Barnett Abrahams

[PC2267]

Is it know whether Barnett Abrahams was hanged for the murder of PC Thompson on the 1st December 1900?

Does the offence location "a coffee stall near the junction of Commercial Road and Adler Street", still exist?

[Robert]

According to James Morton he was found guilty of manslaughter and died in prison.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...hanged&f=false

[Stephen Thomas]

Does the offence location "a coffee stall near the junction of Commercial Road and Adler Street", still exist?

Yes it does.

[PC2267]

According to James Morton he was found guilty of manslaughter and died in prison.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...hanged&f=false

Thanks Robert, that certainly makes interesting reading. Did not know about him giving chase and falling over the body of COLES. Also interesting how he didn't hang for his crime!

[PC2267]

Yes it does.

Thanks Stephen, what is it now? Has anyone got any photographs?

[Robert]

PC, there is a Times account of the trial but it's rather long to post.

Abrahams died in Parkhurst in 1911.

[Robert]

The coffee stall was owned by William James Butcher and was in Commercial Rd near the turning with Church Lane.

[Rosella]

There was a huge fight at the coffee stall involving Abrahams and several police constables after PC Thompson was knifed by Barnett Abrahams. Abrahams was badly beaten up by these, according to the memoirs of ex Chief Constable Fred Wensley and moaned about his injuries after his arrest.

At Abrahams' trial his defence counsel stated that Thompson had hit Abrahams with his truncheon first in an effort to subdue him. According to Wensley Thompson's truncheon had never been drawn. However, the jury convicted Abrahams of manslaughter not murder, and therefore he didn't hang.

[Robert]

Hi Rosella

The fight apparently wasn't exactly at the coffee stall. According to the trial report, it took place outside Morrison's Buildings at the corner of Union St.

[Rosella]

Thanks, Robert. Obviously there was a chase and then a fight! However, Abrahams languished in Prison rather than at the end of a hangman's noose because the jury chose to convict on manslaughter and not murder!

[PC2267]

Many thanks Ladies & Gents for all your replies it certainly makes very interesting reading.


I'm particularly interested (and perhaps going slightly off subject so please forgive me), in the information about THOMPSON being the only person to be thought to have seen the Ripper. Also the information about him giving chase, falling over the body of COLES and then being so shocked that he walked back to the nick (or words to that effect). I have never heard this information before and wonder what source was used. My understanding was that he heard footsteps, moving away from him at an ordinary pace, walked into Swallow Gardens, came across of the body, thought about giving chase, but saw COLES was still alive and stayed with her, blowing his whistle to summon other officers who arrived 3 or 4 minutes later.

I've also read that he talked about letting the Ripper slip through his fingers and that he always thought he'd die in service (or words to that effect). He clearly did, but considering all the information about him being the only person thought to have seen the Ripper, etc. Why isn't COLES included as a excepted Ripper victim?

Also the memorial to THOMPSON in the Tower Hamlets cemetery, appears to include the names of two other Bobby's do we know who they are and what befell them?

[Monty]

The Met bought burial plots for constables whose families did not own their own plot.

So if you see a grave occupied by numerous PCs, odds are it is one of those.

Monty

[PC2267]

PC, there is a Times account of the trial but it's rather long to post.

Abrahams died in Parkhurst in 1911.

Robert, does it tell us what he died of?

[Rosella]

Many thanks Ladies & Gents for all your replies it certainly makes very interesting reading.


I'm particularly interested (and perhaps going slightly off subject so please forgive me), in the information about THOMPSON being the only person to be thought to have seen the Ripper. Also the information about him giving chase, falling over the body of COLES and then being so shocked that he walked back to the nick (or words to that effect). I have never heard this information before and wonder what source was used. My understanding was that he heard footsteps, moving away from him at an ordinary pace, walked into Swallow Gardens, came across of the body, thought about giving chase, but saw COLES was still alive and stayed with her, blowing his whistle to summon other officers who arrived 3 or 4 minutes later.

I've also read that he talked about letting the Ripper slip through his fingers and that he always thought he'd die in service (or words to that effect). He clearly did, but considering all the information about him being the only person thought to have seen the Ripper, etc. Why isn't COLES included as a excepted Ripper victim?

Also the memorial to THOMPSON in the Tower Hamlets cemetery, appears to include the names of two other Bobby's do we know who they are and what befell them?

At Frances Coles' inquest Thompson said nothing about seeing anyone or hearing retreating footsteps and certainly nothing about falling over Coles's body, just a bald telling of finding her and remaining with her until other police arrived.

[Robert]

It seems not to have been a chase, more like Abrahams going off and Thompson following him to make sure he went.

Yes, I thought that Thompson stayed by Coles because that was the Met rule - do not give chase, stay by the victim. I don't think he saw the attacker.

To find out what Abrahams died of, it will probably be necessary to order his death certificate.