How Are The Mighty Fallen

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

Part of a memo from Sir Kenelm Edward Digby [Permanent Under Secretary of State, Home Office] to Charles Thomson Ritchie [Home Secretary], 22nd May 1901—

"About three months ago you requested Mr. Anderson to send in his resignation as Assistant Commissioner of Metropolitan Police. You were led to take this step in consequence of the necessity which in your view had arisen for alteration in the staff and organization of the Metropolitan Police, which made it desirable for a new appointment to be made to the post held by Mr. Anderson. You were particularly conscious that a fresh appointment should be made to the leadership of the Criminal Investigation Department, of a person who should serve for a considerable time under Sir Edward Bradford . . ."

Regards,

Simon

[The Good Michael]

This sounds to me like Anderson was getting too old, or was planning to retire, but someone was needed who could begin under Bradford and serve for a long time. Perhaps Anderson had already given intentions of resigning?

Mike

[jason_c]

I start to yawn at some of these threads now. No doubt it was started to further denigrate Anderson.

Staying in his job for over a decade was no mean feat.

[Stewart P Evans]

Fairness

I start to yawn at some of these threads now. No doubt it was started to further denigrate Anderson.
Staying in his job for over a decade was no mean feat.

In fairness to Simon his post is merely a factual reproduction of a contemporary memo. Added to this is the fact that it should be new information to posters on these boards and as such it should be welcomed not yawned at.

Another significant point is the fact that the vast majority of new information on Anderson is found by those who are disparaged for being 'anti-Anderson', whilst those who promote Anderson rarely come up with anything new and continue to cite old and hackneyed material.

Notable finds on Anderson and the Polish Jew theory have been -

1. Warren's letter to Anderson of 28 August 1888 regarding Anderson's sick leave - found by me.

2. The 1892 Cassell's Saturday Journal interview with Anderson - found by me.

3. The 1895 Windsor Magazine article by Arthur Griffiths with mention Anderson and the Whitechapel murders - found by Melvin Harris.

4. The 1896 Blackwood's Magazine article 'Professional Crime' by Anderson - found by me.

5. The 1903 T.P.'s Weekly article 'Sherlock Holmes, Detective. As Seen By Scotland Yard' by Anderson - found by me.

6. The 1906 Thomson's Weekly News article by Harry Cox of the City Police mentioning the Polish Jew suspect - found by Nick Connell.

7. The 1910 Jewish Chronicle and Globe articles and letters by and about Anderson and his Polish Jew theory - found by Nick Connell.

8. The 1911 The Nineteenth Century article 'The Criminal Alien' by Anderson - found by Nick Connell.

And there are more. So it ill becomes those who make derogatory remarks about those who dare to say anything against Anderson (which is often merely quoting the content of published material) when it is these perceived Anderson 'critics' who discover the vast majority of new information on Anderson.

[Natalie Severn]

Jason,
I would add that it can be quite "irksome" if not ethically questionable, to see dozens and dozens of posts asserting that a mentally ill young man named Kosminski was Jack the Ripper. Moreover a young man who by law was innocent and who was in a hospital for the mentally ill, a man who had no criminal record of any kind for violence ,even throughout his long illness. But this person has been condemned by Robert Anderson as Jack the Ripper ,who claimed this was known a "definitely ascertainable fact" .Anderson"s statement therefore condemns Kosminski"s memory for perpetuity as the most notorious serial killer in recent history .
Now some of us may not be too happy about what we perceive as the injustice of Anderson"s statement,which was anyway strongly refuted by other senior police at the time and we may be being greatly helped to set the record straight , Jason, by these "yawn making "posts you refer to .
We are actually extremely privileged to have access to some of Stewart"s extensive research on Robert Anderson as well as to his knowledge of how the police force operates , likewise to Trevor who also has a similarly extensive understanding of the case and how police procedure actually worked.
Simon"s above find is very instructive and like many of Stewart"s own finds lends the lie to the portrait that has been presented by other leading researchers who would have Anderson as the indispensable police officer and soul of integrity .
So hopefully we may even one day be able to exonerate Kosminski from this dreadful stain on his memory.
Best
Norma

[The Good Michael]

The thing that everyone fails to discuss about Anderson is the respect of the religious community that he garnered. For every niggling doubt about his character that is posted here, there are volumes of support for his character. I don't care either way, and I am suspect of anyone who has published as much regarding religious mumbo-jumbo as he had. However, what has been posted against his character is a thimbleful, and if one is prepared to support his character through posting of everything favorable (I'm not), the believed spiritual good certainly consumes the imagined evil.

