Was Annie Austin a Ripper Victim?

[MrBarnett]

One of my favourite research subjects is Bridget Enright aka Biddy the Chiver. Anyone wanting to establish Arthur Harding’s reliability should compare his account of her life to the real thing. In particular, Harding claimed that Biddy caught her husband with another woman and stabbed him to death. This is how Harding tells the story:

Then she met and married a man who treated her very badly; she was frequently seen with bruises on her face. One day it happened. She went to look for him, found him with another woman and stabbed him to death. She was sentenced to three years for manslaughter, diminished responsibility. She died in Holloway prison.

The reality is that she was sentenced to 3 years in a certified Inebriate Reformatory for a drink-related offence and on her release went back to live with her husband who outlived her by several years.

Arfur was an old Cockney spoofer who span numerous dubious tales to the historian Raphael Samuel. I say ‘dubious’ but there’s usually a core of truth in what he says. It’s just that he gets a lot of the details muddled. Another classic example is that he gets Billy Maher and another character ‘Scabby’ (Lewis/Louis Lewinsky) mixed up, ascribing Billy’s murder of the boxer Black Jack Stevens to Scabby. Incidentally, Scabby was one of the other two men who carried out the attack on Maggie Sullivan and Bertie Crossingham.

[MrBarnett]

And more interesting stuff on Billy M:

https://www.jtrforums.com/forum/the-crime-scenes/12259-in-notorious-blood-alley-featuring-bridget-mccarthy

[The Macdonald Triad]

By Richardson, do you mean McCarthy?


He doesn’t appear remotely like a gangster. The only reference to him being a bully, as far as I know, was from Arthur Harding, a man whose utterances have to be taken with a huge pinch of salt.

Billy Maher was Ann McCarthy’s minder. Ironically for a man who shot another in the jaw, his cause of death was sarcoma of the jaw. When he died, he was still working for Annie at her doss house in Thrawl Street.

You might find this interesting.

https://www.jtrforums.com/forum/the-...n-austin/page7

Doh! Yes, been on a Richardson thread lately and he's my favorite suspect right now. Freudian slip.

[MrBarnett]

I'm starting to get a better handle on it. Maher looks like he supplemented his income by being a henchman to Richardson. I also see the version of the 3 McCarthy's scanned for Rob is much better and have to agree that he's the spitting image of the illustration. And has a moustache like Fisherman lol. Funny coincidence is when he forced his way into Crossinghams he had other guys with him, like the attack on Emma Smith. Richardson was called an Irish bully by some but on paper he was a hospital booster, raised money for causes, a real philanthropist. He seems to me the first modern day Kingpin like from the comics or the proverbial crack dealer who passes out turkey's on Thanksgiving in the USA. Richardson appears to be a gangster.

By Richardson, do you mean McCarthy?


He doesn’t appear remotely like a gangster. The only reference to him being a bully, as far as I know, was from Arthur Harding, a man whose utterances have to be taken with a huge pinch of salt.

Billy Maher was Ann McCarthy’s minder. He was, in his own words ‘part of the furniture’ at her establishment in Thrawl Street for many years. Ironically for a man who shot another in the jaw, his cause of death was sarcoma of the jaw. When he died, he was still working for Annie at her doss house in Thrawl Street.

You might find this interesting.

https://www.jtrforums.com/forum/the-...n-austin/page7

[The Macdonald Triad]

I would imagine Maher attacked whomever he was told to attack or was expected to attack. Ann McCarthy had reason to resent her father and stepmother. The Austin murder was very inconvenient for Crossingham and for Maggie’s brother, Daniel.

A witness apparently claimed that Austin had ‘been with’ McCarthy before her husband. Which McCarthy, and how long before? Shortly before she was murdered she was evicted from 37, Dorset Street by a Mrs McCarthy. Which Mrs McCarthy?

