A London surgeon's suicide

[miss marple]

I don't know if this has come up before.Probably somewhere on the site.

Dr Thomas a surgeon at the Metropolitian Hospital killed himself with Prussic acid while visiting his parents in Aberffraw, a village ten miles from Holyhead in June 1889.

The Metropolitian Hospital was founded in 1836. The hospital was based at Commercial St Spitalfields from 1876 to 86 then moved to Kingsland Rd E.8.

The newspaper reports are very brief , but I would like to find out more about Dr Thomas, why did he kill himself? Its interesting.

Miss Marple

[c.d.]

Going off on a tangent here but the reference to Prussic acid made me think of Lizzie Borden (she of the 40 whacks fame) who attempted to purchase that same item from a pharmacy the day before her parents were killed. The druggist refused to sell it to her. The attempted purchase was not admitted as evidence in her trial.

Sorry about the tangent thing.

c.d.

[miss marple]

Doctors had easy access to Prussic acid.

Miss Marple

[miss marple]

More information, Anglesea Inquest on Dr W.E Thomas, took his life while temperarily insane. He stole the prussic acid from his Father's chemist shop in Aberffraw. He had swallowed half an once and was found on the bed. He had been depressed,
His London address was 190 Green St Victoria Park. So we have a Doctor who lives and works in the East End and had worked in a hospital in Spitalfields till 86 and goes to Wales to committ suicide in June 89.
Will check out census next.
Its very interesting!!

Miss Marple

[Paddy]

From Welsh Newspapers online

26th June 1889 The Cardigan Bay Visitor

Anglesey held on inquest on Saturday on the body of Dr W. l. Thomas, a physician practising at 100, Green-street, Victoria Park, London. He came to Wales on Tuesday, on a visit to his father, a chemist at Aberffrau. He was very depressed, and a watch was kept on his movements. On Thursday, during the absence of the assistant, he contrived to get a bottle of prussic acid, and going to his bed-room, swallowed about half an ounce, death being almost
instantaneous. The jury found that he committed suicide whilst temporarily insane.

Pat..............

[Pcdunn]

Interesting case. Are we thinking Jack may have been a doctor, after all?

[paul g]

It is for posts and finds like this that I joined casebook. Not the current strain of threads that populate the boards.
Excellent find.

[miss marple]

I am not raising him to a suspect yet, but there are elements of sufficent interest for further investigation, Surgeon, East End, suicide, seven months after mk.

I will post census later and anything else that comes up. Still looking!

Miss Marple

[Observer]

Hi

Thomas was discussed some years ago, if memory serves me well. A short piece about him is here under "suspect guides".

http://www.casebook.org/ripper_media/book_reviews/non-fiction/cjmorley/185.html

[miss marple]

I love Casebook, it has everything.
He seems to have been dismissed as a suspect because he committed suicide seven months after MK. Yet nothing about him has been investigated. What's the rule book that states you can only be a suicide ripper if you kill yourself immediatly after MK? i am not saying he is the ripper but if a someone had committed a serious of murders, then stopped, was perhaps driven to do so, then it prayed on his mind causing depression, suicide could take place months later.
He was 33 and it do'es mention in one of the newspapers that he was a Surgeon at the Metropolition which had been based in Commercial st till 86. If he was at the hospital then he would be familier with area and probably treated prostitutes He may have gone into general practise later.

I am merely speculating until more is discovered about his career but I think he is too interesting to ignore, He needs to be fully eliminated or not.


Miss Marple

[Observer]

As I said, Thomas has been discussed before, I believe a number of posters revealed information regarding this individual. Perhaps if you did a search, it might save you valuable time. It was some time ago, if memory serves, could be before this site crashed where information was lost.

Observer

[miss marple]

I did do a search, did nt find anything unfortunately. Thomas needs a relook. if someone has been discussed once, and they can't be discussed again. That would save thousands of words on certain suspects!

Miss Marple

[Observer]

Must have been the old message boards then. Try the JTR Forums.

[David Orsam]

See this thread on JTR forums:

http://www.jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=718

Refers to an article in the October 2005 Whitechapel Society Journal by Des McKenna entitled 'Jacripa'.

Suspect's full name: William Evans* Thomas


*possibly Evan

[Observer]

Also

http://casebook.org/forum/messages/4922/10323.html