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** This is an archived, static copy of the Casebook messages boards dating from 1998 to 2003. These threads cannot be replied to here. If you want to participate in our current forums please go to https://forum.casebook.org **
Porriott, Walter Thomas
Casebook Message Boards: Ripper Suspects: Specific Suspects:
Later Suspects [ 1910 - Present ]:
Porriott, Walter Thomas
Author: Leanne Perry
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 07:12 am |        | G'day Everyone,
A fellow Aussie, posted a photocopy of a magazine article from December 30, 1997. The story is titled 'A Ripping Yarn' and tells of a Sydney man who reckons he knows the true identity of Jack the Ripper and also claims to be decended from him.
Steven Wilson of Sydney has tracked the life of his Great-great-grandfather Walter Thomas Porriott, who was better known to police as Andrew John Gibson.
Gibson was in England at the time of the Ripper murders and sailed for Australia on November the 9th, 1888, (the day Kelly's body was found). He hated women and married at least 20 times, then deserted his wives to move onto the next.
His writings show he was obsessed with prostitutes and female genitalia, which prompted him to pose as a gynaecologist in Australia, South Africa the United States and England.
His aliases include: Dr Ebenezer McKay, Dr Charles Ernest Chadwick, Dr Harry Westwood Cooper, Dr Milton Abraham (alias Monaghan, aka O'Connor), Surgeon-Major Swinton Holme VC, DSO, Dr Henry Irving Llewellyn Cooper, Surgeon Commander Swinton, Dr Boyd, Dr Harry Cecil Darling and Dr Harry Cecil Rutherford Darling.
The Australian Cloak & Dagger Club, will look into Wilson's claims.
Leanne! |
Author: Leanne Perry
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 07:42 am | | G'day,
Walter Thomas Porriott, spent much of his life pretending to be a doctor.
He was jailed in Australia for stealing in 1889,
then in 1893 for theft and false pretences before serving in prisons in California, South Africa and England. In all he spent 44 years behind bars. His last stint was a 10 year sentence for the manslaughter of a pregnant woman, while opperating on her while posing as a gynaecologist.
In 1891 he maried Francis Mary Scally, then changed the marriage certificate, so his wife became: 'Frances Mary Skelly', a name close to that of the Ripper's last victim.
The Wilson family has has always been deeply ashamed and divided over their ansectors past. Beverly Wilson says: "We all grew up deeply ashamed of him".
When I first read this story, I was very shocked. If this man, Wilson, is telling the truth about his Great-Great-Grandfather, then I ask if he can be 'fitted into' this mystery, somehow?
A false doctor in England at the time? I reckon if he could wonder over to the East End, he would have!
Leanne! |
Author: Diana
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 07:44 am | | | Well, if Porriott is our man, then we should expect to find records of ripper-type slayings wherever he went. They don't stop till they are stopped. Chikatilo did over 50 and would not have stopped except he was caught. Find out when this guy was in Australia and where in Australia he was and then start looking at old newspapers. |
Author: Diana
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 07:51 am | | | You said California? If you can find out before Wednesday when and where he was when he came to the USA, I might be able to help. I think I might be visiting the Houston Public Library Wednesday and they have very old newspapers on microfiche from all over the USA. |
Author: Jill De Schrijver
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 08:29 am | | Family skeletons out of the closet, seems the tide at the moment. I agree (this is beginning to get boring :-)) with Diana, that JtR would not have willingly stopped: search for mysterious missing persons in neighbouring environments around the time where this Poriott lived, moved, worked, ...It seems this was a very restless person, always on the move.
I think I'll better go check my great-grandfather's past: a dutchman, sailor, moved to Brasil and had several children with a very young Brasilian woman, of which I know nothing. :-)
Greetings,
Jill |
Author: Leanne Perry
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 08:30 am | | G'day Diana,
The Aussie who pointed out this article to me,
works on a television show, and has since emailed me to ask for my comments. I said that we need to find out more details and asked how we could contact Steven Wilson to interview him, as this is very interesting.
This article also says: 'and he married another woman in the United States called Kelly'.
'before going on to serve in prisons in Junee, California (San Quentin and San Francisco)'.
