Dear Boss

[mariab]

Abby Normal wrote:
If they couldn't wait but one day "to keep the story alive" and hoax/post the letter, why then did they wait several to send to the police?
Hello Abby,
one word: bureaucracy.

Simon Woord wrote:
Author of Dear Boss?
Journalist 50%, Ripper 0%.
Hello Mr Wood. And as of the other 50%?

Simon Wood wrote:
Evidence is starting to emerge that the concept of JtR was in the pipeline as early as the week of 8th September 1888.
Could you be a bit more specific about the concept of JTR as early as Sept. 8th? I'm afraid I can't cross-reference anything tonight, as I'm sitting on an article for completion – although right now I'm chilling in the sun for a couple hours – I totally need a bit of chill first.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Mariab,

The other 50%?

Bear in mind that there was no serial killer stalking the East End and you'll have your answer.

As to your second question: no, I wouldn't care to be more specific until a later date. I like to get all my ducks in a row.

Regards,

Simon

[mariab]

Hello Mr Wood,
Simon Wood wrote:
Bear in mind that there was no serial killer stalking the East End and you'll have your answer.
OK then!
Good luck with getting all your ducks in a row then, and I guess we might hear about your theory at some later point.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Mariab,

Thank you very much.

Your response, together with a bouncing emoticon, was exactly what I anticipated.

Thank you again.

Regards,

Simon

[mariab]

Mr Wood,
I didn't mean this in a disrespectful way in any fashion whatsoever.
I have the feeling that, pertaining to your disbelief in the existence of a serial killer in 1888/89 Whitechapel, you might see eye to eye with Lynn Cates. But then again, you two probably know each other and are in agreement about things since long years before I even started perusing casebook.

[Stewart P Evans]

Speculative

Hi Stewart
If they couldn't wait but one day "to keep the story alive" and hoax/post the letter, why then did they wait several to send to the police?

This is developing into a speculative debate, and I do not like too much speculation. I merely offered a good reason for seeing it as a journalistic ploy - which is what the police thought it was.

However, to address your points, if written by a journalist, they would not want to seem too keen and would obviously be watching to see how best to 'play it'. Anyway the papers were still reporting on the Chapman inquest and the 'coroner's theory' for a few days after the inquest ended, so the need to boost the story wasn't immediate.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Mariab,

Lynn Cates is certainly an intellect to be reckoned with.

Regards,

Simon

[mariab]

Mr Wood, I fully agree with your evaluation of Lynn Cates' intellect. I'm sitting on the fence, but very seriously considering Lynn Cates' theory about the IWMC having potentially arranged Schwartz's testimony about Stride, BS, and Pipeman – and apologies for mentioning this here, in the wrong thread.
Pertaining to Schwartz and the IWMC there is ongoing research, in which I wished I could participate, but currently I'm engaged at 150% on research pertaining to totally other matters here in Paris. Possibly in a few weeks, when I have a bit more time in my hands.

[Tom_Wescott]

I know that Wescott is concentrating on the numerous threat-letters his favorite suspect Le Grand wrote to several ladies, and my suggestion would be, try to find le Grand's original handwriting, and compare it to the Ripper letters.

It's really out of necessity that I have to consider Le Grand in context with the Ripper letters, and certainly not out of some old-school notion that it will bolster my theory. Even if I proved beyond doubt that Le Grand wrote the Dear Boss letter, it really wouldn't go any way towards establishing that he was a murderer at all.
There's an extremely compelling argument that Le Grand authored, or was involved in authoring, the 'From Hell' letter, that have I have not yet published, and perhaps a suggestion that he authored the Oct. 6th 'Threat' letter (talked about in Berner Street Mystery Part 1). None of this interests me too much, but for sake of completion I'll be talking about the letters in my book. The From Hell connection does excite me though, but only on an academic level, not because I think authoring the letter makes him the Ripper, because it doesn't.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Abby Normal]

This is developing into a speculative debate, and I do not like too much speculation. I merely offered a good reason for seeing it as a journalistic ploy - which is what the police thought it was.

However, to address your points, if written by a journalist, they would not want to seem too keen and would obviously be watching to see how best to 'play it'. Anyway the papers were still reporting on the Chapman inquest and the 'coroner's theory' for a few days after the inquest ended, so the need to boost the story wasn't immediate.

Hi Stewart

This is developing into a speculative debate, and I do not like too much speculation.

I understand and thanks for the response.

However, to address your points, if written by a journalist, they would not want to seem too keen and would obviously be watching to see how best to 'play it'. Anyway the papers were still reporting on the Chapman inquest and the 'coroner's theory' for a few days after the inquest ended, so the need to boost the story wasn't immediate.[/QUOTE]


One of the things that has always made me wonder about the "Dear Boss" letter was if it was a hoax by the CNA why they would wait several days to send to the police. I have specifically asked a couple of times on this thread to posters in general why the wait and I beleive you are the first to give an explanation, so I appreciate that. thanks again.

