Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

New claims Jack the Ripper was noted poet who studied as a priest in the North East

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    That Francis Thompson was an ex-medical student doesn't support him as the Ripper, as the medical consensus was undecided on the anatomical knowledge of the killer. Some of them opined that a mere hunter or a butcher could've inflicted the mutilations.

    Thompson possessed a surgical scalpel? Again, what does this prove? Many men back then carried knives and blades about them. And it was hypothesized that the killer's weapon of choice was a thin, long-bladed weapon. That doesn't describe a surgeon's scalpel, does it?

    Thompson had his heart broken by a prostitute and was motivated by revenge. Sounds good, but it's a reductionist approach at breaking down a serial killer's motivation. Many tortured artists/poets/writers have inner-demons. What percentage of them become serial killers? Also, I'm sure I read on here that the story about the prostitute was appropriated by Thompson or misattributed to him?

    Thompson lived in Spitalfields during the killings? So did a lot of men.

    Comment


    • #17
      Originally posted by Richard Patterson View Post
      That Thompson was mentally comes from various sources, all detailed in my book. That Thompson had troubles with the police is also detailed in my book and sources are given. Many biographies, on Thompson give details of his unpublished poems. I also read the Thompson's unpublished works, including this poem, when I researched in Boston College. I persist in harassing this great poet, because at the time of Kelly's murder her was living opposite the end of her street, in Spitalsfields. The only reason he gave was that he was seeking out a prostitute and he had medical skills and he wrote that he was carrying a dissecting scalpel. Anyone, who is interested in the solving the Ripper case, should want to know more about this man. Whether he was a great poet is beside the point and to ignore him on those grounds seems unreasonable.
      Richard,

      Have you been able to locate the original Catholics in Darkest England article which mentions the Providence Row refuge?

      Gary

      Comment


      • #18
        Originally posted by Harry D View Post
        That Francis Thompson was an ex-medical student doesn't support him as the Ripper, as the medical consensus was undecided on the anatomical knowledge of the killer. Some of them opined that a mere hunter or a butcher could've inflicted the mutilations.

        Thompson possessed a surgical scalpel? Again, what does this prove? Many men back then carried knives and blades about them. And it was hypothesized that the killer's weapon of choice was a thin, long-bladed weapon. That doesn't describe a surgeon's scalpel, does it?

        Thompson had his heart broken by a prostitute and was motivated by revenge. Sounds good, but it's a reductionist approach at breaking down a serial killer's motivation. Many tortured artists/poets/writers have inner-demons. What percentage of them become serial killers? Also, I'm sure I read on here that the story about the prostitute was appropriated by Thompson or misattributed to him?

        Thompson lived in Spitalfields during the killings? So did a lot of men.
        I doubt that Thompson's six-years of medical training, in which he learned new techniques of organ removal, would have hurt his prospects if he were the Ripper. That you find medical training in a suspect irrelevant, when arguments of whether the Ripper had medical skill continue to this day, mystifying.

        Equally mysterious is that you see nothing in the proximity of this suspect to the crimes. Also that you make no connection between the fact that Thompson said he carried an instrument used to dissect and remove human organs, and that the Ripper’s victims had their organs removed. That this suspect was seeking, on the streets, a woman of the very profession that the Ripper was killing matters nothing to you. It neither matters to you that he wrote, before the murders, of disembowelment and mutilation.

        Tell me if I am wrong Harry, but it seems that if you met a man on the street, in 1888, Spitalfields who had training in organ removal, who told you he was carrying a dissecting knife. You would let him wander on his way. Even though if you also knew that his only reason to be there was his prolonged search to find a prostitute who had fled him. The same profession the Ripper was seeking.

        It is all a matter of perspective. Some might say I am harassing a great poet, while some might say others are defending Jack the Ripper. I have no idea if Thompson was the Ripper but I know what I think of people who can't see the forest for the trees.

        I am happy to harass Thompson here. I'm happy to do it in Spitalfields, as this clip from the upcoming documentary on my theory, which I provide a link here, shows.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gGLDun6yjM&t=73s
        Author of

        "Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson"

        http://www.francisjthompson.com/

        Comment


        • #19
          Originally posted by MrBarnett View Post
          Richard,

          Have you been able to locate the original Catholics in Darkest England article which mentions the Providence Row refuge?

