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Parnell as a Ripper Suspect

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  • Parnell as a Ripper Suspect

    It is amazing how many outlandish suggestions have been made for suspects as 'Jack the Ripper'. However, one name that does not appear is that of the Irish Home Rule MP Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891). He was, of course, a high profile figure in the press of 1888 as the Parnell Commission enquiry into The Times letters that alleged he had sympathies with the Phoenix Park murderers began at the time of the Ripper murders.

    The letters were a forgery and Parnell was vindicated but it was a saga that pre-occupied Dr. Robert Anderson in the years 1887-1889. The renewed publicity on Parnell, the forgery scandal and the claims of Anderson to have authored three 'Parnellism and Crime' articles, in The Times in 1887, broke in 1910 and the joking, albeit, public suggestion that Parnell might be 'Jack the Ripper' was made in a book in 1911 by no less a person than Mrs. T. P. O'Connor, wife of the editor of the Star, and Irish Nationalist MP, Thomas Power O'Connor.

    The reference was recently found by Nick Connell in the 1911 book I Myself, by Mrs. T. P. O'Connor, page 214. The piece runs thus -

    Mr. O'Connor was alone on her floor, the servants being above... '...when, about half-past two or three o'clock in the morning, I felt the quiver and grind of machinery. I looked at my clock, and was petrified with terror. It was an evening paper - the machines never began before the morning - what could have happened? Had the Queen died? I jumped out of bed, threw on my dressing-gown, and ran barefooted into the hall.
    The night-watchman met me, his lantern swinging in his hand, followed by Max.
    "What, oh, what has happened?" I gasped out.
    "Jack the Ripper," he said, "has murdered two women to-night - not so far away from here either - and we are getting to press as early as anybody."
    "Two!" I said. "Horrible! How did he manage that?"
    He told me as much as he knew, and I took Max in my room to guard me, and waited for the daylight.
    What an impenetrable mystery Jack the Ripper was! The wretch evidently had a sardonic sense of humour, for he used to write to the papers to say a murder would be committed the next night, and sign his letters "The Ripper" -and sure enough the murder, in spite of all vigilance, would take place neatly and deftly; and, notwithstanding his grimy humorous letter of warning, no trace would be found. All sorts of theories were advanced, but there was absolutely nothing in any of them.
    One night Mr Parnell came to see Mr Labouchere [the radical MP and journalist]. He was wearing a long rough overcoat with the collar well above his ears, a slouch hat well down over his eyes, and he carried a black bag just the size for instruments. Mr Labouchere accompanied him to the door and said, "Shall I call a cab for you?"
    "No," Mr Parnell said, "I will walk."
    "Where," said Mr Labouchere, "do you live?"
    "Over there," said Mr Parnell, sweeping his arm toward the darkness of the night into which he disappeared.
    Mr Labouchere returned to his library and a group of friends, and laughing, said, "I do believe that I've just parted with 'Jack the Ripper' - anyhow Parnell is the only man who answers to the description."
    Last edited by Stewart P Evans; 09-26-2008, 05:01 PM.
    SPE

    Treat me gently I'm a newbie.

  • #2
    Sketch

    A contemporary sketch of Parnell -

    Click image for larger version

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    SPE

    Treat me gently I'm a newbie.

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    • #3
      Just a quick post to thank you for that information Stewart.

      Strangely I started to put some stuff on Parnell together last night.

      Mike very kindly sent me a copy of the 'Celebrity JtR book' information.

      And it had struck me that putting together some information on Parnell might be a nice tribute to my aunt who passed away recently. While I'm sure that she would have found the idea amusing I'm not so convinced that other members of my family are so amused by the suggestion. The 'Ripper' phenomina is a strange thing.

      Growing up with tales for Parnell, from as early as I can remember, I probably have a very different perspective to other people. I have all sorts of memories like being taken to South Sea to visit Dorethy Parnell. Her flat was still decorated from the Victorian ira. She was a great age then, late 60's early 70's. She gave me a small carved animal.

      Anyway this is just a quick post to thank you Stewart. I'm afraid I find it difficult to post at the weekend as I have family commitments.

      I am working on it. Many thanks

      Jeff

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      • #4
        Earliest

        The earliest reference to the idea of Parnell resembling the description of the Ripper actually dates right back to November 1888.

        Don and I mention it in Scotland Yard Investigates. This reference was made in an anonymous letter of November 1888 written to Colonel James Fraser of the City Police. It is interesting to note that this letter mentions the Mitre Court [sic - Square] murder as does Mrs. O'Connor in mentioning the 'double event.' The ubiquitous black bag features again. The letter runs as follows [ref- 3.22 No. 379 a-b] -

        "You seem to have no proof of the outrages in Whitechapel. The man seen with the black bag in Mitre Court corresponds by description with the man Parnell. The waiter describes him he is suspected of wearing a knife by a strap from his neck. Why do not the police watch him to see if he has any house where he keeps clothes with any marks of blood. He was seen on the night of [missing] much f[missing]."
        SPE

        Treat me gently I'm a newbie.

