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Stephen P. Ryder
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 2796
Registered: 10-1997
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 9:07 am: | 
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The Library of Congress is providing the full text (or at least most of it) from the Jack the Ripper chapter of The Cases That Haunt Us online at: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/samples/simon031/00063524.html
Stephen P. Ryder, Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper
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Gary Alan Weatherhead
Inspector
Username: Garyw
Post Number: 198
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 9:15 am: |
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Hi Stephen
The Chapter on Jack the Ripper is well worth reading. I don't want to give anything away but Martin Fido will find the book of interest.
All The Best
Gary |
Martin Fido
Detective Sergeant
Username: Fido
Post Number: 119
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 7:54 pm: |
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I did indeed, Gary; I did indeed, and have since met Douglas and Olshaker - indeed, very much regret that I shall miss the latter on his visit to Boston at the end of this month, at which time I shall be returning from the Yangtse gorges.
All the best,
Martin F |
Gary Alan Weatherhead
Inspector
Username: Garyw
Post Number: 212
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 9:42 pm: |
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Hi Martin
The authors certainly spoke highly of you in the acknowledgements . You weren't inveigling to get your theory priority status I hope.
Looks like you made some friends though. |
Martin Fido
Detective Sergeant
Username: Fido
Post Number: 121
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 7:43 am: |
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Actually, Gary, they had written their chapter before Mark Olshaker contacted me and asked whether I would go over it for them to correct any mistakes. He was in England at the time, and my wife and I joined a very festive dinner party he was giving at a Chinese restaurant for Derek Jacoby. I received the typescript of the chapter after I had come to America, and was absolutely astonished by the very full endorsement of my work, and fascinated to see that Cosgrove-Muerer, the makers of the tv special in 1988, had not shown Douglas and Hazelwood (the other FBI officer engaged in drafting the Ripper profile) anything at all about Cohen. Evidently, had they done so, the program panel would probably have voted Cohen (as Bill Eckert, who knew about the theory tried to do) rather than Kosminsky. Cosgrove-Muerer had contacted me shortly before recording the program to say that their production team had built sets and equipment identifying the Polish Jew as Kosminsky, and they feared they would not be able to find space to add Cohen. I didn't object, as in 1988 it was more important that the general "Polish Jew" theory should be giving a proper airing than that my particular slant on it should be noted. (It was more than enough glory for me to have proposed the theory in the first place! I was acrtually far more concerned, in their pre-recording apologiae, that they had decided not to use any of Paul Begg's on-camera contributions, although they acknowledged using him as their most valuable factual historical source.) But I should have had something to say if I knew in advance that this meant the panel and the FBI were simply not told anything about Cohen!
When I received the chapter I was very careful not to make any suggestion or alteration whatsoever concerning Douglas and Olshaker's arguments. I didn't, i.e., tell them that I disagreed with them about the possible authenticity of the Lusk letter. I did request that they remove one short passage which strenghtened the case for Cohen being the Ripper, but rested on an incorrect fact. And they removed it, as they also made all the other corrections of fact about the crimes that I noted. It is for that they thanked me. Somewhere among my files I beieve I still have a copy of the corrections I made to the original ms, which will be hauled out laboriously if anyone ever accuses me of feeding ideas to Olshaker and Douglas.
In the meantime, I have since stayed with Mark and his wife in Virginia, and the present curator of the Black Museum at Scotland Yard was amused to find himself signing their guest book immediately below my name. They took me to visit John Douglas at his beautiful house overlooking a small Virginia river. And my wife and I entertained Mr and Mrs Olshaker to dinner in Washington last spring.
All the best,
Martin F |
Glenn L Andersson
Sergeant
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 35
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 9:20 am: |
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Hi Martin.
Unfortunately I haven't seen the tv-special, it would be of great interest. I do remember Hazelwood saying (about Jack the Ripper's character) in another documentary that "I don't think we're dealing with a rocket scientist here". A classic!
Does anybody know if the tv-special's been realeased on tape? I'd kill (hrmmm...) to see it. better get hold of "The cases that haunts us..." as well. The extract shown on the web-site was unfortunately very short and with probably a good deal of pages missing.
Glad to see your theories gaining recognition, Martin. I find them most interesting.
All the best
Glenn L Andersson
Crime historian, Sweden
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Gary Alan Weatherhead
Inspector
Username: Garyw
Post Number: 214
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 9:34 am: |
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Hi Martin
I never believed you influenced the authors. They have minds and firmly held opinions of their own as anyone who reads any of their written work can tell.
Thats an intersting behind the scenes look at the T.V. show, which I can still vividly recall from 1988. I don't understand why Paul Begg would have had his on-camera scenes removed. I know there are time constraints but as you say, they acknowleged him as their "most valuable factual historical source." I would have thought they would be more than pleased to get his input on camera. Perhaps it would have meant removing a commercial and we can't have that now can we.
