The Herald of Wales. — 1888-06-09 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

THE MANCHESTER MURDER.  JACKSON'S ANTECEDENTS.  Persons are being continually arrested for the Manchester murder, but up to the time of our going to press JaclUon is stall at large, and , the police have apparently no clue as to his whereabouts. The Bradford Observer, on Friday, published the following :—The surprise which ham been expressed on eh sided at the apparent inability of the police to obtain • photograph will now be changed to wonder at their delay in circulating copies of the counterfeit presentment which we understand has been in the possession of the authorities of Wakefieldtlaol all along, they having acquired it at the time of Firth's in. in that prison in 1883. Certainly for a few days no one thought of connecting Charles Wood Firth, of Bhutan, with John Jackson, who was supposed to be a native of Nottingham but on y our Bingen correspondent wrote to us that there was a strong suspicion at that place that Firth wee identical with Jackson adding, however, that the police gave no o ,ndrmation to the story. Therefore it is evident that the police bad their attentkin called to the possibility on or before that day. It is also beyond doubt that Chief Detective Inspector Caminada visited Wakefield either at the end of last week or early in this week for the purpose of seeing the photograph, and that it was afterwards sebreatted to persons in Strangeways Goal who knew the man who ' called himself Jackson, and was identified by them. Yet the only means by which outsiders could identify the man if they happened to come sense him remained unprovided until the Bradford police accidentally obtained a single copy, of the approved photograph and immediately reproduced it. The only reasonable supposition from these circumstances is that the Manchester police have been holding beck the information concerning the real name of the murderer in the hope that Firth would be induced, by a belief in lhe concealment of his identity, to visit his parents' home at Birstall. We have reason to believe that if he had done so at any time during the past four or five days he would have been promptly , pounced upon, though the police all over the country were ostensibly searching for a Nottingham plumber. The idea that he would go home if knowledge of his antecedents was concealed wasprobably suggeated by the f not that he was apprehended whilst visiting hM Bitstall relatives after his former escape from gaol, which happened in Augnet, 1883. Upon that occasion his method of escape was very . similar to that ado/Med brim a few days ago. He was then serving a sentence of six months' imprisonment, he having been convicted at the Bredfoodeet Riding Belmions on July 3rd of that year".( having stolen a mare worth £l2, belonging to\Wrniam Lawton, on June 11th, and a horse, worth £lO, belonging to William • Fat kin, on the following day, at Bothwell, i near Leeds. The name under which he was then convicted was Charles Firth Williamson. On August 9th he was repairing the roof in the reception cells, which are alongside the corridor leading to the main entrance of the prik.on. He does not seem to have been under d irt ct supervision, for he succeded in stealing a suit of olothes from the reception room and! making his escape through the roof of the ' governor'a house into the street. • The Central News states that the police . altogether disclaim knowledge of the alleged • appearenoe of Jackson, the Manchester murderer, in the borough of London, and discredit most of the extraordinary stories concerning the fugitive. A man answering his description , has been seen in many parts of the couutry, but no certainty exists with regard to his identity. The authorities incline to the idea that Jackson would probably make for Hull, with a view to obtaining work on board ship. All shipping ports, especially , those in the neighbourhood of the Thames, are being carefully watched. The experience of the poliee in such matters also leads them to ; thick that the convict will remain in hiding . until his hair and beard are grown. Public excitement with regard to his capture has abated.  'I he police authorities at Scotland Yard know nothing whatever of the arrival in London of the convict Jackson,and his reported departure for the Vontinent.