Thomas Brown

by **Karen** Mon 11 Jul 2011 - 18:09

STRANGE DELUSIONS.

Thomas Brown, aged thirty-eight, a general labourer, was sent for trial at the Thames Police Court on Saturday charged with attempting to murder four Germans in a lodging-house in North East-passage, St. George's.
The extraordinary letter read at the previous hearing of the case was re-read at the request of the magistrate. In this letter Brown accused himself of committing one of the "Jack the Ripper" murders, and made a rambling statement about mind-reading and wireless telegraphy.
On Saturday Brown said he wished to explain about the wireless telegraphy in his body, and it was not understood in this country. He gave himself up for the murder of Annie Austin in Dorset-street, Spitalfields, as he did not want any one blamed for it.
He was an Australian, and had been charged with poisoning a woman in that country. In England mind-readers were different, and he would have to explain that before dealing with the shooting affair.
In committing the prisoner the magistrate said he had no jurisdiction over mind-readers or wireless telegraphy.

Source: Daily Mail, Monday April 27, 1903, page 3