RIC in Millers court?

[packers stem]

Hi all
I recall reading in an edition of Ripperana about 97/98 a report mentioning officers of the RIC being present in the aftermath at Millers Court.
Can anyone else shed any more light on this?
I'm not sure now whether it was written by Nick Warren or another contributor but interesting none the less.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Packer,

Here are the two press reports.

Irish Times, 13th November 1888—

During the day a large crowd loitered about Dorset street discussing the crime, and extraordinary statements were made by persons professing to have special information on the topic. Among those who visited the locality were two officials of the Royal Irish Constabulary, a prominent Post Office official, and two or three members of Parliament.

Daily News, 13th November 1888—

Throughout the day a large crowd loitered about Dorset-street. The visitors were not confined to the poorer classes, for besides two officials of the Royal Irish Constabulary and two or three members of Parliament, a prominent Post Office official inspected the scene of the murder.

Regards,

Simon

[packers stem]

Thank you Simon
The post office official(presumably they found letters and were trying to identify irish post marks)
Members of parliament-bizarre but that does still happen at disasters.
But the RIC?? The day AFTER the inquest when there's now no need to find the relatives for identification...Hmmm
Something in these letters perhaps?

[Simon Wood]

Hi Packer,

The RIC was in London in late 1888 conducting investigations allegedly without the direct knowledge or authority of the Home Secretary. It is therefore quite possible that the RIC thought Millers Court had some connection with the case of Michael Quilter, who had recently arrived in London from county Kerry to give evidence at the Special Commission but mysteriously died from poisoning on Monday 5th November.

Two months later, in February 1889, Professor Thomas Maguire of Dublin, in London to give evidence at the Special Commission about his role in the Richard Pigott affair, died in the exact same manner as Quilter on the day Piggot escaped to Paris and Madrid. Murder was suspected in certain quarters, but a coroner's inquest into Maguire's death was never convened. It was also suggested in Parliament at the time that Scotland Yard had purposely delayed serving a bench warrant on Piggot and thus connived in his escape.

We investigate the Whitechapel murders in isolation at our peril.

Regards,

Simon

[packers stem]

Once again i thank you Simon.
I will take your advice .By RIC i meant Royal Isle of man Constabulary

[joelhall]

Daily News, 13th November 1888—

... a prominent Post Office official inspected the scene of the murder.

I've read bad things about post office officials and their murderous tendancies. It's amazing the lengths they will go to when you don't pay full postage.

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

It's worth noting that the Post Office Investigation Branch was formed in 1793, making it the oldest criminal investigations authority in the world. Thus the POIB would have had a hand in investigating the Aldgate post office robbery on the weekend of the so-called double-event.

The size in 1888 of the Post Office Investigation Branch is unknown, but in 1929 its staff consisted of a director, two senior staff officers, thirty-nine clerks and nine assistants, together with an inspector of police and twenty sergeants of police.

Returning to the visitors at Millers Court, it is just possible that one of the MPs was also "the prominent Post Office official" who inspected the scene.

Rt. Hon. Henry Cecil Raikes, MP for Cambridge University [1882-1891], was appointed Postmaster General by the Salisbury government in 1886, a post he continued to hold until his death in 1891.

If my surmise is correct, interest in events at Millers Court reached high into the government.

Regards,

Simon

[Krinoid]

Hi All,

If my surmise is correct, interest in events at Millers Court reached high into the government.

Regards,

Simon

WOW Can't believe there were no comments on this?

[Simon Wood]

Hi Krinoid,

C'est la vie.

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

room 56

Hello Krinoid. Why should HM government NOT be interested? The government gentleman working out of room 56 Whitehall had some RIC agents posted in London as part of his information network.

Of course, he had been sacked over a year before, but some of them were likely retained by Monro, who seems to have inherited much of his operation.

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

Not to forget the contents of the safe in Room 56.

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

burning desire

Hello Simon. Thanks.

"Not to forget the contents of the safe in Room 56."

Now, now, Sir Ed had everything burned, remember?

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

Yes, according to page 204 of Fenian Fire.

But in fact this particular nugget originated from none other than . . . guess who?

I'll dig out the appropriate document and get back to you.

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

I burned it--well . . .

Hello Simon. Thanks.

Seriously, no need. Sir Ed kept a good bit of his material as evidenced by his later adducing it here and there.

Cheers.
LC

[Roy Corduroy]

Er Sir

Okay I give up, Lynn. You've typed Sir Ed 100 times.

I know who Mister Ed is. A talking horse on TV.

But who is Sir Ed?

Roy