The Russian Secret Agents?!

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

I faintly remember reading sometime in the 1970s, that the Russian Secret Police (The Ochrana) agents would have been bedind the Autumn of Terror. Only to cause mayhem in the British Empire...

Does anyone else remember this allegation and its origin?!

All the best
Jukka

[Chris Scott]

Hi Jukka
I think you may be thinking of the Pedachenko story. One feature of this referred to an alleged copy of the Ochrana Gazette which contained details of Pedachenko (alias Konovalov etc.) and called in any material relating to him. This copy of the gazette originated, if memory serves me, from a Russian prince named Belloselski.
The "causing mayhem" may be the same as the comment that the purpose of the crimes was to discredit the British police system
Regards
Chris

[Graham]

I believe none other than Rasputin himself named Pedachenko as the Ripper. There was something in the A-Z about this, I recall, and also something to the effect that William Lequeux (spelling?) received information from the Ochrana relating to the Ripper. My A-Z's loaned out at the moment, so can't check.

Cheers,

Graham

[Tom_Wescott]

Stan Russo wrote something for Ripperologist recently regarding 'The Four Russian Suspects'. Although I haven't read it yet, what Jukka is talking about would certainly be covered in there.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Stephen Thomas]

All dreamed up by Donald McCormick in the late 1950s, I believe

The Russian secret services surely would have had better things to do in 1888.

[DVV]

Hi Jukka,

check Ripperologist #101 (May 2009) for the article Tom is referring to.
It's excellent, with great pics.

Amitiés,
David