J. McDermott

[Scott Nelson]

Very well. But how does all that fit in with Henry DeFries, Kelly's likely killer?

[lynn cates]

sponge salesman

Hello Scott. Haven't the foggiest. I'll have to throw up the sponge. (heh-heh)

Perhaps Red Jim blackmailed him too?

Cheers.
LC

[TradeName]

Hello Trade. Thanks for posting this. He looks even more like a barroom brawler and general blackguard.

Have you found any links to Hurlbert?

Cheers.
LC

Haven't found a link to Hurlbert yet.

This interview with McDermott about the Henry Ward Beecher scandal shows that he was acquainted with Victoria Woodhull.

Plymouth Church and Its Pastor: or Henry Ward Beecher and His Accusers (St. Louis: Bryan, Brand & Co., 1875), Pages 295-298

The week of anxiety, alarm and grief at the danger that environed America's favorite minister ended on July 25th, and it was believed that the worst had been elicited—that after the -week of storm a quiet rest would settle over the central figures in the unfortunate disputes, and that the Sabbath quietude would place all in a more forgiving frame of mind. Not so, however. The Brooklyn Sunday papers appeared and they were very hostile to Mr: Beecher—the Sunday Sun reviewing the case and charging that Mr. Beecher was convicted of all charged by his own letters, and those of Mrs. Tilton. But the worst blow was reserved for infliction by the Sunday Review, and this stab came in the form of an interview with Mr. James McDermott, a journalist, who had been on confidential relations with the Free Love sisters and learned many of their secrets. We would fain pass it over in silence, but feel tliat our duty to give all the material evidence on both sides demands its repetition here:—

Reporter—Mr. James McDermott, I presume?

Mr. McDermott—You needn't presume anything about it. Be sure you are right, and I think you are this time.

Reporter—I am sent to see you, sir, by the Editor of the Sunday Review, respecting what you know of the Tilton scandal.

Mr. McD.—Tilton be d----- scandal; call it by its proper name—the Beecher scandal. If the Review editor sent you to talk to me about this subject, he had little respect for this weather or my capacity to endure it.

Reporter—Commence where you like.

Mr. Mr. McD.—Well, you want a sensation and I'll give you one or two. You are right in suggesting that I was one of the parties who accompanied Mr. Bowen and Mr. H. B. Claflin to the residence of Mrs. Woodhull on the afternoon of Mr. Tappen's funeral. He was, I believe, Mr. Bowen's father-in-law. But what of it?

Reporter—Oh, I merely wanted to know if you went there in the capacity of a journalist, or as a friend of Mr. Bowen's?

Mr. McD.—I confess I went there in a double capacity. I was there anyhow, all the time. Mr. Henry C. Bowen, Mr. H. B. Claflin, Mr. Bowen's nephew and son, Judge Ryer, Counselor Wood, and other gentlemen of this city were there with me. We went there for the purpose of hearing what Mrs. Woodhull and her counsel had to say, and to see what we might or could.

Reporter—What, if anything, outside of your personal relationship with Mr. Bowen, prompted you to accompany these gentlemen on that occasion?

Mr. McD.—I'll be frank with you, sir. I cultivated Mrs. Woodhull's acquaintance through a business accident. Through her I became acquainted with her family. Victoria is a woman of advanced character. I never knew her to do an injury to any one, and in this reprehensible Beecher scandal I think she is the one, above all others, who has told the most truth. She certainly never lied to me, and I'll prove it to you, sir.

Reporter—Can you do it by documentary evidence?

Mr. McD.—I can. Why here, my dear sir, is the original of the letter which made me know both Beecher and Tilton first. You see it's in Tilton's own handwriting, and does away effectually with Beccher's theory that he only knew Mrs. Woodhull through her asking him to preside at one of her meetings. Beccher falsifies, and here's the proof of it—a proof that has been in my possession for nearly two years—and this document I showed to Deacon West, of Plymouth Church, when he called upon me in relation to this matter.

Mr. McDermott then showed the reporter a letter, of which the following is a copy:—

"Golden Age.

My Dear Victoria :—I have arranged with Frank that you shall see Mr. Beccher at my house on Friday night. He will attend a meeting at the church till ten o'clock, and will give you the rest of the evening as late as you desire. You may consider this fixed. Meanwhile, on this sunshiny day, I salute you with a good morning—peace be with you.

