went away. Shortly afterwards Jarvis came up to him and asked "What are you messing about here for?" The witness took off the woman's hat he was wearing, and answered, "I am a police officer," and added that other men were with him. Jarvis said, "Oh, you are cats and frogs, are you?" and struck him a violent blow with his fist. He seized Jarvis by the coat; but Jarvis pulled out a knife and stabbed him over the left eye. The witness fell to the ground and Jarvis again stabbed him on the bridge of the nose. While lying on his back witness drew his truncheon and struck at Jarvis's hand which held the knife, but the blow missed and struck Jarvis on the head. The prisoner Phillips then kicked him (the witness) on the arm and again on the ribs. Both the prisoners ran away, and directly afterwards he saw Jarvis strike Doncaster, who had been assisting witness, in the face, and Doncaster cried out, "I am stabbed." Jarvis then called out, "Com on, George; cats and dogs," and several men came out of the cabyard with pitchforks and other implements, but did not use them. Several constables had by this time arrived, and the prisoner were taken into custody. Sergeant Mather, it was stated, was watching the suspicious man at a little distance, and did not hear the scuffle until it was almost over. Cross examined by Mr. Ricketts, Sergeant Robinson said it was dark, and he did not actually see the blade of the knife, but only what looked like the handle. He had information which he believed might be of importance with regard to the Whitechapel murders. He struck at Jarvis's hand, but after he was stabbed he did not care whether he hit him on the hand or the head. A scare had been raised in the neighbourhood that Jack the Ripper was about. It was not the case that there were two constables in uniform watching the struggle, nor that the crowd appealed to them to protect Jarvis. Henry Doncaster, of 26 Warner street, Clerkenwell, who appeared with his head and face bandaged, said that he was with Sergeant Robinson on the occasion in question, watching a man and woman through the windows of a cab. They were accosted, and the struggle took place as described by the last witness. The witness was running for assistance for Robinson, when Jarvis struck him on the face with something which cut him severely. Cross examined: He had heard the rumour that the Whitechapel murderer was about. The witness was not in the dress of a woman. Dr. J.A. Miller gave evidence as to dressing the wounds of the prosecutors and of the prisoners. The wounds on Robinson and Doncaster's faces were star shaped and might have been caused by the metal end of a pocket knife handle. Doncaster's jaw was dislocated. Jarvis was severely hurt. Mr. Rickets, in asking for bail, said he expected to be able to show that the struggle was caused by a misunderstanding, and that the prisoners were not informed that Robinson was a constable. Mr. Bros remanded the prisoners, refusing bail.
In connexion with the above stabbing case a reporter of the Press Association has had an interview with Detective Sergeant Robinson, who stated that the strange man who entered the cabyard with a woman took advantage of the affray between the sergeant and the men now under remand and made good his escape, but Detective Robinson has information which he considers will warrant a most zealous search after the suspect. In the neighbourhood of Eyre street is an Italian colony, and it was at the Gunmakers' Arms that the behaviour of the stranger first aroused suspicion. It appears that there were in the house several people by whom it was remarked that the man's appearance answered the description of the supposed perpetrator of the Whitechapel crimes. The man was afterwards seen with a woman, and Detective Robinson was put upon the track, with the result already stated.
Timothy Kelly, 21, and James Cook were charged before Mr. Alderman Wilkin, with attempting to pick pockets in the crowd that assembled in Golden lane on Monday afternoon to see the funeral of the woman who was murdered in Mitre square, Aldgate. The prisoners were watched by Detectives Wise and Oates, who, having seen them feel several ladies' pockets and open a lady's bag, took them into custody. When the charge was read over to them at the police station they both refuse to say anything. Mr. Alderman Wilkin remanded them.
