Jack the Ripper Suspects

By the 12th November 1888 the horror of what had happened to Mary Kelly in Dorset Street had begun to sink in with the populace at large. One newspaper reported that "...interest in the terrible crimes of the East-end supersedes all other matters..."


In its issue of 12th November 1888 Echo gave its readers an impression of what effect the murder of Mary Kelly was having on the district as a whole:-

There is but one hope affecting the whole community - that the murderer may be brought to speedy justice. Should he be captured, and should he by any accident fall into the hands of the people, his fate will be certain and inevitable. The consternation and fear which at first seemed to almost paralyse the energy of the district, have given place to a revengeful determination.
The previous night had seen several false alarms in the district. At about 9.15pm cires of "Murder!" and "Police!" were heard coming from George Yard Building (which had earlier been the scene of the murder of Martha Tabram whom some suggest was the first victim of Jack the Ripper).

Two Police Officers were soon at the scene and hurried into George Yard Buildings to investigate. Very soon the street was filled with people from the adjoining buildings, whilst others who lived in the upper storey clambered onto the roof hoping to cut off any escape route for any criminal who might try to escape that way.

However, the officers had soon uncovered the truth. It transpired that a Mrs. Humphries, who was almost blind and who was living with her daughter on the second floor of the buildings, had gone to the outhouse to empty some slops. As she entered, her daughters boyfriend - who was on his way to visit his girlfriend - had slipped past her in the dark.

Startled, Mrs. Humphries had asked "who is there" whereupon the young man, who had a terrible stutter had blurted out an unintelligible answer. Mrs Humphries who, according to the papers,"...like her neighbours, was haunted with the terror of "Jack the Ripper," at once gave the alarm." Once this was explained by the police officers the crowds in the streets dispersed.

Hope that the murderer had been apprehended had run high in the district on the 11th November with the capture of another possible Jack the Ripper Suspect.

At around 10pm on the 11th November 1888 a doctor who, determined to catch Jack the Ripper, had blackened his face and put on an old jersey over his "good clothes" had been making enquiries in the vicinity of Dorset Street, where the murder of Mary Kelly had taken place. This didn't go down too well with the locals and suddenly a cry of'Jack the Ripper' went up.

The doctor was roughly seized by two men, one of whom was a discharged soldier. Luckily him there were numerous uniformed and plain clothes officers in the immediate vicinity and they quickly surrounded him. Realising that the mob might soon vent their full fury on him the man agreed to go to Leman Street Police Station with the officers. although the said officer had great difficulty manhandling him through the crowd that was determined to lynch him.Consequently he was very badly bruised by the time he reached the Police Station.

Once safely in custody he told the police that he was a medical man, and that he had disguised himself in the absurd manner in the hope of apprehending Jack the Ripper. He also, according to Echo:-

gave such particulars of himself as enabled the police to quickly substantiate their accuracy, and to discharge him after a short detention in the cells.