Prelude To a Scare

[Natalie Severn]

Hi Simon,
I missed this timeline of yours and it is great-really helpful.
Like Stephen I never knew that there was a report that Schwartz"s men were found and questioned!Was this more "disinformation" I wonder?

[Simon Wood]

Hi Fisherman,

Strange indeed.

Swanson, too, leaned heavily on the disavowed Schwartz statement—see his Elizabeth Stride report of 19th October 1888.

Regards,

Simon

[Fisherman]

And let´s not forget here the report signed by Abberline where he stated that the search for a Lipski had turned up nothing, and proceeded to state that the term Lipski could have been an insult pointing to BS man threatening Schwartz with the outcry.
Signed when? On the 1:st of November, 29 days after Schwartz was "disavowed"...

Schwartz´experience in Berner Street echoed in police reports between high ranking officers long after the event. It would seem strange to delve into it if everybody was satisfied with it being substanceless, I think.

The best,
Fisherman

[Stephen Thomas]

Hi Simon

The Star report seems to be saying that Mr Broad Shoulders and probably Pipeman as well were questioned by the police. Also that Schwartz's testimony was discredited. All very strange. The same sort of thing happened with Hutchinson's sighting (alleged ) of Astrakhan man. All very odd.

Best wishes

[Simon Wood]

Hi Stephen,

Nothing more was said other than that reported in The Star.

The Star had a scoop on its hands with the October 1st Schwartz story. I doubt it gave them any satisfaction having to print a retraction/disavowal the following day.

True or false? Probably about as much as anything else in the WM.

Regards,

Simon

[Stephen Thomas]

The Star 2 October 1888:

"In the matter of the Hungarian who said he saw a struggle between a man and a woman in the passage where the Stride body was afterwards found, the Leman-street police have reason to doubt the truth of the story. They arrested one man on the description thus obtained, and a second on that furnished from another source, but they are not likely to act further on the same information without additional facts."

Hi Simon

To my shame, this is all new to me. This report must have been discussed here before. What was said about it? True or false?

[Simon Wood]

Hi Stephen,

Many thanks. I'm glad you found it useful.

Re: The disavowal of Schwartz's staement—

The Star 2 October 1888:

"In the matter of the Hungarian who said he saw a struggle between a man and a woman in the passage where the Stride body was afterwards found, the Leman-street police have reason to doubt the truth of the story. They arrested one man on the description thus obtained, and a second on that furnished from another source, but they are not likely to act further on the same information without additional facts."

Regards,

Simon

[Stephen Thomas]

Hi Simon

That timeline above is brilliant. Most useful. Well done

Right at the bottom you've got 'Schwartz's testimony disavowed'.

Could you please refresh my memory on that?

Best wishes

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

"On my return [from Paris] I found the Jack-the-Ripper scare in full swing." Robert Anderson—Chapter IX, The Lighter Side of my Official Life (1910).

Here are the many and varied events of the 11 days which preceded his return.

Regards,

Simon