London, Nov. 9.
A special from London dated October 9, said that an arrest in connection with the Whitechapel murders,
which the police thought important had been made the night previous. On Wednesday a stranger called at
a shop in Grays Inn Road with an overcoat to be cleaned. The garment was stained with blood, especially
the pockets, which were dyed red. The shopman notified the Scotland Yard detectives who were secreted
on the premises, and when the man called for his coat they arrested him. He refused to given an account
of himself or to explain the stains, and was made a prisoner. A searching investigation was entered
on.
The Evening News of October 3 printed in red ink a facsimile of a letter and postal card received a few days before at the office of the Central News Agency purporting to have been written by the murderer. in which he gloats over the crimes and threatens to commit others in defiance of the police, of whose efficiency he expresses a very poor opinion. The police are inclined to believe that the letter and card are genuine.
Two persons, both Americans, were arrested as suspects on the evening of October 3, but were afterwards discharged. The police have adopted the theory that the postal card letter before mentioned and signed "Jack the Ripper" went to the Central News Agency on Sept. 27 from the actual murderer. facsimiles of the letter and card are posted in every police station and upon every dead wall, accompanied by a paragraph begging any persons recognising the writing to communicate with the head of the police. A second communication was received at the Agency on the evening of October 5 from "Jack the Ripper" announcing his intention to commit more murders on the night of 6th, and upon the strength of this every policeman was ordered on duty, assisted by hundreds of amateur detectives. A reign of terror prevailed in Whitechapel, and daylight on 7th. was hailed with joy.
George Lush, (sic) a builder, who is head of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, received by parcel post on Tuesday, October 16, a box containing a meaty substance and with it a note reading as follows:- "I send you half of the kidneys taken from one of the women. I preserved it for you. Tother piece I fried and ate it. It was very nice. I may send the bloody knife that took it out if you only a while longer."
The box was taken to a London hospital, and Dr. Openshaw said the contents certainly came from a full grown women. The ghastly package is now at Scotland Yard. It is supposed that the matter was cut from the Mitre street victim. The handwriting of the note is not at all like that of "Jack the Ripper" letters.
George Dodge, a sailor, came forward on the 4th October and described a Malay cook called Alaska, whom he knew, as having received 600 dollars for two years wages about August 18, and which was stolen from him by a Whitechapel street walker. Dodge heard the Malay threaten that unless he recovered the money he would murder and mutilate every Whitechapel woman he met.