[mariab]

Tom Wescott wrote:
Even if I proved beyond doubt that Le Grand wrote the Dear Boss letter, it really wouldn't go any way towards establishing that he was a murderer at all.
Absolutely, if someone managed to establish that Le Grand was the author of Ripper letters, this wouldn't necessarily imply that Le Grand was the Ripper.
I recall about Le Grand's letters and the “From Hell“ letter in Berner Street Mystery Part 1, and I certainly have it in mind to compare the hands again in the near future. (I hazily recall that the hands in the Oct. 6 threat letter and the “From Hell“ letter didn't look too dissimilar.)
As for Le Grand having been a murderer, it's a fairly viable possibility, especially since he boasted about it in a letter. It simply needs to be researched, as well as everything else about him.
By the by, has anybody investigated/identified the OTHER R. Batchelor mentioned in The Echo of October 18th 1888, if he was a relation of WVC private investigator James H. Batchelor (proprietor of the Lion Public House at 309 The Strand, that is, 8 doors down from where Le Grand and Co. stand in 1888)? Many apologies if this is a already researched and cleared out matter, but I'm a newbie.
EAST-END ATROCITIES – A MYSTERIOUS BLACK BAG, DAGGER FOUND
A very mysterious incident, in connection with arrest of the man at King-street Police-station, Westminster, whose apprehension was yesterday announced in The Echo, has transpired this morning. It appears that on Monday the man went into the shop of Messrs. Bellamy Bros., Railway-approach, Charing-cross, and after a brief but somewhat incoherent chat with Mr. Batchelor, the manager, he suddenly placed a black bag on the counter, and left the shop. The incident has come to the knowledge of the police authorities, but up to the present they thought it prudent to regard the affair as a secret. The bag contained a razor, a dagger (which bore more or less recent marks of blood stains), several miscellaneous but almost valueless odds and ends, together with a broken piece of looking-glass and a small piece of soap. It is regarded as somewhat suspicious that these latter articles are similar to those found on the Whitechapel victims.
MR. BATCHELOR'S STATEMENT
The shiny black bag and its contents were inspected this morning by an Echo reporter, who called at Messrs. Bellamy's in order to verify certain reports respecting their strange visitor. Mr. R. Bachelor, the manager, made the following statement:- "He was such a mysterious-looking person that I could not make him out at all, but it was not until after he left the shop that it somehow occurred to me that his mind was unhinged from some cause or other, and then the Whitechapel murders and the affair at Whitehall came across my mind. It was from reading the special edition of last night's Echo that I felt convinced the black bag was an incident worth mentioning. Well, as soon as the man came into the shop he took out a pencil and commenced to write some words which no one could read. The he straightened himself up, remarked 'You must not be surprised to hear I'm Jack the Ripper - I'm a most mysterious man' and darted out of the shop. He made use of the expression, 'I'm used to cutting people up, and can put them together again. The police are all disguised, and wherever I go I meet them.' He looked to me like a doctor or doctor's assistant, but was rather shabby." The razor and dagger found in the bag have been examined by Dr. Bond.

[Abby Normal]

It's really out of necessity that I have to consider Le Grand in context with the Ripper letters, and certainly not out of some old-school notion that it will bolster my theory. Even if I proved beyond doubt that Le Grand wrote the Dear Boss letter, it really wouldn't go any way towards establishing that he was a murderer at all.
There's an extremely compelling argument that Le Grand authored, or was involved in authoring, the 'From Hell' letter, that have I have not yet published, and perhaps a suggestion that he authored the Oct. 6th 'Threat' letter (talked about in Berner Street Mystery Part 1). None of this interests me too much, but for sake of completion I'll be talking about the letters in my book. The From Hell connection does excite me though, but only on an academic level, not because I think authoring the letter makes him the Ripper, because it doesn't.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

Hi Tom

There's an extremely compelling argument that Le Grand authored, or was involved in authoring, the 'From Hell' letter,


This is really fascinating stuff.

Do you think Grand sent the kidney to Lusk to keep up Lusk's interest in continuing to pay Grand on as a PI in the case?

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Abby. Le Grand was an angry man. Not normal at all. I'm very careful about assigning motives. But Le Grand lost money to spend time working on the vigilance committee, so I don't believe he was trying to keep his job. And incidentally, the guy pulling the strings behind the WVC was Joseph Aarons moreso than Lusk. Between you and me, I'm pretty sure the Lusk letter/kidney was hoaxed between Aarons and Le Grand to spur the public into giving more donations. It worked like a charm. Subsequently Lusk and Le Grand had quite the falling out. I do not believe the kidney was Eddowes'. A guy like Le Grand would have had no trouble procurring such a specimen.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Tom_Wescott]

Batchelor

By the by, has anybody investigated/identified the OTHER R. Batchelor mentioned in The Echo of October 18th 1888, if he was a relation of WVC private investigator James H. Batchelor (proprietor of the Lion Public House at 309 The Strand, that is, 8 doors down from where Le Grand and Co. stand in 1888)?

The identity of Le Grand's one-time partner, J.H. Batchelor, has not been confirmed, although both Debra Arif and myself think he was likely one James Batchelor, an ex-policeman. Also, it's by no means certain that the Strand publican from the 1890's was the same James Batchelor, though certainly a good possibility. Because we don't know his identity for certain, it's impossible to establish if he was related to R. Batchelor from the article you cited. Batchelor was a surprisingly common surname at that time.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby. Le Grand was an angry man. Not normal at all. I'm very careful about assigning motives. But Le Grand lost money to spend time working on the vigilance committee, so I don't believe he was trying to keep his job. And incidentally, the guy pulling the strings behind the WVC was Joseph Aarons moreso than Lusk. Between you and me, I'm pretty sure the Lusk letter/kidney was hoaxed between Aarons and Le Grand to spur the public into giving more donations. It worked like a charm. Subsequently Lusk and Le Grand had quite the falling out. I do not believe the kidney was Eddowes'. A guy like Le Grand would have had no trouble procurring such a specimen.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

Hi Tom

Between you and me, I'm pretty sure the Lusk letter/kidney was hoaxed between Aarons and Le Grand to spur the public into giving more donations. It worked like a charm.

Very interesting.