Dr. Thomas Dutton
Dutton was born in 1854 and allegedly wrote a three volume book entitled The Chronicle Of Crime, which consisted of handwritten notes and comments on all the chief murders of the past sixty years, including Jack the Ripper. The book was shown in 1932 to writer Donald McCormick, who would take notes. It was from these notes that he would draw upon when he wrote his own book in 1959 The Identity Of Jack The Ripper. McCormick named the Ripper as Dr Alexander Padachenko. Dutton's book however has not seen the light of day since his death in 1935, and is now believed to be lost. Dutton, in his book, was said to believe Jack the Ripper was a middle aged doctor who had become embittered by the death of his brilliant son. Dutton however does not name the man, and unfortunately there is no evidence Dutton's book ever existed. Some of Dutton's other claims are also a little dubious. He claims that Inspector Abberline suspected Severin Klosowski as early as 1888, Abberline later denied this. He claims that he took micro-photography of the Goulston Street Graffiti, made micro-photographs of 128 specimens of the alleged correspondence of Jack the Ripper, and concluded that at least 34 were in the same handwriting, he also claimed he assisted with the post mortems on the Ripper victims, and finally, that he was a Ripper suspect himself.
Dutton was listed as living at 130 Aldgate High Street, from 1879/1891. It was said Dutton had died in abject poverty, and if it had not been for the kindness of a friend might have been buried in a paupers grave, for £2.00 was all he had to his name.