Yours,

Theodore Tilton.

Reporter—That letter is evidently genuine but what does it prove?

Mr. McD.—It proves Mr. Beecher a falsifier, though the letter is not dated, it is in my possession over two years—prior to the time I published the tripartite statement so often alluded to. Why, my friend, I have in my possession over one hundred letters of Mr. Tilton's, and three or four of Mr. Beecher's in connection with this matter. I have a good many of them yet; but sit down till I shock you:

In company with Mr.Bowen's son—his youngest by his first wife, I believe—and a nephew. I visited what we then considered the bed-side of a dying woman. We were accompanied by Mr. Tusch, now a reporter on the Eagle, who made stenographic notes of all that was said on the occasion of what I style the death-bed confession.

The record is now or was in Mr. Bowen's house. That record pronounces the dishonor of the dead Mrs. ***** by Mr. Beecher, and in a manner that I would blush to repeat. It implicated also the wife of a physician, and other ladies on the Heights whose names I do not feel at liberty just now to mention, but I will if I am forced to it. I admire Mrs. Beecher's course in this matter, she is a noble woman and a true wife, and Mrs. Tilton would do well to follow her example rather than her advice. I claim to know why Mrs. Beecher was sent to Italy by her husband, and now conscientiously believe that the only way for Mr. Beecher to get out of this matter is to make a frank and open confession. The public are generous and willing to forgive him as a man; but he must retire from the ministry.

Reporter—Did Mrs. Woodhull show you the letters of Mr. Beecher?

Mr. McD.—She did, and in the presence of Mr. Horace B. Claflin and Henry C. Bowen; I know the letters to be genuine, and, as Mrs. Woodhull afterwards said to me on the steamer going to Long Branch, she would not give them up nor disclose their contents because she felt that she was being prosecuted in the Courts by Plymouth Church, or rather by individuals acting for it by proxy.

Reporter.—Could you be mistaken respecting the identity of the letters of Mr. Beecher or Mr. Tilton?

Mr. McD.—I might, but I was convinced of their genuineness by Mr. Claflin, a most upright and responsible gentleman and citizen.

--end

Woodhull ended up in England in the 1880's.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 95, 21 April 1894, Page 1

Victoria Woodhull versus The British Museum

[lynn cates]

Beecher/Tilton

Hello Trade. Thanks. Red Jim always pops up wherever there is a scandal.

Speaking of the Beecher/Tilton scandal, have you ever figured that one out? Did Beecher really have a tryst with her or not? One of the strangest trials I ever encountered. Definitely some parallels with Hurlbert and Evelyn.

Cheers.
LC

[TradeName]

I have only read summaries of the Beecher/Tilton scandal. I think in the Croft book Hurlbert is quoted as opining in an editorial in the World that the relationship between Beecher and Mrs. Tilton wasn't physical in nature.

[lynn cates]

note

Hello Trade. Yes, WHH did editorialise on the scandal at some point.

The consensus seems to be that there was nothing physical. Still, Beecher's note was a bit odd, to say the least.

Cheers.
LC

[TradeName]

An 1884 book by a Garfield-supporter makes the case that the "Morey letter" was forged by one H. H. Hadley instead of Kenward Philp.

History of the Forged "Morey Letter" (New York: Davenport, 1884), Title Page
by John Isaacs Davenport


Two articles about the book:

New York Times, August 16, 1884, link

THE MOREY LETTER FORGERY.; H.H. HADLEY AGAIN PROVED THE FORGER --THE PART THAT BARNUM PLAYED.


New York Times, August 17, 1884, link

LAWYER HADLEY'S DENIAL.; HE DECLARES THAT HE DID NOT FORGE THE MOREY LETTER.


Two articles (or two versions of the same article) about McDemott's acquaintances Victoria Woodhull and Tennie C. Claflin in London. The first has a bit of gossip about PAV and Jennie Churchill. I'm a bit curious about the identity of the author of these articles.

