James Sadler..."Briefly a Ripper suspect..."

[How Brown]

James Thomas Sadler,as so described in the second edition of the A to Z......was briefly a Ripper suspect.

The man police felt certain was at least Francis Coles' murderer in February 1891 had a little help to say the least from Tom Fowles and Kate McCarthy who came forward to declare that they were the mystery couple seen by 3 others in the center of Swallow Gardens around the estimated time of her death.

Thread for discussion on this merchant seamen and fireman on the ship,The Fez.

[Debra Arif]

I must admit to not being too up on Sadler, but I have always had the impression that he was too intoxicated on the night of Frances Coles murder to have actually committed it.
Does anyone know what the result of the inquiry, posted in the snippet below was? Was Sadler not too intoxicated to warrant being taken into custody when he was seen at the docks?

Hansard's Parliamentary debates 1891
THE WHITECHAPEL MURDER.
Mr. ESSLEMONT (Aberdeen, E.) : I
b^ to ask the Secretary of State for the
Home Department whether his attention
has been called to the evidence of the
police before the Coroner of East London
at the inquiry regarding the death of
Frances Coles on Friday last, from which
it appears that the man Sadler was left
outside the dock gates in a state of
intoxication, such as to be thought
unable to go on board his ship ; that he
was strack down and severely bruised
in presence of or without remonstrance
on the part of the police ; and whether,
if the man was drunk as described, he
was entitled to protection ; or, if not, to
be taken into custody by the police ?
Mr. MATTHEWS: The Commissioner
of Police informs me that he has only
seen a newspaper account of the evidence,
and there is nothing in that to bear out
the allegation that Sadler was struck
down and severely bruised in the
presence of the police. The only con-
stable who saw him at the dock gate
considered that, although he had been
drinking, he was not in such a state of
intoxication as to warrant his being
taken into custody.
Mr. ESSLEMONT : Has the attention
of the right hon. Gentleman been called
to the fact that in the sworn evidence
it is stated that this policeman was
asked to turn away, and that he did go
away 30 yards ?
Mr. MATTHEWS : No, Sir ; 1 have
not had a Report of such evidence, but
I will make inquiry.

[How Brown]

Debs:

On February 14th, Sergeant Don ( along with PC Gill of H Division) went to the Pheonix Public House and escorted Sadler back to Leman Street Station to be queried by Donald Swanson.

He got lumped up twice on the night in question, the 13th, the second time in front of a constable ( Sadler identified him as a young officer too) at the docks. Sadler wound up being escorted to the London Hospital by a police constable ( to the Accident Ward)...got his head wound dressed, went to the Victoria House, was refused admission, eventually winding up at the public house...where Sgt. Don approached him.

I get the impression that either the original police constable at the docks didn't feel that he was too intoxicated, but rather foul mouthed....or that he simply didn't want to bother himself in taking Sadler in to custody for intoxication at that particular time.

Of course,Sadler may have struck the wrong notes with the constable and as a result, the constable displayed indifference and just let the dock laborers wail on him.

I doubt that any subsequent report was made,Debs....just a guess.

[Debra Arif]

Cheers, How, I just read up a little bit more on the casebook page. He was very vague with his timings that night wasn't he?

Do you mean you think the young PC may not have faced any subsequent inquiry or charges for walking away and letting him take a beating? If that's what did happen of course.

[How Brown]

Debs:

Its could be a matter of Sadler having to contend with being a suspect in the Coles murder which would certainly be a far larger fish to fry and one that would be first and foremost on his mind....or that Sadler simply didn't pursue the issue for his personal reasons. He may have felt it was down to his word against a police constable's and in which case, he may have felt it was a lost cause to pursue.

I don't know Debs....I put myself in Sadler's shoes and I'd have to let the matter of the dockside beating go unless it was necessary to bring the pc and the other man at the dock in to serve as witnesses as to where he was at that time.

[Debra Arif]

I was thinking it might have been taken out of Sadler's hands though, How, when the issue was raised in parliament and Mr. Mathews said he would make inquiry. I have no idea how these things work though, so maybe it would still have involved Sadler's word against a PC's and Sadler dropped the claim. I was hoping there would be something more, but looks like there isn't. Thanks How.