          Gary
          Yes. It it can be found in the January 1891 edition of the Merry England magazine. There is a copy in the British Library.
          Author of

          "Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson"

          http://www.francisjthompson.com/

          Comment


          • #20
            Originally posted by Richard Patterson View Post
            Yes. It it can be found in the January 1891 edition of the Merry England magazine. There is a copy in the British Library.
            Yes, I was aware that it was in that edition of Merry England, but I haven't been able to find it online. Do you have a transcript of the section concerning the Refuge which you could post for us?

            Comment


            • #21
              Originally posted by MrBarnett View Post
              Yes, I was aware that it was in that edition of Merry England, but I haven't been able to find it online. Do you have a transcript of the section concerning the Refuge which you could post for us?
              No. Sorry. I read the article in the Merry England in around 2006, before I moved back to Australia. At the time, in my ignorance, I did not see any significance in the name Providence Row. Back then I connected it with the West End street that the refugee was first located in and to Crispin Street, where it was relocated.

              When, in November, I returned to London, to speak at the Ripper conference, I made point of visiting the British Museum. I planned to access the magazine again but this time to copy the article.

              Despite being very busy with the conference and in filming in the studio and on location for the documentary that is being made. I saw the importance of re-reading the article. I went through the trouble of getting a library card, and I ordered the magazine through the online database.

              When I first asked to view the magazine, in 2006, I had to wait ½ an hour. Times have changed because this time the waiting period was 48 hours. Since I had about 4 days left before I had to return to Australia, I thought this was sufficient.

              I gave my email address and was told that I would be notified when the magazine would be on the shelf for me to pick up. I never received the email and I did not have time to return and ask again for it to be ordered.

              I wish I had the transcript and perhaps a casebook member, who can get over the stigma of harassing a great poet, might do their own research, if they live in London, and try to view the article. If they do, it would be great if they could post it. Also, there must by more copies of the Merry England edition that the article appeared in, though I have never been able to find one online.

              All I can say is that apart from my memory, that John Walsh, in his biography on Thompson quotes parts of the article including those parts in which Thompson wrote of staying at the refuge.
              Author of

              "Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson"

              http://www.francisjthompson.com/

              Comment


              • #22
                A relative of Thomspon reviews my Book.

                There are different opinions about if my book is right or wrong to accuse a famous poet of being Jack the Ripper. If anyone has a right to have an opinion, it would be a relative of the poet. My publisher’s website has received the first review for my book. It is a five star review, by the great-great-grand-daughter of Thompson’s uncle. Vivienne Spaltman writes,

                ‘Most enjoyable read, very well researched content which leaves no doubt in my mind that Francis Thompson was certainly a person of interest that slipped through the net of suspects. The poetry of Francis Thompson seem to be a true account of his actions and explained in Richard Patterson's book along with facts that are known about this poet which Richard researched and used in his book.’

                Author of

                "Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson"

                http://www.francisjthompson.com/

                Comment


                • #23
                  A medical man reviews my Book.

                  Glad to read another 5 star review, for my book, from the ex-Chief Medical Examiner for the city of Philadelphia. Doctor Robert Catherman, who has given expert medical testimony for many high profile murder trials, has this to say about ‘Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson.’

                  ‘As a Forensic Pathologist with close to 60 years of experience in evaluating the crime of murder, Patterson's book is extensively researched and well written. It seems a total slam dunk that Francis Thompson and Jack the Ripper are one and the same. The documentation in Patterson's book leaves little doubt in support of that conclusion.’

                  Author of

                  "Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson"

                  http://www.francisjthompson.com/

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Fiona Guy's Review of my book on Crime Traveller.

                    Crime Traveller, a very popular website on criminology, has written a review on my book, ‘Jack the Ripper, The Works’ of Francis Thompson, stating my book has likely solved the Jack the Ripper murders. The reviewer, Fiona Guy, is a well-known criminal psychology writer and researcher with a Bachelor and Masters of Science degrees. Fiona gives it 4.8 out of five stars. Here are some parts of the review, and a link to the full review.

                    ‘A viable theory that is backed up by solid motives, clear opportunity and page after page of credible parallels that even the most seasoned Ripperologist cannot ignore…. Richard Patterson’s writing style is fluid and energetic giving detail and explanations where needed with no heavy hard going paragraphs. There are more than a few coincidences when the life of Francis Thompson and the actions of Jack the Ripper are looked at in parallel, coincidences that build into a model that places Francis Thompson in the centre of the Jack the Ripper timeline. … this book does indeed deliver a compelling argument for Francis Thompson as the killer that just may well have solved the Jack the Ripper murders.’

