Charles Lechmere and the Curious Case of Henry John Holland

[MrBarnett]

For the sake of anyone interested in making acquaintance with reality, I should point out that the Royal Albert Hall is, in fact, acoustically appalling, the inevitably disastrous sonic shortcomings of a hollowed-out wedding cake having proved only partially rectifiable down the decades.
I
M.

A peculiar phenomenon existed in the Working Lads Institute. The acoustics around just one seat on the press table were perfect. A reporter sitting there could hear every syllable spoken by a witness giving his address. From the seats either side, the witness’s address would have been totally inaudible. The reporters sitting at them wouldn’t have even bothered to have a guess at what address the witness gave.

It was known as the Star effect.

Edit: I should add that this inaudibility only applied to addresses.

[rjpalmer]

For the sake of anyone interested in making acquaintance with reality, I should point out that the Royal Albert Hall is, in fact, acoustically appalling, the inevitably disastrous sonic shortcomings of a hollowed-out wedding cake having proved only partially rectifiable down the decades.

M.

Your comment would have been true forty years ago, but it's dated. Acoustic "mushrooms" were added to the Hall's ceiling to get rid of the infamous echo, and a few years ago new sound tests were conducted and new improvements made to render any such complaints null & void.

Either way, I'd hazard a guess that the inquest held at the WLI wouldn't even have had the acoustics of a flawed concert hall.

Another pedestrian explanation, showing that a cigar is often just a cigar, is that a head-cold was running around the East End. John Richardson had it, and the ELO commented on his voice being horse from it.

I wonder what 'Doveton' would have sounded like coming from a man with an SGE accent and a stuffed-up nasal passage, all rendered in a room that turned 'Paul' into "Baul'?

'Charlie, did you catch what he said? Dumpton? Dutton? Button?" "I've no idea, Mick. I'm just going to write that he works for Pickford and Co.!"

But once the stench of suspicion is on Lechmere, he can't rub it off. You've already suggested that if he was inaudible, he was faking it, presumably having scoped out the acoustics of the Working Lad's Institute the night before to test how far he could push it, and no doubt he would have been merely faking a head-cold, too, had any been reported. If one wants to see a sinister motive, one will see a sinister motive.

[rjpalmer]

It was known as the Star effect.

Edit: I should add that this inaudibility only applied to addresses.

'Baul' is an address?

And in the case of Smith, the papers reported that his address was inaudible.

And what about 'The Times' effect? Only The Times reported Henry John Holland's address, and according to Christer, that is 'strong' evidence that Holland deliberately withheld it.

What was Holland hiding, Gary? Or is there an 'innocent' explanation for Holland, but a 'sinister' explanation for Lechmere?

[Fisherman]

If one wants to see a sinister motive, one will see a sinister motive.

… and if one is dead set on not acknowledging the possibility of a sinister motive, come what may, one will not acknowledge a sinister motive.

Fascinating. It works both ways!

[rjpalmer]

Did anyone notice where Henry John Holland worked? And why he was in Hanbury Street when a dead body was discovered?

Holland worked in Chiswell Street, which is west and slightly north of Broad Street, where Lechmere worked.

So Holland, who lived somewhere along Mile-End Road, had a commute up the Whitechapel Road--cut up to Hanbury Street (by way of Buck's Row for all we know)--and continued on through the 'murder zone,' just like Lechmere did, and just like any man who lived in Mile-End would do, had he worked in Central London.

[MrBarnett]

'Baul' is an address?

And in the case of Smith, the papers reported that his address was inaudible.

And what about 'The Times' effect? Only The Times reported Henry John Holland's address, and according to Christer, that is 'strong' evidence that Holland deliberately withheld it.

What was Holland hiding, Gary? Or is there an 'innocent' explanation for Holland, but a 'sinister' explanation for Lechmere?

No, they heard ‘Baul’ a cockney representation of ‘Paul’.

If what Smith said was ‘inaudible’, how do we know he gave his address?

What was Holland’s address, again?

[MrBarnett]

Did anyone notice where Henry John Holland worked? And why he was in Hanbury Street when a dead body was discovered?

Holland worked in Chiswell Street, which is west and slightly north of Broad Street, where Lechmere worked.

So Holland, who lived somewhere along Mile-End Road, had a commute up the Whitechapel Road--cut up to Hanbury Street (by way of Buck's Row for all we know)--and continued on through the 'murder zone,' just like Lechmere did, and just like any man who lived in Mile-End would do, had he worked in Central London.