New York Sun, April 10, 1887, Page 7

TWO WONDERFUL WOMEN

LADY FRANCIS COOK AXD LADY BIDDULPH MARTIN

The Opening of Alexandra House -- The
Wave of Aristocracy, Wealth, and Fashion
Bearing Tennle C Claflin and Victoria
Woodhull on Its Crest--A Wonderful
and Impressive London Spectacle

LONDON, March 25.--Sir Francis Cook,
Baronet Viscount Monserrat of Cintra and
head of the great banking house of Cook, Son &
Company of St Paul's Church Yard, London,
and Lisbon and Oporto, in Portugal, is a considerable
figure In commercial London, as well
as in that vague region of society where baronets
and millionaires have their orbit and their
undefined state of preferment.

Sir Francis is a man of great wealth. He is
an amiable benevolent easy-golng typical
John Bull of the city, addicted to public benovolence
and munificence, and is an important
personage In his line of lIfe, public and private.

The latest beneficence which has brought this
singularly amiable gentleman conspicuously
before the public is the new artists' home
known as the Alexandra House, at the opening
of which by the Prince and Princess of Wales I
assisted last week In the capacity of an American
citizen.

The Alexandra is situated in that artistic
region which lies to the north of Brompton
and centres about Albert Hall. The ground upon
which it stands was a gift from the Queen and
its patron and administratrix-in-chief is the
Princess of Wales, after whom it is named. The
building is Sir Francis's donation to the city of
London and to the cause of artistic progress
in particular. He conceived the notion that
many young women of limited means who
come to London to pursue their studies in art,
in literature, and in music, are subject to
privations and vicissitudes both painful and
discouraging, for the want of suitable and convenient
homes; and it occurred to him that a
building which should give them a home, a place
of recreation, and apartments adapted
to their studies, would be in the nature of a
valuable public boon. He determined to erect
such an institution and to arrange that the
cost to each of its occupants should be made to
average, including board, lodging, washing,
medical attendance, and the free use of musical
instruments, less than $5 weekly.

Sir Francis has himself the reputation of
being a man of cultivation in the fine arts and
at Doughty House, Richmond, he has probably
the most extensive and valuable private collection
of paintings by the old masters and of
rare bric-a-brac, that is owned In England.

The Alexandra House is six stories in height,
and its internal decorations consist in no
small part of contributions from Sir Francis's
own gallery. The structure is a handsome
one, is in the recent style of advanced
London architecture which is a mingling
of Queen Anne and yellow stucco and terra
cotta. It is traversed by wide halls upon
either side of which are the private apartments
of the students; each suite designed for the
occupancy of two young women in common,
consisting of a parlor with a bedroom on each
side. On the main floor there is a drawing
room or club room of large dimensions where
the inmates are supposed to assemble to receive
visitors whom they do not care to see in
their rooms, to read or otherwise occupy
themselves when at leisure. The other principal
public rooms consist of a concert room or
music hall with adjoining rooms for practice; a
handsome dining room ninety feet in length,
a council room, library, gymnasium, kitchen,
laundry, minor apartments for various uses,
and an American elevator. The structure occupies
the whole face of the block opposite Albert
Hall, and in its exterior aspect has something
in common with some of the recent Queen
Anne structures of New York and Washington.
I should add that its capacity will admit of
about 120 young ladles living in it and pursuing
their studies, and further, that the Royal
College of Music, in the building and endowment
of which the Prince of Wales had such a
conspicuous part, adjoins Alexandra House.

Sir Francis is believed to have paid about
$450,000 for its construction and equipment.

The rooms were eagerly occupied as fast as
they were completed, so that although the formal
opening of the building has only just occurred
it was found to be almost full of occupants
when the ceremony took place. It
was one of those typical social events which
are the indispensable punctuations of the London
season; a public formality conducted by
his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,
assisted by her Royal Highness the Princess of
Wales, and the customary following of those
august personages. Thanks to a card from a
friend who had heard of my presence in London
I was enabled to participate in the supreme
function, and a very brilliant and interesting
affair I found it, at least for a stranger
like myself for whom the view of those matters
from the sidewalk is a very different affair from
that which one obtains as a guest.

