Is There More To Bond's Death Than Meets The Eye?

[Wickerman]

According to a newspaper report the suicide was a sudden act.

"Shortly before seven the next morning (June 6), the nurse attending the doctor left the apartment for a moment. No sooner was the attendant's back turned, than the doctor got out of bed, and, wearing only his night clothing, threw himself out of the window. He fell a distance of fifty feet, alighting upon his head in the area. It is thought that when help first arrived the unfortunate gentleman was not dead, but he died on the way to Westminster Hospital"
Penny Illustrated Paper, 15 June, 1901.

[RockySullivan]

Hallo,

I realize that this may seem like a crazy idea to many, but has Dr Bond ever been considered as a suspect? Or if not directly involved as someone who could have been part of a wider conspiracy? Clearly he had medical knowledge and his opinions, that none of the 1888 murders demonstrated even a basic level of anatomical knowledge, seemed to be at variance with just about every other medical professional, i.e. Dr Phillips. Wasn't he also involved with the Thames Torso murders investigation? I mention that because it has recently been argued, on a another thread, that there is a possible link with the Torso and JtR murders.

And, of course, he committed suicide. I realize there is a simple explanation for this, but it obviously isn't unheard of for serial killers to ultimately take their own lives.

I also realize, of course, that he was a respected medical man, but I don't see why anyone should be ruled out just on that basis: Harold Shipman was also a highly respected medical professional at one time, as presumably was Dr Neill Cream. And, considering the number of suspects who have come under suspicion, why should medical professionals be given less consideration than, say, artists, businessmen, royals, or barristers?

I'm not suggesting that there is anything like significant evidence against him, but of course that applies to most suspects! I'm merely interested whether he has previously been considered or whether anyone considers him to be remotely credible as a suspect.

It's definitely possible someone that someone connected to mortuary or medical examiner was involved but it doesn't seem like there's much to indicate such. The anatomical knowledge yes but ripper & torso both showed an ability to sneak in and out of places unseen like the whitehall vault and pinchin arch and hanbury so it's more likely someone with skills as a burglar which I don't see a medical examiner like bond having.

[Natasha]

Insomnia is a one way street to hallucinations. It isn't a case of he might get it. It's when. Plenty of examples of people suffering from hallucinations killing themselves accidentally by jumping off something high. People who have survived claim they just felt invincible at the time, not that they wanted to hurt themselves.

I wonder how he coped with possible hallucinations after having to examine the murdered victims.

If they were severe enough, could they instruct him to commit crimes

Hallo,

I realize that this may seem like a crazy idea to many, but has Dr Bond ever been considered as a suspect? Or if not directly involved as someone who could have been part of a wider conspiracy? Clearly he had medical knowledge and his opinions, that none of the 1888 murders demonstrated even a basic level of anatomical knowledge, seemed to be at variance with just about every other medical professional, i.e. Dr Phillips. Wasn't he also involved with the Thames Torso murders investigation? I mention that because it has recently been argued, on a another thread, that there is a possible link with the Torso and JtR murders.

And, of course, he committed suicide. I realize there is a simple explanation for this, but it obviously isn't unheard of for serial killers to ultimately take their own lives.

I also realize, of course, that he was a respected medical man, but I don't see why anyone should be ruled out just on that basis: Harold Shipman was also a highly respected medical professional at one time, as presumably was Dr Neill Cream. And, considering the number of suspects who have come under suspicion, why should medical professionals be given less consideration than, say, artists, businessmen, royals, or barristers?

I'm not suggesting that there is anything like significant evidence against him, but of course that applies to most suspects! I'm merely interested whether he has previously been considered or whether anyone considers him to be remotely credible as a suspect.

I was thinking when I started this thread that perhaps Bond Knew something important in the ripper case and was silenced, and that there was something suspicious about Hebbert. But it would be interesting to investigate Bond.

According to a newspaper report the suicide was a sudden act.

