I have recently published an article about this man in The Best New True Crime Stories Well Mannered Rogues, Crooks, Rogues and Criminals. It documents his life, scams and marriages. I was unable to find evidence that he came out of England in 1888. The first known record so far uncovered is in Sydney...

I may have tracked down the marriage certificate of Denis Kelly and Julia Foley in Swansea in January 1858. Julia was previously married to a man called Roach. Her father's name was given as Michael Foley (deceased), a labourer.

Denis was described as a labourer and widowed. His father...

I wrote an article about this incident in Ripperologist 122.

I was unaware of Sleeman's article about James Kelly but both John Morrisson and Terrence Sharkey mentioned Kelly as a possible Ripper suspect earlier. The newspaper article appears to recognise this when it refers to Kelly as "largely ignored."

Yes it was Chapman who Warren linked to Merchant. His article is in The Criminologist, Spring 1992. There are a few others who have looked at Chapman's background,
Mike Covell commented here https://www.jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=10962 and Christ Scott here https://forum.casebook.org/for...

I haven't read Warren's article in years so am relying on my notes from that and from Reilly.

Reilly obtainned the death certificate, without naming Doctor Merchant. He also observed that the occupation was stated as unknown to informant.

Warren then identified Merchant...

Spicer stated that when he took the man before the inspector he charged him with being Jack the Ripper. If he did use that name at the time then the incident must have been after the Dear Boss letter was circulated. That leaves October and November for the sightings at Liverpool Street station, if Doctor...

In his letter to the Daily Express Spicer referred to the suspect as Jack at the time of the alleged arrest. He then said that he saw him several times after that acosting women at Liverpool Street Station. He may not have been on duty then and some of the sightings could have been after he left the...

Hi Gary,

Yes, it depends on who Spicer counted as victims. If the incident was before the double event then he would be remembering arresting Jack the Ripper prior to the killer being known by that alias.

I'm attaching a slightly different account printed after Spicer's...

Reilly's research, supplemented by Nick Warren who named Dr. Merchant as Dr. Chapman, relies on the assumption that the suspect died after the last murder. This contradicts Spicer's statement that he saw the man several times after their encounter.

I attempted to trace Frank for the suspect encyclopedia.

Bertha and George did have a cousin with that first name, Frank Wilton, but he was a police officer in Sussex not an accountant.

Bertha Edwards was born around 1884 and married Arthur Parkhurst in 1915. He died...

Clipping is from the Dunedin Evening Star 19 August 1936, p. 15.

I don't recall having seen this story before. There is some more information in the attached clipping....

I have written an article on The Carmarthen Mystery for a new true-crime anthology, The Best New True Crime Stories: Small Towns edited by Mitzi Sereto which is due for publication in July.

Recently, as mentioned in Rippercast, I identifed Mary Rees as the ex convict who spoke to the...

Howard,

Thank you for posting all these clippings.