There were present the Archbishop of Canterbury,
the Duchess of Teck, and her daughter
the Princess Victoria of Teck, Lord Cranbrook,
Sir Lyon Piayfair, Sir R. Webster, Lord
Charles Bruce, Lord Randolph Churchill, Sir
Frederick Leighton, the Hon E. Carr Glyn, Sir
George Grove, CoL Hughes Hallet, Mr Arnold
Morley, M. P., Sir John Millais and Lady
Millais, Mr and Mrs Kendall, Mr Mundella, M. P.;
and there were pointed out to me in he well-
dressed fashionable assemblage that dismounted
from carriages top-heavy with flunkeys
in gorgeous liveries, a host of other persons
distinguished either by the possession of titles
or for their attainments in art, literature, or
money. There was a royal red carpet at the
entrance and up the staircase and red pre-
prevailed [sic] in every part of time large concert
hall, with red chairs of state for the royal
family, red hangings wherever hangings were,
and bouquets for all the princesses. It was a
vast flutter of fashionable excitement; and
every one was made to feel, as is indispensable
in such affairs in England, that great honor
was done him by his being permitted to be
present in such marvellously fine company.

Thu Prince and Princess of Wales and the
royal party were received in the council room,
while the guests assembled in the concert hall,
and there the donor of the building together
with his wife, Lady Cook, was presented to His
Royal Highness; each then in turn making the
acquaintance of Prince Albert Victor, the
Prince's oldest son, and brevet heir apparent,
whose admiration for Lady Randolph Churchhill [sic]
is the talk of London; his sister Princess
Victoria of Wales; the Duchess of Teck and
Piincess Victoria of Teck; Sir Philip Cunliffe
Owen, Lord and Lady Suffield, Lord Colville of
Colleross, Miss Knollys, Col. Clark, Col Arthur
Ellis and other persons of distinction.

Lady Cook was beautifully dressed in an elegant
garment of blue, trimmed with gray sable;
her appearance was one of animation mingled
with that aspect of amiable Imperturbability
which Is cultivated as a distinguishing characteristic
of the upper classes of England. She
was, as I heard it remarked later in the day,
the prettiest and the best dressed woman in all
that brilliant company.

When I found myself almost fact to face, for
the first time as Lady Cook, with the graceful
and distinguished lady I have just described,
memories crowded thick upon each other of
old times in Wall street and in many other
places where I had met Tennie C. Claflin and
Victoria Woodhull, her sister, the renowned
firm of Woodhull & Claflin who conducted that
memorable commission and stock brokerage
enterprise with which the late Commodore
Vanderbllt amused himself, and
which culminated when Woodhull & Claflin's
Weekly went from one end of America
to the other like a sirocco of sulphuretted
hydrogen. How many thousands of Americans,
had they been with me would have felt the
same emotions of wonderment and frank admiration
at the spectacle she presented? Fairer
than ever, it was easy to recall the fair Tennie
in her guileless career as a canvasser for
subscriptions, her wondrous industry, her arts
of persuasion, and her success. And as I saw
her here In these gilded hulls sanctified to the
cause of art by her eminent and benevolent
husband, it was only too clear that the same
abilities, the same brilliant energy, that had
wrought so effectually in the calling of the
canvasser, had with greater opportunities been
equally succcessful in attaining greater ends.
I followed in the august train composed of the
cream of aristocracy and social distinction, and
which obediently fell In behind Tennie C. Claflin,
as she led her royal guests from room to room
on their tour of inspection, and it seemed to
happen as naturally as might be that when we
reached the dais at tha end of the aisle in the
concert hall, I saw Tennie's sister, Victoria,
now Lady Biddulph Martin with her husband,
Sir John Biddulph Martin, advance and take
their places among the foremost of the royal
group. Lady Martin, cold, intellectual, and
refined of bearing, quietly but elegantly dressed,
mistress of her situation and herself, was indeed
none other than the celebrated relict of
Cols. Woodhull and Blood, and the apostle
of the late Stephen Pearl Andrews, the
impassioned exponent of the doctrine of Pantarchy;
the friend of Isabella Beecher Hooker,
and the editor and publisher of the paper in
Which the Beecher scandal first saw the light.

Sir John Biddulph Martin, who stood by her
side is the head of one of the oldest banking
houses in Lombard street; he is the President
of the Bankers' Association and of the Statistical
Association; he is treasurer of the
Charing Cross Hospital, and he is a relative of
Lady Biddulph, who is lady in waiting to the
Queen, and of Lord Salisbury. There is no
more question of his rank than of his wealth.

And in all that London gathering I did not
see anybody who was treated with more consideration
or who was more entirely at home
in these remarkable surroundings than were
Lady Cook and Lady Martin. Probably only to
myself, as perhaps the only American present,
did the transition from the conditions so familiar
in America to the conditions so unfamiliar
here seem marked and singular.