Cheers,

Mike

[Chris]

Part of a memo from Sir Kenelm Edward Digby [Permanent Under Secretary of State, Home Office] to Charles Thomson Ritchie [Home Secretary], 22nd May 1901—

"About three months ago you requested Mr. Anderson to send in his resignation as Assistant Commissioner of Metropolitan Police.

Presumably that would have been at about the time that his article on "Our Absurd System of Punishing Crime" was published - in the February 1901 issue of The Nineteenth Century and After.

[Stewart P Evans]

Kudos

I did not make the above post with any intention of grabbing kudos or trying to outdo anyone else. It was made because it irks me when some see fit to criticise others when they do very little research themselves.

I see that Chris has posted above and he, like Rob House, are examples of others who have actually discovered new material themselves yet do not criticise others for the nature of factual material they post (personal opinions are a different thing).

There is still more material on Anderson yet to be posted/published and, whatever its nature, it can only add to the overall picture of this complex and fascinating individual.

[Bob Hinton]

Naughty naughty!

Jason,
I would add that it can be quite "irksome" if not ethically questionable, to see dozens and dozens of posts asserting that a mentally ill young man named Kosminski was Jack the Ripper. Moreover a young man who by law was innocent
Norma

Not true. No one can be found in law to be innocent, there is no such verdict you are either Guilty or Not Guilty, the latter does not mean you are innocent. In English law there is a "presumption of innocence" which means it is up to the prosecution to prove it's case, but this doesn't mean he is innocent.

[Natalie Severn]

Innocent until proven guilty?

----so Bob, no such thing as innocent until proven guilty?

Is it not the case that because Aaron Kosminski was mentally ill at the time Anderson accused him of the murders of five women in 1888, he was unable to defend himself? So an easier target Anderson couldnt have found-unless you believe Macnaghten who believed instead that it was the dead Druitt!

[Natalie Severn]

The thing that everyone fails to discuss about Anderson is the respect of the religious community that he garnered. For every niggling doubt about his character that is posted here, there are volumes of support for his character. I don't care either way, and I am suspect of anyone who has published as much regarding religious mumbo-jumbo as he had. However, what has been posted against his character is a thimbleful, and if one is prepared to support his character through posting of everything favorable (I'm not), the believed spiritual good certainly consumes the imagined evil.

Cheers,

Mike

Mike,
I dont dispute what you say but I would suggest you read through some of the Parliamentary reports following Robert Anderson"s public confession about having authored the 1887 Times articles defaming Parnell.He nearly lost his pension over it-----not many spoke up in his support---if any---and many members condemned him---though for differing reasons.See House of Commons 11th April 1910 -21st April 1910.

[Ally]

Where is the rest of the memo? I do not like seeing sentences excerpted from the whole. Usually this is done because there is either something in the preceding or continuing paragraphs that do not lend to the conclusion that the excerptor wishes us to draw. If there is nothing else pertaining, that is fine, however I do not understand why a memo would start off mentioning Anderson and a request for his resignation and then fail to mention him again in the entire memo.

[The Good Michael]

Mike,
I dont dispute what you say but I would suggest you read through some of the Parliamentary reports following Robert Anderson"s public confession about having authored the 1887 Times articles defaming Parnell.He nearly lost his pension over it-----not many spoke up in his support---if any---and many members condemned him---though for differing reasons.See House of Commons 11th April 1910 -21st April 1910.

Thanks Nats, I have been reading as much as I can find. Most of it is about Anderson's religious fervor, however. He's a complicated guy, much more so than the title of this thread would have one believe.

Cheers,

Mike

[Roy Corduroy]

I am suspect of anyone who has published as much regarding religious mumbo-jumbo

Making your biased opinion worthless in this matter.

Roy

[jason_c]

Thanks Nats, I have been reading as much as I can find. Most of it is about Anderson's religious fervor, however. He's a complicated guy, much more so than the title of this thread would have one believe.

Cheers,

Mike

It is the title of the thread that is as annoying as anything else. Snidey and bitchy being words that spring to mind. Posting the memo is reasonable enough, though im dubious that it needs a thread of its own.

As for Kosminski's innocence, he is innocent as regards the law. That doesnt mean his possible guilt cannot be discussed.

Kosminski was not condemned by Anderson as the Ripper. Anderson condemned an unnamed Polish Jew.