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        • #5
          So that's what the "Parnell Commission" was all about... I kept coming across it in newspaper articles of the time. Didn't one of the people suspected of forging the letters end up committing suicide? I seem to remember this for some reason. I couldn't find a a good explanation about what the whole matter was about though. Thanks for clearing this up.
          Jeff

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          • #6
            Its a strange thing Pinkerton,but Parnell together with the British Prime Minister Gladstone, were hailed as Anglo American Heroes when the Home Rule Bill had its first reading on April 8 1886.However by the time it had its second reading in May of that year,the Home Rule Bill had run into difficulties, the Bill fell and with it Gladstone"s government ,Parnellism was seen as a revolutionary force and Parnell himself was being seen as someone who had horns and a tail.
            Sir Edward Jenkinson who had run a rival Spy system to the Monro Anderson duo"s, reporting direct to the Home Secretary,was sacked after much arm twisting by that same Monro /Anderson CID team .It all came to a head in October 1888 like a great big festering boil,just as the Ripper ran his reign of terror.More heads rolled---Pigott"s first, Millen"s next Le Caron was a dead man and spent the next two years under armed guard dying at more or less the same time as Parnell,whose career lay in tatters .

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            • #7
              Oh, thank God for that. When I saw the subject line of the thread I thought someone had put this forward as a serious suggestion! I think Mr Parnell had quite enough on his mind during the Autumn of 1888 without running round the East End offing ladies of the night!

              ps. Anyone wanting to know more about the Parnell Commission, the events leading up to it, and how they intertwined with the Whitechapel Murders, could do far worse than taking a gander through THIS BOOK.

              What, rampant self-publicist, me????
              Say hello: http://www.myspace.com/alansharpauthor

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              • #8
                An excellent choice Alan,

                I have recently used it as a research tool for a article Ive just completed.

                Monty
                Monty

                https://forum.casebook.org/core/imag...t/evilgrin.gif

                Author of Capturing Jack the Ripper.

                http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1445621622

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                • #9
                  Yes---It is a really splendid book Alan
                  Norma

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                  • #10
                    More

                    Originally posted by Natalie Severn View Post
                    Yes---It is a really splendid book Alan
                    Norma
                    Yes, I am hoping that we soon see more from Alan. Anderson was so embroiled in the Parnell Commission shenanigans in 1889/89 that I am sure that it casts some light on his character and, indeed, greatly distracted him at the time of the murders.
                    SPE

                    Treat me gently I'm a newbie.

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                    • #11
                      I see a problem with the Ripper carrying a black bag that night. Its the Apron. There seems to be no reason for it unless the Ripper used the Apron as a decoy. He cant carry a bag and clean his hands or a knife at the same time.

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                      • #12
                        Correction

                        Originally posted by Stewart P Evans View Post
                        Yes, I am hoping that we soon see more from Alan. Anderson was so embroiled in the Parnell Commission shenanigans in 1889/89 that I am sure that it casts some light on his character and, indeed, greatly distracted him at the time of the murders.
                        Correction - that should read 1888/89 - thanks Norma.
                        SPE

                        Treat me gently I'm a newbie.

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                        • #13
                          In fact Stewart,as I am sure you know, Christy Campbell the author of "Fenian Fire "claims that Robert Anderson and James Monro, were deeply involved in an elaborate plot to "bury" Home Rule---[ and Parnell and " Parnellism" with it].Indeed to read what was going on by the Anderson and Monro team at this time, to ensure the defeat of Home Rule, makes your head spin .
                          Quite frankly,after reading the documented evidence Campbell gives of Anderson"s entrapment plots and the "disinformation" he was engaged in as "Spymaster" etc that Autumn of 1888, I dont think Anderson could have just been "distracted" by the Special Commission , I honestly cant see how he could have known his right hand from his left ,let alone attended to the Ripper"s reign of terror ---or in fact how he attended to anything much else at all!
                          Norma

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                          • #14
                            Very Interesting

                            Originally posted by Natalie Severn View Post
                            In fact Stewart,as I am sure you know, Christy Campbell the author of "Fenian Fire "claims that Robert Anderson and James Monro, were deeply involved in an elaborate plot to "bury" Home Rule---[ and Parnell and " Parnellism" with it].Indeed to read what was going on by the Anderson and Monro team at this time, to ensure the defeat of Home Rule, makes your head spin .
                            Quite frankly,after reading the documented evidence Campbell gives of Anderson"s entrapment plots and the "disinformation" he was engaged in as "Spymaster" etc that Autumn of 1888, I dont think Anderson could have just been "distracted" by the Special Commission , I honestly cant see how he could have known his right hand from his left ,let alone attended to the Ripper"s reign of terror ---or in fact how he attended to anything much else at all!
                            Norma
                            Yes, I have Campbell's book, it's very interesting.
                            SPE

                            Treat me gently I'm a newbie.

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                            • #15
                              Correct me if I am wrong but i'm sure Parnell was named as a Ripper suspect in the book 'Jack the Ripper: The Celebrity Suspects'
                              Best regards,
                              Adam


                              "They assumed Kelly was the last... they assumed wrong" - Me

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