I paid no attention to the hymn or to Sir
Phillip Cunliffe Owen's report; I heard only
vaguely Sir Francis Cook's address to the Princess
of Wales. I missed the glitter of the golden
key which Sir George Chubb presented to her
Royal Highness and the Prince Of Wales's
speech fell upon an Inattentive ear. I had only
eyes and ears for these wonderful sisters, and
as the throng dispersed and I saw them handed
into their equipages driven homeward by
their obsequious lackeys I said to myself
"Truly there is nothing that succeeds like success
It overcomes all things!"

Omaha Daily Bee, May 29, 1887, Page 5

SHINING LIGHTS IN ENGLAND

Two American Women Who HaVe Made
Their Mark in that Country

CLAFLIN AND WOODHULL

Lady Cook and Lady Biddulph
Martin, Formerly Miss. Tennie C.
Claflin and Mrs. Victoria C.
Woodhull of New York.

LONDON, MAY 10.-- (Correspondence of
the BEE) A few weeks ago I met with a very
agreeable surprise, and had intended
to write to the BEE long before
this, but circumstances prevented.
Receiving some cards of invitation to attend
the opening of Alexandra House
by the prince and princess of Wales, I
visited the institution, rather wondering
why such an invitation should be sent to
the representative of the American press.
Alexandra House is the name of an institution
recently founded by Sir Francis
Cook, baronet, the princely merchant of
St. Paul's churchyard, for he is head of
the firm of Cook, Son & Co., of London,
and in Portugal bears also the tltle of
Viscount Montserrat, of Cintra. He conceived
the idea that young ladies of
limited means who came to London to
pursue their studies in art, literature and
music, should have suitable homes and
surroundings, at a very nominal price,
that would encourage their studies and
protect them from harm. Sir Francis
being himself highly cultivated,
with special leaning towards the fine
arts, and having in his mansion, Doughty
house, at Richmond, the most valuable
and extensive private collection of paintings
by the old masters, and of bric-a-brac,
in England, hit upon this plan of a
large building handsomely furnished and
decorated from his own galleries and
particularly arranged for lady students.
Each suite of rooms consists of a parlor
with a bed-room on either side, designed
for two young ladies to use the parlor in
common. There is, however, a large
parlor or drawing room on the main
floor for the young students to read or
chat together. The principal public
rooms, thence, consist of a large concert
room, with several smaller practicing
rooms for music, a handsome dining
room, council room, library, gymnasium,
kitchen and smaller rooms, and contains
an American elevator. This building
is traversed by spacious halls, upon
either side of which are the students'
private rooms and is six stories in height
nnd capable of accommodating 120 young
ladies.

A plot of ground near to the Royal
Collge of music, and opposite to Albert
hall, was proffered by the queen herself ,
and the princess of Wales having signified
her active sympathy with the project
and accepted the presidency of the home
(named Alexandra house in her own
honor). The work was commenced some
two or more years ago, when the cornerstone
was laid by the prince of Wales.
Its estimated value was Ł10,000 sterling
($200,000), but in its present finished state
has stood the distinguished donor, Sir
Francis Cook, rather more than double
that sum.

Although now nearly full of young
ladies, who made haste to secure quarters
in the home as fast as the rooms
wore ready for occupation, the formal
opening did not take place until March
14.

