| Author |
Message |
    
esm
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Sunday, November 28, 2004 - 7:13 am: | 
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While browsing the casebook massage boards I coundn’t find pictures of Abberline’s walking stick.
I have posted some pictures on the german message boards
http://www.jacktheripper.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=465
-> some claim that this is the face of the Ripper (nonsense in my point of view)
Does anyone have better quality pictures? When exactly was the stick given to Abberline? 1892?
eastsidemags |
Dan Norder
Inspector
Username: Dannorder
Post Number: 384
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, November 28, 2004 - 9:33 pm: |
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Hi eastsidemags,
The face was actually of the mad monk character in The Curse Upon Mitre Square, the penny dreadful sort of thing sold near the scene of Eddowes' death to curious crowds shortly afterwards. The hawkster sold these walking sticks too, so I imagine quite a few people had them, but most are probably long gone by now.
There are a few books that talk about it and show pics, but I can't recall any of them offhand.
And, sorry, my German is way rusty so I didn't really try to read the thread you linked to and some of what I said may have already been mentioned there by someone else.
Dan Norder, editor, Ripper Notes
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David O'Flaherty
Chief Inspector
Username: Oberlin
Post Number: 566
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, November 28, 2004 - 9:45 pm: |
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If anyone knows, I'm curious to know how this particular stick is associated with Frederick Abberline. I read on the old boards that it came from a reputable source, the son (a commander) of another inspector living in Dorset and that it made its way to the Met in the 1950s where it was displayed for many years. Is there an inscription or something on the stick itself that indicates Abberline was the original owner? If it was a retirement gift, it seems there's be some sort of commemoration.
Cheers,
Dave |
R.J. Palmer
Inspector
Username: Rjpalmer
Post Number: 491
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, November 28, 2004 - 9:49 pm: |
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There's a good picture of it in Peter Underwood's Jack the Ripper: One Hundred Years of Mystery" , which also gives the details of the story. RP
(Message edited by rjpalmer on November 28, 2004) |
Nina Thomas
Detective Sergeant
Username: Nina
Post Number: 139
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 2:46 am: |
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Still preserved at Bramshill Police Staff College is a walking stick presented to Abberline by the detectives who worked on the case with him.
Sugden
Nina |
Christopher T George
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 1142
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 12:16 pm: |
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Hi all
The story of this walking stick was told in Nick Warren, "Caul or Cowl? The Case of Inspector Abberline's Walking Stick," The Criminologist, Vol 19. No.4 Winter 1995.
In the interview with Peter Underwood on the Casebook, Underwood stated that in researching Jack the Ripper - One Hundred Years of Mystery (1987), "...I discovered, photographed and described Chief Inspector Abberline's presentation walking stick still preserved at Bramshill Police Staff College where the inscription reveals that the stick was presented to Abberline by his team of detectives at the 'conclusion of the inquiry'."
Also see http://www.stickmaker.freeserve.co.uk/jack.html
-- which repeats the rumor that the face on the walking stick is the face of Jack the Ripper. Not likely, I think.
Chris George
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
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David O'Flaherty
Chief Inspector
Username: Oberlin
Post Number: 567
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 12:54 pm: |
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Chris, many thanks for posting that bit from the Underwood interview and the photograph of the inscription. I presume that Abberline had some sort of friendship with this inspector in Dorset (sorry I've forgotten the name) and gave or left this stick to him, after which it passed to his son who donated it to Bramshill Police Staff College (not the Met as I posted).
I read that there were plans to display the stick at the Bournemouth conference, and that John Grieve was then in possession of it. I don't know if you know this or not, but does that mean that the stick is now with New Scotland Yard and not with the college?
I'm guessing that the college in Bramshill provides training for officers who then serve all over England?
Dave |
Christopher T George
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 1143
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 1:14 pm: |
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Hi David
As quoted on the following site, "The Police Staff College, Bramshill, a part of the UK's National Police Training, is known internationally as a centre of excellence in the training and development of senior police officers." See http://www.le.ac.uk/criminology/brams.html
I was at Bournemouth but don't remember seeing Abberline's cane there... but then on the first day when the opening of the conference occurred I was involved in rehearsing and mounting the concert performance of my musical, "Jack--The Musical" so may have missed that it was there. My sense though is that Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police John Grieve, if he had the walking stick at the conference, probably borrowed it from the Police Staff College, Bramshill, for the occasion.
