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Jack The Ripper (Compendium Thread)

What do you think is the most likely ?

  • The Ripper was a Freemason?

    Votes: 7 9.7%

  • The Ripper had medical knowledge?

    Votes: 10 13.9%

  • It was Maybrick?

    Votes: 4 5.6%

  • The Ripper was 'of the same class' as his victims?

    Votes: 9 12.5%

  • The Ripper was foreign?

    Votes: 2 2.8%

  • It was Druitt?

    Votes: 2 2.8%

  • None of the suspects yet put forward?

    Votes: 17 23.6%

  • It was a woman?

    Votes: 2 2.8%

  • Another?

    Votes: 19 26.4%
  • Total voters
    72
Freemasonry Costs

Helen - Your grandfather was Plato? I'm impressed on so many levels, lol.

I was not accusing the Brits of Yank-bashing, merely pointing out that's one of the many interpretations of what's going on. Certainly nothing like this has arisen outside Britain, so it's worth a mention, specious though it probably be. (It's frankly too easy to ascribe things to prejudice.)

Yes, it is much like the Maybrick "Diary", and yet I don't recall such a tempest in a teapot over that one. Perhaps merely because I wasn't in the loop as much as now.

What I remember of it was a fascinating volume, a good read, and some healthy debate which pretty much knocked the stuffing out of the idea. It'd still make a hell of a good movie, though, considering Florence Maybrick's life.

As to the flaws in the language, some could have arisen from having had a Liverpudlian married to a Yank. Inevitably, cross-pollenization would have occurred in their usages, etc. Just a thought.
 
Re: thanks

Faggus said:
very much appreciated, I had known little about maybrick as well, but to return to my question: what about druitt?
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Bugger.

That'll teach me to pay more attention;) I read Druitt and thought Maybrick. God know why!:D

Okay, Druitt. Well, no good reason to suspect him, really. He was the first suspect named in the Macnaughten memoranda and was his personal choice of suspect.

He was a school teacher. Seems to have been some mental instability in the family. He was found in the Thames 31st December, and a note found in his chambers saying that 'Since Friday, I felt I was going to be like mother, and the best thing was for me to die.' In July, 1888, his mother, Ann Druitt, was admitted to Brooke's Asylum in Clapton. 30th November, Druitt was dismissed from his position at the school for getting into what the press described as 'serious trouble'. It only takes a moment's imagination to think what kind of trouble a man can get himself into at a Boys' Boarding School, leaving him to think suicide as the best way out.

BTW, Macnaughten described him as a doctor - he was a school teacher and barrister. It seems likely that the Friday mentioned in the suicide note refers to the 30th November, when he was dismissed, making it more likely that he threw himself in the Thames on or around 1st December.

Anyway, the hard evidence is this : on 3rd and 4th August, Druitt played cricket at Bournemouth. He did so again on 10th and 11th, implying that he stayed in Bournemouth the whole time, which rules him out for Martha Tabram (not that I'm wholly convinced she's a Ripper victim though) On 1st September, Druitt played at Canford in Dorset, which mean he could not have killed Mary Ann Nichols. And on 8th September at 11.30am he was playing at Blackheath, which would have given him about 6 hours to get changed and cleaned up after butchering Anne Chapman.

And he doesn't meet the witness descriptions, not that that means anything when you consider everything else. It's just another nail in the coffin, as t'were.

Anyway, sorry to mix up Druitt and Maybrick like that. Don't know what came over me!
 
Re: Freemasonry Costs

Originally posted by FraterLibre
Helen - Your grandfather was Plato? I'm impressed on so many levels, lol.

Oh yes, he looked very good for his age ;)

I was not accusing the Brits of Yank-bashing, merely pointing out that's one of the many interpretations of what's going on. Certainly nothing like this has arisen outside Britain, so it's worth a mention, specious though it probably be. (It's frankly too easy to ascribe things to prejudice.)

No, I didn't mean to suggest you were. I understood what you were getting at.

Yes, it is much like the Maybrick "Diary", and yet I don't recall such a tempest in a teapot over that one. Perhaps merely because I wasn't in the loop as much as now.

Well, it caused rather the same furore, is my recollection. In fact, I think it probably caused even more. There was certainly an awful lot of ink ascribed to it, and it's only increased since.

What I remember of it was a fascinating volume, a good read, and some healthy debate which pretty much knocked the stuffing out of the idea. It'd still make a hell of a good movie, though, considering Florence Maybrick's life.

Oh yes, an interesting story. But the actual book itself, I must confess, I haven't been able to read it all in one go. I find it...irritating and boring, to be honest. The Final Chapter I did read cover to cover, and was left even more convinced that I shouldn't waste too much time on the original.:D

As to the flaws in the language, some could have arisen from having had a Liverpudlian married to a Yank. Inevitably, cross-pollenization would have occurred in their usages, etc. Just a thought.