As I was driven up to the entrance of
the institution, which is of Queen Anne
style of architecture and occupying the
whole front of the block, I found myself
in a line of carriages; in the one preceding
my own was the archbishop of Canterbury,
and from the one following descended
the duchess of Teck and her
pretty, richly-attired daughter, Princess
Victoria. Passing up the royal red carpet
into the spacious main hall, the
principal guests were thence ushered into
the great concert hall, while the members
of the royal family were received in state
by the munificent donor of the
structure at the entrance, and escorted
into the council room, where presentations
to Lady Cook and the family of Sir
Francis were in order. In this room were
assembled the prince and princess of
Wales, Prince Victor, the eldest son of
the prince of Wales and probable future
king of England, and his sister Princess
Victoria of Wales, the Duchess of Teck ,
the Princess Victoria of Teck, Sir Philip
Cunliffe Owen, Sir Francis and Lady
Cook, with numerous others. The personal
introductions were made and the
Princess of Wales was presented with a
bouquet by Miss Mable Cook. The royal
party thence, attended by Lord and Lady
Suffield, Lord Colville of Culross, Lady
Biddulph, Miss Knollys, Colonels Clark
and Arthur Ellis, were escorted by Sir
Francis and Lady Cook throughout the
building with due formality. They first
proceeded to the basement, where is the
gymnasium, which with the rich organ
of the concert hall were the gift of Mr.
Frederick Cook to the institution; and
then to the kitchen, laundry rooms and
dining rooms. Thence the party were escorted
to the parlor or drawing-room on
the main floor. There were assembled
some sixty-five of the young ladies, who
presented princess Victoria of Wales
with a bouquet, and the princess of
Wales with a portfolio of sketches of various
parts of the buildings and interiors.
The library in the drawing room
possesses an extensive collection of books,
presented to the institution by the second
son of Sir Francis, Mr. Wyndham Cook.
The procession thence moved on, viewing
one or two suites of the students'
apartments, into the main concert hall.
This is a large room with lofty celling,
the walls decorated with valuable paintings
and the stage profusely ornamented
with palms and flowers. On the platform
was a choir of the students from
the Royal College of Music, and in front
of them the proscenium was covered
with crimson cloth and provided with
chairs of state tor their royal highnesses.
Whilst passing to the platform, the organist,
Dr. Parratt, played "God Bless the
Prince of Wales, " which was sung by
the choir. On reaching the dais a hymn
specially composed for the occasion by
Mr. Charles Wood, was sung, the words ,
as suggested by Sir Francis Cook, commencing
"Hail, Gracious Princess, who
has willed to be the guardian genius of
our dwelling here."

Amongst the many recognizable faces
which were in the audience, I observed
Lord Cranbook, Sir Lyon Playfair, Sir
R. Webster, Lord Charles Bruce, the
archbishop of Canterbury, Sir George
Grove, the Hon. and Rov. E. Carr Glyn ,
Colonel Hughes Hallett, M. P., Mr. Arnold
Morley, M. P., Sir John Millais and Lady
Millais , Mr. and Mrs. Kendal , Sir John
Biddulph and Lady Martin, Mr. Mundella
and others.

While watching the distinguished party
upon their tour through the institution
I was struck with the familiar appearance
of Lady Cook and as the procession
moved up the aisle of the concert hall I
observed to an acquaintance that I had
certainly met her, but could not tell where.
"Why, Lady Cook, did you not know she
was Miss Tennie C. Claflin, sister of
Victoria C. Woodhull?" he replied.
This was a surprise. My acquaintance
thereupon related to me the remarkable
career of these two ladles in England,
since leaving the United States--
for every one Is acquainted with their
efforts towards woman suffrage, free
speech and marriage reforms; and of
their starting a woman's bank and of
Woodhull and Claflin's weekly newspapers.
It appears that through misrepresentations
of every sort, and irresponsible
management of their journal they
abandoned the field for more appreciative
relationships in England ,
where they were received into
high social circles and their versatile
talents admired. Mrs. Woodhuil was
married some years ago to Sir John Biddulph
Martin, the head of one of the oldest
banking houses in Lombard street,
London, and also president of the Bankers'
association and of the Statistical society.
He Is also treasurer of the Charing
Cross hospital and his brother is a member
of parliament. His relative, Lady
Biddulph is lady-in-waiting to the
queen. The Martin family are also connections
of Lord Salisbury. Such were the
acquaintances drawn to Mrs. Woodhull
and Miss Tennie C. Claflin through
their public speeches in England; their
husbands have interested themselves in
their public measures and it is partly in
view ot the influence of the ladies and
partly through the cultivated ideas of Sir
Francis himself that the present home for
talented and aspiring young women has
been founded in London.

The scene of the ceremony at Alexandra
house was a brilliant one. The
prince and princess of Wales headed the
procession up the aisles followed by Prince
Victor and the Princess Victoria of
Wales, the duchess of Teck, and Princess
Victoria of Teck, with Sir Francis and
Lady Cook, followed by other notables.
The dressing and toilets, although afternoon
wear, wore noticeable, and not
least amongst those attracting attention
was the little American beauty, prettily
attired in a suit of blue, trimmed with
gray sable and leaning upon the arm of
her husband. In the language of my
friend the nicest dressed and pettiest
woman in the hall was Lady Cook.

