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This is the fullest account I have seen of Forbes Winslow and his thoughts about Bellsmith. Some of the features in this account I have not seen elsewhere
Chris
Jamaica Gleaner
24 October 1889
Remarkable Statement.
A report having been current that a man has been found who is quite convinced that "Jack the Ripper" occupied rooms in his house, and that he had communicated his suspicions in the first instance to Dr. Forbes Winslow, together with detailed particulars, a reporter of a morning contemporary has just had an interview with the doctor on the subject.
"Here are Jack the Ripper's boots," said the doctor, at the same time taking large pair of boots from under his table. "The tops of the boots are composed of ordinary cloth material, while the soles are made of indiarubber. The tops have great bloodstains on them." The reporter put the boots on, and found that they were completely noiseless. Besides these noiseless coverings the doctor says he has the "Ripper's" ordinary walking boots, which are very dirty, and the man's coat, which is also bloodstained. Proceeding, Dr. Winslow said that on the morning of August 30 a woman with whom he was in communication was spoken to by a man in Worship Street, Finsbury. He asked her to come down a certain court with him, offering her £1. This she refused, and he then doubled the amount, which she also declined. He then asked her where the court led to, and shortly afterwards left. She told some neighbours, and the party followed the man for some distance. Apparently, he did not know that he was being followed, but when he and the party had reached the open street he turned round, raised his hat, and with an air of bravado said: "I know what you have been doing; good morning." The woman then watched the man into a certain house, the situation of which the doctor would not describe. She previously noticed the man because of his strange manner, and on the morning on which the woman Mackenzie was murdered (July 17) she saw him washing his hands in the yard of the house referred to. He was in his shirtsleeves at the time, and had a very peculiar look upon his face. This was about four o'clock in the morning. The doctor said he was now waiting for a certain telegram which was the only obstacle to effecting the man's arrest. The supposed assassin lives with a friend of Dr. Forbes Winslow's, and this gentleman himself told the doctor that he had noticed the man's strange behaviour. He would at times sit down and write 50 or 60 sheets of manuscript about low women from whom he professed to have a great hatred. Shortly before the body was found in Pinchin Street the man disappeared, leaving behind him the articles already mentioned, together with a packet of manuscript, which the doctor said was in exactly the same handwriting as the Jack the Ripper letters which were sent to the police. He had stated previously that he was going abroad, but a very few days before this body was discovered (September 10) he was seen in the neighbourhood of Pinchin Street. The doctor is certain that this man is the Whitechapel murderer, and says that two days at the utmost will see him in custody. He could give a reason for the head and legs of the last murdered woman being missing. The man, he thinks, cut the body up, and then commenced to burn it. He had consumed the head and legs when his fit of the terrible mania passed, and he was horrified to find what he had done.
"I know for a fact," said the doctor, "that this man is suffering from a violent form of religious mania, which attacks him and passes off at intervals. I am certain that there is another man in it besides the one I am after, but my reasons for that I cannot state. The police will have nothing to do with the capture. I am making arrangements to station six men round the spot where I know my man is, and he will be trapped."
The public had laughed at him, the doctor went on to say, but on the Tuesday before the last body was discovered he had received information that a murder would be committed in two or three days. In conclusion, Dr. Winslow remarked, "I am as certain that I have the murderer as I am of being here."
In the course of a subsequent interview, Dr. Forbes Winslow said he wished in the first place to contradict the reports which credited him with the statement that he would be able, within three days, to put his hand upon the author of the Whitechapel atrocities. He thoroughly believed in the clue which he had obtained, but his evidence was circumstantial, and would take some time to piece together, and to thoroughly work out. His informant was a respectable resident of Whitechapel, with whom the suspected "Jack the Ripper" lodged, and who had given him (Dr. Winslow) information which he regarded as valuable and practically conclusive. He (Dr. Winslow) had no desire to act as an amateur detective; he had plenty else to attend to in his own profession, but he had taken this matter up because he believed the culprit to be a homicidal lunatic. The landlord of the so called "Jack the Ripper" was now in his (Dr. Winslow's) house, giving some further information. The suspected person, whose nationality was not known, for he spoke several languages equally well, left his lodgings some time ago to proceed to America, but he had been seen in London as late as August 5 last, and Dr. Winslow believed him to be in the metropolis now. There was some doubt as to whether he had ever belonged to the medical profession, but he was apparently a man in good circumstances. He had a mania respecting women of the street, and had covered 50 or 60 pages with writing about them. Dr. Winslow did not believe that "Jack the Ripper," if discovered, would be executed, as he was undoubtedly of unsound mind.
