The Royal Pardon

[Paul Kearney A.K.A. NEMO]

I just had a thought (yes I do think occasionally)

What if this guy predicted a murder on 9th November?

...and even if he didn't, this was the time Forbes Winslow said he received a letter predicting the same (the 89/88 letter)

A connection maybe?

[Paul Kearney A.K.A. NEMO]

Is this a coincidence? - (from Casebook press reports, the Times Oct 10th 1888)

http://www.casebook.org/press_report.../18881010.html

GEORGE RICHARD HENDERSON, of rather singular appearance, was charged before Mr. Vaughan with being a suspicious person loitering about the streets. Police-constable 411 E said that 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. He carried a black bag, and his actions were very strange. Several persons appeared to be alarmed, and witness took the prisoner to the station. There he was searched, and as 54 pawntickets were found in his possession, and he could give no proper account of himself, he was detained.

Among other things found on him was a rough draft of a letter which had appeared in print suggesting to the Home Secretary that those who were harbouring the Whitechapel murderer felt that they were equally guilty with him 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, who 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.

[Paul Kearney A.K.A. NEMO]

I'll leave it to you guys to possibly track it down - but a basic search for "Warren" and "pardon" brought this up from the Times Archive (which I haven't subscribed to) from 15th October 1888 which mentions Warren requesting the paper to do/say something regarding the graffito -

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Nemo, I recognize that blurb. It's in reference to an erroneous report claiming that 'Juwes' was Yiddish for Jews. And that's a neat find about Henderson. I wonder if he wrote to Warren and was at the time of his arrest drafting a similar letter to Matthews?

[Howard Brown]

Learn something (old ) new every day...

Nemo...thanks very much for that article. I have seen that reference before but did not pay sufficient attention to it at the time. Much appreciated.

I'll get on him now....

[Paul Kearney A.K.A. NEMO]

Sorry Howard

I neglected to check Casebook for that article

It's irrelevant

However, the Times of the same date published the letter from Lushington to Lusk in regard to the reward and pardon

His last couple of lines may be significant...

It is obvious that not only must such grant be limited to persons who have not been concerned in contriving or in actually committing the murders, but the expediency and propriety of making the offer must largely depend on the nature of the information received from day to day, which is being carefully watched, with a view to determining that question.

[Howard Brown]

Thats fine Nemo...I'm glad you brought him up in any event.

I won't derail the thread but one George Henderson from around that time shows up in the police logs. No way of proving its the same man and I'll leave it at that.

What caught my eye was the reference you put up to Henderson and accomplices...

Daily News
Friday, February 5, 1886

[AP Wolf]

Yes, I started a thread on this wandering lunatic years ago, and speculated then about a connection to a pardon.

[Paul Kearney A.K.A. NEMO]

This guy seems very interesting as a suspect / accomplice

He had a rough draft of a letter that had appeared in print

I wonder if that is a copy of it that he had written out from the press

Or is it the original letter? (unlikely)

So it does appear that he was interested in the idea of a pardon / reward

Some reasons he may have wanted a copy...

a) To back up his claim for a pardon / reward if he himself went to the police with information about the killer
b) He wanted to show it to an acquaintance who he wanted to encourage to go to the police with information
c) He wanted to show it to the killer as a warning
d) He was the killer and wanted to threaten possible accomplices with retribution if they took advantage of the reward / pardon

Obviously, the pardon hadn't been issued yet, so what was his interest in it?

It would be intersting to connect him with Howards press story

It might suggest a few men roaming around together causing trouble throughout the night (Emma Smith attack?)

It may have been a jest to extinguish the lights, or a preparation for something like robbery in that location

Henderson was acting "strangely" and causing alarm at 3.30am - I wonder what was in his bag...

54 pawn tickets - is this guy a thief?

He seems to have had friends to vouch for him as a respectable person

Any idea where the thread is located AP?

[Paul Kearney A.K.A. NEMO]

Bump up

Has anyone seen..."a letter which had appeared in print suggesting to the Home Secretary that those who were harbouring the Whitechapel murderer felt that they were equally guilty with him 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"

Mentioned in post 47

Seems relevant to the Anderson suspect doesn't it?

[Howard Brown]

Thanks for bumping this thread back up, Nemo...
I have no answers for you, but since the last time the subject has been broached, someone else may have something to add.

[R. J. Palmer]

Here's a headline you don't see every day of the week. From the Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader:

"Bevin pardons KY man convicted of beheading a woman and stuffing her in a barrel."

For those that don't know, Governor Matt Bevin (R) of Kentucky, just lost his re-election bid. In his final days in office, and evidently out of spite for having lost the race, he has pardoned 428 inmates, including the above charmer.

Among others let loose on society was a sex offender who raped a 9 year old girl; a teacher who plead guilty to possessing child pornography; and another murderer who also committed a myriad of other crimes, but whose parents had donated freely to Bevin's campaign. (Governor B, a supposed fiscal conservative, had run-up massive debts and needed to be bailed out).

Quite possibly, Mr. B has given the world the all-time best example of why Governors, Presidents, and even Royalty, should not have the power to overturn the court system, or at least without some sort of oversight.

And, of course, Bevin portrayed himself as the "law and order" candidate.

[Howard Brown]

Among others let loose on society was a sex offender who raped a 9 year old girl; a teacher who plead guilty to possessing child pornography; and another murderer who also committed a myriad of other crimes, but whose parents had donated freely to Bevin's campaign. (Governor B, a supposed fiscal conservative, had run-up massive debts and needed to be bailed out).

What a dreadful legacy he's left.

[R. J. Palmer]

In Governor B's defense, he has done the impossible--he has brought the Independents, the Dems, and Republicans together. They ALL want to lynch him.

Doesn't this dumb-ass know that he now has to go out and live in society? He will be despised.

And good luck with the waitress not spitting in his soup...

[Roy Corduroy]

Good morning R J,

How were things in the Arctic Circle?

Roy