It's not those kind of language flaws. It's using words in a context that was not common parlance until well into the Twentieth Century. That kind of thing. Sorry, I can't think of any examples off the top of my head now (I mean, come on! I've just got Druitt and Maybrick mixed up! There's definitely something wrong with the old grey matter at the moment!:D )
 
It's not so much the time frame with the Blackheath one as his frame of mind, I reckon Ghost Dog. Anyway, the Dorset one is really all that's needed to be well and above reasonable doubt.
 
Re: Re: Re: THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS

ghost dog said:
Susan, I know you were only joking...I just thought it was a good idea. See if we could predict the next book would be about and all that.:(
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That's an excellent idea ghost dog!
Well, how about Robert Louis Stevenson or someone he knew, as another suspect. The Jekyll & Hyde book had been dramatised by the time of the JtR crimes.
That fact is probably pure coincidence, but one could speculate as to how he got the inspiration for the story. Did he personally know someone with Jekyll & Hyde tendencies? ;)
 
My money's on Arthur Conan Doyle. Especially as he's known by all three names....;)
 
The Red Baron

Manfred von Richtofen, aged 10, visiting an uncle and wanting to "hunt", as was his passion.

Can you imagine the blue eyed, blond haired, baby-faced boy having even the slightest trouble getting the prostitutes to trust him?

Actually, I wrote a story about this once, but it remains unpublished, further evidence of the on-going coverup, eh? LOL
 
Now i need to read this book for sure i have the Knights book his idea is off base and now this book when i read it i give my idea on it
Nebka
 
Is There

Is there a suspect, or celebrity, named Jack or John? We can always pin it on him, if so.
 
How about Samuel Liddell McGregor Mathers who became head of the Order of the Golden Dawn in the 1890's.
He's twice as likely as he has two middle names!
He was a ritual magician.
The linguistic evidence is that "I'm Jack" can be rearranged as Majick, his final victim has the initials MJK, and the postcard name of "Saucy Jack" could have been a word play on Sorcerer Jack.
 
Not Helen

Susan - Wow, impressive evidence. Call Cornwell, I smell a follow-up book. No, wait, let Ghost Dog write it, he could use the pay day more than she could, eh? lol

I'd volunteer my own services, but I'm commissioned to write the confessions of Aleister Crowley...or is it "revise"? lol
 
Saw Cornwells book in Waterstones today. Was briefly tempted to buy it but thought, at £17.99 I'll wait for it to come out in paperback, or be remaindered, whichever comes first :)
 
Same here, Adrian.

Have any of our ripper experts ever thought of collaborating on a book? Seems your views are better thought out than quite a few that have been previously published . . .

Carole
 
carole said:
Same here, Adrian.

Have any of our ripper experts ever thought of collaborating on a book? Seems your views are better thought out than quite a few that have been previously published . . .

Carole
Click to expand...

Can you imagine the dust-up that would occur if Helen, Frater and Ghost sat down to agree on the text for a joint Ripper book! I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall there!
 
No kidding! It would be enough energy to power a small city!

And enough hot air to heat it!

OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER: Minor Drag in no way intends these last two comments to be misconstrued as either offensive or literal. Everybody knows three people can't power an entire city. I mean, that's silly. So~it was a joke. Furthermore, Minor Drag expressly reserves all rights and remedies with respect to further parody of board members, "taking the piss," and defending the dignity of his country of origin. All further examples of such are incorporated by reference.
 
Minor Drag said:
No kidding! It would be enough energy to power a small city!
Click to expand...

Well the sexual energy alone between Ghostdog and Frater is akin to a nuclear reactor! :D
 
Sexual Tension

Yes, so thick you could, dare we say, CUT IT WITH A KNIFE?

(evil laughter)

Actually, if we were to collaborate we'd at least end up with a damned interesting book on the topic, wouldn't we? Might be fun, but then, I learned ages ago not to collaborate. Only leads to blood and regrets.
 
Back to Conan Doyle

I recently started reading "The Cases That Haunt Us" by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker. The JtR case is one of those detailed. In it, the authors write the following with regard to Conan Doyle:

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, had been published the previous year, speculated that the killer might be a man disguised as a woman. A midwife walking around Whitechapel in the early-morning hours with a bloody apron would arouse little suspicion.
A few years later, in 1994, Conan Doyle suggested to an interviewer how Holmes would have attempted to crack the case. One of his techniques would have been to reproduce the "Dear Boss" letter and invite the public to respond."

