The Clapham photos

[Phil Carter]

Hello all,

I posted this a few hours ago on Casebook, and have recieved a pm or two saying that others know nothing of this and are a little taken aback.. Ok, we do not know that the police actually DID recieve this bundle, but it seems a bit strange to print this... a thing handed in to the police if it is a fake story?
It makes me wonder. Any ideas?


This is from the newspaper Lloyds Weekly, dated 21st October 1888, page 1,and describes a curious piece of news, alledgedly pertaining to photographs of one of the victims and a sister:-

'... We are informed that yesterday morning the Clapham police had handed to them five photos which had been found mysteriously at Clapham.They were wrapped up in a piece of white circular paper tied with string, and outside of which was written the following:-

"Whosoever finds these photos, please take care of them, as the cabinet is one of the murdered women in Whitechapel, the others her sister. The victim I kissed 20 times, and tried it on again, but I got no brass, so she told me to kiss her and to a dreadful end she came on the eve of her death."...'

Does anyone know anymore about this?

best wishes

Phil

[RJM]

I haven't seen the piece you refer to, Phil. It's a nice find though. Let's hope there was a follow up to this.

It's just so tantalizingly vague, isn't it?

Robert

[Chris Scott]

Hi Phil
I posted this to casebook ages ago (i.e. some years back)
I will have a look and see if i have any more info
Chris

[Phil Carter]

Hello Chris,

I keep making a habit of finding obscure stuff from before the crash! Hope you find something out about this!

best wishes
Phil

[Phil Carter]

Hello Chris, RJM,

After a little trawl I found the link...from 2008.. many thanks Chris..Apologies to all, but like you RJ, I hadn't seen this either.

link:-

http://forum.casebook.org/archive/index.php/t-1432.html

best wishes

Phil

[SirRobertAnderson]

The victim I kissed 20 times, and tried it on again, but I got no brass, so she told me to kiss her and to a dreadful end she came on the eve of her death."...'

Sounds like Diary doggerel.....

[Howard Brown]

Kudos to Chris for finding them a while ago and kudos to Phil Carter for bringing them up again. Nice find.
I,uh...never saw this before and just read the newspaper in question this past weekend. I overlook stuff like I'm blind sometimes.

I also have to ask...is the comment " I got no brass" a British eunuchism for saying he couldn't get an erection ?

Lloyd's Weekly
October 21, 1888
**************

[Phil Carter]

Sounds like Diary doggerel.....

Hello Robert,

Strangely, that thought occured fleetingly to me too. LOL

The thing I am starting to wonder is this...

We do not know the original provenance of the photos that suddenly turned up in 1988. I am just wondering if the above could have a connection. Personally, I think not, and the only real connection to Clapham I notice is one Walter Stride, no?.

best wishes

Phil

[Phil Carter]

Meanings

Howard,

"Brass" has different connotations. Amongst others..

Being "borassic lint" in Cockney rhyming slang means ...skint...pennyless, is one.
"As bold as brass" is another.
"Brass" could mean money, or coins.
Being "brassed off" means being fed up with, cheesed off.

My bet would be he meant he had no money.

best wishes

Phil

[Howard Brown]

Phil:

Thumbs down on any erections. Thanks for that Phil.

Thanks also for these Cockney interpretation...I would not have guessed it meant money or being angry.

Provincial in Philadelphia

[Phil Carter]

Phil:

Thumbs down on any erections. Thanks for that Phil.

Thanks also for these Cockney interpretation...I would not have guessed it meant money or being angry.

Provincial in Philadelphia

Hello Howard,

"Brass in pocket" is a known phrase for money in the pocket. It is also a great tune by the Pretenders.
As regards erections, although mentioned on the original thread on Casebook, I have never heard of it. Unless it connects to "bold as brass" as in being bold, to stand out?

best wishes

Phil

[Caroline Brown]

Hi Phil,

I had seen this one before, but wasn't sure what was meant by the following:

The victim I kissed 20 times, and tried it on again, but I got no brass, so she told me to kiss her and to a dreadful end she came on the eve of her death.

I'm now wondering if it would make a lot more sense with the addition of a little rhyming word that may have been implied rather than written, for obvious reasons (like Benny Hill used to do in his naughty ditties):

The victim I kissed 20 times, and tried it on again, but I got no brass, so she told me to kiss her... [arse] and to a dreadful end she came on the eve of her death.

In short, he tried it on with the victim but had no money to pay for more than kisses so she told him to kiss her arse (ie get fu***d) and he wasn't a happy bunny.

But it might just be the mucky way my mind works...

Love,

Caz
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