                    Richard Patterson sets out a compelling case for English poet Francis Thompson as the prime suspect for Jack the Ripper in this must-read for Ripperologists the world over.
                    Author of

                    "Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson"

                    http://www.francisjthompson.com/

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Alessandro Mana, Reviews my book on his site Redjack

                      Alessandro Mana, with his respected site Redjack has written a review on my book and its theory. I am pleased to read Mana tell,

                      “Patterson lights foggy and dreary streets of London with a neon light…He leaves no stone unturned… The reading of Jack the Ripper, the Works of Francis Thompson is therefore a necessary step for Ripperology and fans of true crime worldwide.”

                      Author of

                      "Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson"

                      http://www.francisjthompson.com/

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Dr. Rupp. Forensci Pathologist responds to my book.

                        Joseph C. Rupp, M.D., Ph.D, "Joseph C. Rupp, M.D., Ph.D. Wrote in the criminologist in 1988, 'Was Francis Thompson Jack the Ripper.' Dr. Rupp, has read my book and written to me.

                        "I have finished the book. It is wonderful and will stand as a fundamental reference book for ever....It makes me feel good to have had a part in the book and the information you have uncovered since my article in l988 makes me wonder how I had the insight and the conviction to be so positive about FT as a suspect. It seems like it was all almost preordained that this would be the time lapse that FT predicted before the fame he so sought would be granted …The book is very good. It will hold it's own against any suspect and places FT ahead of all the contenders I can think of. The later chapters are very good. It is a good read and you can be proud of what you have done.…This book deserves to be widely read and appreciated. I can see that you worked on it for twenty years.'
                        Author of

                        "Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson"

                        http://www.francisjthompson.com/

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by Richard Patterson View Post
                          No. Sorry. I read the article in the Merry England in around 2006, before I moved back to Australia. At the time, in my ignorance, I did not see any significance in the name Providence Row. Back then I connected it with the West End street that the refugee was first located in and to Crispin Street, where it was relocated.

                          When, in November, I returned to London, to speak at the Ripper conference, I made point of visiting the British Museum. I planned to access the magazine again but this time to copy the article.

                          Despite being very busy with the conference and in filming in the studio and on location for the documentary that is being made. I saw the importance of re-reading the article. I went through the trouble of getting a library card, and I ordered the magazine through the online database.

                          When I first asked to view the magazine, in 2006, I had to wait ½ an hour. Times have changed because this time the waiting period was 48 hours. Since I had about 4 days left before I had to return to Australia, I thought this was sufficient.

                          I gave my email address and was told that I would be notified when the magazine would be on the shelf for me to pick up. I never received the email and I did not have time to return and ask again for it to be ordered.

                          I wish I had the transcript and perhaps a casebook member, who can get over the stigma of harassing a great poet, might do their own research, if they live in London, and try to view the article. If they do, it would be great if they could post it. Also, there must by more copies of the Merry England edition that the article appeared in, though I have never been able to find one online.

                          All I can say is that apart from my memory, that John Walsh, in his biography on Thompson quotes parts of the article including those parts in which Thompson wrote of staying at the refuge.

                          John Walsh does indeed mention the Refuge. He says that Thompson and other derelicts would 'often gravitate' to the Salvation Army and Providence Row refuges.

                          And he provides an extract from the article which seems to describe an occasion when Thompson failed to gain admittance to Providence Row:

                          " The nightly crowd of haggard men... the anxious waiting while the ticket-holders are admitted; the thrill - the almost shudder - through the crowd when the manager emerges to pick out men for the vacant beds left over after the ticket-holders' admission, the sickening suspense and fear in all the eyes as - choosing a man here and there - he passes along the huddled ranks, the cold clang with which the gates of mercy shut in those fortunate few, but out the rest; and then the hopeless, helpless drifting off of the dreary crowd..."

