Adam Went
05-28-2007, 07:10 AM
Hi everyone,
For those of you who remember, some time ago I posted a bunch of newspaper articles on here about JTR which had come from Tasmanian newspapers in 1888. An article also appeared in Ripperologist by Amanda Howard, Antonio Sironi and myself which included some of these clippings.
Most of these probably appeared in the same or similar way in English newspapers of the time, but amongst these clippings were some mentions of contemporary suspects, so I thought it'd be an interesting idea to revisit those suspects that were mentioned and see if anyone knows or can find out some information about them. I originally thought that one of the suspects, a foreign physician who was looking to buy female specimens, might have been a reference to Dr. Tumblety, but the date of the article and what it says make that unlikely. So who was this other doctor?
Anyway, enough talk....here are the relevant parts of the clippings. Enjoy!
Cheers,
Adam. :)
"Scenes in the district.
-----
Chasing an American.
------
The reign of terror which has pre-
vailed in the East End since Sunday
continues, and the popular excitement
and indignation seem to be growing more
intense. The wildest rumours are con-
stantly set afloat, and extraordinary
scenes are witnessed. Just at 10 o'clock
on Wednesday night a well-dressed man
rushed out of the Three Nuns public-
house in Aldgate, followed by a woman who,
in a loud voice, declared to the loungers
and passers-by that he had molested
and threatened her. While he was thus
being denounced to the crowd, the
stranger hailed a cab, jumped in, and
proceeded to drive off. A hue and cry
was at once raised, and the vehicle was
followed by an excited mob, which rapidly
grew in numbers. It was the general
belief that the murderer who has been
terrorising the East End was the occu-
pent of the cab, and a hot pursuit was
(---). In a moment or two the cab was
stopped, and a police-constable got in,
(secured?) the man, and directed the cab-
man to drive to Leman-street police
station. Here the prisoner was formally
charged on suspicion. The cab was fol-
lowed to the station by the woman who
had raised the outcry. She stated
to the police in the most emphatic manner
that the prisoner had first accosted and
molested her in the street, and that when
she refused to accede to his proposals he
threatened physical violence. While the
woman was making her statement the pri-
soner was holding down his head and
looking on the ground, and he never once
attempted to make a remark. When,
however, a man stepped forward to cor-
roberate the girl's story, he looked up
angrily and denied the truth of the allega-
tions with considerable emphasis. The
woman was then asked if she de-
sired to make any charge, but
she declined to do so, and shortly
after left the station. It was, however,
deemed prudent by the officer in charge
to detain the man pending inquiries. He
was a determined looking fellow, apparently
about 40 years of age, with a dark mous-
tache and clearly-cut features. On his
pockets being searched no weapons of any
kind were found. He gave his name, but
refused to give his address. When re-
moved to the cell his attitude became
impudent and defiant, and in the course
of the conversation which he carried on
with a slightly American accent while
pacing up and down his place of confine-
ment, the frequency with which he
used the word "Boss" was particularly
noticed. Thus, turning suddenly to one
of the inspectors, who happened to be in
the cell at that moment, he sullenly
exclaimed, "Look here, Boss, I don't
care a ----." It is probable that no
special significance is to be attached to
the use of language such as this ; but the
police point to the fact that the word
"Boss," to judge by the now notorious
letter sent by "Jack the Ripper," is a
favourite expression with the miscreant
who has so far eluded justice. The man
is stated to have been slightly under the
influence of drink when brought to the
station. Throughout the night he main-
tained the attitude of defiance he had
from the first assumed, and little or no
information regarding his identity and
the nature of his movements could be
extracted from him. Yesterday morning
the man was discharged, diligent inquiries
by the police leading them to the con-
clusion that he was not the person
wanted.
Between 9 and 10 o'clock on the same
night another arrest was made in the
Ratcliff Highway by Sergeant Adams.
The officer hearing a woman screaming
for help in an adjoining court, proceeded
in the direction of the cries, and met a
man, who was evidently a foreigner,
leaving the place. The sergeant took the
man into custody, more especially as it
occurred to him that he bore a striking
resemblance to the published police de-
scription of the man who is said to have
been seen with "Long Liz" on the Satur-
day night preceding her murder. The
captive, who went quietly to the police-
station, told the sergeant that he was
sailing from this country for America on
the following day. At the police station
the man told the inspector in charge that
he was a Maltese, and willingly furnished
his name and address. The inquiries that
were instituted proving to be satisfactory,
the man was released in the course of the
morning.