'His last stint was a 10 year sentence for manslaughter handed down at Stafford Assizes in 1940'.
'According to Wilson's research, Gibson's date of birth in England is uncertain, but he was adopted and brought to Australia....and given the name 'Charles Ernest Chadwick'.....Chadwick was raised in the Sydney suburb of Canerbury, but when his adopted father died in 1886, family acrimony ensued and he went to England to contest the will.'
Hope this helps and I will keep you informed as our research develops!
Leanne! |
Author: Leanne Perry
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 08:44 am | | G'day Jill,
This article also tells of his son-in-law, who mysteriously died after being struck by his own milk cart, while Gibson/Porriott was in Australia in 1936.
I don't know whether to believe this guy was the Ripper or not. I just think that this Wilson person's claims should be checked out, because his Great-Great-Grandfather is a worry!
Leanne! |
Author: Diana
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 10:17 am | | | Could a person who went on a murder rampage in London in 1888 still be at it in 1940? |
Author: Jill De Schrijver
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 11:35 am | | Diana - If he was an uncaught serial killer, I think so, yes.
Leanne - Yes I agree, this has to be checked out. I was only observing with my pun, that skeleton closet period has broken through, and maybe time has elapsed enough for great great grandchildren to be open about their family history and not to be ashamed of it any more. I am of neutral opinion in this case, as in Kelly's who claims her great great grandmother was our MJK. |
Author: Diana
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 02:03 pm | | | Let's say that Jack was 20 years old in 1888. That would make him 72 years old in 1940. If he was 25 to 30 years old in 1888 (more probable) he would have been between the ages of 77 and 83 in 1940. I know I said that they don't stop til they're stopped, but wouldn't infirmity due to age be a pretty effective way of stopping them? My Dad (who I'm thankful to say has never murdered anyone) is in his 70s. The idea of him attacking, murdering and mutilating anyone at this stage of his life is ludicrous. He just wouldn't be physically capable of it. |
Author: Jill De Schrijver
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 02:53 pm | | | He was sentenced for manslaugther in 1940, thus capable of murder and attack. |
Author: Diana
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 04:08 pm | | | But was the man sentenced in 1940 also old enough to have been Jack the Ripper in 1888? |
Author: Leanne Perry
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 06:14 pm | | G'day Ladies,
The end of this article, says that he died in the arms of his then wife, Eliza O'Leary, on August the 29th 1952. He married her a year earlier at age 81, so he would have been 82, when he died.
My calculations tell me that he would have been 18 years old in 1888.
This would mean that he served 10 years in 1940, for the manslaughter of a pregnant woman, while posing as a gynaecologist at age 70.
If this man was too young to be our 'Jack' in 1888, I believe he could have been posing as a doctor or medical student, at least.
His interest in female anatomy, took him all over the world and was strong enough to last until he was 70! If he was in England at the time of the Whitechapel murders, it would have been too tempting to wonder over to the East End of London!
Leanne! |
Author: Simon Owen
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 06:21 pm | | | Sorry Leanne , I think our suspect is too young to be JTR. |
Author: Simon Owen
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 06:22 pm | | | But not too old not to have been influenced by him. |
Author: David M. Radka
Monday, 10 July 2000 - 11:25 pm | | It's a load of old poop, IMHO. If you want to solve the case you must THINK FOR YOURSELF, not put your arms around every new name that pops up.
David |
Author: Leanne Perry
Tuesday, 11 July 2000 - 01:07 am | | G'day interested people,
With this story of a phony doctor in mind, I consulted my 'A-Z' and found: 'Dr Stanley' is an alleged suspect. He was proposed by Leonard Matters, whos source was an article written by 'an anonymous former student'.
A newspaper article from 1888, describes a well-known East End medico who suspected his former assistant.
If Porriott was too young to be the Ripper, I think we may have found the anonymous student/assistant who was so fascinated with the murders, that he may have acted suspiciously and caused people to suspect him!
What do you think of that 'POOP' David!
