The 'Prince of Israel'

[A.P. Wolf]

In 1887 and 1888 one often comes upon reports in the press concerning a certain Mr Freund, in the police courts for his wacky behaviour in places like St Pauls or Westminster Abbey; and I have often dwelt upon him as a suitable candidate for the Whitechapel Murders, for the guy was a complete and utter maniac.
I now discover that he was an American, not only that but a very well connected and wealthy American.
The following report from the 'Galveston Daily News' of 19th October 1884 gives a bit more detail about this lunatic who believed he was the 'Prince of Israel' and would take all the Jews of London back there to rebuild the Temple anew.
There is also some other interesting detail about other famous London head bangers, check out the Lord with his donkey drawn costermonger's barrow... that would have cut some cool, bombing down Dorset Street.

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac287/HowieNina/nutters1.jpg

[A.P. Wolf]

Herbert Freund, brother of John C. Freund, had a number of accomplishments.
One was that it usually took at least eight good London policemen to subdue his violence and get him to a police station to charge him... charges from which he almost always escaped due to the intervention of highly placed lawyers and doctors.
Others were that he was a highly regarded graduate of the London University who then went on to study medicine in 1887 as a student at St Thomas' Hospital, where he was described as a 'very distinguished student'.
Oh, and of course he was the 'Prince of Israel' who was going to take all the Jews out of London and back to the Promised Land, rebuild the Temple and... well save the world I guess.
And he sort of just disappears in 1888.

[A.P. Wolf]

This is Herbert in May of 1882 on a 'Mission from God' :

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac287/HowieNina/Photo%20Thanksgiving/herbert1.jpg

[How Brown]

Wow,A.P...

By 1888,the guy had another 6 years from the date of the Stock exchange shenaningans to get crazier.

Very interesting...I never heard of this person before now.

If he did graduate from the London University...is it possible they have a "class photo" with him in it?

Another good find,A.P.

[A.P. Wolf]

Thanks How
I guess I just like mad Americans.
One just has to check out Herbert's brother though, he was big time in the States in the LVP.
The Simon Cowell of his day. Minted.
There is a better case out there featuring Herbert and his madness but I lost it. He has banners proclaiming something about the great whore and stuff like that.
I'll get it again.
I still need to check the detail, so I might be wrong, but it looks like Herbert's brother robbed a lot of people of money in England at one point, went back to the States and then disappeared with $75,000; and then resurfaced as the editor and owner of the best selling musical magazines in America during the last years of the LVP.
Herbert is a very good suspect to boot.

[A.P. Wolf]

Years later, in June of 1911, Forbes Winslow took himself back to 1888 in an interview with the Washington Post, and I do believe he was referring to the Prince of Israel in this quote:

'
But no crime, I believe, has brought me such a succession of thrills as the notorious Jack the Ripper murders. Scores of correspondents advised me to wash my hands of the affair, but I was too fascinated to listen, and I honestly believe that had I been rendered the requisite assistance, I should have captured Jack on the steps of St. Paul's cathedral. He was a religious maniac. '