Leather Apron

[Tom_Wescott]

Regarding Thick, it should be remembered that he had a reputation for 'fixing people up' and getting the wrong man arrested.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[lynn cates]

Henry James

Hello Jon. Have you included Henry James?

Cheers.
LC

[Jon Guy]

Hi Lynn

Yes, he`s John James in the Daily Telegraph.

[lynn cates]

wandering lunatics

Hello (again) Jon. Thanks.

"Charles Ludwig had a stiff leg, and his description could be Mrs Fiddymont`s man.

John James had a stiff knee, too."

Precisely! As I have maintained, "Leather Apron" was a legend inspired by at least 3 or 4 different people.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

"Eltham" road

Hello (yet again) Jon. Thanks. I am thinking about Mrs. Fiddymont's man and his peculiar (fast and springy) walk.

By the way, I am delighted that you mentioned that incident. At least two from the Met equated that chap with JI--and professor Sugden allows of that possibility as well.

By the way, how many of those wandering lunatics stopped into a house on "Eltham" road?

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

yup

Hello Tom. Indeed.

Cheers.
LC

[Jon Guy]

Hi Lynn

I don`t see what Ludwig and James have to do with Leather Apron?

[lynn cates]

introducing "Bumblefoot"

Hello Jon. Thanks. Hope you will permit the following true story.

When I was young, I worked as a dustman. Every morning, at a certain hour, and working in a certain alley, I saw this same chap. His walk was exceedingly strange. He would take a step, dip down, stop, then repeat. It was very slow indeed. His arms assumed a strange posture and he always had a pipe clenched tightly in his teeth.

One day, the lad with whom I worked remarked, "Well, there's old bumblefoot again." Soon, the name became attached to other people with odd walks by other dustman who confused one with another.

And because we did not understand this person, all sorts of ideas sprang up about his "nefarious" business.

Looking back, his gait approximated the walk exhibited by one with cerebral palsy. He likely smoked to relax, and it would be reasonable to assume that he was walking to work--albeit slowly.

But in our minds, a legend--"The legend of Bumblefoot"--had been formed.

I present this as an analogy of how real events can inspire rumours.

Cheers.
LC

[Jon Guy]

Hi Lynn

By the way, I am delighted that you mentioned that incident. At least two from the Met equated that chap with JI--and professor Sugden allows of that possibility as well.

It`s a shame neither of them saw Fiddymont`s man. In fact, their guess is probably as good as ours as we have only seen Isenschmid (in fact I don`t think we have a record of Abberline or any of his team actually seeing Isenschmid, although I`m sure they would have sneaked a look when they visited Dr Mickle).

Didn`t they also think Piggott was Fiddymont`s man, too?

By the way, how many of those wandering lunatics stopped into a house on "Eltham" road?

None, I think, but ironically, we can place Ludwig in an alley not far from Mitre Square, pulling a knife on a prostitute, and James was harmless apparently, he just wandered around Whitechapel with a knife.

[lynn cates]

errata

Hello Jon. Thanks.

"It`s a shame neither of them saw Fiddymont`s man."

I'll say. And equally unfortunate that she was not allowed to Grove Hall.

"In fact, their guess is probably as good as ours . . ."

Agreed.

" . . . as we have only seen Isenschmid (in fact I don`t think we have a record of Abberline or any of his team actually seeing Isenschmid, although I`m sure they would have sneaked a look when they visited Dr Mickle)."

Quite possible. Or perhaps when Dolly Williamson chatted up the infirmary lad?

"Didn`t they also think Piggott was Fiddymont`s man, too?"

No, he was let off the hook.

Cheers.
LC

[Jon Guy]

Hi Lynn

I enjoyed the analogy, thanks, and I understand your point. My point being, that Bumblefoot was the inspiration for Bumblefoot just as Piser is the inspiration for Leather Apron.

We have the real person Leather Apron, a single, 38 year old man who occasionally stays with his mum in Whitechapel, when he`s not staying in Lodging Houses around the City. His nickname is Leather Apron, he wore a leather apron and, although he obviously denies it, he is know by the Police for bullying women.

Then we have the legend Leather Apron, born of the press enquiries looking for possible suspects, and at the time they only had the slaughtermen and the local bully. Leather Apron, obviously, took the biscuit.

Sure, Isenschmid is now part of the legend of the legend of Leather Apron, thanks to those Holloway girls, but surely, and I hope you don`t mind me calling you Shirley, he had nothing to do with the inspiration for Leather Apron?

[mariab]

Thick as witnessing any misdoings on Piser's behalf. But he did note the nickname.

I don't recall any one identifying Piser as the villain--except Violenia and Thick. Mrs. Fiddymont nixed him.

Regarding Thick, it should be remembered that he had a reputation for 'fixing people up' and getting the wrong man arrested.

I assume this is Thick of Thick & White of Ms. Kürr's shirt/"lodger“ fame?
Any sources I could look up on Thick's reputation for getting the wrong man arrested?

[Simon Wood]

Hi Jon,

"Leather Apron", described as "a cross between Dickens' Quilp and Poe's baboon" was a journalistic invention which first appeared in the New York Times.

How do you arrest a journalistic invention?

Regards,

Simon

[Jon Guy]

Hi Simon

Was that reference to Leather Apron in the New York Times referring to the Whitechapel Murders?

[Simon Wood]

Hi Jon,

Yes, Sir.

Regards,

Simon