San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-22
EXPERT OPINIONS.
THE CoNvlcTs IN TWO PRISONS ON
THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS.
A General Decision That the Murderer Is
Lunatic-An Agree That He Should Be
Hanged II Captured-If Caught at All
1t VIII Be by Accident.


It VIII BE by Accident.
Reporters of the New York Evening Sun
have interviewed several of the convicts at
Sing Sing and at the New Jersey state prison,
in Trenton, on the subject of the Whitechapel
murders.
At Sing Sing Arthur Williamson, bright
young fellow who is doing five years term
for burglary, was the first man seen. He
had heard of the murders, and his first con-
cluson was that the man who committed
them is undoubtedly crazy.
Either he has been deceived by q woman"
said Williamson, cor he has received by as
ISOLATION with them some deep physical in
Jury He is probably one of the higher class
of people, perhaps a medical student. He is
not of the Whtechapel folks, but must be
looked for outside"
Charles A. Clark, a forger with sentence
Of four years and eight months, was very
intelligent Englishman, and almost had
map of Whitechapeli in his head He spoke of
the favorable nature of that district, with its
countless courts and alleys, for the commits
sion and concealment of crimes like these.
IF the murderer is caught | am inclined
to think it will be by accident" said Clark.
THINKS HE is MEDICAL STUDENT.
George Edwards, also an Englshman and
forger, said the murderer was undoubtedly
a crank Probably he had been a medical
student, as his work was done so skillfully,
and he had allowed his studies to lead him
the wrong way. He was probably affected
by association with the class of women whom
he now seeks to remove. Edwards did not
believe the murderer would stop when he got
fifteen victims. He would probably keep
right on. Such series of crimes would
hardly he possible under the American de-
tective system, but were undoubtedly aided
in London by the nature of the locality.
IAN officer in woman's clothing might be
able to do something" suggested Edwards,
''if he could play his part we'll"
John Dean is a ruggedly built fellow serv-
ing out twenty years term for manslaugh-
ter He is an Englishman and has been a
sailor.
my first thought about those murders"
said he, was that they might have been the
work of a revengeful Malay sailor who had
been cheated by one of these women and
took short voyages between the crimes to
elude suspicion. The objection to that con-
clusion is that some of the other women
would have known of the cheating and would
not have kept still about it. But the final
conclusion that have been forced to is that
the murderer, from some cause, is a maniac
on that subject-a fanatic. 1t is easy enough
for him to elude the police in that locality;
even if he were covered with blood, it would
be nothing unusual for there are slaughter
houses near and | myself have seen a man
with a bloody knife held in h.5 mouth run
out to get a pail of beer and then hurry
back"
Steve Raymond is an Englishman, too. He
is in Sing Sing for life and is the only con-
vict serving such a term as that for forgery.
He comes under the amended habitual crimi-
mails law.
Raymond believed the murderer to be a
high class well educated man, very cunning,
and crazy on that one point. He did not
think the man accosted Whitechapel women,
but that he sauntered through that locality
and let himself be led; then when a suitable
place was reached he would seize his victim
after the fashion of the garroter pull his
kniEe quickly as the woman became limp
and then complete his work.
HE carries, think" said RAYMOND. "some
little articles of disguise, perhaps an alpaca
coat and gloves, which can be folded up
small and put on very quickly"
All considered that the man comes from
the higher class of people, and, being most
extraordinary in his character and deeds,
will require most extraordinary means for
his capture.
At the New Jersey state prison the follow
ing opinions were obtained:
Libbie Garrabandt, who, when a young
woman, poisoned her old husband to accept
the love of younger man, and who has in
consequence spent the best years of her life
in prison, did not seem disposed to diScRss
the Whitochapel murders. She said it made
her shudder to hear of such horrible crimes
She believed no one but a lunatlc could be
the guilty man.
AN EX-POLICEMAN'S VIEW
John Nugent, formerly New York police
man and who is supposed to have been con
cerned IN the well remembered Manhattan
bank robbery, but who is serving a term here
for different OfFense, knew more of the
London murders than any of the other con
victs.
Th.s is accounted for by the fact that NJ
gent is one of the clerks of the prison library,
and. therefore, has more facility for learning
the news Of the outside world
Il doubt very much," said he, whether it
is the one man that is committing all these
mrc ders. don't believe one man could fol
low it up so long and not be discovered. |
think there is band of them, who for some
deviish purpose OF their own have pledged
themselves to each Stay one or two of these
women of the street.
Either that or else several men of fiend
ish souls are acting Independently of each
other and unknown to each other one hav
ing taken inspiration from the deed of an.
other"
Some of the other conyicts aYnraeco5