"Thought He Was the Ripper" - John Arthur Baker

[Chris Scott]

This account was new to me and concerns a young acrobat named John Baker who was closely questioned in Whitechapel

Boston Daily Globe
29 December 1888

[mklhawley]

Hi Chris,

If it is true that the police were looking for someone with a cane or walking stick, this might be another reason why the police may have considered Tumblety as a possible suspect. Recall your article and Tim Riordan's discussion in his book about Francis Tumblety's less-than-friendly encounter with a George Davis in January 1889 when Tumblety wacked him in the face with a cane.

Sincerely,

Mike

[tnb]

Hi Chris,

If it is true that the police were looking for someone with a cane or walking stick, this might be another reason why the police may have considered Tumblety as a possible suspect. Recall your article and Tim Riordan's discussion in his book about Francis Tumblety's less-than-friendly encounter with a George Davis in January 1889 when Tumblety wacked him in the face with a cane.

Sincerely,

Mike

It would also suggest (from Baker's own account of arriving in London 'something like 6 weeks ago') that this description was being pretty heavily circulated amongst the police a week or so post-Millers Court ('I guess you are the fellow I am looking for'). It would be useful if the reporter had given us a more detailed description of Baker's physical appearance , but from what we have - 'sturdy, fresh-faced and young' - to my mind he seems to fit the bill for Hutchinson's 'Astrakhan Man' more than Cox's 'Blotchy-faced man'. I could be wrong, but if we take a rough date of 17/18 November for this incident, that is later than I have previously found mention of this description being given serious attention? It is certainly after the inquest, at which GH was not called. Curious perhaps?

[Hunter]

Actually Trevor, suspects answering Hutchinson's description were being investigated into 1889. Joseph Isaacs was arrested for theft in early December '88 and questioned about the Kelly murder. He was described as wearing an astrakhan trimmed coat. The story can be found in the 'Daily News', Dec. 8.

A police report from G Division dated January 19, 1889, describes a suspect named Joseph Denny wearing a '...long dark overcoat with black astracan collar and cuffs...' He had been seen 'accosting' several women on Dec. 28 and was taken in for questioning by two constables.

And of course, our old friend and resident busybody, Edward Knight Larkins shows up in a report dated Jan. 17, '89 as having turned in a Antoni Pricha, who was wearing a '...long dark overcoat trimmed astrachan,,,' although the incident, I believe did happen back in November.

Although the police were non too happy that Hutchinson spilled his story to the press, it is a myth that he was quickly discredited as the contemporary reports show otherwise.

[tnb]

Cris,

Interesting - thanks for putting me right!

Does this not open up the debate of why he was not called to the inquest then, a question typically answered with 'he'd been discredited' which as you illustrate is a myth?

Oh no, I've started another Hutchison debate...

[Hunter]

The inquest was over when Hutch gave his testimony; later the same day I believe. How much 'real' credibility this gives him is up to speculation. As was noticed earlier in the thread, the police were checking men with black bags also, even though Goldstein had been cleared. They were basicly following every little lead that they had because there wasn't much to go on.

Standard proceedure was to check anyone who fit a witness description for an alibi, in light of not catching the murderer red handed. They couldn't afford to rule Hutchinson's testimony out simply because someone may think its a bit far fetched.

[Garry Wroe]

Although the police were non too happy that Hutchinson spilled his story to the press, it is a myth that he was quickly discredited as the contemporary reports show otherwise.

There are several problems with this statement, Hunter. The day after Hutchinson came forward, for example, the Echo asserted that Hutchinson’s stated version of events was being treated with diminished importance on the part of the authorities. The Star carried a similar piece two days later. Since these reports appear to have been stimulated as a consequence of inside information, they are not easily dismissed.

Within this same timeframe, moreover, police stepped up their hunt for the killer by way of a number of swoops on low lodging houses. Given the extreme unlikelihood that the affluent individual described by Hutchinson would have been found in any such establishment, the indications are that Hutchinson and his story were exerting little influence on the ongoing investigation.

Finally, the nature of Hutchinson’s narrative is such that, were it true, it would have been regarded as by far the most important piece of eyewitness testimony to have emerged from the murder investigation. And yet, as the years rolled by and some of those directly involved with the manhunt put pen to paper, Hutchinson at best was mentioned only in passing. At worst, he was ignored altogether. Anderson, for instance, referred to his innominate witness as the only person who ever got a clear view of the murderer. Since this person was almost certainly either Schwartz or Lawende – neither of whom was able to relate anything even approaching the microdetail furnished by Hutchinson – it may be safely assumed that the story relating to Kelly’s Jewish-looking pick-up had been rejected by those in the know.

All the best.

Garry Wroe.

[Hunter]

I believe that the operative phrase here is 'quickly dismissed', which the historical evidence and police files show that was not the case. What happened over time was a general profile of a mentally disturbed individual taking form as all descripted leads had been checked and alibis provided with the result that the trail in that direction went cold. They were left with people unaccounted for ( Ostrog), or had committed suicide (Druitt) or had a mental history ( Kosminsky), or possibly a woman hater ( Tumblety)... all that related more on the character of the suspect than one's clothing. Out of these suspects, Kosminsky - or someone like him - was the only one available for an ID and Lawende's description was the only one that could possibly fit such an individual.

It would be interesting to see what witness would have been used to ID a Tumblety or Ostrog, had they been available.