Thomas Fogarty

[Gary Barnett]

In 1861, we find Foggy living with his parents in Royal Mint Street. Thereafter, the only time he is recorded with a fixed abode is when he’s living with Poll. The rest of the time he’s to be found in various prisons, in the army, in doss houses, in the workhouse/infirmary and finally in a couple of mental asylums.

One amusing aspect of the ‘no name’ report is that the blind beggar tore up his underclothing. On one occasion Foggy ‘refused to be cleansed’ on entry to the workhouse and was discharged (kicked out?) very shortly afterwards. ‘No name’ threatened to break windows, Foggy did so. If there were three blind beggars/laces sellers kicking around, they seem to have been very similar in temperament.

[Gary Barnett]

Come on man, don't be so evasive. When is the first record of him being blind?
And what pray is that record?

I can’t remember off the top of my head, Ed. He was recorded as blind on the 1891 census and on various workhouse records. I’ll check it out for you.

[Gary Barnett]

Come on man, don't be so evasive. When is the first record of him being blind?
And what pray is that record?

I think 1891 is the earliest specific reference to his blindness.

In 1887 he was admitted then readmitted to the STGITE workhouse from Queens Court and his occupation was then given as ‘match seller’.

[Edward Stow]

Recorded as being blind on the census?

The whole point about 'no name' is that it stretches credibility that such a person would not be instantly known to the local police and so not 'no name'.

You are traducing that sweet love story, those few fleeting years of wedded bliss that were snatched away from him by the grim reaper, the angel of death... all to get your few moments of notoriety as a Suspectologist.

[Gary Barnett]

Recorded as being blind on the census?

The whole point about 'no name' is that it stretches credibility that such pa person would not be instantly known to the local police and so not 'no name'.

You are traducing that sweet love story, those few fleeting years of wedded bliss that were snatched away from him by the grim reaper, the angel of death... all to get your few moments of notoriety as a Suspectologist.

Recorded as being blind on the census. In the disabilities column. A seller of laces living in Brick Lane.

Perhaps ‘no name’ was dropped off by a passing alien spacecraft.

The reaper did his grim work in October, 1895, a month before ‘no name’ tore up his undies and threatened to smash the cop-shop windows. Just the sort of behaviour one might expect from a newly-bereaved violent blind beggar with an antipathy towards plate glass, don’t you think?

[Edward Stow]

And an antipathy to removing his errr undergarments.

So he is a multi-serial: a fouler of underwear: a breaker of windows; a stabber... before that he was on jankers numerous times after being on all those fizzers. Crikey! A creature of habit with an M.O. as long as your arm.

For 'no name' to have no name he must have been a roaming stranger (a Tramp), unless as you say he was temporarily deposited by an alien spacecraft or via one of those transmatter devices we hear so much about. Otherwise any half decent beat copper would have know him of old. If he was a regular then probably the Section Sergeant would have also seen 'no name' about while on his irregular rounds.

[Gary Barnett]

And an antipathy to removing his errr undergarments.

So he is a multi-serial: a fouler of underwear: a breaker of windows; a stabber... before that he was on jankers numerous times after being on all those fizzers. Crikey! A creature of habit with an M.O. as long as your arm.

For 'no name' to have no name he must have been a roaming stranger (a Tramp), unless as you say he was temporarily deposited by an alien spacecraft or via one of those transmatter devices we hear so much about. Otherwise any half decent beat copper would have know him of old. If he was a regular then probably the Section Sergeant would have also seen 'no name' about while on his irregular rounds.

It would have to have been a big beat to cover the whole of Spitalfields, Whitechapel and St. George’s. And the ‘wandering tramp’ seems to have been quite clued up on London police divisions for an outsider.

And, as I say, Foggy only really begins to kick off after Poll’s death in October, 1895. That’s also the point at when becomes a frequent resident in Raine Street workhouse.