"Shortly before seven the next morning (June 6), the nurse attending the doctor left the apartment for a moment. No sooner was the attendant's back turned, than the doctor got out of bed, and, wearing only his night clothing, threw himself out of the window. He fell a distance of fifty feet, alighting upon his head in the area. It is thought that when help first arrived the unfortunate gentleman was not dead, but he died on the way to Westminster Hospital"
Penny Illustrated Paper, 15 June, 1901.

Thanks for this article.

[Batman]

I agree with surgeon and ripperologist Nick Warren that because of the definite medical knowledge in the Torso case, Bond was expecting something similar like full amputation and full decapitation but only saw partial attempts.

However since JtR wasn't moving his victims, there was no need to chop them into discreet packages. Bonds powers of observation are not so good given we have the photographs to compare his words with. She was wearing a chemise. He said naked for example.

[John G]

I agree with surgeon and ripperologist Nick Warren that because of the definite medical knowledge in the Torso case, Bond was expecting something similar like full amputation and full decapitation but only saw partial attempts.

However since JtR wasn't moving his victims, there was no need to chop them into discreet packages. Bonds powers of observation are not so good given we have the photographs to compare his words with. She was wearing a chemise. He said naked for example.

Hi Batman,

I personally think that all of Dr Bond's opinions should be treated with some caution. Although the police seemed to have confidence in him he was the only one of five surgeons who believed Rose Myletts death was accidental, the others concluding she'd been murdered. The coroner, Wynne Baxter was pretty scathing, and dismissive of Bond's evidence

[Batman]

Hi Batman,

I personally think that all of Dr Bond's opinions should be treated with some caution. Although the police seemed to have confidence in him he was the only one of five surgeons who believed Rose Myletts death was accidental, the others concluding she'd been murdered. The coroner, Wynne Baxter was pretty scathing, and dismissive of Bond's evidence

I agree.

The thing about back then was that appointments where not always best person for the job but based on which circles you rubbed shoulders with.

Dr. Phillips for example works in the capacity of a pathologist in one of the worst areas in the world. Hardly a job an educated person like a medical doctor would want, even a pathologist, for the time and place. Yet Whitechapel where lucky to get a person with his brain at that time and place. These murders could have been passed off than nothing more than gang related crime, as per Emma Smith, if it wasn't for Phillips recognizing the rareness of the type of murder he was seeing.

If Phillips was blundering about as the multiple killer hypothesis would have us believe, he blundered into developing what would become the basis for capturing other lust killers who behaved in similar ways.

Bond was more academic IMO. He would have given great lectures on medicine and certainly his forensic psychology profile is not a bad attempt, given its one of the first attempts ever, but when it came to practical on the ground examination, I think he fell well short of what that job demanded. It is a pity we never got to see Dr. Phillips findings on MJK.

[Natasha]

Bonds powers of observation are not so good given we have the photographs to compare his words with. She was wearing a chemise. He said naked for example.

Hi Batman,

I personally think that all of Dr Bond's opinions should be treated with some caution. Although the police seemed to have confidence in him he was the only one of five surgeons who believed Rose Myletts death was accidental, the others concluding she'd been murdered. The coroner, Wynne Baxter was pretty scathing, and dismissive of Bond's evidence

It is a pity we never got to see Dr. Phillips findings on MJK.

I absolutely agree with you both.

I would like to ask anyone who knows exactly who quoted that Bond was actually present at the PM of Kelly, because it is evident he wasn't judging by some the minor mistakes in the report. Also every official has mentioned the chemise, it may seem like an insignificant detail, but for everyone to mention it including Dew makes me sure that whoever wrote 'Bond's report' was not present at the PM taken at Millers Court.

Does anyone know for sure weather Bond's report was taken into account rather than Phillips? I would think that very strange if Phillip's report was not taken into consideration not even heard, seeing as Phillips was at the inquest and Bond wasn't.

I don't understand why the report was written because I'm quite sure it wasn't written at Millers Court. There would be no point writing a report from memory.

[Debra A]

I've always understood that Bond suffered from a long illness for which he'd been treating himself with narcotics, presumably morphine-based. He had a nurse, didn't he, who left the room where he was lying for a minute, and he then upped and threw himself out of the third-floor window? He'd been bed-ridden for weeks.

