Research Request 2/5/13

[Howard Brown]

A few years ago, Stephen Ryder located an article which contained an interview held between a reporter and John Kelly ( Catherine Eddowes' beau ) inside a doss house.
I'll be damned if I can remember the title of the paper or whether we put a link to Steve's fine find on the Forums.
Can someone help ?
Either a link to or any details about the article would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

[Tempus omnia revelat]

A few years ago, Stephen Ryder located an article which contained an interview held between a reporter and John Kelly ( Catherine Eddowes' beau ) inside a doss house.
I'll be damned if I can remember the title of the paper or whether we put a link to Steve's fine find on the Forums.
Can someone help ?
Either a link to or any details about the article would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

I seem to remember something about an interview in The Star of the 3rd of October. Not sure whether this helps or not.

Tempus

[Lynn Cates]

"Echo" 3 October

Hello Howard. This it?

(Excerpt from "The Echo" 3 October, 1888. Entire article available upon request--heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[Tempus omnia revelat]

Hello Howard. This it?

(Excerpt from "The Echo" 3 October, 1888. Entire article available upon request--heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

I knew it was the third in some newspaper or another. Lol

Well done Lynn.

[Chris G.]

Hi Howard

Here are the transcripts of those articles in the Casebook press section:

The Star, 3 October 1888

The Echo, 3 October 1888

Best regards

Chris

[Howard Brown]

Thanks Lynn,JG,CG, and Tempus !

[Lynn Cates]

love

Hello Tempus. Thanks.

Debs has taught me to love "The Echo."

Cheers.
LC

[Howard Brown]

Chris:
Thanks for trying, but those are different articles.
The article I was thinking of also contained a female character....a old habitue' of the lodging houses, who was also interviewed.

[Howard Brown]

I neglected to mention ( my apology) that the article I was inquiring about featured Kelly making a direct reference to Kate having prostituted herself in the past.

[Lynn Cates]

reference

Hello Howard. I have heard that article referred to but have never seen it.

Hope it turns up.

Cheers.
LC

[Howard Brown]

Thanks Lynn...
I believe it was the first time that anyone had located an article mentioning Catherine being " in the life ".
Dammit..now I have to find it. I know others are aware of the piece.

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Howard,

To the best of my recall, the only statement made by John Kelly that has been taken by some to mean that she was a prostitute, was his comment at the inquest that she was "walking the streets" all night, but taken in context he was simply saying she would be walking the streets because she had nowhere to sleep. These comments were the source for some debate a long while back (and perhaps more recently and I missed it). But I don't recall any newspaper interview where he remarked on her having been a prostitute. I'd love to be proved wrong, though.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Howard Brown]

Tom:
The article I have in mind doesn't feature Kelly stating she walked the streets all night, but rather Kelly is quoted mentioning how Eddowes had taken to that sort of life in the past or some such comment...

[Lynn Cates]

apocryphal

Hello Howard, Tom. Thanks.

I fear the article may be apocryphal. I would suggest--as Tom does--that its basis is a misreading of John's language.

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

This may be the article you're looking for.

Evening News, 10th October 1888—

On revisiting No. 55 we were able to see and speak to Kelly, the man who stayed with Kate Eddowes, and a number of other friends and acquaintances of the deceased.

Kelly is an interesting character from the fact that he is in some degree above the class which surrounds him. He is quiet and inoffensive in manner, and has fine features, with sharp and intelligent eyes. He spoke to use freely of Kate, but confessed to being very much "cut up." "I hope to Almighty God her soul's at rest," he said, fervently. "Many's the time I have said to her, 'Well, Kate, you are my wife, and I'll keep you as well as I can,' but when we had not the eightpence I took her to the casual ward - where there has been many a good mother's son - and which is better than the streets, because I thought it kept her out of immoral ways."

Speaking of the probability of capturing the murderer, Kelly said, "It's my belief it won't be long before he's taken, and a very good job too."

Kelly is not a strong man, as he suffers from an affection of the kidneys and a bad cough. These ailments have prevented him from doing much hard work, and he has earned his living by doing odd jobs about Spitalfields Market and running errands for the Jews. Kate also used to do similar work, as well as going out charing.

While speaking to Kelly we were joined by a couple of female lodgers who garrulously expatiated on the virtues of her late friend Kate. "Ah, she was well and hearty this time last week," moralised one of the two, and then suddenly fell on her knees, and with clasped hands raised aloft she prayed "that the Lord Almighty would deliver the murderer into their hands that night." "If I meet Jack the Ripper to-night," she continued, "it will be Oh, Dolly Daisy, up this way." Then, turning fiercely upon me she cried, "If I thought you were any confederate of him, do you know what I'd do? I'd cut you open with this pot," and she flourished a pewter tankard, from which she had been drinking, in such dangerous proximity to my face that I thought it advisable to get beyond the reach of her arm. I soon succeeded in pacifying Dolly Daisy, and dispelling her suspicions by replenishing the pot and giving her the money for her doss - an act of philanthropy which got speedily bruited abroad and involved several repetitions.

Mrs. Gold, Kate's "Sister Liza," appeared on the scene in the course of the evening. She, however, was very lachrymose, and between her sobs could only bewail the fate of her poor sister.

Regards,

Simon