Alfred Napier Blanchard
Blanchard, a 34 year old canvasser, who resided at 2 Rowland Grove, Rowland Road, Handsworth, was arrested in the Fox And Goose public house, Newton Row Aston, Birmingham, on 5 October 1888 after being overheard describing how he had committed the Whitechapel murders. According to the landlord of the Fox And Goose, Richard King, Blanchard entered the pub on Friday morning at about 11 o'clock and commenced drinking until quarter past 8 at night. He consumed about 5 and a half pints of beer. While in the pub, Blanchard struck up a conversation with the landlord and asked him what kind of detectives they had in Birmingham, the landlord replied that he believed them to be very clever men, to which Blanchard replied, 'It would be a funny thing if the Whitechapel murderer were to give himself up in Birmingham', before declaring, 'I am the Whitechapel murderer'. Someone asked him how he had done the murders without making the victims scream, to which he explained that this was done by simply placing the thumb and finger on the windpipe and cutting the throat with the right hand, he also claimed he had done six of them in London. Blanchard said to the landlord, 'you are a fool if you don't get the thousend pounds reward offered for me, You may have as well have it as anyone else'.
When he appeared in court he told the magistrates that after drinking heavily and reading about the murders he had became excited and claimed them as his own. After police inquires, it was proved he was in Manchester when the Whitechapel murders occurred, and had been there for some two months prior to his visit to Birmingham.