It stated in one of the press reports that he was awaiting an operation but had long despaired of his health. If he was anxious about a possible operation, couldn't sleep, his medical practice was suffering and he may have been suffering from a long term addiction to narcotics due to a painful illness, he might well have impulsively decided to end it all, IMO.

Dr Bond was in the latter stages of prostate cancer.

[Rosella]

Thankyou Debra, again. Well, that makes Bond's action understandable then, doesn't it? No chance of recovery, only more suffering, and death at the end of it. In the days before there was even radiation treatment such an illness was untreatable, really.

[GUT]

A lot of people on this thread need to remember that Dr Bond died some 13 years after the Ripper Killings, so to try and connect his death with lack of capacity at the time of the murders is crazy.

[Batman]

The thing is though, why would someone in sound mind, who has forensic experience at that, throw themselves out a window if they wanted to die?

You are not guaranteed a death. There is a possibility of surviving it. There is the possibility of it being a prolonged painful death if it doesn't go right. It's a horrible way to go by applying massive trauma to the body and head, especially the spine and neck. He might have just ended up in a wheelchair.

The only reason I can think is that due to his depression he had medicines and access to medicines removed so he couldn't go out painlessly by his own hand. The people immediately around him reduced his ability to commit suicide (I am guessing he was addicted to morphine given they said he treated himself for pain since a young person which also gave him insomnia). Maybe he had tried unsuccessfully before (doubtful though being a doctor). In the chance that he had being left alone for awhile, he decided the pain he was in was enough to justify throwing himself out the window. Maybe I could buy that.

[John G]

The thing is though, why would someone in sound mind, who has forensic experience at that, throw themselves out a window if they wanted to die?

You are not guaranteed a death. There is a possibility of surviving it. There is the possibility of it being a prolonged painful death if it doesn't go right. It's a horrible way to go by applying massive trauma to the body and head, especially the spine and neck. He might have just ended up in a wheelchair.

The only reason I can think is that due to his depression he had medicines and access to medicines removed so he couldn't go out painlessly by his own hand. The people immediately around him reduced his ability to commit suicide (I am guessing he was addicted to morphine given they said he treated himself for pain since a young person which also gave him insomnia). Maybe he had tried unsuccessfully before (doubtful though being a doctor). In the chance that he had being left alone for awhile, he decided the pain he was in was enough to justify throwing himself out the window. Maybe I could buy that.

Hi Batman,

I find throwing yourself out of a window a strange way to commit suicide. I mean, as you suggest he may well have had access to pharmaceuticals, which would seem like a much more logical alternative for a doctor. I suppose a conspiracy theorist might ask: did he jump or was he pushed?

I also find it odd that such an experienced and well-respected doctor could have had conclusions which were at such variance from his colleagues, i.e. in respect of the medical knowledge required to carry out the C5 killings an Rose Mylett murder. Anyone would think that he was involved in a cover-up!

[Rosella]

The Victorians had fewer ways of committing suicide than we do, though. Bond could hardly have sneaked out, got into his car and wrapped it round a tree at high speed, for instance.

My guess is that, because of his depression, all medicines, scissors etc were removed out of his way. Someone was probably brought in to shave him so that old standby, the cutthroat razor, wouldn't have been available either.

The jump from the window could well have been the decision of a moment and he probably didn't think of any consequences. Who could have pushed him? He wasn't in a hospital, with dozens of strangers around. The only people at his home would be servants, his wife and the nurse, surely?

[Natasha]

What about the hippocratic oath and religious connotations, wouldn't Bond be breaking these?

We don't know what sort of person he was, but if he applied religious practices to his life, would he really go against these if upholding his morals/actions were more worthy than the pain he was suffering?

As I have said before, I did start this thread questioning weather he was in fact pushed. The 'Bond' report appears flawed. There is suggestion he didn't write it. If he did write a report was it switched?

[Batman]

Wasn't the attending doctor the last person to see him alive?