Frederick Porter Wensley
Encyclopedia
Frederick Porter Wensley (1865—1949) was a British police officer from 1888 until 1929, reaching the rank of chief constable
of the Scotland Yard
CID
and receiving the following awards; Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) civil division, Kings Police Medal (Edw.VII), Police Jubilee Medal 1897, Police Coronation Medal 1902 and Police Coronation Medal 1911. Serving in Whitechapel
for part of his career, Wensley was involved in the investigation of the Jack the Ripper
murders, details of which he would later publish in his memoirs in 1931, focusing particularly on the murders of Frances Coles and constable Ernest Thompson.
Wensley first gained public attention when he was responsible for capturing a burglar and murderer named William Seaman
in a fight in Whitechapel in front of a crowd. Seaman had just murdered a pawnbroker named John Goodman Levy and his housekeeper named Mrs. Sarah Gale (Seaman would later insist Levy was a fence of stolen goods). Unable to get out of the house on the ground floor, Seaman worked his way to the roof and
was followed by Wensley. A fierce fight between the men occurred while a crowd collected. In the end Wensley managed to subdue Seaman. Seaman would later hang for the murder of Levy and Mrs. Gale, and his last action would be to be placed between Milsom and Fowler
the "Muswell Hill" murderers, to make sure that Fowler did not try to kill his partner as he had tried at their trial.
Wensley was a first rate police officer, and would eventually be one of Scotland Yard's "Big Four
". Most of his career is quite impressive but his actions in two of his cases have been questioned over the years. In the "Clapham Common" Mystery of 1911 the chief suspect, Steinie Morrison may have been observed unfairly by witnesses shepherded by Wensley. He always was proud of his work on that case and believed Morrison killed the victim Leon Beron for his money (Beron carried a large sum on him at all times). But students of the case find many discrepancies in the testimony of witnesses (on both sides) and don't think Morrison could have committed the murder by himself or may not have been involved. The other case was the case of Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters in 1923 for the stabbing murder of Edith's husband Percy the previous year. This case became a famous cause celebres because Mrs. Thompson appears never to have been linked to the murder committed by her lover, except for letters she wrote to Byswater suggesting she was trying to poison Percy. Sir Bernard Spilsbury
tested for poison, but found nothing. Many feel that Thompson was actually convicted (like Florence Maybrick
over 30 years earlier) for committing adultery. Wensley here was responsible for at least one trick which is not uncommon but is somewhat reprehensible. Initially Edith claimed she did not know who attacked Percy. However Bywaters had been caught already, and Wensley wanted to test his theory of a joint murder plot. While Edith was crossing the floor after being questioned she saw Bywaters being led across in a different direction. Edith apparently collapsed and said, "Oh, why did he do it?!" Wensley knew this looked like cementing his case.
In his memoirs he is very defensive about his involvement in convicting Edith (knowing public opinion by 1931 was hostile to the conviction) and tries to remind people that Percy was the victim in the murder.
Wensley also worked on the murder of Frenchwoman
Emilienne Gerard, whose body was discovered on 2 November 1917. Wensley interviewed Gerad's lover, Louis Voisin, and arrested him after discovering that he misspelt 'bloody' in the same was as the murderer who had left "blodie Belgium" at the crime scene.
Wensley also agrees with commonly held theories that the police were never sure of their suspects:
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
of the Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
CID
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
and receiving the following awards; Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) civil division, Kings Police Medal (Edw.VII), Police Jubilee Medal 1897, Police Coronation Medal 1902 and Police Coronation Medal 1911. Serving in Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
for part of his career, Wensley was involved in the investigation of the Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
murders, details of which he would later publish in his memoirs in 1931, focusing particularly on the murders of Frances Coles and constable Ernest Thompson.
