Joseph Isaacs

[Roy Corduroy]

Good evening,

Here on Casebook: Summary and press reports.

http://www.casebook.org/ripper_media/book_reviews/non-fiction/cjmorley/92.html

Time Line: 1888 Nov 5 (approx) Joseph Isaacs takes room at Paternoster-Row, Spitalfields

Nov 9 Mary Jane Kelly found murdered, Miller's Court, house to house inspections commence. Mary Cusins mentions Isaacs to police. He disappears.

Nov 12 Joseph Isaacs prosecuted in Barnet Police Court and sentenced to 21 days hard labor.(1)

Dec 3 He is released from jail at Barnet

Dec 5 He returns to Spitalfields lodging house to get his violin bow. Cusins followed him to nearby Levenson shop where he stole a watch and ran away.

Dec 6 Detective William Record arrests him in Drury Lane. He is taken to police station

Dec 17 He is again charged with an offence at Barnet

1889 - Jan 2 Isaacs, still in police custody, is taken to court where he is tried and sentenced to three months' imprisonment for the robbery of Levensohn's shop.
---
He was in jail in Barnet from Nov 12 to Dec 3. During that time, Annie Farmer was attacked at George St., Spitalfields. He was in police custody from when he was arrested Dec 6 to his court appearance Jan 2, 1889. He must have been taken back to Barnet on Dec 17 to have an additional charged lodged against him there. While he was in custody this time, Rose Mylett died in Poplar.

(1) London Met Archives (L.M.A.) County of London North, Calendars of Conviction and Despositions 1889, 2 Jan 1889 - procesution by Julius Levenson/Levenshon for theft of a watch. From the depositions in this case, held in the MSJ/CD series, it would seem that Isaacs was earlier prosecuted in the Barnet Police Court on 12 Nov. and again on 17 Dec., in the same court, by 'John Bennet" for an offence that is unspecified.

Roy

[Debra A]

Hi Roy, thanks for that which I missed at the time of posting.
Just thought I'd add this newspaper item to the story of Isaacs too;

Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper Sunday, December 23, 1888

THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS-The police are still without any clue to the perpetrators of the recent crimes. It is stated that there is no ground for suspicion against the Polish Jew Joseph Isaacs who was recently arrested in Drury-lane, and whose conduct at a lodging house near the scene of the murder in Dorset-street was so suspicious that special inquiries were instituted by the police. The result is that it is ascertained that at the time of the murder he was undergoing a term of imprisonment for stealing a coat, which proves that he could not have been connected with the murder.

I don't know how accurate it is as I can't find anything else on the stealing a coat story, but it's the only paper that I've seen that has Isaac's with an alibi for the time of MJK's murder.

Debs

[Roy Corduroy]

Thanks, Debra I appreciate it.

Roy

[Wickerman]

Joseph Isaacs - A Sham Detective.

An amusing case was heard at the Dover police-court on Tuesday, a man named Joseph Isaacs, who gave false addresses, being charged with attempting to obtain admission to the Admiralty Pier by falsely representing himself to be a detective from Scotland Yard.
The Prisoner presented himself at the entrance to the Pier, and said he was going by the boat. He was refused admission, and he then stated that he was a detective from Scotland Yard, and was sent down to follow a young man who was wanted in connection with the Meux jewel robbery case.
Curiously enough, while the Prisoner was telling his story, a Scotland Yard detective, named Foy, who is one of the detectives engaged in watching the Continental boats, walked up, and, having heard the man's story, made himself known to him, and demanded his warrant card. This he was unable to produce, and he was then taken into custody.
When searched, the Prisoner was found to be wearing a sham medal on his breast and an imitation gold chain, but no watch.
It is supposed that he belongs to the light-fingered fraternity, a number of whom have been infesting the Continental traffic from Dover and Folkstone for some time past, and have given the officials a great deal of trouble.
Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, 30 July, 1887.

[Wickerman]

Joseph Isaacs - unable to even blow his own trumpet.

On Friday Police-constable Bentley, who is stationed at Kingstone place, Barnsley, made a clever capture at Dodsworth of a man who gave the name Joseph Isaacs, and claims to be a Jew. It seems that Isaacs was seen in possession of a valuable clarionet. He called at a house at Kingstone place and tried to beg a newspaper in which to wrap the instrument from Paris, and was getting a living by playing it and training horses.
He apprehended him, and brought him to the Westgate Police Station, Barnsley. On hearing the Prisoner's statement as to how he came by the instrument, Superintendent Kane asked the Prisoner to play a tune. This was too much for the Jew, who tried in vain to sound a single note. Subsequent inquiries revealed the fact that the instrument had been stolen from the shop of Mr. Job Walker, musical instrument dealer, Sheffield road, Barnsley.
Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, 19 Sept. 1887.

