hot potato

[Supe]

Thanks for clearing that up, Simon, and Moonbegger can you please include a source for your quotes?

Don.

[Tom_Wescott]

LOL. It's like the one Ripper book I don't own (not literally, but close!).

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Roy Corduroy]

Mike Covell said he read that book and said it has no index, bibliography, or acknowledgements. I suppose that rules out it having footnotes.

In my opinion, James Monro's hot potato was the state secret that James Kelly had escaped Broadmoor in January 1888 and was on the loose during the Whitechapel murders. In fact Monro inquired about him that spring. And after the Mary Kelly murder, detectives went looking for him at Mrs. Brider's house on City Road. He was a police suspect when the trail was hot. But they never located him. And they never breathed a word of this.

James Kelly had murdered his wife in 1883 in London by stabbing her in the throat with a knife and was mentally unstable. Was escaped from the Home Office flagship prison/mental ward. Surely this is the hot potato. The one thing the authorities dreaded the public knowing. Which they never did.

No one dined out on this story.

Roy

[Barnaby]

I agree that Kelly is an excellent suspect but I wonder why the police didn't put even more effort into locating him? It seems like they knocked on a few doors and that was that. Even if he wasn't suspected of being the Ripper, one would think that his status as a wife-killer escapee from Broadmoor would have been enough to attract public/police attention.

[martin wilson]

Perhaps it concerned Home Secretary Henry Matthews.
Warren had been urging Matthews to offer a pardon to any accomplice of the murderer who would betray him to the police.
On the 17th October Warren wrote to Charles Murdoch principle clerk of the Home Office with reference to a letter he considered a hoax,however he also wrote;
'But a communication has come in from another source which looks more genuine.We have not tested it yet.
The offer of a pardon was not issued until November 10th.
Perhaps if the offer of a pardon had been issued earlier, more information would have come from this source,whatever it was.
But by November 10th of course Mary Kelly had been cut to pieces.
Monroe may have known about this source, but any mention of it would have greatly embarassed Matthews at the time,and was indeed a 'hot potato'
Factual sources from Mr Sugden, speculation from the demented mind of Mr Wilson.
All the best.

[moonbegger]

Hello all ,

Yes Simon is correct , i found it on Wikipedia .

moonbegger

[Supe]

Moonbegger,

Yes Simon is correct , i found it on Wikipedia .

Then why didn't you credit Wiki and the author? Do you understand that no one here is accusing you of stealing the lines but it is simply good scholarship (and manners) to cite a source so others can check it.

Don.

[Michael W Richards]

Hello all,

I believe Monro's hot potato was probably that he had information regarding the handling of espionage and double agents during that period, that if made public, would reveal that the government had been keeping spies on the payroll that were actively involved in terrorism against HM and HMG, and that members of that same government condoned or assisted in those efforts. Parnell was cleared because the "evidence" that spawned the Commission was fraudulent...that doesnt mean that he and others were not assisting Irish self rule efforts. It means the specific charge was unwarranted based on fraudulent evidence.

It is worth noting that Warren in a memo written in mid-October suggested that General Millen was this fellow known as Jack the Ripper.

Cheers

[Simon Wood]

Hi Michael,

"It is worth noting that Warren in a memo written in mid-October suggested that General Millen was this fellow known as Jack the Ripper."

Could you please supply your source for this statement?

Regards,

Simon

[Stephen Thomas]

Half Baked

Hi Michael,

"It is worth noting that Warren in a memo written in mid-October suggested that General Millen was this fellow known as Jack the Ripper."

Could you please supply your source for this statement?

Yes, that one had me flummoxed too.

[Michael W Richards]

Sorry for the delay in responding Simon and Stephen, but Ive been busy the past few days.

If I am recalling correctly the internal memo was dated around mid month in October and it was a summary of Warrens thoughts on the most recent murders. Ive tried a few searches for it without luck but Ill try to find a source for the comments again tomorrow.

Cheers

[lynn cates]

Socialists

Hello Mike. Are you possibly thinking about the memo where Warren is thinking about Socialists?

Cheers.
LC

[Michael W Richards]

Hello Mike. Are you possibly thinking about the memo where Warren is thinking about Socialists?

Cheers.
LC

Hi Lynn,

I dont believe Ive confused the memo I do recall with the above, but Ive yet to find a source for my statement. Again, if memory serves me, the memo was issued by Warren and it was in mid-late Oct, maybe the 18th?, and it contained an opinion that Millen was behind the murders. Ill keep looking...I do feel like this is a valid recollection.

The memo you're speaking of was his thoughts on how certain radical socialist Jews were involved with the Double event crimes, yes?

Cheers.

[lynn cates]

Millen

Hello Mike. Thanks. Yes, Warren issued a memo about the Socialists. But I was not aware that Warren even knew whom Millen was.

Cheers.
LC

[Michael W Richards]

Hello Mike. Thanks. Yes, Warren issued a memo about the Socialists. But I was not aware that Warren even knew whom Millen was.

Cheers.
LC

Hi Lynn,

Ive been searching through my books, notes and captures and I cant find a reference to the memo Ive stated Warren wrote mentioning Millen. Ive either made an error, or its an obscure reference that my lack of proper cataloging is making very difficult to find.

Before my eyes go blurry Ill keep looking for a while...I do feel I saw such a reference and although my memory is fallible, its also served me pretty well.

Cheers mate