A third arrest was made in Shadwell,
in the neighbourhood of Cable-street, and
the man brought to Leman-street. Here
he was able to give a satisfactory explana-
tion as to his identity and the other particu-
lars, and he was at once discharged.
Late last evening a man dressed in a
black suit and white Melton overcoat was
observed waiting about the entrance to
the Mission Hall Court, Shoreditch, where
a tea was being given to a number of un-
fortunate girls who are in distress owing
to the present agitation. On the police
coming up a bayonet in sheath was found
concealed under his overcoat. He said
he was looking for the murderer, and
would run him through. He was de-
tained at the Commercial-street Police-
station. He gave the name of John
Kesef Joseph. "
From The Tasmanian Mail of October 6, 1888.
"[...]The announcement of Dr. Brown of the disap-
pearance of the uterus revived for a time
the theory put forward by Mr. Wynne
Baxter, the coroner, in the Hanbury-street
case.
The British Medical Journal, however,
states that the foreign physician who
sought to purchase specimens was a
gentleman of the highest respectability,
that he did not offer a large price, and
that he left London 18 months ago. "
From The Tasmanian Mail of October 6, 1888.
"[...] A sailor who has recently returned to Eng-
gland (sic), from Sydney has been arrested on
suspicion. "
From The Mercury of November 12, 1888.
This section of a newspaper report doesn’t name
an actual suspect, but I thought would be an
interesting piece to point out anyway.
"[...] Consternation has been caused locally
by the report that "Jack the Ripper"
has sent a post-card to Barrett's confec-
tionery factory at Woodgreen, saying that
he shall visit the neighbourhood and "do
for" six of the girls employed at the fac-
tory. It is further said that a man
answering the published description of the
supposed murderer has been seen in
Woodgreen. People speak of their inten-
tion to carry arms to be prepared for any
sudden attack."
From The Tasmanian Mail of November 17, 1888.
--------
For those of you who remember, some time ago I posted a bunch of newspaper articles on here about JTR which had come from Tasmanian newspapers in 1888. An article also appeared in Ripperologist by Amanda Howard, Antonio Sironi and myself which included some of these clippings.
Most of these probably appeared in the same or similar way in English newspapers of the time, but amongst these clippings were some mentions of contemporary suspects, so I thought it'd be an interesting idea to revisit those suspects that were mentioned and see if anyone knows or can find out some information about them. I originally thought that one of the suspects, a foreign physician who was looking to buy female specimens, might have been a reference to Dr. Tumblety, but the date of the article and what it says make that unlikely. So who was this other doctor?
Anyway, enough talk....here are the relevant parts of the clippings. Enjoy!
Cheers,
Adam. :)
"Scenes in the district.
-----
Chasing an American.