In another edition of the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald (previous post), a little more detail was provided:
"Joseph Isaacs, who gave false addresses at Spitalfields and Commercial road, London..."

A week later on 26th Sept. 1887, a brief report contained in The Manchester Evening News informs us that on this date Joseph Isaacs was committed to 3 months imprisonment for the charge described above. And, a footnote to the same paragraph reads:

The Prisoner recently was dealt with at Dover for representing himself as a member of the Metropolitan Police.

[Wickerman]

Joseph Isaacs - unable to even blow his own trumpet.

duplicate

[Cogidubnus]

As are most of yours Jon (heh heh)

Dave

[Wickerman]

Joseph Isaacs, theft of two coats.

The Barnet Press
Saturday, 17 November, 1888.

Monday, November 12th, Barnet Petty Sessions.

Joseph Isaacs, an itinerant musician, was charged with having, on November 8th, stolen from the Green Dragon Inn, High-street, Barnet, two coats, of the value of 30s, the property of John Bennett.
- Prosecutor said he was the son of Mr John Bennett, landlord of the Green Dragon Inn. On the night of November 7th prisoner called at the house and asked if he could be accommodated for the night. A bed was provided, and he remained. Next morning he came downstairs and asked to be allowed to clean his boots, but apparently he had only done this for the purpose of seeing who was about, for under some trifling pretence he returned to his room, and was seen to leave the house shortly afterwards. Witness was suspicious of the man, and at once went upstairs and missed two coats which had been there on the previous night. As the result of information received, he started down the New-road in pursuit of prisoner, and after running for about a mile came in sight of him.
When prisoner found he was being pursued he took off a coat, threw it into the road, and commenced to run. Witness whistled to a Mr Fraser to stop the man, and he did so. When asked for the second coat prisoner denied having it, although he was actually wearing it at the time. He was then given into custody and charged. The value of the two coats was 30s.
- Prisoner stated in defence that he took the coats in mistake, and did not return with them because he knew he was coming back that way in the evening; he also urged that had he meditated theft he should have returned to London, and not have walked in the very direction which he had told the prosecutor he intended to take.
- The Chairman said the Bench considered the case fully proved, and sentenced prisoner to twenty-one days hard labour.

[Harry D]

Not to be confused with Isaac Jacob, the guy stopped by police after Alice McKenzie's body was found. I almost made that mistake once.

[Wickerman]

Joseph Isaacs, his arrest and remand.

The Barnet Press.
Saturday 10th November, 1888.

Joseph in Prison. - On the night of the 7th instant Joseph Isaacs, a travelling musician, and apparently an Israelite, lodged at the Green Dragon, High-street, Barnet. He rose early next morning, and walked off with two coats belonging to the landlord's son. He was pursued and overtaken, but we regret to say that so far from expressing his contrition, Joseph added to his offence that of prevarication. It did not take the police long to discover that the address he gave was false, and a stern Pharaoh in the shape of the Justice of the Peace ordered that the artiste be kept in durance vile till Monday, when he will be brought up at the Barnet Police-court and charged.

[note: "in durance vile" - held in custody]

[Ben]

A great find, Jon, and many thanks indeed for the information.

Isaacs was a contemporary and legitimate ripper suspect, courtesy of his criminal activity and residence in the immediate vicinity of the murder region, which is a good deal more than can be said of other ripper "suspects" touted as such. Your latest research on this "prevaricating artiste" is certainly impressive, and would doubtless have dissuaded Mr. Van Onselen from his published conclusions had the former been available when the "The Fox and the Flies" went to print. Isaacs's story has certain parallels with that of "D'onston Stephenson" - particularly with regard to the issue of incarceration - and I hope you'll consider publishing on the subject.

All the best,
Ben

[RockySullivan]

Not to be confused with Isaac Jacob, the guy stopped by police after Alice McKenzie's body was found. I almost made that mistake once.

Isaac Jacob

Witness at Alice McKenzie's inquest.