Having reached the stations upon the
platform after the opening hymn, the
honorable secretary, Sir Philip Cunliffe
Owen, read the report of the royal committee.

Sir Francis Cook , the donor ot the
building, addressed the princess.

Sir George Chubb then presented a
golden key of beautiful design, bearing
on the top small vignette photographs of
the Prince and Princess of Wales, and
her royal highness then said, "I declare
the Alexandra house open."

The Prince of Wales, who was warmly
greeted, then said: Ladies and gentlemen,
before the proceedings of the day
close, I am desired by the princess to
thank both Sir Philip Cuneliffe Owen and
Sir Francis Cook for the addresses which
they have just read, and to assure them
of the gratification it gives all here present
to be at the opening of Alexandra
house. (Cheers.) I am sure we ought all
to feel very much indebted to the munificence
of Sir Philip Cook for having
given this very handsome and most useful
building. It will be an immense boon to
this part of London, and an immense
advantage of those of the students who
find a difficulty in acquiring suitable
lodgings close to the educational institutions
they are attending (hear). In years
to come the name of Sir Francis Cook
will not be forgotten in South Kensington
for the philanthrophy he has shown
in having had this building erected for so
laudable a purpose. I not only beg to
thank him, but I beg to thank also Mr.
Lucas for the admirable manner in which
he has constructed the building (applause),
I desire also to express my acknowledgments
for the services rendered
by the architects, Mr. C. Purdon Clarke
and Mr. Robert Down, and also to express
my thanks to Mr. Doulton for the
handsome present he has made of the
work he has done here, and to the other
gentlemen who have co-operated in bringing
the building into its present condition.

Their royal highnesses then left the
hall amid the applause of the assembly,
most of whom remained behind to inspect
the new bullding, which, with its
furniture and appointments, elicited general
commendation. ALBION.

[lynn cates]

Hallett

Hello Trade. Thanks for posting this.

Couldn't help but notice Col. Hughes Hallett. Did some research on him once. He was involved, I think, in some sort of sex scandal.

Cheers.
LC

[mklhawley]

Hello Trade. Thanks for posting this.

Couldn't help but notice Col. Hughes Hallett. Did some research on him once. He was involved, I think, in some sort of sex scandal.

Cheers.
LC

Hi Lynn,

As you probably know, the Colonel was in the US in the fall of 1888 and got interviewed by the New York World in early October about the Whitechapel killings. Joe Chetcuti has done extensive research on Hughes Hallett. His little undercover operation was quite intriguing.

Sincerely,
Mike

[lynn cates]

research

Hello Mike. Thanks.

I was researching for a friend. Out of curiosity, do you know the thrust of Joe's research?

Cheers.
LC

[auspirograph]

Hello Mike. Thanks.

I was researching for a friend. Out of curiosity, do you know the thrust of Joe's research?

Cheers.
LC

Lynn,

Joe Chetcuti did a background article that includes Hughes-Hallett some time ago. It is one of several pieces on him.

The article can be found in four parts here on Jack the Ripper Writers.

http://ripperwriters.aforumfree.com/Tumbelty-Identifying-the-Source-Pt-1-h2.htm

http://ripperwriters.aforumfree.com/Tumbelty-Identifying-the-Source-Pt-2-h3.htm

http://ripperwriters.aforumfree.com/Tumbelty-Identifying-the-Source-Pt-3-h4.htm

http://ripperwriters.aforumfree.com/Tumblety-Identifying-the-Source-Pt-4-h5.htm

[Debra A]

[ATTACH]9887[/ATTACH]

Just one observation: I'm pretty sure that says "Mr J. McDermott", not "W. J. McDermott."

And only one near-contemporary "J. McDermott" springs to mind - "Red" Jim McDermott, the British agent in Fenian circles. There's nothing I know of to support this identification, but it would be fascinating if this were the "J. McDermott" referred to. Unfortunately I can't find a picture of "Red" Jim, but I wouldn't be surprised if one could be tracked down, and that ought to determine whether he's the right man.

I know it has been established the drawing originally posted by Mike is of "Red Jim" McDermott ,the name J McDermott inscribed on it too, but I couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance the drawing has to another Fenian- IRB secretary for Lenister of the early 80s-Thomas Brennan.