Chris
Jamaica Gleaner
24 October 1889
Remarkable Statement.
A report having been current that a man has been found who is quite convinced that "Jack the Ripper" occupied rooms in his house, and that he had communicated his suspicions in the first instance to Dr. Forbes Winslow, together with detailed particulars, a reporter of a morning contemporary has just had an interview with the doctor on the subject.
"Here are Jack the Ripper's boots," said the doctor, at the same time taking large pair of boots from under his table. "The tops of the boots are composed of ordinary cloth material, while the soles are made of indiarubber. The tops have great bloodstains on them." The reporter put the boots on, and found that they were completely noiseless. Besides these noiseless coverings the doctor says he has the "Ripper's" ordinary walking boots, which are very dirty, and the man's coat, which is also bloodstained. Proceeding, Dr. Winslow said that on the morning of August 30 a woman with whom he was in communication was spoken to by a man in Worship Street, Finsbury. He asked her to come down a certain court with him, offering her £1. This she refused, and he then doubled the amount, which she also declined. He then asked her where the court led to, and shortly afterwards left. She told some neighbours, and the party followed the man for some distance. Apparently, he did not know that he was being followed, but when he and the party had reached the open street he turned round, raised his hat, and with an air of bravado said: "I know what you have been doing; good morning." The woman then watched the man into a certain house, the situation of which the doctor would not describe. She previously noticed the man because of his strange manner, and on the morning on which the woman Mackenzie was murdered (July 17) she saw him washing his hands in the yard of the house referred to. He was in his shirtsleeves at the time, and had a very peculiar look upon his face. This was about four o'clock in the morning. The doctor said he was now waiting for a certain telegram which was the only obstacle to effecting the man's arrest. The supposed assassin lives with a friend of Dr. Forbes Winslow's, and this gentleman himself told the doctor that he had noticed the man's strange behaviour. He would at times sit down and write 50 or 60 sheets of manuscript about low women from whom he professed to have a great hatred. Shortly before the body was found in Pinchin Street the man disappeared, leaving behind him the articles already mentioned, together with a packet of manuscript, which the doctor said was in exactly the same handwriting as the Jack the Ripper letters which were sent to the police. He had stated previously that he was going abroad, but a very few days before this body was discovered (September 10) he was seen in the neighbourhood of Pinchin Street. The doctor is certain that this man is the Whitechapel murderer, and says that two days at the utmost will see him in custody. He could give a reason for the head and legs of the last murdered woman being missing. The man, he thinks, cut the body up, and then commenced to burn it. He had consumed the head and legs when his fit of the terrible mania passed, and he was horrified to find what he had done.
"I know for a fact," said the doctor, "that this man is suffering from a violent form of religious mania, which attacks him and passes off at intervals. I am certain that there is another man in it besides the one I am after, but my reasons for that I cannot state. The police will have nothing to do with the capture. I am making arrangements to station six men round the spot where I know my man is, and he will be trapped."
The public had laughed at him, the doctor went on to say, but on the Tuesday before the last body was discovered he had received information that a murder would be committed in two or three days. In conclusion, Dr. Winslow remarked, "I am as certain that I have the murderer as I am of being here."
In the course of a subsequent interview, Dr. Forbes Winslow said he wished in the first place to contradict the reports which credited him with the statement that he would be able, within three days, to put his hand upon the author of the Whitechapel atrocities. He thoroughly believed in the clue which he had obtained, but his evidence was circumstantial, and would take some time to piece together, and to thoroughly work out. His informant was a respectable resident of Whitechapel, with whom the suspected "Jack the Ripper" lodged, and who had given him (Dr. Winslow) information which he regarded as valuable and practically conclusive. He (Dr. Winslow) had no desire to act as an amateur detective; he had plenty else to attend to in his own profession, but he had taken this matter up because he believed the culprit to be a homicidal lunatic. The landlord of the so called "Jack the Ripper" was now in his (Dr. Winslow's) house, giving some further information. The suspected person, whose nationality was not known, for he spoke several languages equally well, left his lodgings some time ago to proceed to America, but he had been seen in London as late as August 5 last, and Dr. Winslow believed him to be in the metropolis now. There was some doubt as to whether he had ever belonged to the medical profession, but he was apparently a man in good circumstances. He had a mania respecting women of the street, and had covered 50 or 60 pages with writing about them. Dr. Winslow did not believe that "Jack the Ripper," if discovered, would be executed, as he was undoubtedly of unsound mind.
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