Yes, I spotted that, RJ. There was a large Brewery in Chiswell Street - some of the buildings are still there.

I suppose it’s possible he turned north at Brady Street and then along Buck’s Row. Later in time than Lechmere, though.

[rjpalmer]

If what Smith said was ‘inaudible’, how do we know he gave his address?

Because, as Chris pointed out ages ago, it was standard procedure for the witness to begin by stating his name, address, and occupation, and the reporters were experienced enough to work out that they couldn't hear the address.


As for Holland, he gave his address a 4 Aden-yard, Mile End Road. I don't believe there is any such address.

There is a Aden Grove in Stoke Newington and Aden Villas in Camberwell, but the only 'yards' I know of in the Mile End Road are Chapel-yard and Hayfield Yard. Maybe something will turn up, by I sure can't find it.

Holland's young wife's maiden name was 'Smith' and there is a Smith living at No. 4 Hayfield-yard, Mile End, in 1891, but it doesn't look like it could be a close relative, so it may just be a name coincidence. Her father's name was William; this bloke's father's name was Daniel.

Holland may have had a sister-in-law who was a 'unfortunate,' arrested and spending the night in a police station in the 1881 Census. Same name, same age, also born Newington, but, of course, you don't get much more common a name than 'Smith.'

[rjpalmer]

If one really wanted to know Holland's address, the couple appears to have had a child born 1st Quarter, 1888. They later moved to Tottenham.

[rjpalmer]

I can't see where any Ripperologist has tracked down Henry Holland's info. Here's his marriage in March 1886, listed a packing case maker--an occupation that he stuck with for decades.

[Mark J D]

Your comment would have been true forty years ago, but it's dated. Acoustic "mushrooms" were added to the Hall's ceiling to get rid of the infamous echo, and a few years ago new sound tests were conducted and new improvements made to render any such complaints null & void.

No. The Albert Hall acoustic remains a national embarrassment, a literal disgrace -- to the extent that I stopped going there as a paying customer, and eventually refused to go there as a reviewer. No-one should be deceived by the sound they hear on the radio or by talk of 'new sound tests': it's not a fit venue for any music that needs hearing, and the fact that this country not only tolerates it but even celebrates it is as shocking as it unsurprising.

M.

[jerryd]

I can't see where any Ripperologist has tracked down Henry Holland's info. Here's his marriage in March 1886, listed a packing case maker--an occupation that he stuck with for decades.

Hi RJ.

Thanks for providing this info on Holland.

First off, wasn't Polly Nichols roommate that last saw her alive named Emily Holland? Anyways.

It looks like Henry John Holland was born in Bethnal Green, 1863.

1881 Census shows father William Robert Holland and mother as Hannah Mary. Siblings were: William Rbt (21), Thomas George (13), Elenor (10) and Edward James (7). It lists Henry as a Packing Case Makers Apprentice. It looks like 126 Braemar Street, Hackney.

1891-19 Malvern Road, Tottenham. Wife Emily and children: Edward (4), Florence (3) and Charley (1). All born in Bow.

Hope that helps.

[MrBarnett]

I can't see where any Ripperologist has tracked down Henry Holland's info. Here's his marriage in March 1886, listed a packing case maker--an occupation that he stuck with for decades.

What an amazing discovery, RJ!

[MrBarnett]

What an amazing discovery, RJ!

This is why RJ is considered one of the best researchers in the field.

[MrBarnett]

Because, as Chris pointed out ages ago, it was standard procedure for the witness to begin by stating his name, address, and occupation, and the reporters were experienced enough to work out that they couldn't hear the address.


As for Holland, he gave his address a 4 Aden-yard, Mile End Road. I don't believe there is any such address.

There is a Aden Grove in Stoke Newington and Aden Villas in Camberwell, but the only 'yards' I know of in the Mile End Road are Chapel-yard and Hayfield Yard. Maybe something will turn up, by I sure can't find it.

Holland's young wife's maiden name was 'Smith' and there is a Smith living at No. 4 Hayfield-yard, Mile End, in 1891, but it doesn't look like it could be a close relative, so it may just be a name coincidence. Her father's name was William; this bloke's father's name was Daniel.

Holland may have had a sister-in-law who was a 'unfortunate,' arrested and spending the night in a police station in the 1881 Census. Same name, same age, also born Newington, but, of course, you don't get much more common a name than 'Smith.'

Chris?