Joseph Isaacs

[Wickerman]

Joseph Isaacs - unable to even blow his own trumpet.

duplicate

[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 - 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.

[Roy Corduroy]

Thanks, Debra I appreciate it.

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]

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