All the best
Chris
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
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David O'Flaherty
Chief Inspector
Username: Oberlin
Post Number: 568
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 2:23 pm: |
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Thanks, Chris. I had seen some old posts from 2001 talking about having it for Bournemouth. Someone had thought that Donald Rumbelow owned the walking stick, but it was said that John Grieve had it, although I don't remember if they said he was the owner or not.
Preoccupied with rehearsals, eh? Not ? I know how conferences are!
Thanks again,
Dave |
Stephen P. Ryder
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 3166
Registered: 10-1997
| | Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 2:29 pm: |
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Hi guys -
Thanks to Adam Wood, we've now got a short video clip of the Abberline walking stick from the Bournemouth Conference. Its in Quicktime format:
http://www.casebook.org/images/stick.mov
File is 7MB so it may take a while to download.
Thanks Adam!!
PS: It played kind of fuzzy on my Windows machine, but played much better on my Mac. I'm not sure if this will happen to all Windows users or if I just have some sort of problem with my system.
Stephen P. Ryder, Exec. Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper
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David O'Flaherty
Chief Inspector
Username: Oberlin
Post Number: 569
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 2:38 pm: |
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Thanks Stephen and Adam. Since I haven't attended any, it's good to see a little bit of one of the conferences. A bit fuzzy on my Windows machine too, but I was able to see the stick fairly clearly and in full for the first time. Nice vinework along the length.
Dave
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dr. bulb
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 6:58 am: |
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hi,
it´s absolute impossible to open the movie with the mediaplayer. what a pity!
dr. bulb |
Dan Norder
Inspector
Username: Dannorder
Post Number: 387
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 9:09 am: |
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Hi Bulb,
A free Windows Quicktime player is available at:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
Dan Norder, editor, Ripper Notes
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Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1578
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 1:14 pm: |
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The tradition that the head is that of the Ripper seems most unlikely to me on a number of counts. If that were the case, it would mean that the image, from wherever derived, would have been used to commission a specially carved stick. It seesm much more likely to me that his fellow officers, as with most presentation articles, would simply have purchased a stick "off the peg" and had the ivory (?) plaque inscribed and added.
Is there any info as to who the 7 follow oficers were who presnted this item?
Chris |
David O'Flaherty
Chief Inspector
Username: Oberlin
Post Number: 572
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 2:24 pm: |
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Judging from the Casebook interview, Peter Underwood seems to suggest it's Pedachenko. I agree with Dan that it appears to be a monk, although it's a bit creepy to think that Abberline's fellow officers (Godley, Reid?) would have picked up a stick being sold at one of the crime scenes as Dan says.
I have an Eminem theory.
 |
Legion
Inspector
Username: Crix0r
Post Number: 351
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 9:36 am: |
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David -
Hahhaha, I like your Eminem theory.
Also, for all of those looking to get rid of the Windows Media Player (and it's somewhat nazi tactics: "No media for you!! and I'm telling on you") lookup something called media player classic. More specifically, look up something called Quicktime Alternative. This will come with Media Player Classic and the Quicktime codecs. Install it and you won't have to have the rather bloated and ad-ridden Quicktime player to play .mov files (or .qht files for that matter) 
Legion
"Our name is legion, for we are many"
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John Ruffels
Inspector
Username: Johnr
Post Number: 306
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 6:08 am: |
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Hello All,
Having just read the inscription on the Abberline presentation walking-stick, I now know Who-Dunnit.
The wording says:
"Presented to Insp.Abberline by the 7 officers engaged with him IN the Whitechapel murders, 1888" !! |
Christopher T George
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 1154
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 9:35 am: |
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Hi John
You have made an excellent observation about how the inscription to Abberline reads!!!! And now we know how the coppers were able to cover up the murders so well. . . 
Note also that the contemporary chronology gave Mary Jane Kelly as the seventh murder. One "Unfortunate" per copper perhaps, or else, possibly MJK was a two-man job considering that Fred Abberline would have made the eighth man??? 
All my best
Chris George
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
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James B. Romnes
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Friday, September 16, 2005 - 3:35 pm: |
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Hello,
Can anyone directly familiar with Abberline's walking stick tell me what the head is made of and if it is painted? It almost looks like it is painted metal or wood. I am trying to make a replica of the stick.
Thank you for your help! |
Burgho
Police Constable
Username: Burgho
Post Number: 9
Registered: 9-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 9:28 am: |
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Greetings all,
I've been trying to compile a definitive list of the seven detectives who presented Abberline with his walking stick. So far I've come up with the following -
DIs Reid, Moore and Nairn
plus
Sergeants Thicke, Godley, McCarthy and Pearce.
Does anyone have any other thoughts?
Many thanks. |
