Kansas Physician Confirms Howard Report

[TradeName]

Found a notice indicating that the partnership between Benjamin Clarke and Thomas Furze Clarke was dissolved in 1887.

The Chemist and Druggist, August 6, 1887, Page 172

GAZETTE

PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED

Clarke, B., & T. F., Arbutus Place, Upper Clapton, and Glenavon, Stoke Newington, surgeons.

[TradeName]

HO 45/9969/X27267 - Clarke v. Hart. Breach of confidence on part of Scotland Yard

I have just obtained from the UK National Archives scans of pages from the Home Office file HO 45/9969/X27267 which deal with the libel case Clarke V. Hart and the unsuccessful efforts of J. Carter Hart to obtain recompense for his costs in that case on the grounds the Metropolitan Police had betrayed his confidence.

This is a transcription of a copy of a letter Hart wrote the day after the court date for his case:


293 Mare Street
Hackney N. E.
21st Jan 1890

To the
Chief Commissioner of the Police
Scotland Yard S. W.

Sir

On 13th Nov 1888 I communicated to the
officer in charge at Scotland Yard the fact
that a person answering the description published
in that morning [sic] "Daily News" of a man who
was supposed to know something which might
aid in the detection of the Whitechapel Murderer
was known in Mare Street, Hackney.

I gave the information in good faith and
relying upon its being kept secret. Instead of
this it became known & I have been ordered
to pay the costs of Dr. Clarke who brought an
action against me & I have to pay my own
costs also & been made the subject of disparaging
remarks by Hon. Justice Stephens [sic]. All this has
resulted from the disclosure of my information
imparted in confidence.

I have been informed that one of your former
officers Mr. Jamieson had access to the book
in which my information was noted & have
no doubt it was thus that what I had done
became known to Dr. Clarke.

I have to ask that you will protect me
from the loss occasioned by this discloure
& am Sir,

Yours Obediently
J. Carter Hart

--end

Hart seems to refer to the description that Hutchinson gave to the police.

Daily News
United Kingdom
13 November 1888, link

AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBABLE MURDERER.

Yesterday evening the police received information of a most important nature which not only establishes a clue to the perpetrator of the Dorset-street murder, but places the authorities in possession of an accurate and full description of a person who was seen in company with the murdered woman during the night on which she met her death. A man, apparently of the labouring class, but of a military appearance, who knew the deceased, last night lodged with the police a long and detailed statement of an incident which attracted his attention on the day in question. The following is a summary of the statement, and it may be said that notwithstanding examination and re-examination by the police, the man's story cannot be shaken, and so circumstantial and straightforward were his assertions that the police believe they have at length been placed in possession of facts which will open up a new line of investigation, and probably enable them to track the criminal. This man states that on the morning of the 9th instant he saw the deceased woman, Mary Janet Kelly, in Commercial-street, Spitalfields (the vicinity of where the murder was committed), in company with a man of respectable appearance. The man was about 5 feet 6 inches in height, and 34 or 35 years of age, with dark complexion and dark moustache curled up at the ends. He was wearing a long dark coat trimmed with astrakhan, a white collar with black necktie, in which was affixed a horseshoe pin. He wore a pair of dark gaiters with light buttons, over button boots, and displayed from his waistcoat a massive gold chain. The highly respectable appearance of this individual was in such great contrast to that of the woman that few people could have failed to remark them at that hour of the morning. This description, which substantiates that given by others of the person seen in company with the deceased on the morning she was killed, is much fuller in detail than that hitherto in the possession of the police, and the importance they attach to this man's story may be imagined when it is mentioned that it was forwarded to the headquarters of the H Division as soon as completed by a special detective. Detectives Abberline, Nairn, and Moore were present when this message arrived, and an investigation was immediately set on foot.

--end

Hart's account contradicts the statement by plaintiff's counsel that Hart had followed Clarke home from Whitechapel.

As far as I can tell, the full name of Dr. Clarke is not given in the documents. He had a wife in 1888 who might have testified at the 1890 trial if the case had not been settled. He seems to have lived in Hackney.

[TradeName]

A Longer Statement by Hart from HO 45/9969/X27267

Page 1

On the 13th Nov '88 I read a description
in a daily paper of a person seen
talking to one of Jack the Rippers victims
the same morning that she was murdered
& I called at Scotland Yard on my way
to Westminster & stated that a Dr. Clarke
resembled in many particulars the man
referred to in the Paper.

