Framing Charles

[drstrange169]

>>There were three 20-something carmen living at 11, Mary Ann Street alongside Ma Lechmere in 1871, CAL, Alfred Croote and George Blencowe. <<

Except, of course, she wasn't Ma Lechmere in 1871, she was Ma Cross.

>>And Lizzie presumably knew that CAL was CAL before their wedding day. Ditto her parents and numerous siblings? <<

A key point!

Although they attended a "Lechmere" wedding, they all had to know the Cross connection, making the use of Cross at the inquest not something that hid his identity from close family, friends and acquaintances as has been suggested by some in the past. However I do like your notion that it might have been to hide from distant rels.


>>He was probably known by both names and therefore should have given both at the inquests. <<

Could but there was no legal should.


>>His attempt to conceal his identity was so successful that even today we have people who cannot bring themselves to use the L word.<<

I tend to call him Cross when talking all things murder because that was the name he used and Lechmere when talking non murder. And sometimes Crossmere.

[MrBarnett]

I know, right? Enough to have kept Coleridge happy for a month. I wonder if there's more to that story.

Coleridge and DeQuincy.

And Francis Thompson.

[rjpalmer]

A quarter of a pound of opium? Bloody hell!

I know, right? Enough to have kept Coleridge happy for a month. I wonder if there's more to that story.

Heck, Coleridge and DeQuincy.

You might use your skills to hunt him down in 1881; I've come up blank so far.

The way he behaves he might be a 'J.B.' somewhere uncomfortable.

[MrBarnett]

Let's see...

ELO 6 July 1878.

I see that our posts crossed in regards to the opium overdose.

I don't mean to make light of it; he appears to be a tragic case, if the head injury is true.

Yes, he may have resorted to opium as a method of pain relief.

1878, eh? An interesting example of a family name being exposed in the press in relation to an unfortunate incident.

[rjpalmer]

Let's see...

ELO 6 July 1878.

I see that our posts crossed in regards to the opium overdose.

I don't mean to make light of it; he appears to be a tragic case, if the head injury is true.

[MrBarnett]

James was drunkard and a suicide, too, who raved about Irish Home Rule. Dead by September 1895.

A quarter of a pound of opium? Bloody hell!

[MrBarnett]

It looks like Lechmere's brother-in-law was a bit of a hell raiser. 4 months breaking rocks and picking oakum for trying to take on Johnny Law. Charles couldn't have been impressed.

Great find, RJ!

What was the date of this?

[rjpalmer]

James was drunkard and a suicide, too, who raved about Irish Home Rule. Dead by September 1895.

[MrBarnett]

Looks like JB may have been a crazy knife-carrying Fenian drug fiend.

[MrBarnett]

N

Where's Iconoclast when we need him?

JAmes BostoCK aka "Jack": violent psychosis due to head injury, at large in the East End in 1888.

[harry]

Mr Barnett,
Yes a lot of things could have happened before Paul arrived,but there is no evidence( eye witness etc)to prove that anything other than what Cross(That is a name he gave)states did happen.Could have is not proof of an happening. Cross, in giving a name and address where he could be contacted,satisfied both the requirements of the inquest,and of the law in general.That it doesn't satify you doesn't matter.

[rjpalmer]

Where's Iconoclast when we need him?

JAmes BostoCK aka "Jack": violent psychosis due to head injury, at large in the East End in 1888.

[rjpalmer]

It looks like Lechmere's brother-in-law was a bit of a hell raiser. 4 months breaking rocks and picking oakum for trying to take on Johnny Law. Charles couldn't have been impressed.

[MrBarnett]

“ He was probably known as both names “
Whats that statement based on as there doesn’t seem to be anything official stating that or anything unofficial for that matter.

If there was unequivocal documentary evidence, there’d be no reason for the ‘probably’.

The reasons have been given.

[paul g]

“ He was probably known as both names “
Whats that statement based on as there doesn’t seem to be anything official stating that or anything unofficial for that matter.