Wensley first gained public attention when he was responsible for capturing a burglar and murderer named William Seaman
William Seaman
William Seaman was an American photographer.He won the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for Photography for "Wheels of Death.". He was photographer for the Minneapolis Star from 1945 to 1982....
in a fight in Whitechapel in front of a crowd. Seaman had just murdered a pawnbroker named John Goodman Levy and his housekeeper named Mrs. Sarah Gale (Seaman would later insist Levy was a fence of stolen goods). Unable to get out of the house on the ground floor, Seaman worked his way to the roof and
was followed by Wensley. A fierce fight between the men occurred while a crowd collected. In the end Wensley managed to subdue Seaman. Seaman would later hang for the murder of Levy and Mrs. Gale, and his last action would be to be placed between Milsom and Fowler
Milsom and Fowler
Albert Milsom and Henry Fowler murdered Henry Smith, a 79-year–old, wealthy, retired engineer, on 14 February 1896, at his house in Muswell Hill, London.The story of the murder of Mr...
the "Muswell Hill" murderers, to make sure that Fowler did not try to kill his partner as he had tried at their trial.
Wensley was a first rate police officer, and would eventually be one of Scotland Yard's "Big Four
Big Four
- People :* The Big Four , Alberta businessmen and philanthropists of the early 20th century* Big Four , US railroad entrepreneurs of the 19th century...
". Most of his career is quite impressive but his actions in two of his cases have been questioned over the years. In the "Clapham Common" Mystery of 1911 the chief suspect, Steinie Morrison may have been observed unfairly by witnesses shepherded by Wensley. He always was proud of his work on that case and believed Morrison killed the victim Leon Beron for his money (Beron carried a large sum on him at all times). But students of the case find many discrepancies in the testimony of witnesses (on both sides) and don't think Morrison could have committed the murder by himself or may not have been involved. The other case was the case of Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters in 1923 for the stabbing murder of Edith's husband Percy the previous year. This case became a famous cause celebres because Mrs. Thompson appears never to have been linked to the murder committed by her lover, except for letters she wrote to Byswater suggesting she was trying to poison Percy. Sir Bernard Spilsbury
Bernard Spilsbury
Sir Bernard Henry Spilsbury was an English pathologist. His cases include Hawley Harvey Crippen, the Seddon case and Major Armstrong poisonings, the "brides in the bath" murders by George Joseph Smith, Louis Voisin, Jean-Pierre Vaquier, the Crumbles murders, Norman Thorne, Donald Merrett, the...
tested for poison, but found nothing. Many feel that Thompson was actually convicted (like Florence Maybrick
Florence Maybrick
Florence Elizabeth Maybrick was an American woman convicted in Great Britain of murdering her considerably older husband, James Maybrick.-Early life:...
over 30 years earlier) for committing adultery. Wensley here was responsible for at least one trick which is not uncommon but is somewhat reprehensible. Initially Edith claimed she did not know who attacked Percy. However Bywaters had been caught already, and Wensley wanted to test his theory of a joint murder plot. While Edith was crossing the floor after being questioned she saw Bywaters being led across in a different direction. Edith apparently collapsed and said, "Oh, why did he do it?!" Wensley knew this looked like cementing his case.
In his memoirs he is very defensive about his involvement in convicting Edith (knowing public opinion by 1931 was hostile to the conviction) and tries to remind people that Percy was the victim in the murder.
Wensley also worked on the murder of Frenchwoman
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Emilienne Gerard, whose body was discovered on 2 November 1917. Wensley interviewed Gerad's lover, Louis Voisin, and arrested him after discovering that he misspelt 'bloody' in the same was as the murderer who had left "blodie Belgium" at the crime scene.
Published works
While Wensley's memoirs appear under the more common title of Forty Years of Scotland Yard, they were originally published in London under the title Detective Days and were only renamed upon subsequent publishing in New York City. In them, Wensley downplays his own role in the investigation of the Ripper murders:Not that I had much to do with it. In common with hundreds of others I was drafted there, and we patrolled the streets usually in pairs-without any tangible result. We did, however, rather anticipate a great commercial invention. To our clumsy regulation boots we nailed strips of rubber, usually bits of old bicycle tires, and so ensured some measure of silence when walking.
Wensley also agrees with commonly held theories that the police were never sure of their suspects:
Officially, only five (with a possible sixth) murders were attributed to Jack the Ripper.