Author: Robeer
Saturday, 29 June 2002 - 04:24 am |        |
This thread is created to gather physical descriptions of all known suspects in one place. Would appreciate everyone making a contribution. Does anyone know where to find a detailed physical description of the following possible suspects?
1. Prince Eddy
2. Montague John Druitt
3. Claude Regnier Conder
Evidently a few British ripperologists saw a TV program about Conder and were impressed with a photo of him. There is a photo of Conder in the archives but it cannot possibly be the photo in question. If anyone saw this program could you inquire if the TV producer would allow Casebook to have a copy of the photo. Thanks for your help.
Robeer |
Author: Tom Wescott
Sunday, 30 June 2002 - 12:08 am | |
Robeer,
Of the three you listed, only Druitt is a suspect...Conder's candidacy is only in the fertile imagination of Tom Slemen, and Prince Eddy was exonerated long ago by court circulars. Besides, photos of Eddy and Druitt abound, not to mention info. Surely you have access to this?
Yours truly,
Tom Wescott |
Author: Robeer
Sunday, 30 June 2002 - 03:12 am | |
Tom,
While you may be right Eddy does show up on the Casebook official list of suspects and books have been written about this subject. We really have no evidence to support any of the known suspects. It would be helpful to have a physical description of all suspects such as height, eye color, hair color, complexion, etc. If there is no exact physical description then if they were considered tall, short, etc. would be of some help. We place so much emphasis on witness descriptions it's only logical to have suspect descriptions to compare with, don't you agree?
Robeer |
Author: Tom Wescott
Monday, 01 July 2002 - 12:18 am | |
Robeer,
Regardless of what the Casebook list says, or anyone's list for that matter, Eddy never was nor will be an 'official suspect'. That theory originated 80 years after the fact. I agree that a compilation of descriptions is useful, however you only asked for descriptions of 3 suspects, one of which is well known to all by photos, the other two a waste of time. To me, worthwhile suspects (in no necessary order) would be as follows:
1. Druitt
2. Ostrog
3. Kosminski (pick one)
4. D'Onston
5. Sadler
6. Bury
7. Tumblety
8. Buchan
9. Chapman
I'm sure a few more could be added, but the ones I've included are either contemporary suspects, or later suspects whose circumstances present an interesting case. The above would be a good list to start from, in my opinion.
Yours truly,
Tom Wescott |
Author: Martin Fido
Monday, 01 July 2002 - 04:15 am | |
Tom,
You might add the Fenian head of the conspiracy to assassinate Balfour, suspected by Macnaghten according to a book written in the 1950s by Douglas Browne who had unusual access to the Met files. (There is some discussion ongoing on the 'Sir Melville Macnaghten' board at the moment).
All the best,
Martin F |
Author: Robeer
Monday, 01 July 2002 - 07:51 am | |
Tom,
The list you provided would be a good start. Can anyone help to develop this list?
Yes there are photographs but they don't tell us how tall the person was. Because the photos are black and white we don't know the color of hair, eyes, or complexion. Does modern computer imaging translate correct color from a black and white photo or does this information need to be entered first into the computer?
Were physical descriptions a standard procedure in the coroner's inquest? I wonder if William Druitt ever filed a missing person report with the Met?
Robeer |
Author: Kevin Braun
Monday, 01 July 2002 - 02:55 pm | |
Tom, Robeer,
Wasn't Ostrog in jail in France? Buchan over La Bruckman?
Take care,
Kevin |
Author: Jon
Monday, 01 July 2002 - 04:04 pm | |
Tom
Do you regard Druitt as a contemporary suspect even though he was only named 6 yrs after the murders?
For what its worth, I don't.
Regards, Jon
P.S.
Not really nitpicking, but 'after' is 'after', be it 6 yrs or 60.
P.P.S.
Macnaghten's suspicions are exactly that and not supported by contemporary text. |
Author: A.M.P.
Monday, 01 July 2002 - 07:42 pm | |
Without wishing to favour any particular suspect, it would seem reasonable to add James Kelly to Tom Wescott's list. He looks a better bet than many on the basis of the cases made so far. That includes people mentioned above like Buchan (extremely flimsy) and Ostrog, whose presence on Tom's list should make us question the value of some "official" sources.
Best Wishes to All. |
Author: Tom Wescott
Monday, 01 July 2002 - 11:27 pm | |
Kevin, Adrian, Jon,
I included Ostrog because he was a contemporary suspect. As I mentioned, a few were left out of my list simply because I was writing off the top of my head and I knew I would forget some, such as Kelly and La Bruckman. La Bruckman, especially, should be on that list. As for Druitt, there's reason to believe that he was suspected long before 1894, possibly mere months after Kelly's murder. And although Macnaughten's naming of him wasn't until 6 years after the murders, it was only 2 years after the case was officially closed, and 2 years BEFORE the final report was added to the files. Druitt should be and is considered a contemporary suspect, although I'm far from convinced of his guilt. As far as Macnaughten or any other officials viewpoints, it should always be remembered that they knew a lot of stuff that we don't know.
Yours truly,
Tom Wescott |