If he committed the GYB murder, he didn’t get caught for it; and if he committed the Spitalfields attack, he would have been taken from the cells at Commercial Street nick and then put up before the beak at Worship Street. How would that have made him a known face at Thames police court seven years later?

I should say here that I’m not wedded to the idea that ‘no name’ was Foggy. I found that report some time ago but didn’t post it for that very reason.

[Gary Barnett]

For anyone not familiar with the reported attack in Spitalfields:

ANOTHER WOMAN STABBED

At five minutes after eleven o’clock yesterday morning a most exciting incident took place. A man suddenly attacked a woman in Spitalfields market while she was passing through. After felling her to the ground with a blow, he began kicking her, and pulled out a knife. Some women who had collected, having the terrible tragedy that brought them there still fresh in their minds, on seeing the knife, raised such piercing screams of “Murder!” do that they reached the enormous crowds in Hanbury Street. There was at once a rush for Commercial-street, where the markets are situate, as it was declared by some that there was another murder, and by others that the murderer had been arrested. Seeing the immense crowd swarming around him, the man who was the cause of the alarm made more furious efforts to reach the woman, from whom he had been separated by some persons, who interfered on her behalf. He, however, threw these on one side, fell upon the woman, knife in hand, and inflicted several stabs on her head, cut her forehead, neck and fingers before was again pulled off. When he was again pulled off, the woman lay motionless - the immense crowd took up the cry of “Murder!” and the people who were on the streets cried “Lynch him!” At this juncture the police arrived, arrested the man, and after a while had the woman conveyed on a stretcher to the station in Commercial-street, where she was examined by the divisional surgeon. She was found to be suffering from several wounds, but none of them were considered to be dangerous. She was subsequently removed to the London hospital where she was detained as an inpatient. Her assailant is described as a blind man, who sells laces in the streets, and whine she led about from place to place. The blind man is said to have an ungovernable temper, and he was seen whilst the woman was leading him along, to stab her several times in the neck. Blood flowed quickly, and it was first thought that another terrible murder had been committed. The affair occurred midway between Buck’s Row and Hanbury Street.

From Lloyd’s Weekly London Newspaper, 9th September, 1888.

[Gary Barnett]

The identity of the Spitalfields attacker is not known, but this report of an assault by Thomas Fogarty describes him as ‘vicious’ and as having previous convictions for assault. There is further evidence that he sold laces and lived near Spitalfields market:

A VICIOUS BLIND BEGGAR - Thomas Foggerty, a blind man, who has many times been convicted of assaults, begging and committing malicious damage was charged with assaulting Millicent S. Fox, a girl of fourteen. On Tuesday afternoon, as the prosecutrix was passing the brewery in the Commercial Road, the prisoner, without provocation, dealt her a violent blow on the leg with a heavy stick, and when a constable took Foggerty into custody, he said, “If I could get the stick, I would give you one the same. I had better be in prison than outside.” Mr Cluer sentenced him to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour.



Illustrated Police News, 11th June, 1898.

[Anna Morris]

The identity of the Spitalfields attacker is not known, but this report of an assault by Thomas Fogarty describes him as ‘vicious’ and as having previous convictions for assault. There is further evidence that he sold laces and lived near Spitalfields market:

A VICIOUS BLIND BEGGAR - Thomas Foggerty, a blind man, who has many times been convicted of assaults, begging and committing malicious damage was charged with assaulting Millicent S. Fox, a girl of fourteen. On Tuesday afternoon, as the prosecutrix was passing the brewery in the Commercial Road, the prisoner, without provocation, dealt her a violent blow on the leg with a heavy stick, and when a constable took Foggerty into custody, he said, “If I could get the stick, I would give you one the same. I had better be in prison than outside.” Mr Cluer sentenced him to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour.

I can't imagine why such a fine gentleman would every be thought of as a potential murderer.

