Possible suspect captured in Tunis January 1889

[GordonH]

Article attached was taken from the Daily Alta newspaper (California) January 16th 1889.

Obviously this suspect didn't come to anything but its interesting none the less.

[iris84]

Unfortunately, I'm restricted to using opera mini at the moment, so can't read the article. Can someone let me know what it says, please.

[Wolf Vanderlinden]

The Daily Alta (California)
16 January, 1889.

"JACK THE RIPPER.”
Capture of a Man in Tunis Supposed to be the Whitechapel Fiend.

TUNIS, January 15th. — The police here have captured a gang of robbers and assassins. Among the members is a man believed to be the Whitechapel butcher of London. The British Consul has forwarded all details connected with the arrests. The supposed Whitechapel murderer is charged with having committed in Tunis a murder similar to those committed in Whitechapel. The man has confessed that he recently lived in Whitechapel.

Wolf.

[Archaic]

Hi, Gordon; interesting find.
The Alta was the old San Francisco newspaper, right?

> I wonder what is the geographical point farthest away from Whitechapel where it was reported that they might have Jack?

Best regards, Archaic

[GordonH]

Hi, Gordon; interesting find.
The Alta was the old San Francisco newspaper, right?

> I wonder what is the geographical point farthest away from Whitechapel where it was reported that they might have Jack?

Best regards, Archaic

Yes its a Sanfrancisco newspaper but Tunis is in north africa and easy reach from London by ship. It was a normal trade route at that time.

[mariag]

I wonder if this has anything to do with Arby laBruckman? Wasn't he from that part of the world/

[perrymason]

Thanks for that interesting snippet Gordon and welcome.

I found it curious that it was suggesting the man might be that killer and also that he was "among a gang"...that was interesting. It seems to me that at least one non-Canonical was said to be a "gang" attack victim, and wouldnt a killer waiting inside Mitre Square waiting for a "teammate" to bring in the pigeon or victim make the timing of Kates murder and all that was done easier to accept? 2 men, 1 hidden, could subdue her easier, and faster, than one.

At 1:35am she is likely seen outside the square....at 1:44-45am she is found extensively mutilated, without anyone catching a culprit leaving ....even with a cursory look into the square at around 1:43am by Harvey, and the arrival from the other side of the square by Watkins a minute or so later.

Best regards

[Wolf Vanderlinden]

The Tunis suspect has nothing to do with Arbie La Bruckman (who was reportedly born in Morocco, by the way, and had absolutely nothing to do with the Whitechapel Murders other than an ever changing lie he liked to tell people about an arrest and trial which have never been traced). The Tunis suspect was, instead, a 24 year old Englishman, and one time Whitechapel resident, named Alfred Gray who was traveling with his female partner, an Italian national, who had also lived “behind the high steeple in Whitechapel.”

Gray was not charged with murder, there were no Tunisian Ripper-like murders, and it seems unlikely that he was arrested as part of a group of robbers since he was actually charged with being a vagabond. However, once under arrest the Tunisian authorities became suspicious when he gave conflicting answers as to where he had been and what he had been doing for the past year or why he was in Tunis.

Since he was a mysterious Englishman from Whitechapel who fit the general description of the killer, had the tattoo of a naked woman on his arm (more interestingly he also had tattoos of the letter “M” and “P” on his arm which he said stood for “Mary” and “Polly”), and was in possession of a razor, it was thought that the Ripper had been caught at last.

The English authorities were able to disabuse the Tunisians of this belief, or at least tall them they had no interest in Gray, and on the 28th of January, 1889, it was reported that he was sentenced to three months for vagrancy.

Wolf.