Personally, I think the last word on the ID of Jack McCarthy is the photo of him that is almost identical to the sketch in the IPN of MJK’s landlord.

https://www.jtrforums.com/forum/gene...mccarthy-photo

I'm starting to get a better handle on it. Maher looks like he supplemented his income by being a henchman to Richardson. I also see the version of the 3 McCarthy's scanned for Rob is much better and have to agree that he's the spitting image of the illustration. And has a moustache like Fisherman lol. Funny coincidence is when he forced his way into Crossinghams he had other guys with him, like the attack on Emma Smith. Richardson was called an Irish bully by some but on paper he was a hospital booster, raised money for causes, a real philanthropist. He seems to me the first modern day Kingpin like from the comics or the proverbial crack dealer who passes out turkey's on Thanksgiving in the USA. Richardson appears to be a gangster.

[The Macdonald Triad]

hes the only police suspect thats a proven killer of a woman who has a similar sig as the ripper.. ie. post mortem mutilation of the midsection with knife. he was also in the area at the time.

he should be up there on anyones suspect list.

He's definitely a good suspect, I just question why he turned himself in. I always got the vibe he mutilated her corpse with a drunken idea of putting the Ripper in the frame. Then after sobering up he bottled it.

[The Macdonald Triad]

You clearly didn’t read the whole thread. Rob Clack followed it up and got a much clearer copy of the photo. Even without the photo, though, there is sufficient evidence to show that MJK’s landlord and the boxing enthusiast were one and the same.

Where does Richardson come into it?

Billy Maher was Ann McCarthy’s minder. Austin was evicted from the house next door to Ann’s shop by a Mrs McCarthy.

I'm sure I read it all I just don't remember is all. I'll check it out. And I'm just a little confused is all. Got a lot going on so I tend to get ditzy lol. So am I right in believing that while you believe MKs landlord is the same guy as the boxing enthusiast, he's in not the owner of Crossinghams? Forgive me if I get tedious or seem slow. This particular case is confusing hence why I posted about it.

[MrBarnett]

So you think they are one and the same? Funny thing, I remember as a kid before computer records when I would go to the mailbox and get the bills, my Dad's name Mike was changed to Matt and the last name had a K where a C should be and sometimes he got mail from a neighbor. It's an old school answer to getting utilities while still owing a bill to the same utility. Perhaps Richardson had creditors he was trying to avoid? I actually remember reading that thread you posted from the forums because of the blacked out photo. So I'm not sure how your arriving at the conclusion his sketch resembles the photo. Were you able to find another?

You clearly didn’t read the whole thread. Rob Clack followed it up and got a much clearer copy of the photo. Even without the photo, though, there is sufficient evidence to show that MJK’s landlord and the boxing enthusiast were one and the same.

Where does Richardson come into it?

Billy Maher was Ann McCarthy’s minder. Austin was evicted from the house next door to Ann’s shop by a Mrs McCarthy.

[Abby Normal]

Fair enough. Yes I know of Bury. Creepy graffiti at his back door, killed his wife and stuffed her into a trunk. Then turned himself in with a preposterous story. Not the clever Ripper I would imagine but go with your instincts.

hes the only police suspect thats a proven killer of a woman who has a similar sig as the ripper.. ie. post mortem mutilation of the midsection with knife. he was also in the area at the time.

he should be up there on anyones suspect list.

[The Macdonald Triad]

I just don't see there being that much of a gap between murders. But yes I do have a favoured suspect: William Henry Bury. You might want to check him out if you haven't already.

Fair enough. Yes I know of Bury. Creepy graffiti at his back door, killed his wife and stuffed her into a trunk. Then turned himself in with a preposterous story. Not the clever Ripper I would imagine but go with your instincts.

[The Macdonald Triad]

I would imagine Maher attacked whomever he was told to attack or was expected to attack. Ann McCarthy had reason to resent her father and stepmother. The Austin murder was very inconvenient for Crossingham and for Maggie’s brother, Daniel.