Some week or two after Dr. Slimon called
on me to say he had been stopped by
two Detectives, who informed him
that I had mentioned his name
with reference to a statement made
by me at Scotland Yard about Dr. Clarke.
I asked who the Detectives were, but he
declined to say but added that he
had had the particulars given him.
He was annoyed & strongly advised
me to apologize to Dr. Clarke.

The following day during my absence
Dr & Mrs. Clarke called at my house; &
finding both myself & wife out & being
told my wife was making a call on
my Parents went there. They then
accused me of making the statement
& referred to a visit by Detectives, &
that my name had been given to
them as making such about Dr. Clarke.
I complained to Scotland Yard of
what had taken place. They sent an
Inspector to Dr. Slimon & the Inspector
subsequently called on me & admitted

Page 2

to me in conversation that he
thought it was Ex-Inspector Jamieson
that had given the information.--My
wife, Father, & Mother were present at
the time.--

Subsequently Dr. Clarke wrote to the
Mercury (copy enclosed) & there
stated in one of his letters that Ex-Inspector
Jamieson had called on him.

In due course I received a letter from
Dr. Clarke's Solicitor & I at once placed
the matter in the hands of Messrs.
Wynne, Holme & Wynne 740 Chancery
Lane W.C. The result was a libel
suit before Mr. Justice Stephen on
20th January last, who after hearing
the opening speech of the Plaintiffs
Solicitor who accused me of being
an amateur Detective &C. intervened
& asked whether it was worth
while going on with the case, as
the statement was not privileged
altho it was made to the police; &
suggested I should accept the
Plaintiffs offer of an apology &
his costs. I agreed upon the advice
of my Solicitors, who did not deem
it prudent to go on in view of
Mr. Justice Stephens decision. I
was further lectured by Mr. Justice
Stephens for acting as an amateur
detective, who also advised me to
let the Police trace out these things
& say nothing in future.

Page 3

The counsels statement was totally
untrue, as I never did anything
further than call at Scotland Yard.
After the trial I called at Scotland
Yard to hear what they had to
say. Inspector Shaw (or Shore)
denied that Ex. Inspector Jamieson
could have seen the books, but
added that if I could prove that
he or any other expoliceman--
pensioner or otherwise had given
information it would be a case
for me to go to the Commissioner
on.

The same evening I called on Dr.
Slimon & begged of him to give
me the name of his informant.
In the end he promised me a letter
which he subsequently wrote out
(see enclosed) & which I sent to
Scotland Yard. Dr. Slimon further
mentioned to me that Mrs. Clarke
told him ex-Inspector Jamieson
had called & gave her my name.
Whether Jamieson did see the books
or got the information from outside
the result was the same. He gave
the information which caused
the libel suit & therefore in
common justice should suffer
& [????].

Jamieson was degraded from an
Inspector & subsequently resigned
on (I believe) a sergeants pension.

Page 4

Since the he has acted as a
private detective, Bailiff & C.
The reference in the Commissioner's
letter dated as to my
mentioning the fact of my
statement to a witness the
Plaintiff had in court, is as
stated in my reply there absolutely
false. The Plaintiff had
subpenaed a Mr. Harley who he
said I had mentioned the matter
to, but this Mr. Harley naturally
was prepared to deny on oath
in court had he been called.
So far from him hearing from
me on the subject my own
household knew nothing of the
matter until after Dr. & Mrs. Clarke
had called & accused me of the
statement.

--end

Note: While a copy of the letter of Dr. Slimon is included in the file, Dr. Clarke's letters to the Mercury are not.

A description and picture from a fictional story:

Good Words (London: 1888), Volume 29, Page 293

The Weaker Vessel
by D. Christie Murray

[...] Mr. Goldsmith, with a black-glazed portmanteau in his hand, came dashing through the crowd, stumbled down the gangway and reached the deck. He had only just set foot upon the boat when the gangway was slipped up from behind him. He set down his portmanteau, mopped his countenance with a gorgeous silk handkerchief, and gazed about him with a renewal of that beaming complacency which had marked him at the beginning of our acquaintance. He was magnificently attired in, I think, the check suit of the largest pattern and vividest colours I had ever, until that hour, beheld. He wore an embroidered waistcoat, with a great gold cable across it, which for size and weight would have served admirably to attach a horse to his manger; and he wore rings outside his gloves, and a pin with a horseshoe head, a size or two smaller than the original, and set full of brilliants, which, if they had been real, might have excited the cupidity of everybody on board. I believe that if fashion had only afforded him the least warranty for it, he would have gone about with a jewelled ring in his nose, like some imaginable Croesus of a porker.

