Abberline: The Man Who Hunted Jack the Ripper Read Online Free PDF Page B

Cleveland Street house, was to be his pièce de résistance . It was a sort of guest book that Charles Hammond had kept as a record, listing every visitor to the house during the last eighteen months. Abberline knew that when this book was produced in court, it would bolster his case up and bring not just a few minnows to justice but the real predators along with them. No name in the book was safe from justice.
    About a week before the trial was about to begin, Abberline received a message from the Prime Minister, requesting to see all the evidence that was going to be produced in court. This was a very unusual request, and one which Abberline was not too sure of its legality. He consulted Sir James Monro, and was told in no uncertain terms that if the Prime Minister had requested such documents, then he had no option other than to supply them to him.
    Inspector Abberline knew how important the book was to his case, and had kept it under lock and key, in the safe of his office at Scotland Yard, since he had first found it. He took the book out of the safe and placed it in a box, along with other written evidence referring to the case. The box was then tied and secured with sealing wax, and sent by special courier to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street. After waiting several days, Abberline started to become impatient and sent a message, asking what the Prime Minister thought of the documents. He was told that in the Prime Minister’s opinion, the documents, without any form of back up, were inconclusive, and that the case should be dropped. Abberline could not believe his ears; what on earth was the Prime Minister talking about, hadn’t he even bothered to look at the book? He reported the Prime Minister’s findings to his boss, Sir James Monro, who was, firstly, very angry with Abberline for contacting the Prime Minister without his approval, and secondly, for not mentioning this book to him in the first place.
    Sir James Monro, nevertheless, did contact the Prime Minister, and reported back to Abberline exactly what he had been told. He reported that there was absolutely no record anywhere of a book ever having been received by the Prime Minister. All he had received, he said, were a number of different documents pertaining to the case, which he had now sent back to Scotland Yard, along with the recommendation to drop the case. The book, Abberline’s main piece of evidence, had somehow managed to disappear en route from Scotland Yard to 10 Downing Street.
    Was it any wonder then, why the case floundered, why no further names were brought to book and why those tried received such minor sentences? It seems an obvious conclusion, therefore, that there was indeed a cover-up of the scandal, but proving such action is another matter. There was certainly intervention by the government, much to the chagrin of Abberline, Monro and the Metropolitan Police in general. Did the authorities try to delay action and thwart justice, just because the prince might possibly have been involved?
    Sir James Monro was reported to be so angry at the way he perceived himself to have been treated that he resigned from the force in June 1890, and went to live in India. The official explanation for his resignation was given that he was not happy with the new police pensions scheme. When Inspector Abberline heard of his boss’ intention to resign, he told fellow officers that if Monro went, then he would follow. One of Abberline’s great misgivings was his inability not to speak his mind, which certainly seemed to have upset his superiors, and was probably why Abberline was deciding to leave before he was pushed.
    It was whispered that behind Monro’s tough exterior, he had a great respect for Abberline, and that just before leaving he took Abberline to one side and told him to stick it out a little longer, as promotion was most definitely on the cards for him. Abberline took the advice of his superior and settled back into his job, with the