Greetings all,
I discovered an article from The Sun dated January 22, 1889. I am aware Wolf V. has done much research in this area, but it seems to have new stuff in it from his On the Trail of Tumblety Part II. This Frank McCoy says he was not Canadian but was a US Secret Service agent. Here it is:
The Sun, January 22, 1889.
HE’S KERBY, HE SAYS,
And Hopes the Community Won’t Mistake Him for a Scotland Yard Detective.
A big, broad-shouldered man, with closely cropped hair and a black moustache, and with the thumb of his right hand missing, called at THE SUN office last night and said he was Frank McCoy of 116 East Fifty-second street, a secret service agent. He added that he was the man who has been talked about in the papers of late as J.T. Kerby, a Scotland Yard detective, engaged in collecting incriminating evidence against Mr. Parnell. He says he has been an agent of the United States secret service for about fourteen years, and in that capacity has gone under the name of Kerby and Chris Thompson, recently spent two years in England, visited Scotland Yard, and made the acquaintance of the Prince of Wales, and still more recently met two Scotland Yard detectives in Buffalo. What brought him around to explain all this appears to be an objection to being called a Scotland Yard detective. He isn’t, he says, and he isn’t meddling with Parnell. One reason why he objects is that he has received threatening letters, which pretend to come from the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and are addressed to him in care of the Whittier Machine Company, 91 Liberty street. One of them is dated New York, 1-16-89, and is as follows:
MR. KERBY: You are summoned to appear before the Great Tribunal of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and explain your recent conduct. Should you fail to comply with this request this will be your Doom.
“This” is a pen and ink coffin with “Kerby” on the lid, a dagger, a pistol, and a skull and crossbones. These words follow the illustrations:
Given this Day under the Seal of the Supreme Council, A.O.H.
Mr. McCoy doesn’t want any more coffins.
Sincerely,
Mike
I discovered an article from The Sun dated January 22, 1889. I am aware Wolf V. has done much research in this area, but it seems to have new stuff in it from his On the Trail of Tumblety Part II. This Frank McCoy says he was not Canadian but was a US Secret Service agent. Here it is:
The Sun, January 22, 1889.
HE’S KERBY, HE SAYS,
And Hopes the Community Won’t Mistake Him for a Scotland Yard Detective.
A big, broad-shouldered man, with closely cropped hair and a black moustache, and with the thumb of his right hand missing, called at THE SUN office last night and said he was Frank McCoy of 116 East Fifty-second street, a secret service agent. He added that he was the man who has been talked about in the papers of late as J.T. Kerby, a Scotland Yard detective, engaged in collecting incriminating evidence against Mr. Parnell. He says he has been an agent of the United States secret service for about fourteen years, and in that capacity has gone under the name of Kerby and Chris Thompson, recently spent two years in England, visited Scotland Yard, and made the acquaintance of the Prince of Wales, and still more recently met two Scotland Yard detectives in Buffalo. What brought him around to explain all this appears to be an objection to being called a Scotland Yard detective. He isn’t, he says, and he isn’t meddling with Parnell. One reason why he objects is that he has received threatening letters, which pretend to come from the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and are addressed to him in care of the Whittier Machine Company, 91 Liberty street. One of them is dated New York, 1-16-89, and is as follows:
MR. KERBY: You are summoned to appear before the Great Tribunal of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and explain your recent conduct. Should you fail to comply with this request this will be your Doom.
“This” is a pen and ink coffin with “Kerby” on the lid, a dagger, a pistol, and a skull and crossbones. These words follow the illustrations:
Given this Day under the Seal of the Supreme Council, A.O.H.
Mr. McCoy doesn’t want any more coffins.
Sincerely,
Mike
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