Thank you for having me, and a theory

[martin wilson]

Opium.

i will post the 10 Chinese 'cannots' regarding opium, sourced from Ed Glinerts' East End Chronicles;

He cannot give it up
He cannot enjoy sleep
He cannot wait his turn while sharing his pipe with his friends
He cannot rise early
He cannot be cured when he becomes ill
He cannot help relatives who are in need
He cannot enjoy wealth
He cannot plan anything
He cannot get credit even when he is an old customer
He cannot walk any distance

All the best.

[BTCG]

i will post the 10 Chinese 'cannots' regarding opium, sourced from Ed Glinerts' East End Chronicles;

He cannot give it up
He cannot enjoy sleep
He cannot wait his turn while sharing his pipe with his friends
He cannot rise early
He cannot be cured when he becomes ill
He cannot help relatives who are in need
He cannot enjoy wealth
He cannot plan anything
He cannot get credit even when he is an old customer
He cannot walk any distance

All the best.

Hi Martin,

Although I dispise the site's overall tendency to call one on semantics, this, it would seem, would be the correct time.

These seem to be to be Chinese "cannots" that regard opium users, not opium.

AND... some are quite incorrect. With many users, you would be quite unable to tell that he/she was even a user, such is the subtle change in them.

I realize that the site dislikes Cornwell, seemingly without limit.

I pesonally find her distateful, as well.

But like it or not, she has uncovered the only factual evidence in the case, and writing letters taking credit for the crime, as Sickert did, would be enough evidence to convict.

[Phil H]

writing letters taking credit for the crime, as Sickert did, would be enough evidence to convict

To convict of what?

If you imply murder - Nonsense. It would be purely circumstantial evidence that any good barrister would easily over turn.

If you mean conviction for wasting police time etc - in 1888 they would have been unable to identify the writer unless given his name.

Phil H

[martin wilson]

Hi BTGC
My apologies if it appeared I was trying to slam the door on the debate, I had just read the book mentioned and it seemed germane,but in no way definitive, you are correct of course that they would not apply to EVERY opium user,at best they are generalities.
On the DNA I am not qualified to comment, what I read was that it was not a specific match but simply meant Sickert was of the general population who's DNA was of that type.
The case against Sickert as I understand it is that he was not in the country at the time of some of the murders, but I have not looked at it in any detail.
All the best.

[richardnunweek]

Hi.
My main suspicion towards Sickert , lies with the painting 'A passing funeral' which depicts two young women apparently watching a funeral pass by via a window.
I believe this painting was done early 20th century.
Many of us are aware of the grave spitting tale, which originated some fifty years after the painting was created, and I often had a nagging doubt about Sickert creating that from that alleged incident , as the tale has two young women viewing the Kelly service, watching a spitting incident.
Is it just possible that he captured that , as the Kelly funeral was very much a ''passing funeral''.?
But as the tale did not originate until 1959, many years after his death, it would point to knowledge that was not in the public domain.
A bit more for the prosecution, along with the letter writing...
Regards Richard.

[BTCG]

writing letters taking credit for the crime, as Sickert did, would be enough evidence to convict

To convict of what?

If you imply murder - Nonsense. It would be purely circumstantial evidence that any good barrister would easily over turn.

If you mean conviction for wasting police time etc - in 1888 they would have been unable to identify the writer unless given his name.

Phil H

Murder? No... I meant he'd be a shoe-in for a littering conviction.

Writing a series of letters taking credit for a murder is obviously something no one has ever been convicted of to date.

Care to share what you're smoking?

[BTCG]

Richard & Martin,

There were but 2 or 3 Ripper murders, and I believe Sickert did all 2 or 3, and wrote most of the Ripper letters. I'd wager he did so in the same manner/motive that Da Vinci and Buanoratti did (spelling? ain't lookin it up).

Walter is our guy.

[Limehouse]

Murder? No... I meant he'd be a shoe-in for a littering conviction.

Writing a series of letters taking credit for a murder is obviously something no one has ever been convicted of to date.

Care to share what you're smoking?

Sorry, but this is incorrect.

A man sent letters and a tape to the police claiming to be a killer nicknamed 'The Yorkshire Ripper' and he was convicted some years after the real killer was jailed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearside_Jack

[Limehouse]

Hi.
My main suspicion towards Sickert , lies with the painting 'A passing funeral' which depicts two young women apparently watching a funeral pass by via a window.
I believe this painting was done early 20th century.
Many of us are aware of the grave spitting tale, which originated some fifty years after the painting was created, and I often had a nagging doubt about Sickert creating that from that alleged incident , as the tale has two young women viewing the Kelly service, watching a spitting incident.
Is it just possible that he captured that , as the Kelly funeral was very much a ''passing funeral''.?
But as the tale did not originate until 1959, many years after his death, it would point to knowledge that was not in the public domain.
A bit more for the prosecution, along with the letter writing...
Regards Richard.

I write poetry. I wrote a poem about a funeral. Does that make me a murder suspect??

Funerals were big events in working class life, even in my childhood (the 1960s) and women watching funerals pass, even viewed from inside, was common. Sickert was a narrative painter, someone who wanted his paintings to tell a story, to record events, to depict the raw emotion (and sometimes elation) of life and the events that marked those lives.

Heaven help culture if an artist cannot paint such things without being accused of murder.