------
The reign of terror which has pre-
vailed in the East End since Sunday
continues, and the popular excitement
and indignation seem to be growing more
intense. The wildest rumours are con-
stantly set afloat, and extraordinary
scenes are witnessed. Just at 10 o'clock
on Wednesday night a well-dressed man
rushed out of the Three Nuns public-
house in Aldgate, followed by a woman who,
in a loud voice, declared to the loungers
and passers-by that he had molested
and threatened her. While he was thus
being denounced to the crowd, the
stranger hailed a cab, jumped in, and
proceeded to drive off. A hue and cry
was at once raised, and the vehicle was
followed by an excited mob, which rapidly
grew in numbers. It was the general
belief that the murderer who has been
terrorising the East End was the occu-
pent of the cab, and a hot pursuit was
(---). In a moment or two the cab was
stopped, and a police-constable got in,
(secured?) the man, and directed the cab-
man to drive to Leman-street police
station. Here the prisoner was formally
charged on suspicion. The cab was fol-
lowed to the station by the woman who
had raised the outcry. She stated
to the police in the most emphatic manner
that the prisoner had first accosted and
molested her in the street, and that when
she refused to accede to his proposals he
threatened physical violence. While the
woman was making her statement the pri-
soner was holding down his head and
looking on the ground, and he never once
attempted to make a remark. When,
however, a man stepped forward to cor-
roberate the girl's story, he looked up
angrily and denied the truth of the allega-
tions with considerable emphasis. The
woman was then asked if she de-
sired to make any charge, but
she declined to do so, and shortly
after left the station. It was, however,
deemed prudent by the officer in charge
to detain the man pending inquiries. He
was a determined looking fellow, apparently
about 40 years of age, with a dark mous-
tache and clearly-cut features. On his
pockets being searched no weapons of any
kind were found. He gave his name, but
refused to give his address. When re-
moved to the cell his attitude became
impudent and defiant, and in the course
of the conversation which he carried on
with a slightly American accent while
pacing up and down his place of confine-
ment, the frequency with which he
used the word "Boss" was particularly
noticed. Thus, turning suddenly to one
of the inspectors, who happened to be in
the cell at that moment, he sullenly
exclaimed, "Look here, Boss, I don't
care a ----." It is probable that no
special significance is to be attached to
the use of language such as this ; but the
police point to the fact that the word
"Boss," to judge by the now notorious
letter sent by "Jack the Ripper," is a
favourite expression with the miscreant
who has so far eluded justice. The man
is stated to have been slightly under the
influence of drink when brought to the
station. Throughout the night he main-
tained the attitude of defiance he had
from the first assumed, and little or no
information regarding his identity and
the nature of his movements could be
extracted from him. Yesterday morning
the man was discharged, diligent inquiries
by the police leading them to the con-
clusion that he was not the person
wanted.
Between 9 and 10 o'clock on the same
night another arrest was made in the
Ratcliff Highway by Sergeant Adams.
The officer hearing a woman screaming
for help in an adjoining court, proceeded
in the direction of the cries, and met a
man, who was evidently a foreigner,
leaving the place. The sergeant took the
man into custody, more especially as it
occurred to him that he bore a striking
resemblance to the published police de-
scription of the man who is said to have
been seen with "Long Liz" on the Satur-
day night preceding her murder. The
captive, who went quietly to the police-
station, told the sergeant that he was
sailing from this country for America on
the following day. At the police station
the man told the inspector in charge that
he was a Maltese, and willingly furnished
his name and address. The inquiries that
were instituted proving to be satisfactory,
the man was released in the course of the
morning.
A third arrest was made in Shadwell,
in the neighbourhood of Cable-street, and
the man brought to Leman-street. Here
he was able to give a satisfactory explana-
tion as to his identity and the other particu-
lars, and he was at once discharged.
Late last evening a man dressed in a
black suit and white Melton overcoat was
observed waiting about the entrance to
the Mission Hall Court, Shoreditch, where
a tea was being given to a number of un-
fortunate girls who are in distress owing
to the present agitation. On the police
coming up a bayonet in sheath was found
concealed under his overcoat. He said
he was looking for the murderer, and
would run him through. He was de-
tained at the Commercial-street Police-
station. He gave the name of John
Kesef Joseph. "
From The Tasmanian Mail of October 6, 1888.
"[...]The announcement of Dr. Brown of the disap-
pearance of the uterus revived for a time
the theory put forward by Mr. Wynne
Baxter, the coroner, in the Hanbury-street
case.
The British Medical Journal, however,
states that the foreign physician who
sought to purchase specimens was a
gentleman of the highest respectability,
that he did not offer a large price, and
that he left London 18 months ago. "
From The Tasmanian Mail of October 6, 1888.
"[...] A sailor who has recently returned to Eng-
gland (sic), from Sydney has been arrested on
suspicion. "
From The Mercury of November 12, 1888.
This section of a newspaper report doesn’t name
an actual suspect, but I thought would be an
interesting piece to point out anyway.
"[...] Consternation has been caused locally
by the report that "Jack the Ripper"
has sent a post-card to Barrett's confec-
tionery factory at Woodgreen, saying that
he shall visit the neighbourhood and "do
for" six of the girls employed at the fac-
tory. It is further said that a man
answering the published description of the
supposed murderer has been seen in
Woodgreen. People speak of their inten-
tion to carry arms to be prepared for any
sudden attack."
From The Tasmanian Mail of November 17, 1888.
--------