Leanne! |
Author: Peter R.A. Birchwood
Tuesday, 11 July 2000 - 01:18 pm | | There's no Porriott family's listed in the 1881 census but there is this Andrew J. Gibson listed below who seems to be about the right age. With a father who's a fish curer, maybe he got some early experience in gutting fish rather like Barnett.
Dwelling: Lady Millk St Road
Census Place: Aberdeen Old Machar, Aberdeen, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203447 GRO Ref Volume 168-2 EnumDist 3 Page 8
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Andrew GIBSON M 55 M England
Rel: Head
Occ: Fish Curer Employing Diffrent Hands At Diffrent Times
Jessie GIBSON M 50 F Lock Broom, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Wife
Angus GIBSON U 23 M Stornaway, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Clerk Shiping Office
Agnes GIBSON U 20 F Stornaway, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: (Fish Curer Daur)
Jessie GIBSON U 18 F Stornaway, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Mary N. GIBSON U 17 F Stornaway, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Lizzie GIBSON 14 F Stornaway, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Andrew J. GIBSON 11 M Stornaway, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
George C. GIBSON 9 M Stornaway, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
Maude GIBSON 6 M St Nicholas, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
Angus MC DONALD W 74 M Loch Broom, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Rel: Father In Law
Occ: Retired Grocer |
Author: Christopher T George
Tuesday, 11 July 2000 - 09:47 pm | | Hello Peter:
Perhaps you can elucidate the terminology for us here. What does scholar mean? That the person was a schoolchild? Or had some form of higher education? Today such a term would tend to denote the latter but I would think it is probably just denoting the person was of school age. Let us know.
An interesting suspect, Leanne.
Best regards
Chris George |
Author: Leanne Perry
Wednesday, 12 July 2000 - 12:27 am | | G'day,
This article says that his tombstone reads 'Walter Thomas Porriott', but to police he was known as 'Andrew John Gibson'.
Further on it refers to 'Gibson', so maybe I should have called this board 'Gibson'.
It says 'According to Wilson's research, Gibson's date of birth in England is uncertain..' I calculated his year of birth, and how old he would have been, by taking his age and year of death and counting back.
Maybe Wilson couldn't locate his birth records, because he was actually born in Scotland.
He didn't go to England until 1886, to contest the will of his adopted father. You may have found the Gibson family, Peter.
Then he returned to Australia, the morning that Kelly's body was found!
Leanne! |
Author: R.J. Palmer
Wednesday, 12 July 2000 - 08:57 am | | I'm not sure what animal I am unleashing here...maybe its a fish (red herring) or maybe a bird (wild goose)...but this Gibson has some odd parallels to Pastor John George Gibson (from Scotland, allegedly fled right after MJK's death, ended up in San Francisco) who is Robert Graysmith's JtR suspect in The Bell Tower, a book I'm browsing with my left hand while my right is mucking through Feldman's book on Maybrick. But this may mean nothing, and should probably be ignored.
Regards,
RJP |
Author: Peter R.A. Birchwood
Wednesday, 12 July 2000 - 10:41 am | | Hi Chris:
"Scholar" means that the person concerned was at school and not working (as indeed many children of the time were.)
Peter |
Author: Jim DiPalma
Wednesday, 12 July 2000 - 10:50 am | | Hi All,
As much as I hate to rain on my friend Leanne's parade, I must confess to being sceptical of any JtR suspect that was only 18 years old at the time of the murders. From the swiftness and silence with which he was able to subdue his victims, to his ability to remove internal organs in mere minutes in almost total darkness, his technique seemed far too polished and mature to be the work of an 18 year-old. None of the traditionally accepted witness sightings describe a man as young as 18.
I would also point out that from what we know of other serial killers that were caught, they seem to do their "best" work (what a ghastly thought) in their late 20s-mid 30s.
RJ: I thought exactly the same thing when I heard the name "Gibson", but I have to confess that having read "The Bell Tower", I am unsure that Pastor Gibson actually existed. While the book is based on an actual case, both the dialog and some of the events described were so contrived that the book read more like a work of fiction. There really isn't much there in the way of new information for the serious Ripperologist.
Cheers,
Jim |
Author: Jon
Wednesday, 12 July 2000 - 12:51 pm | | Leanne
Leonard Matters source was in Buenos Aires, this was a former student of the 'Dr Stanley', they both lived in Buenos Aires.
