Adolphus Williamson

[lynn cates]

P I

Hello Phil. Well, something there is that doesn't love a private investigator.

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

John Meiklejohn, one of the most corrupt, lying, cheating, bad-arse cops imaginable, who was drummed out of the Metropolitan Police in the Turf Fraud scandal, turns up in Ireland a few years later working on behalf of Dublin Castle [HMG] in the matter of the Phoenix Park murders/Alice Carroll et al and then, to cap it all, as a private inquiry agent, becomes "instructed in the matter of the Whitechapel mystery."

It almost beggars belief.

But instructed by whom? we must ask. I can't imagine Scotland Yard putting out the Ripper investigation to private tender. They weren't that interested.

Perhaps then it was a smart piece of commercial opportunism. Meiklejohn certainly sounds like an ambulance-chaser [and in those days you didn't have to run too fast to keep up].

Imagine all the nutbags with a whacky theory who might have beat a path to his door in the hope of securing a liberal reward, little realising that an up-front "investigative" fee was involved.

Merely my ramblings.

Regards,

Simon

[Bridewell]

But instructed by whom? we must ask.

Hi Simon,

Instructed by Lloyds Weekly News themselves perhaps? just a thought.

Regards, Bridewell.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Bridewell,

Are you seriously suggesting that Lloyds Weekly News put the arm on Meiklejohn to insert a paid advertisement?

How and why?

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

meeting

Hello Simon. Thanks.

"Perhaps then it was a smart piece of commercial opportunism."

I can live with that.

But my problem was in his contact with Alice. I thought it was unauthorised and had alarmed the poor girl?

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

Dublin Castle employed only "an scum fearr" to achieve its ends.

This was not the UK's finest moment.

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

not in favour

Hello Simon. Thanks. Dublin castle was not much favoured back then.

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

Check back on the Dublin Castle scandal.

By comparison, Cleveland Street was small beer.

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

sport

Hello Simon. Yup, know that one. The Irish had great sport with that, um, no pun intended.

Cheers.
LC

[Bridewell]

Hi Bridewell,

Are you seriously suggesting that Lloyds Weekly News put the arm on Meiklejohn to insert a paid advertisement?

How and why?

Regards,

Simon

Hi Simon,

I'm not suggesting that anyone put the arm on anyone else. It just struck me that it could be mutually beneficial to Lloyds Weekly News & Meikeljohn, if anything of consequence with regard to the Whitechapel Murders resulted from the advertisement. He'd have the kudos of succeeding where the police had failed & they'd have first use of the big news story -so perhaps, as both businesses stood to gain substantially in the event of success, he didn't have to pay. It was just a thought - perhaps not one of my better ones though!

Regards, Bridewell.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Bridewell,

I take your point, but as far as I can tell it was but one small-ad in the great scheme of things.

If you're right, I get the feeling that Lloyds—first on the scene at Mitre Square—would have capitalised on the opportunity.

But who knows? So far, hitting the JtR mystery with logic has got us absolutely nowhere.

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

Old Bailey

Hello Simon, Colin. Here is the trial of Meiklejohn.

Cheers.
LC

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t18771022-805&div=t18771022-805&terms=meiklejohn#highlight

[lynn cates]

In donde esta?

Hello Simon. Whilst doing research on Meiklejohn, I found one male "James John" who was born in St Georges-in-the-east. Born 1845.

Same?

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

Here's your man -

John Meiklejohn

1840 - Born, Perthshire, Scotland

1864 - PC 262 [V - Wandsworth Division].

1866 - PC [W - Clapham Division] (W is probably a typo)

1867 - PS 7 [V - Wandsworth Division]

1867 - Marries Eliza Jane Mortimer [b. 1846].

1871 - Police Sergeant working with Sergeant Littlechild.

1873 - Police Sergeant.

1875 - DS investigating jewel theft.

1876 - Allegedly in charge of stolen Duchess of Devonshire painting case [from own 1901 press report].

1887 - Described as Police Inspector and Chief Police Superintendent, Midland Railway Company.

1877 - Sentenced to two years hard labour.

1879 - Released from prison.

1881 - Census records him as private enquiry agent [married, two children].

1881 - Allegedly negotiated early return of stolen Duchess of Devonshire painting [from his own 1901 press report].

1882 - Employed by Dublin Castle in Phoenix Park murders case.

1884 - Meiklejohn and George Clarke [acquitted co-accused Turf Fraudster] in business together. Employed by MP William O'Brien.

1886 - Allegedly employed on behalf of the government in the Tichborne Claimant case.

1888 - Private Detective Agency advertisement, working from home.

1888 - "Detective Stories", authored by Meiklejohn, Brisbane Evening Observer, 17th December.

1889 - Mentioned at the Old Bailey as having intervened in a case of assault.

1889 - Advertisements for "Life in London", memoirs authored by Meiklejohn.

1892 - Commercial Directory, Private Enquiry Agent, Chancery Lane offices.

1903 - Sues Major Arthur Griffiths for libel. Loses case.

1912 - Died, South Hackney.

Regards,

Simon

[Cogidubnus]

Check back on the Dublin Castle scandal.

I do hope that's not some form of rhyming slang!

Dave