Did a police officer see a ripper suspect, right after the 2nd of the double murders?

[Richard Patterson]

The article likely made up by the journalist was published after White's death.

He must have had a vivid imagination to describe in detail what resembles a specific actual homeless Londoner. It was published a week after White's death. Considering that time-frame, ascribing it to White is not unreasonable.

[Hunter]

Are you 1st hand information?

You suspect fanatics are something else.

No, I am not 1st hand information, but I provided the 1st hand source - Chief Insp. Donald Swanson's Oct. 1. 1888 Home Office report on the murder of Elizabeth Stride - Ref. HO 144/221/A49301C, ff. 148-59.

I have a photocopy of the original, but most people here know the text can be referenced in Evans & Skinner's "The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook."

[Richard Patterson]

You suspect fanatics are something else.

No, I am not 1st hand information, but I provided the 1st hand source - Chief Insp. Donald Swanson's Oct. 1. 1888 Home Office report on the murder of Elizabeth Stride - Ref. HO 144/221/A49301C, ff. 148-59.

I have a photocopy of the original, but most people here know the text can be referenced in Evans & Skinner's "The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook."

If you are not 1st hand information then, by your own words, I shouldn't rely on you.

[Hunter]

You won't have to. I'm done with this place. Not worth the trouble.

[Monty]

Hunter has cited a reliable source, a further police report. So yeah, he is to be relied on.

You may wish to follow a news report, however Swansons summary far outweighs any news clipping, as that is compiled, as per procedure, from primary source material.

Monty

[Batman]

The report is doubted so much by historians that most of the leading ripper books don't even carry it.

It has been know for a long time though. I think people have gone over and over this again. Is it Castle Alley running Parrallel with Goulston Street with the main enterance on Old Castle Street? Yet even that doesn't work. Nowhere works. You could pick a 1888 map apart all month and not find it. One PC is supposed to be in a house watching this alley.

The man is coming out of the alley. The report doesn't say if he was seen going in. If he wasn't seen going in that that is all very confusing.

As far I know rubber shoes means police rubber shoes which were recently ordered since the start of the Whitechapel murders. So I don't know what sort of suspect the journalist is trying to propose with policeman shoes on (whitechapel murder shoes to be precise).

The policeman comes out of the house and spots a dead woman in the cul-de-sac. White goes after the suspect.

The reasons for rejecting this are overwhelming. On a scale of 1 to 10, its credability is the lowest you can get.

1. White was dead when it was published.
2. The Scotland Yard person who told the story won't even give their name? Why not?
3. There is no coverage of this in any papers.
4. The story doesn't make sense in of itself.
5. It doesn't compare to any of the canonical murders.

1/10 for journalistic effort. If he bothered to actually learn about Whitechapel murders he might have actually tried to tell a Whitechapel murder story. Instead we get a story that is the yellow brick road.

[RockySullivan]

Batsy, wescott mentions India rubber shoes being used at boxing matches in his book

[Richard Patterson]

The reasons for rejecting this are overwhelming. On a scale of 1 to 10, its credability is the lowest you can get.

1. White was dead when it was published.
2. The Scotland Yard person who told the story won't even give their name? Why not?
3. There is no coverage of this in any papers.
4. The story doesn't make sense in of itself.
5. It doesn't compare to any of the canonical murders.

This story about encountering the Ripper who, like medical students, such as Francis Thompson was, wore rubber-soled-shoes, was published, only a week after White's death. This Scotland Yard person would not give his name because he was a probably a Scotland Yard person. Hence someone who would not risk betraying others in his team or putting them at risk, by revealing his identity. There is coverage of this incident in the papers of course, at least in 1919. Why and how could the papers’ have covered secret agent involvement in the Ripper murders in 1888 is a mute point, because they were secret. The story makes a lot more sense, if we ascribe it to be a sighting of Thompson, an actual vagrant walking the streets, at that time. How does the story not compare to the canonical murders if, as I have shown it could have been about the murder of Stride in Mitre Square?

[Batman]

Let me ask this then. It's in the story.

Men are watching this alley. It's a dead end. No mention of anyone going in. White sees a man coming out. He looks suspect. An officer on a stakeout in one the house's runs out and claims that a woman is dead in the corner. White goes after the man but he is nowhere to be found.

Where did the man come from and how did he get there?

[Richard Patterson]

Let me ask this then. It's in the story.

Men are watching this alley. It's a dead end. No mention of anyone going in. White sees a man coming out. He looks suspect. An officer on a stakeout in one the house's runs out and claims that a woman is dead in the corner. White goes after the man but he is nowhere to be found.

Where did the man come from and how did he get there?

Sergeant Stephen White’s reportedly told that the alleyway,

‘could only be entered from where we had two men posted in hiding, and persons entering the ally were under observation by the two men.’

Let’s have another look at Mitre Square. As I have already explained, it would have been a cul-de-sac for anyone trying to escape if we place White’s men there. Both the East and West entrances were patrolled by police. The northern passage, the only other exit, if stationed by White’s men, meant no escape route existed without risking detection. The north passage was a covered alleyway to St James place. It could be entered from either end, hence the requirement for two men to be posted, so that both entrances could be under observation. If White’s men where standing at both ends, then it could only be entered from where either of the two men where hiding. How did Ripper get into Mitre Square without being seen in open to speculation (I have a few ideas if you are ever interested) but the fact remains that he did.

[Batman]

He is a Met officer. Mitre sq is City Police.

[RockySullivan]

If this was a true story wouldn't white have been used as a witness in the seaside home?

[Monty]

He is a Met officer. Mitre sq is City Police.

That being the major factor in eliminating Mitre Square from this story.

Monty

[Richard Patterson]

That being the major factor in eliminating Mitre Square from this story.

Monty

This, an officer working outside his 'assigned' area, could also have been a major factor for why this story could not be told until many years later and a week after White's death.

[Monty]

This, an officer working outside his 'assigned' area, could also have been a major factor for why this story could not be told until many years later and a week after White's death.

Why?

Monty