                          I should be near the BL in the next week or two (researching Harrison, Barber's head office in York Way). I'm not sure when, but if I can find the article in their catalogue, I'll order it in advance and see what it has to say.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            If you find that the magazine gets to you, MrBarnett, when you visit the British Library, I would be thrilled to read it's contents, if you manage to transcribe a copy of the article and are good enough to post it. To me, Walsh's extract, as you give it, it certainly reads ambiguously. Does Thompson position himself as among those 'fortunate few' enjoying the refuge or the 'drifting off of the dreary crowd' out along Crispin Street? I have a feeling that the full article will leave us still wondering whether Thompson was inside it's wall or without and what mood it left him in.

                            The edition of Thompson's article, although having all references to Providence Row expunged, after his death in 1907, to me give little room for doubt as to Thompson's reaction to having jostled with the crowd to seek admittance. As in this extract, in which he describes his thoughts on the destitute men and women of Spitalsfields, some of whom fell victim to the weapon held by the assassin we now call Jack the Ripper.

                            "They are brought up in sin from their cradles ... the boys are ruffians and profligates, the girls harlots in the mother’s womb ... Here, too, has the Assassin left us a weapon which but needs a little practice to adapt it to the necessity of the day? Even so our army is in the midst of us, enrolled under the banner of the Stigmata. Far better your children were cast from the bridges of London than they should become as one of those little ones."
                            Author of

                            "Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson"

                            http://www.francisjthompson.com/

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Paul Begg's Review of my Book.

                              Ripperologist Issue No. 126. February 2016. By Paul Begg.
                              Mr. Paul Begg, the reviewer, is a noted British researcher, writer and author. He is a leading authority on the subject of Jack the Ripper.

                              "Reading this book left me with the conviction that Francis Thompson ought to have been certified and looked after in an asylum…he didn’t think highly of prostitutes, once writing: ‘‘These girls whose practice is a putrid ulceration of love, venting foul and purulent discharge, for their very utterance is a hideous blasphemy against the sacrosanctity of lover’s language!’……In fact, Patterson describes in some detail how his early biographers carefully removed anything from his writings that revealed that he had been a drug addict living off immoral earnings…nobody has hitherto made a strong case for Thompson…This certainly needs to be reconsidered in light of Patterson’s book! Francis Thompson merits a close re-examination. There are many reasons why Patterson pokes the finger of guilt at Francis Thompson. …There seems little doubt that Thompson stayed at the Providence Row Night Refuge at the top end of Dorset Street [The street a victim was killed] and Patterson plausibly argues that the only time Thompson met the necessary conditions to stay there was in November 1888. [The month & year of the murder] Patterson also rightly makes much of a link between Thompson and Jack the Ripper… to a suspect who, says Patterson, ‘eerily matched that of Francis Thompson’.….‘Mr Moring’, …said to have been a friend of Mary Kelly. …. it is not unlikely that ‘Mr Moring’ could have been Thompson, …Overall, I think Richard Patterson has made a very good case for Francis Thompson to be taken off the shelf of neglected Ripper candidates and to be looked at more closely. …Anyway, I approached this book with a sense of duty. I left it knowing a lot about Francis Thompson, with a couple of biographies on order, a Kindle edition of his complete works, and plans to seriously update the A to Z entry…I think Richard Patterson has made a good case and that Thompson deserves to be looked at closely."
                              Author of

                              "Jack the Ripper, The Works of Francis Thompson"

                              http://www.francisjthompson.com/

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Well, it's disappointing that I'm the only one whose post was ignored.

                                Harry D makes some very good points. We just don't know with absolute certainty if JtR had any medical skills and if so, to what extent. Even if you do subscribe to the idea that the Ripper must 100% have had prior training in human surgery or the like, that still doesn't narrow it down too much. Thompson couldn't have been the only one in the area with such training as people digging up other possible suspects who fit this profile show.

                                The scalpel seems odd at first sight but you mention that Thompson was using it to shave. As different as Victorian instruments were, this presumably means this scalpel was relatively small and not the same size as the weapon(s) used by the Ripper. Unless Thompson just had a lot of skills and courage about shaving with a large, sharp knife...

                                Again, I don't really see in the poem what you've mentioned as a red flag for you. To be sure, any undergraduate could talk for hours about the tropes and anxiety it reflects about female sexuality. Yet, this is also true of many artists of the time period and I doubt we had dozens of artists who also happened to be serial killers.

                                I agree with your point about looking at the big picture. On the face of it, Thompson looks like at least a potentially interesting figure to look into. It just sounds like some of the things you're zooming in on don't back up your argument as definitely as you seem to think they do.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X