Humor aside, IF Foggy did the other attack we have an idea of how he would attack. What if Poll was otherwise occupied with a soldier or something on the night in question and she got Martha to lead Foggy somewhere? That is a possible scenario.

What are the dates on the news clips? Looks like one was after Annie Chapman's murder in Hanbury Street? It seems if Foggy was the perpetrator of that incident, when the subsequent incident came up, it would have been linked to the previous event. Or maybe I am all messed up. If the one naming Foggy predates the knife attack, then maybe no. If the other way around I would think past history would have been described in the news. Just something to think about.

On the other hand, how many knife/weapon wielding blind men of vicious disposition were on the streets in that time and place?

[Gary Barnett]

I can't imagine why such a fine gentleman would every be thought of as a potential murderer.

Do I think he was the serial, throat-cutting, eviscerating JTR? Extremely unlikely.

Do I think he was capable of the furious attack on Tabram? Probably. And if he was the Spitalfields attacker, absolutely.

[Gary Barnett]

I can't imagine why such a fine gentleman would every be thought of as a potential murderer.

Humor aside, IF Foggy did the other attack we have an idea of how he would attack. What if Poll was otherwise occupied with a soldier or something on the night in question and she got Martha to lead Foggy somewhere? That is a possible scenario.

What are the dates on the news clips? Looks like one was after Annie Chapman's murder in Hanbury Street? It seems if Foggy was the perpetrator of that incident, when the subsequent incident came up, it would have been linked to the previous event. Or maybe I am all messed up. If the one naming Foggy predates the knife attack, then maybe no. If the other way around I would think past history would have been described in the news. Just something to think about.

On the other hand, how many knife/weapon wielding blind men of vicious disposition were on the streets in that time and place?

I’ve added the source to the Millicent Fox attack. It took place in 1898, ten years after the Spitalfields one.

[Anna Morris]

Do I think he was the serial, throat-cutting, eviscerating JTR? Extremely unlikely.

Do I think he was capable of the furious attack on Tabram? Probably. And if he was the Spitalfields attacker, absolutely.

I don't see him as JtR but the attack on Martha was crude and IMO, rage fueled. The many stabs never made sense to me. The whole thing shrieks of mental illness.....or maybe a blind man with "anger issues" as we might say today. Nothing about the attack on Martha makes sense. (I suppose a gang could have done it. Which reminds of Emma Smith.)

There is enough time between the reports of the attacks that the reporters might not have put 2 and 2 together if there is a 2 & 2 to go together.

[Gary Barnett]

I don't see him as JtR but the attack on Martha was crude and IMO, rage fueled. The many stabs never made sense to me. The whole thing shrieks of mental illness.....or maybe a blind man with "anger issues" as we might say today. Nothing about the attack on Martha makes sense. (I suppose a gang could have done it. Which reminds of Emma Smith.)

There is enough time between the reports of the attacks that the reporters might not have put 2 and 2 together if there is a 2 & 2 to go together.

The reporter apparently knew that Fogarty had form for assault. I haven’t found another assault he committed, although several convictions for begging and malicious damage, as mentioned (+ drunkenness), are on record.

[Anna Morris]

Questions I would hold in my mind if I was researching Foggy is, what and why could he have ended up in the same place as Martha got killed. It isn't hard to figure out how they might have gotten together through mutual friend Poll. But why GYB? From where to GYB? Where was Foggy regularly staying at the time? If any place? Was GYB on his way to and from some destination?

On the other hand, Tom's book pointed to various forms of ruckus in the streets near GYB on that night. Foggy could have been in the crowds, enjoying the action and got help going upstairs. Again, was Poll busy and did Martha do what she would have done.

Is there any way to link Martha to Foggy? Well, he sold laces in the market or on the street and she sold key chains. I know you mentioned all that. Whether or not she sold his wares, they both hawked things in the same area. What else, if any?

Did Martha ever stay with/room with Poll?

I am just throwing out this stuff because that's how I do research, mulling over dozens of questions, looking for patterns.