All The Best
Gary
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Gary Alan Weatherhead
Inspector
Username: Garyw
Post Number: 215
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 9:47 am: |
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Hi Glenn
I taped the show on VHS. I will try and find it if you are really interested in seeing it and you can't find it anywhere for sale commercially. But keep in mind, as I know You are aware, a lot of new information has come out since 1988. There is no need to speak of killing an innocent soul like me to get it.
All The Best
Gary |
Glenn L Andersson
Sergeant
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 36
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 11:11 am: |
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Hi Gary.
Well of course I'm interested, if there's any way of working it out practically. I don't think I've seen it on Discovery or History Channel, which I usually tape from.
Naturally, a lot has happened since 1988, things are going rapidly indeed, but nevertheless it's a valid document, I think.
I agree, I find the thing regarding Paul Begg equally unexplainable. Unfortunately, you could be right about the commercial part -- wouldn't surprise me a bit.
"There is no need to speak of killing an innocent soul like me to get it."
Don't worry, Gary. I'll spare you... 
All the best
Glenn L Andersson
Crime historian, Sweden
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Gary Alan Weatherhead
Inspector
Username: Garyw
Post Number: 217
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 11:48 am: |
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Hi Glenn
I will begin to look for it this weekend. I have a room full of books, tapes DVD's and even some audio tapes all dealing with true crime and some of the other subjects that interest me. Mostly things that deal with historical mysteries.
I jokingly refer to this as my true crime library. The joke is that I'm scatterbrained
and I neglect to keep things in proper order. I have been promising myself for the longest time to get some of my VHS tapes transferred to DVD.
I never felt that Swedish people were a violent bunch, so I'm relieved to hear that my safety is not a concern./
All The Best
Gary |
Robert Clack
Detective Sergeant
Username: Rclack
Post Number: 109
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 4:15 pm: |
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Hi Gary, Glenn
The documentary you are discussing 'The Secret Identity of Jack the Ripper' is available on region 2 dvd and video and is on the Amazon website.
All the best
Rob |
Martin Fido
Detective Sergeant
Username: Fido
Post Number: 125
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 6:10 pm: |
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I've certainly seen taped versions of the programme available in Blockbuster in the past.
The dropping of Paul was a relatively last minute production decision based on what they thought of the long interviews they'd taped. They'd talked to just about everyone who had ever written on the Ripper (except Richard Whittington-Egan) and then filmed Dan Farson to push Druitt, Melvin Harris to push Donston, Joe Sickert (!) to push Gull, me to push the Polish Jew, and I can't remember who to push Prince Albert Victor. They also brought in Don to describe his "Ripper" knife live, and asked me to stand by to give a live description of the Swanson marginalia. And they also recorded the accounts several of us gave of the history of the case. While the longest of these interviews was that given to Paul, I presume they decided that the fact that they were definitely going to be using Don and me in studio for the snippets on the knife and the marginalia decided them that they could use cross-cut sections of our accounts, which duplicated Paul's without contradicting it, and thereby avoid the appearance of any one "expert" taking priority over all the rest.
Given the use they had made of Paul, however, I had serious reservations about appearing on the program until they said they were giving him full credit as their historical consultant.
All the best,
Martin F |
Glenn L Andersson
Sergeant
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 37
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 6:19 pm: |
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Gary!
We seem to share the same interests -- although your "archive" seems a bit more impressive than mine.
I'll just check Robert's tip above about Amazon; maybe I won't have to bother you at all about this. I'll let you know -- in the mean time, thank you.
I'm afraid us Scandinavians never will be able to shake off our violent heritage from the Viking Age and Charles XII; fortunately we have come a long way since then (although, sometimes I wonder...  ).
All the best
Glenn L Andersson
Crime historian, Sweden
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Glenn L Andersson
Inspector
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 176
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, September 05, 2003 - 11:15 am: |
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Hi all,
I have now studied the book The Cases That Haunts Us and the chapter about Jack, and I must say it's an interesting read -- it is certainly not my thing to buy other people's opinions and arguments straight off, but I was amazed to see that Douglas and Olshaker practically set words to every thought and personal opinion I've had about the case since I first began to study it.
I think, the core of how one want to recieve Douglas' and Olshakers' views lie in one's attitude against criminal profiling. It is certaily not an exact science, profilers are sometimes wrong in their estimations, but they have also proven to be right on many occasions. I think their views and conclusions about the Ripper's personality are quite valid and logical; it would be unfair to just dismiss them as theoretical (as some do). At least their conclusions are very similar to those I prefer to express based on my experiences and studies of criminal cases.
Their division of the criminal psyche into "disorganized" and "organized" may seem theoretical and troublesome for some here (as I've noticed), but I will in fact state, that these "types" fit quite well with actual reality, although they -- naturally -- are generalizations.
Those who've read my posts and arguments concerning the Ripper's personality, know by now that I've for quite a long time been fighting for the idea that Jack might be the disorganized type, maybe a paranoid schizofrenic. I was tremendously glad to see that John Douglas and Mark Olshaker had come to the same conclusions and also lay up arguments that even strengthed my belief in this.
