By the time of the murders of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes – both of which took place in the early hours of Sunday the 30th of September, 1888 – the Whitechapel murders had well and truly grabbed the publics imagination all over the country.
One of the aspects of this was that more and more people saw themselves as private or amateur detectives who might be able to bring the perpetrator of the atrocities to justice.
Interestingly, the “private detective fever” didn’t just occur in London, but all over the country, as evidenced by the following article, which appeared in The Scotsman on Saturday the 13th of October 1888:-
A SUSPECT ARRESTED IN GLASGOW
A curious outcome of the private detective fever which is at present prevailing through the country, and which is the result of the London murders, has just taken place in Glasgow.
It was yesterday reported that a man had been arrested in Glasgow by a civilian, and given into the custody of a policeman on the supposition that he was the Whitechapel murderer.
APPEARANCE OF AN AMERICAN
The suspected individual was a thin cadaverous-visaged man of fully five feet nine-inches in height, and wore a slouch hat, was shabbily clothed, and bad boots that were well worn.
He had all the appearance of an American, and his accent was that of an Irish-American.
It is stated that altogether he bore a striking resemblance to the portraits published of the alleged Whitechapel murderer.
HIS NAME REVEALED
When taken to the St Rollox Police Office, the man, whose name is given as Thomas Smith, was put through a searching examination, but nothing could be traced upon him or found in his statement to justify his detention, and he was set at liberty between eleven and twelve in the forenoon.
ARRESTED AGAIN
Three hours later, however , the same man found himself again in the hands of the police of the city through the overzeal of another private detective.
Regarding the second arrest of Smith, which was carried out by a sea captain, it seems that the captain came across Smith lounging about the river quays.
WENT FOR A DRINK
The appearance of the man at once aroused his suspicion; and, confident that he had unearthed the culprit of the London outrages, he insinuated himself into his company, and the couple went off to a public house.
MATCHING THE SIGNATURES
While in the public house the captain persuaded the supposed murderer to sign his name.
The calligraphy of the signature confirmed the captain in the conviction that he had laid hands upon the right man , and his next endeavour was to get the man, who had again signed himself Thomas Smith, conveyed to the police orifice.
TO THE POLICE STATION
Under the pretence of having a drive round the city, he got Smith into a cab, and immediately drove to the Central Police Office.
On entering the Detective Department Superintendent Orr was called, and at once recognised the man who had been-liberated but three hours previously.
HE’D BEEN ON THE TRAMP
Smith, who is thirty-three years of age, stated that he arrived from America in May last, and had been employed about the docks at Liverpool until a few weeks ago, when he went off north on the tramp.
Since then he had been in Edinburgh where he was imprisoned for ten , days for begging-, and had also been before the Glasgow Stipendiary Magistrate for a similar offence.