ANDERSON, Robert
Born : 1841, Dublin, Ireland. Son of Matthew Anderson
a Crown Solicitor.
1862 : Recieves a BA from Trinity College Dublin.
1863 : Called to the bar.
1873 : Married Agnes Alexandrina Moore.
1876 : Brought over to London as part of an intelligence branch
to combat Fenianism. The branch was soon closed but Anderson remained in
London as a Home Office "Advisor in matters relating to political
crime". He was also the controller for the spy Thomas Miller Beach
who had penetrated the Fenian movement.
1886 : Relieved of all duties except controlling Beach after
getting into trouble with Home Secretary Hugh Childers.
1887-1888 : Secretary of the Prison Commissioners.
1888 : Aug - Replaces James Monro as Assistant Commissioner
CID.
1901 : Retires and is knighted.
1910 : Publishes his memoirs "The Lighter Side of My Official
Life".
1918 : Nov 15 - Died.
Anderson stated several times that the identity of the Whitechapel murderer
was known.
"...he had been safely caged in an Asylum." (Criminals and
Crime, 1907)
"In saying that he was a Polish Jew I am merely stating a definitely
ascertained fact." (The Lighter Side of My Official Life, 1910)
"...there was no doubt whatever as to the identity of the criminal..."
(Police Encyclopedia, 1920)
Source:
Begg, Fido, and Skinner. The Jack the Ripper A-Z.