Isaac Lewis Jacob, a boot-maker of 12 Newcastle Street, Whitechapel, was seen and stopped by Walter Andrews (PC) after he (Andrews) had discovered the body of Alice McKenzie in Castle Alley shortly after 12.50am, 17th July 1889.

His inquest statement read:

"About ten minutes to 1 this morning I left home to buy some supper in M'Carthy's in Dorset-street. I had occasion to pass Newcastle-place into Old Castle-street. When I got to Cocoanut-place a constable ran up to me; I stopped. He said, "Where have you been?" I replied, "I have been nowhere, I am just going on an errand, and have just left my home." The constable then said, "Come with me; there has been a murder committed." I went with him and when we got to Old Castle-street he blew his whistle. I believe a sergeant then came up. We then hurried down to the lamp-post in Castle-alley. I saw a woman lying there in a pool of blood, with a wound in the throat, and another wound in the side. I waited there until another police-constable came, and afterwards saw the body removed. Then I went home.

[Coroner] Did you see any one before you saw the constable? - No, sir.

[Coroner] Does your house look over Castle-alley? - No. That is Castle-street. [Newcastle Street]. I had not been there during the night."[1]


One may reasonably assume that Jacob was on his way to John McCarthy's shop at 27 Dorset Street.

-

Weird how he was going to McCarthy's...

[Wickerman]

Hi Ben.
Yes, that would appear to close the question of Isaacs involvement in the Millers Court murder.

As you mention the author van Onselen, in his The Fox and the Flies, a few corrections must be made to the claims put forward in his book, which was also used as the basis for the first post in this thread.

Example:
Dec 17 He is again charged with an offence at Barnet

And:

1889 - Jan 2 Isaacs, still in police custody, is taken to court where he is tried and sentenced to three months' imprisonment for the robbery of Levensohn's shop.

Both assertions stem from a misunderstanding of the surviving paperwork.

Joseph Isaacs only appeared in court at Barnet once, the day of his sentence, Nov. 12th.
There was no further appearance on Dec. 17th.

This date, Dec 17th, is taken from the London Metropolitan Archives, the date is stamped on the case files received from Barnet. Essentially this is nothing more than a filing date.

All petty sessions and police courts (Barnet/Worship-street, etc.) held onto their case records for several weeks after the case is concluded, before eventually filing them in bulk with Middlesex County Sessions for archiving.
Several case files through November are all stamped with the same date, Dec 17th, which is the date Middlesex received the package.

Likewise, the date Jan 2nd, 1889, is the filing date stamped across a bundle of files from Worship Street Police Court which contained, among other files, the paperwork from two court sittings, Dec. 7th and Dec. 14th, where Joseph Isaacs appeared in court.

Therefore, also the footnote in post 1 is in error.

He was in jail in Barnet from Nov 12 to Dec 3. During that time, Annie Farmer was attacked at George St., Spitalfields. He was in police custody from when he was arrested Dec 6 to his court appearance Jan 2, 1889. He must have been taken back to Barnet on Dec 17 to have an additional charged lodged against him there. While he was in custody this time, Rose Mylett died in Poplar.

Isaacs was arrested on Nov. 8th, held in police custody (at either Barnet or Holloway) until the 12th, then brought back to Barnet police court to be sentenced to 21 days hard labor, at Holloway.

He was eventually released on Dec 3rd, committed a theft and subsequently re-arrested on Dec 6th, appeared in court Dec. 7th, held on remand until being brought back to court on Dec 14th, where he was sentenced to 3 months hard labor.

[Roy Corduroy]

Thanks, Wick and those who helped you in straightening it out. He wasn't back in court those other days.

This of course is the key find:

The Barnet Press.
Saturday 10th November, 1888.

Joseph in Prison. - On the night of the 7th instant Joseph Isaacs, a travelling musician, and apparently an Israelite, lodged at the Green Dragon, High-street, Barnet. He rose early next morning, and walked off with two coats belonging to the landlord's son. He was pursued and overtaken, [ ... ] the Justice of the Peace ordered that the artiste be kept in durance vile till Monday, when he will be brought up at the Barnet Police-court and charged.

- which Aberline discovered soon enough.

Thanks again,

Roy

[Scott Nelson]

He was eventually released on Dec 3rd, committed a theft and subsequently re-arrested on Dec 6th, appeared in court Dec. 7th, held on remand until being brought back to court on Dec 14th, where he was sentenced to 3 months hard labor.

Who else appeared in court Dec. 7th?