This extract comes from p56 of the 2001 UK Simon & Schuster edition. (The American edition was published a year earlier.) Maddeningly, the authors give no sources for their information but I suspect it may well have been the Allan Barnard book "The Harlot Killer" which I've previously cited as being a compilation of all JtR references in print after the crimes.

Now back to Cornwell

I visited a website recently to glean more information about Walter Sickert and found Patricia Cornwell's book being offered at half-price already. The book stores obviously aren't putting much faith in great sales. ;)
 
Haunted References

Susan - I'd read that book when it first came out and you're right, they do cite that about Doyle without referencing it. Hm. Interesting.

As for the Cornwell book, in the warped world of publishing, those half-price sales still count as full sales, and are designed in point of fact to make the sell-through happen faster, as it's speed, not number of books, that counts most in determining a best-seller these days. The over-runs printed up in anticipation of demands that never surface will then be circulated worldwide as cut-outs, dumped into U.S. Military bookstores, and so on.

Cynical buggers who cook books could probably explain it all. No one else seems to be able.
 
so, has anyone read it yet (*sound of Conners stirring up the thread*)?

She was in the Express the other week. The article detailed the pain she endured after her father walked out on the family on Christmas day. It's clear she's not trusted men since that time, a fact she acknowledges, although interestingly she claims to be bisexual, not gay.

What's more, I read that her plans for a Ripper book began with the idea of a Kay Scarpetta novel. Would appear she wrongly classfied the book as non-fiction when she sent it to the publishers.......
 
Third

It's reached third on some best-seller lists so far, and I'm greatly amused by the stock people seem to put on labels such as "fiction" and "nonfiction", especially in today's world.
 
And I'll

Keep on saying it until the point's made, although that seems a Quixotic goal.
 
Well, I've got her book. And I didn't pay for it. It was a present from a friend who thought 'Jack the Ripper! Helen likes that stuff!'. What can I say? I have very thoughtful friends.

Having said that, I haven't read it yet, due to a) I've got a pile of 'To Read' books about 5 foot high; b) I've been away and c) I'm going away again this weekend. But I did go on a Ripper walk the other day, which was great fun, even though they do send you off with the name 'Druitt' ringing in your ears, but as the guide (John - bless 'im. Great chap - he's a Beefeater at the Tower by day) said, you've got to give them a name, else they feel a bit cheated. Walking around the various sites is amazing, and it's very easy to see that there would have been plenty of time for the double event, as the sites are about a five minute walk (if that). Highly recommended. And I got my Complete Jack the Ripper book signed by Donald Rumbelow, who was doing another walk (and I fully intend to go on that one next time we're up there).

But rest assured, when I read it, I'll let you know. I doubt it'll take long. About as long as my patience, so gimme about 5 minutes ;)
 
I'd Reply

Ghostdog, if there were any reason.

Helen - I have it on good authority that I'll be receiving a copy of it, too, as a gift, come Yuletide so, while I look forward to your report on it, I'd also appreciate spoiler warnings.

Those walks sound wonderful. I'd love to come over and do them some time, and good luck spotting Rumbelow and getting him to sign. Nice move.
 
Well, I must confess to an attack of severe shyness, which meant my two friends went and asked him to sign my book. Although I was dragged over a few minutes later to say hello and shake his hand. Apparently, he was incredibly pleased that not only had someone recognised him, but had his book! They said afterwards he was very chuffed!
 
Not A One

There isn't a writer alive who isn't delighted when someone's got a copy of his or her book and appreciates it enough to ask for an autograph. Was he making a good impression when you met him? Sounds as if he was. Not sure I'd recognize him, though I have seen him a few tmes on TV, and his book The Compleat Jack the Ripper, was the first of its kind I bought, way back when it first came out in paperback.

It will be interesting to compare and contrast the two tours, to see where his differs. No doubt the Druitt bit will vary, at least, hm?
 
Frater,

yep, they pick the name of a different suspect each night, although only from the archaic list of 1950s suspects (Druitt, Kosminsky, Klowski).

Helen, you should have come on one of the impromptu tours I've dragged my mates on in the past, they're much better, honest, not least as they include "refreshment" breaks!
 
I'd never thought about it terms of a pub crawl, rather just the one hefty stop in the Bells, but it's a great idea!

Mind you, the locals around Brick Lane and whathaveyou are increasingly unhappy the Ripper tours: they find them obtrusive and are attempting to get them stopped.
 
Cultural Contrast

I can't help thinking that, where the Brits complain about the tourists, Yanks would figure a way to exploit the situation so everyone's happy and benefitting in some way. Optimism versus quiet desperation, perhaps.
 
I went to brick lane recently, for the dead people exhition (how fitting)

and the queue was hyowge... must have had several thousand people, plus ordinary business and commerce, that the q for tickets, however, which we already had, so we were fine
 
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