Thomas Molin

[Chris Scott]

Pall Mall Gazette
13 November 1889

A JACK THE RIPPER SUSPECT IN CANADA
The grotesque mystery of the Husson-Mulcahy marriage in a sleigh in Montreal last February, and the after discovery that the bridegroom was a corpse, turned up, says a New York telegram, in a new light yesterday. Mary Mulcahy, who seems to be a most pertinacious person in regard to insisting on publicity of some sort, now produces the driver of the sleigh, who said in court that he had been obliged to leave England because he was suspected of being the Whitechapel murderer. He says he is an Englishman named Thomas Molin, and remarked, "Yes, I have been known as Jack the Ripper, and have done considerable work of that kind in Paris." He was committed as a vagrant, and will be examined as to sanity. The detectives say he is a sane man, and was arrested in London, Ontario, some time ago as Jack the Ripper.

This report puts a name to the man discussed in the thread below;

http://www.casebook.org/forum/messages/4920/21711.html

[Chris Scott]

Here is a fuller account of the background of the marriage:

Reynold's Newspaper
17 March 1889

EXTRAORDINARY MARRIAGE STORY - A DYING BRIDEGROOM
A sensational story of a marriage and death is reported from Montreal, the bridegroom being an English gentleman of property, residing at Brighton, whose name was Ralph Boeheamil Husson, who went to Canada two years ago on account of declining health. While there he made the acquaintance of Miss Mulcahy, and they became engaged. His health growing worse, he wished Miss Mulcahy to marry him and accompany him to England. Her mother objected on account of her youth, and Mr Husson had to leave by himself. The engaged couple kept up a correspendence, and the marriage was arranged to take place. Accompanied by his father, a priest, and a friend of the family, the young gentleman set out for New York. This was, however, against the advice of the doctor, who said that an Atlantic voyage in the winter would most likely prove fatal. The party arrived in New York and took train for Bonaventure, a telelgram being sent to Miss Mulcahy to meet them at the station there. The young lady met them, and the party took sleighs to Mrs Mulcahy's house. On the way, however, young Mr Husson gasped for breath. He then motioned for the priest to read the marriage service. Miss Mulcahy, though greatly overcome, consented, and in St James's Street, in the sleigh, and in the open air the marriage took place. In two minutes afterwards the bridegroom fell back dead.

[Chris Scott]

Husson's name is so unusual but I have been unable to find him in UK records

[Cap'n Jack]

Thanks Chris, but the story does not appear to be supported by the extensive access to passenger lists of the period, that is unless the spelling of both Husson and Molin are at fault in the articles you provide, but I have checked many different variations.

[Howard Brown]

Dear Chris and A.P.

Probably already looked into, but Husson & Molin are,ahem...French surnames.Obviously, you two fellers know that Montreal was and is a majority French-speaking and majority ethnic-French city.



The surname of HUSSON was derived from the Old French Huchon - a baptismal name 'the son of Hugh'. The name was brought into England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066.

[Chris Scott]

Hi guys
Many thanks for the feedback
There are a few Thomas Molins in the UK records but none that seem to fit and the Ralph Husson I can find no trace of.
The middle name - Boeheamil - is so strange but I can find no trace
Hmmmm
Will keep looking
Thanks for all the help
Chris

[Chava]

I suspect 'Husson' may have been a mispelling of 'Hudson'. I just ran a quick check and couldn't find this guy, but I do think that's the most likely explanation. Montreal is mostly French, but there have been strong English journalism going on there for a couple of centuries. The journalist that moved this out of Montreal was probably anglophone.

[Chris Scott]

Hi Chava
Many thanks for the message
I really haven't been able to get any further with this
Regarding the odd middle name Boeheamil, the nearest I have been able to find is that there is a forename Bohumil which is Czech in origin
But where that gets us I don't know!
Chris

[Chava]

Chris, it could be a transliteration for 'Beauhamel' or Beau-Hamel' or something like that. I can't turn up anyone with this name, but 'Boeheamil' looks like some kind of mess-up to me...