I'm not at all surprised either, that they in most parts are supporting Fido's theories, as I do to some extent (although his arguments may not always be totally water-proof and free from speculation, but who's arguments are in Ripper land?). I have no comment further on their support for Fido's theories, but at least they come to the same insight as I did, namely that if Jack wasn't synonymus with Kaminsky or Cohen, the it was probably someone with the same personal and psycological characteristics -- and that is the important point to be made.
All the best
Glenn L Andersson
Crime historian, Sweden
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Gary Alan Weatherhead
Inspector
Username: Garyw
Post Number: 282
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, September 06, 2003 - 12:23 pm: |
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Hi Glenn
I may be buying the 1988 tape as well. I can't find my copy and I fear one of the kids may have erased it to tape something along the lines of The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I will keep looking.
I hope to get back on the boards as a regular again as soon as I get finished with my work related travelling.
All The Best
Gary
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Glenn L Andersson
Inspector
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 192
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, September 06, 2003 - 2:19 pm: |
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Hi Gary,
Yes, I still haven't got around to buying the tape but I did see it available on Amazon. I haven't got the time, nor the money lately, but I'll order it soon, I think.
Welcome back to the board when you can, Gary. You've been missed.
All the best
Glenn L Andersson
Crime historian, Sweden
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Sallyanne Eckett
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 10:13 am: |
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Greetings fellow Ripperologists ,
This is the first place I have been able to find some link ( email wise) to Martin Fido . If you can see this Mr Fido , I just want say that you are a " God" regarding true crime story telling. I have read 3 of your books and have all the true crime audio tapes that you have done. When I see you on my Jack the Ripper video - I cheer , everytime! - I am not mad ! I just wanted to pass on praise to you for the pleasure your writing has given to me over the years. What is your opinion of Patricia Cornwell's Ripper theory?
Is it true that Stephen Knight is no longer alive? - his was the first Ripper book I read.
Best Wishes Sallyanne & Limedog
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
Glenn L Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 3060
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 1:22 pm: |
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Sallyanne,
I surely hope Mr Fido has the good taste to answer you, but I wouldn't count on it -- not because he doesen't care but simply because he for some time now have been occupied with teaching in the USA, and haven't been involved on the Boards now for a year or so -- unfortunately.
I think he was the last one of the prominent authors to leave here.
I see what you mean, Martin Fido is probably the one who pushed me right into the Ripper case with his very expressing and erh... original way of story-telling. My first experience of Rpperology was Martin's David Cohen theory, and although I today consider it rather far-fetched and less persuasive than it did at the time, many of his points are still valid as far as the Polish Jew theory is concerned.
Although Martin Fido always has been a good researcher, he has at times unfortunately made some more or less serious factual errors, but besides that I agree that he is a joy to see in documentaries and an entertaining person to watch. We simply couldn't do without him. I think many have been introduced to the Ripper thanks to him.
I really shouldn't speak on his behalf, but I would think he -- like more or less all researchers in the field -- discounts Cornwell's rubbish for what it really is -- badly researched and manipulated garbage.
On one documentary I have, he summaries his views on the Royal Conspiracy with the words "a complete fairy-tale, a hoax and a whopping fib, created by a man called Joseph Sickert, who has confessed to it." 
And I would believe his views on Cornwell's Ripperology attempts are equally clearly defined.
To answer your question -- if I may -- yes, Stephen Knight died of a brain tumour in 1985, saving him (once a very respected author) from the vast amount of criticism his Conspiracy theories, built on lies and sloppy research, has been subjected to -- and rightly so -- during recent years.
http://casebook.org/authors/obituaries/knight.html
May his soul rest in peace.
All the best
G. Andersson, author
Sweden
(Message edited by Glenna on February 02, 2005)
The Swedes are the men That Will not be Blamed for Nothing
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Sallyanne Eckett
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 1:32 pm: |
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Wow ! the power of the internet ! - I have an answer this very afternoon all the way from Sweden. I can totally appreciate how busy Mr Fido must be. Thankyou for your response and kind words Glenna ,
Sallyanne xxxx |
Monty
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Monty
Post Number: 1536
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 03, 2005 - 4:18 am: |
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Guys,
Odd you should mention Mr Fido.
Ive mailed him this morning.
Monty
I'm funny how, I mean funny, like I'm a clown? I amuse you. I make you laugh? I'm here to f**kin' amuse you? Whattya you mean funny? Funny how? How am I funny?
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Glenn L Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 3063
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 03, 2005 - 7:55 am: |
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Sallyanne,
Don't mention it. We aim to please.
Yes, the internet -- not to mention these Boards -- are incredible.
Monty,
Cool hunny bunny.
Give the man our regards and ask him how long he is going to be over there. We love him.
All the best
G. Andersson, author
Sweden
The Swedes are the men That Will not be Blamed for Nothing
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