Matters picked up on this lead while being editor for a newspaper there. If my memory serves me correct.
(I'm reading Matters book now)
Regards, Jon |
Author: Diana
Wednesday, 12 July 2000 - 01:07 pm | | | After Ted Bundy was caught it was discovered there were murders of girls in his neighborhood when he was a teenager which were never solved. I basicly concur with Jim. The technique is too advanced. But you never know. |
Author: Leanne Perry
Wednesday, 12 July 2000 - 06:07 pm | | G'day Jim,
You're not 'raining on my parade' mate! I'm just bring attention to this Australian guy's claim, that his great-great-grandfather was a bit suspicious. I agree that if he was 18 years old, at the time of the Ripper crimes, he may have been a bit too young.
The fact that he was only 18 comes from my own calculations, based on his age at death. But it says here that when he married the last woman in his life, he was 81 (claiming to be 71). So if he lied about his age alot, who knows?
We are trying to locate Steven Wilson, to hear his entire story!
Leanne! |
Author: Wolf Vanderlinden
Wednesday, 12 July 2000 - 11:27 pm | | Jim, Pastor John George Gibson did indeed exist and was a contemporary suspect for the ‘Demon in the Belfry' murders. Although I agree with you that Robert Graysmith's book, The Bell Tower offers nothing new to the Whitechapel murders and Graysnith did fictionalize parts of the story, it is a very entertaining read and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Bell Tower murders, the history of San Francisco, the life of William Randolph Hearst, the San Francisco newspaper wars and even, to a small degree, the Ripper murders,(it would make a great movie, or movies).
Leanne and Jon, Leonard Matters divided his1929 book, The Mystery of Jack the Ripper into two parts. Part one is called Fact, part two is called Theory but could more properly be called Fiction. I have to agree with Melvin Harris that Matters, in all likelihood, simply made up Dr. Stanley. Matters first attempts to figure out what type of man the Ripper must have been and then armed with this description, he fleshes out his theory with the tale of the avenging Dr. Stanley. Matters even tells us that he can not find any trace of a Dr. Stanley, but, "he must have lived-even if never under that name. To me there is no alternative consistent with the theory which I am developing but to be believed that such a man as Dr. Stanley was a resident of the West End of London when ‘Jack the Ripper' amazed the world..."
Wolf. |
Author: Jim DiPalma
Thursday, 13 July 2000 - 10:29 am | | Hi All,
Leanne, it is of course possible that the guy lied about his age and the Andrew Gibson that Peter found is not the same one. I do hope you can locate Mr. Wilson and obtain the rest of the story, as this Gibson fellow seems like a colorful and interesting character, even if he was not the Ripper.
Wolf, thanks for the info on Pastor Gibson. I quite agree that "The Bell Tower" was an entertaining and worthwhile read. I did not intend to sound as if I were dissing Graysmith's book, I did enjoy it. However, I bought the book with the expectation that it was a factual treatment of the Whitechapel murders containing a detailed look at a new suspect, and in that respect I felt it came up a bit short.
Regards to all,
Jim |
Author: Jon
Thursday, 13 July 2000 - 01:07 pm | | The Matters book is interesting for his first half, the section he calls 'Fact'.
He tells us he got his info from newspapers & considering this was only 40 years after the murders, his info is reasonably good.
There are some details he gets wrong, but overall it is pretty close to what we know today, and a couple of conclusions Matters draws have been mentioned here in recent postes.
His Dr Stanley (2nd half) tale is intriguing because Matters supplies other names & addresses as clues to possibly support this character. But the 2nd half reads too much like a dramatic play to be taken seriously.
It appears that he takes you through the facts, pointing out the critical bits, then in the 2nd half presents a 'story' to accomodate those 'bits', hence solving the case :-)
Nothing new under the sun, Horatio. |
Author: Wolf Vanderlinden
Friday, 14 July 2000 - 12:33 am | | I agree Jon, after I had posted I realized that I hadn't said anything positive about Matters book which is very good on details and very worthwhile other than the Dr. Stanley theory.
Wolf. |
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