A witness apparently claimed that Austin had ‘been with’ McCarthy before her husband. Which McCarthy, and how long before? Shortly before she was murdered she was evicted from 37, Dorset Street by a Mrs McCarthy. Which Mrs McCarthy?

Personally, I think the last word on the ID of Jack McCarthy is the photo of him that is almost identical to the sketch in the IPN of MJK’s landlord.

https://www.jtrforums.com/forum/gene...mccarthy-photo

So you think they are one and the same? Funny thing, I remember as a kid before computer records when I would go to the mailbox and get the bills, my Dad's name Mike was changed to Matt and the last name had a K where a C should be and sometimes he got mail from a neighbor. It's an old school answer to getting utilities while still owing a bill to the same utility. Perhaps Richardson had creditors he was trying to avoid? I actually remember reading that thread you posted from the forums because of the blacked out photo. So I'm not sure how your arriving at the conclusion his sketch resembles the photo. Were you able to find another?

[John Wheat]

Just like that? Is it a gut feeling or do you have a favorite suspect that was incapacitated before 1901?

I just don't see there being that much of a gap between murders. But yes I do have a favoured suspect: William Henry Bury. You might want to check him out if you haven't already.

[MrBarnett]

I'm glad you piped up. This murder always intrigued me but I admit it's been awhile so I'm mostly going off memory. I appreciate finding out about Maher from you but from what you wrote it sounds like a completely different M.O. He defended a woman's honor with a gun but then stabbed her step-mother? I would venture to say his attack on Maggie was a result of necessity from being locked up for fraud or whatever. Annie Austin's private parts were attacked first in a controlled situation. Maher attacked faces in the spur of the moment. I really enjoyed reading your exchange with Scott. Can't he just get the last word?

I would imagine Maher attacked whomever he was told to attack or was expected to attack. Ann McCarthy had reason to resent her father and stepmother. The Austin murder was very inconvenient for Crossingham and for Maggie’s brother, Daniel.

A witness apparently claimed that Austin had ‘been with’ McCarthy before her husband. Which McCarthy, and how long before? Shortly before she was murdered she was evicted from 37, Dorset Street by a Mrs McCarthy. Which Mrs McCarthy?

Personally, I think the last word on the ID of Jack McCarthy is the photo of him that is almost identical to the sketch in the IPN of MJK’s landlord.

https://www.jtrforums.com/forum/gene...mccarthy-photo

[The Macdonald Triad]

If I had been a detective investigating the Austin murder and had formed the opinion that a ‘well known local character’ was being shielded by the folks at 35, Dorset Street, the first person I would have considered would have been Billy Maher. A few years before he and two other men had bluffed their way into one of Crossingham’s establishments and attacked Maggie Sullivan - this was before she had married Crossingham. Maher allegedly stabbed her in the face and side and dragged her out of the house into the street. He also stabbed a Spitalfields boxer to death in a Kentish hop field and shot a man who had disrespected Annie McCarthy in the jaw.

I'm glad you piped up. This murder always intrigued me but I admit it's been awhile so I'm mostly going off memory. I appreciate finding out about Maher from you but from what you wrote it sounds like a completely different M.O. He defended a woman's honor with a gun but then stabbed her step-mother? I would venture to say his attack on Maggie was a result of necessity from being locked up for fraud or whatever. Annie Austin's private parts were attacked first in a controlled situation. Maher attacked faces in the spur of the moment. I really enjoyed reading your exchange with Scott. Can't he just get the last word?

[MrBarnett]

If I had been a detective investigating the Austin murder and had formed the opinion that a ‘well known local character’ was being shielded by the folks at 35, Dorset Street, the first person I would have considered would have been Billy Maher. A few years before he and two other men had bluffed their way into one of Crossingham’s establishments and attacked Maggie Sullivan - this was before she had married Crossingham. Maher allegedly stabbed her in the face and side and dragged her out of the house into the street. He also stabbed a Spitalfields boxer to death in a Kentish hop field and shot a man who had disrespected Annie McCarthy in the jaw.