The Birmingham suspect : Lewis or Hutch's ?

[DVV]

ST JAMES GAZETTE
19th NOVEMBER 1888

THE EAST-END MURDERS.

On Saturday afternoon the Birmingham detectives informed the police at Scotland-yard that a man suspected of being concerned in the Whitechapel murders had left that town by train for London. Detectives Leach and White, of the Criminal Investigation Department, proceeded to Willesden junction and Euston respectively, and at the latter station Inspector White detained the person in question, and conveyed him to Scotland-yard. It was stated that he had been staying at a common lodging-house in Birmingham since Monday last. The suspected person was a medical man who was some years ago practising in London, He was of gentlemanly appearance and manners and somewhat resembled the description given by witnesses at the late inquest. After being closely questioned as to his whereabouts at the time of the murders, and supplying a satisfactory account of himself, he was liberated.

[RedBundy13]

Who?

Did they mention any names by chance??

[DVV]

Dunno, Redbundy.

But I wish there was another White's report saying :"He's not the man I talked to in the alley"...

In fact, I'm selling the theory that White was sent to Birmingham as an eye-witness.

The medical man that left Whitechapel to doss in Birmingham could well be the "student or professional man who had seen better days", couldn't he ?

More seriously, I guess this suspicion is a mixture of Lewis Gentleman and of the old medical trail. A waste of time dated 17 November.

[Wickerman]

Another account adds a little more detail.

"....He was of gentlemanly appearance and manners, and somewhat resembled the description of witnesses at the inquest as having been seen in company with Kelly early on the morning that she was murdered...."
Manchester Guardian, 19 Nov. 1888.

So, either this is confused with Hutchinson's description which was not given at the inquest or, the story by Sarah Lewis actually did mention Kelly (as per Mrs Kennedy) outside the Britannia Friday morning.

Regards, Jon S.

[mklhawley]

ST JAMES GAZETTE
19th NOVEMBER 1888

THE EAST-END MURDERS.

On Saturday afternoon the Birmingham detectives informed the police at Scotland-yard that a man suspected of being concerned in the Whitechapel murders had left that town by train for London. Detectives Leach and White, of the Criminal Investigation Department, proceeded to Willesden junction and Euston respectively, and at the latter station Inspector White detained the person in question, and conveyed him to Scotland-yard. It was stated that he had been staying at a common lodging-house in Birmingham since Monday last. The suspected person was a medical man who was some years ago practising in London, He was of gentlemanly appearance and manners and somewhat resembled the description given by witnesses at the late inquest. After being closely questioned as to his whereabouts at the time of the murders, and supplying a satisfactory account of himself, he was liberated.

Well, there is that one suspect that:
1) Resided in Birmingham on the weekdays and London on the weekends during the time of the murders...and always took the train. Euston station is the logical choice, since it is stationed at the West End.
2) Was a 'medical' man who travelled in a gentlemanly appearance.
3) Was suspected of being concerned in the Whitechapel murders at this exact time.
4) Had been visiting London since soon after the Civil War and set up shop in pretty much every large city he visited.
5) Admitted to being in the Whitechapel district during the time of the murders.
6) Was arrested on the West End and charged in the vicinity of the Euston Station -The Marlborough Street Courthouse.

...but other than him, I'm not sure of any others.

Sincerely,
Mike

[lynn cates]

timeline

Hello Mike. If this were Tumblety, would not the timeline be a bit problematic? I thought he was bailed on the 16th and was at the Old Bailey on the 20th?

Cheers.
LC

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi all,

The Inspector White here is not the same as PS White of Packer and 'man in the alley' fame. Very interesting article though. Since Hutch didn't give evidence at the inquest, we can't expect that this doctor looked like Astrakhan man.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[mklhawley]

Hello Mike. If this were Tumblety, would not the timeline be a bit problematic? I thought he was bailed on the 16th and was at the Old Bailey on the 20th?

Cheers.
LC

Hi Lynn,

What better fits Dr T's court appearance MO was that he was arrested on the 14th as per the court warrant, hung out in jail until his court appearance on the 16th (because he was forced to). When bail was posted, he had no intentions of attending the 20th court date and only had his legal representative there. He did this exact 'legal representative' approach in 1860 in Canada, another case significant enough to cause him a long stay in jail. Roger Palmer does a better job explaining it.

Sincerely,
Mike

[lynn cates]

liberated

Hello Mike. I think I'm sticking at the "liberated" phrase. If he were up at the Old Bailey in a day or two (only to get a continuance and later to jump bail) I'm not sure the phrase fits.

Perhaps a quirk in the turn of phrase?

Cheers.
LC

[DVV]

The Inspector White here is not the same as PS White of Packer and 'man in the alley' fame.
Tom Wescott

Hi Tom, you sure ? I found it in the Stephen White thread, posted by Rob Clack.

I didn't expect 2 CID detectives called White in the ripper investigation, but if so, thanks for the correction.

[Wickerman]

Hi Tom, you sure ? I found it in the Stephen White thread, posted by Rob Clack.

I didn't expect 2 CID detectives called White in the ripper investigation, but if so, thanks for the correction.

The article mentions "Inspector White", whereas Stephen White was a Sergeant in 1888, only promoted to Inspector in 1894.

Regards, Jon S.

[DVV]

Hello Jon, ok one article says "Inspector", but who exactly was that White then ?
There are only two "White" in the index of the sourcebook : Stephen, and a PC.

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi DVV,

I came across Inspector White in my Le Grand research, because this White took Le Grand to a midnight meeting with Henry Moore, and I was psyched because I thought it was White of Packer fame. Turned out not to be. I also thought that Sgt. William James, who believed Le Grand to have been the Ripper, was the same Sgt. William James who was involved in the torso investigation. Debra Arif determined it was a different William James as well!

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[DVV]

Hi Tom, many thanks, most interesting. What else is known then of this Inspector White ? Not that I don't trust you, but I'm surprised to see how he was involved in the ripper investigation and yet, almost unknown. Nothing in the sourcebook and nothing either in SY Investigates.
Is there a list of the CID Inspectors 1888 ?

[Tom_Wescott]

I guess it was because he wasn't attached to H Division. There were tons of departments who worked the Ripper case but we don't hear about them because they weren't H Division.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott