The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-03-25 00:00:00

THE WHITECHAPEL-ROAD MURDER.O

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The Rev. A. Conder, who, it may be re
interested hiu,self en behalf of the family of Wain-
wright, the Whitechapel•roai murderer, has jut
pubikhed a lit of ,üb,criptious. The t tal amount
fin hscri b.-a, it app.ars, was £1,232 Ns. 10d., there
being 1.032 subscribers. The highest individual dona-
tion was £5O. Mr. Conder quotes a letter from a
gentleman who sent a remittance, and who had known
Wainwright for 20 year.. The writer states that at
one time Wainwright was making a clear profit of
£1,200 a year, until he took to gambling and other
evil courses. Mr. Conder continues :

"The opinion expressed in this letter agrees with what
Wainwright told me were the actual conditions of the
murder, all the details of which he professed to give to me
the day before his execution. I cannot, however, venture to
give an opinion respecting the amount of credibility which
ought to be given to his statements. Till I saw him after his
condemnation I had scarcely heard of him for years. When
I then saw him I was painfully struck by the great change
which, even in external appearance, had come over him. As
regards what I may call his moral self, the word change
does not sufficiently convey the idea his language and conduct
gave me. I had known him as, at least in externals, a good
Christian man, and found him in every respect the reverse of
this. Though he several times quite broke down while I
was with him, yet at the last I was under the impression he
was withholding something by force of determination and
against the struggles of his better self. Feeling this, I think
the authorities exercise a wise discretion by not publishing
his final statement, the contents of which Wainwright told;
to me. I have had many inquiries about the autobiography
he is supposed to have written. Enterprising publishers,
have offered large sums for it, and some seem unwilling to
accept my assurance that no such MS exists or has misted.
Beyond a few letters and the statements held by the autho..
titles, Wainwright wrote nothing From one ef the letters,
he wrote I quote the following, and commend the words to*
the consideration of thou who think it possible a poor wretch
MI be eneouraged to commit such a crime as Wainwrightr.
to secure for his ehildren the pittance charity affords. The
words are :
" 'I feel now that when you left me on Wednesday I had'
hardly sal any thieg that I wanted to say. Though full
of burning thoughts, my heart was filled with such an op-
prtssive grief, I could not tell you what I wished. God,
bless you for your kindness; thank you above all for your'
conduct on behalf of my wife and family; your act removed
the load of grief which weighed down my sorrowing heart. -
Yes, it is a sorrowing, broken heart, when I reflect what
I was, what I might have been, and what I now am. I
could hardly have supposed that there was so much good-
ness and forgiveness in this world. I truly thank the good,
the merciful God, that the sins of the father are not visited
upon the children. May mine never know who their father
was. IRA, my God! that I should ever have had to pen
that seillenee ; I who loved them so, and was so beloved by
them. Why, I have heard ladies—mothers—say, almost
with envy, "How his children love him !" What must my
feelings now be—what the agony of my heart? Pardon 14
thus troubling you; I cannot help it; I must tell you my
grief—it relieves me. Sty dear wife, poor soul, was with me
to-day. She said, "1 should not have minded this so much
if you had been a cruel husband to me, but you have not."
Poor thing, she never knew of my wickedness till the world
knew it too, and now even she forgives me. Oh, may God
be merciful and kind to her—be her protector and her
friend
In conclusion, Mr. Candor says Mrs. Wainwright hones
with the assistance of the fund to be able to support her
children by giving lessons in music. Friends are also en-
deavouring to get some of the chitdren into charitable
institutions. Mrs. Wainwright has urged me to express as
strongly as I can her thankfulness for the help afforded her,
and the truly Christian comfort which so many have
bestowed."

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