Walter Dew-Mary Kelly-Crippen

[ghoulstonstreet]

Hi Folks, Walter Dew, the very same detective who followed Harvey Crippen from England to the States, and caught him there, was present and active in London at the time of Mary Jane Kelly's inquest. He is quoted as knowing her and gave some insight into her looks and character. Has anyone perused his papers to get any more information he might have had? Thanks

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi Folks, Walter Dew, the very same detective who followed Harvey Crippen from England to the States, and caught him there, was present and active in London at the time of Mary Jane Kelly's inquest. He is quoted as knowing her and gave some insight into her looks and character. Has anyone perused his papers to get any more information he might have had? Thanks

To my knowledge, there are no papers of Walter Dew, who was a detective constable at the time of the murders. All that we know about his views of the case can be found in his book, I Caught Crippen. If you are not familiar it, an excerpt from his book, "The Hunt for Jack the Ripper" by Walter Dew, can be read here on Casebook. Dew is also mentioned in connection with the arrest of the Swedish suspect Nikaner A. Benelius in a press report in the Morning Advertiser of 19 November 1888. His entire involvement in the case might not be known, except for what he says in his memoirs; as I recall Evans and Skinner's Ultimate has little or no mention of Detective Constable Dew.

Chris

[ghoulstonstreet]

To my knowledge, there are no papers of Walter Dew, who was a detective constable at the time of the murders. All that we know about his views of the case can be found in his book, I Caught Crippen. If you are not familiar it, an excerpt from his book, "The Hunt for Jack the Ripper" by Walter Dew, can be read here on Casebook. Dew is also mentioned in connection with the arrest of the Swedish suspect Nikaner A. Benelius in a press report in the Morning Advertiser of 19 November 1888. His entire involvement in the case might not be known, except for what he says in his memoirs; as I recall Evans and Skinner's Ultimate has little or no mention of Detective Constable Dew.

Chris

Thanks for the reply. Please help me out a little because Casebook is still quite overwhelming for me. Where can I read the excerpt from "I Caught Crippen" here on casebook? Thanks

[Sam Flynn]

Where can I read the excerpt from "I Caught Crippen" here on casebook? Thanks

Click the highlighted link (the word "Casebook" in red) in Chris's previous post, GS, and it'll take you right there.

[ghoulstonstreet]

Reading Dew's Memoirs

Click the highlighted link (the word "Casebook" in red) in Chris's previous post, GS, and it'll take you right there.

Thank you, Mr. Flynn. I am surprised to see how lengthy Dew's reccollections are! I am reading them carefully. I am surprised to see that Martha Tabram's murder and mutilation are not generally considered to be the Ripper's work. Dew recounts the event, which includes a woman of the streets, a dark enclosed location where the murder took place, the middle of the night, murder by knife and mutilation, along with connnection to the later killings by just a matter of months. Why is Tabram not included? Thanks

[lynn cates]

mutilation

Hello Ghoul. It seems that Martha was NOT mutilated. Just stabbed 39 times.

The best.
LC

[ghoulstonstreet]

Hello Ghoul. It seems that Martha was NOT mutilated. Just stabbed 39 times.

The best.
LC

Okay. But you know, in our day and age that would not be enough to exclude Tabram. All the other elements are the same. Plus Jack was killing with ever increasing fury. Could have started with "just" 39 stab wounds (!).