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Neil K. MacMillan
Sergeant
Username: Wordsmith
Post Number: 14
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, May 02, 2003 - 3:11 pm: |       |
While I know Frederick Abberline was involved ininvestigating some of the Jack the ripper muders, just how involved was he? I get the impression from some of what I've read that he was somewhat of an outer circle player for the first couple of murders anyway. How importantly does he figure and for historical purposes in my novel how deeply do I involve him? Thank you in advance, Neil |
Andrew Spallek
Police Constable
Username: Aspallek
Post Number: 3
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 2:24 pm: | |
Abberline is a very important figure due to his familiarity with the East End, having served as Inspector at H Division in Whitechapel for nine years (1878-1887). SY brought him back to Whitechapel during the murders to head up the investigation.
Abberline seems to be the one police official who is most cautious about naming or identifying a suspect. He says that SY "is no wiser" about identifying a suspect in a 1903 interview and he seems to dismiss Kosminski and Druitt, although he does say concerning Klosowski "I cannot help feeling that this was the man we struggled so hard to capture fifteen years ago." See the section on Abberline in the "Police Officials" page of the Casebook and see also "A Mystery Play : Police Opinions on Jack the Ripper" in the Dissertations section.
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Kris Law
Sergeant
Username: Kris
Post Number: 26
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2003 - 2:29 pm: | |
Yes, and he also told Godley that he "finally caught jack the ripper" when they caught him. |
Erin Sigler
Detective Sergeant
Username: Rapunzel676
Post Number: 119
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 1:46 am: | |
Kris: When they caught Chapman/Klosowski, you mean. |
Peter J. Tabord
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 5:35 am: | |
I think a statement saying "I cannot help feeling..." is the same sort of statement most of us might make when discussing our favoured suspects, but most of us also know that is miles away from being certain. Abberline has some reasons for his view, and there would not have been such strong objections to the change of method in his day. We don't know which witness statements he valued and which he rejected.
I don't think that any of this suggests Abberline himself was particularly untruthful or unrelaible. He probably wasn't averse to a bit of publicity, but then few people are. The press will almost always take such a statement and strengthen it, after all 'Retired dective might (or might not) know who JtR is' is not much of a story
Regards
Pete |
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