He did not observe me for some time, and I had time to observe one proceeding of his which interested me more than a little. He had three or four rings outside his gloves already, and when once the boat had started he retired to a position where he fancied himself safe from intruding glances, and there drew forth from his purse a little tissue-paper packet containing half-a-dozen others. These he put on with an admirable slyness, and having demurely admired them, turned round and swaggered across the deck, coaxing his black little moustache, and adjusting that monumental horseshoe pin for their display.

[picture between pages 288 and 289]

[TradeName]

Dr. Slimon's Letter from HO 45/9969/X27267

This is the Slimon letter that Hart mentions in his account. It sounds a bit garbled in spots.

Copy

Red House.
Hackney. Feb. 1. 90.

Dear Sir

As you desired me, I now beg to
state how I became possessed of the
information about you having been to
Scotland Yard & made a statement about
Dr. Clarke. To day on my round I was
stopped by Inspector Jamieson (who I was
not aware had left the P. force) who told
me that a Mr. Hart had gone to Scotland
Yard & made a long statement about Dr
Clarke that in looking over the works he
accidently came on some statement & asked
me as his Med'l Attendant to apprise him
of it, as he thought it could not certainly
be the fact that he was the man. He
positively asserted to me that he had
seen it at Scotland yard. These are the whole
facts about my receiving such information.

Very faithfully
(signed) Geo. C. Slimon M.D. & C.M.

NB. At a subsequent interview with Inspector
Jamieson, in my house he stated that it was
Mr. Hart, Tobacconist Mare St. who had
made such statement. G.C.S.

-end

The Medical Directory for 1878 (London: Churchill), Page 190

SLIMON, George Chas., 155, Mare-st. Hackney, E. (Appleton and Slimon) — MD. Glasg. 1864, CM. 1868; (Univ. Glasg.)

--end

Medical Times and Gazette, September 15, 1866, Page 284

UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW.

Three Degrees in Medicine are granted, viz. :—Bachelor of Medicine (M.B.), Master in Surgery (C.M.), and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.).

--end

A snippet:

[TradeName]

Met. Police Reply to Hart 1/25/1890 - HO 45/9969/X27267

An experiment with converting a 3 MB TIFF to a 200 KB JPG.

[TradeName]

Draft of JCH's Letter Dated 4th Feb. 1890 HO 45/9969/X27267

Reply to Anderson:

[TradeName]

Met Police Reply to Hart (Undate) HO 45/9969/X27267

Mac has his say.

[TradeName]

Hart's Reply of 2/13/1890 - HO 45/9969/X27267

Complains of discourteous treatment.

[TradeName]

Met Police's Reply of 2/18/1890 - HO 45/9969/X27267

Anderson to Hart: Don't go away mad; just go away.

[TradeName]

Hart's Letter of 1/21/1890 - HO 45/9969/X27267

Might as well post this.

[TradeName]

Slimon Letter of 2/1/1890 - HO 45/9969/X27267

Full image of this letter.

[TradeName]

Anderson Note to Home Office 3/22/1890 - HO 45/9969/X27267

Transmitting a report which he says completely disposes of Hart's claim. Concedes that Jamieson may have learned Hart's name through an officer's indiscretion, but feels that a disputed claim by Clarke's counsel makes Jamieson's knowledge of "no account".

[TradeName]

CID Report by Jarvis of March 22, 1890 - HO 45/9969/X27267

Summary of Contents

[TradeName]

CID Report by Jarvis of March 22, 1890 - HO 45/9969/X27267

Page 1

The referenced January 24 report of PS Vagg is NOT included in the file I have.

No first name given for Mr. Harley of 262 Mare Street.

Two Harleys listed at 262 here:

The Dentists Register for 1889, Page 102

Harley, Edward Thomas

Harley, Thomas Self

[TradeName]

CID Report by Jarvis of March 22, 1890 - HO 45/9969/X27267

Page 2

Harley denies that he talked to Hart about Clarke.