Lusk Letter and Suggested Irish Syntax

[Filby]

I was recently reviewing the video library, and in the "Phantom of Death" documentary, a comment was made (not by Sudgen of Fido, interestingly, but by the narrator) that the Lusk letter was "probably from the actual killer" and the "syntax was Irish." Where did the documentary come up with this idea of an Irish connotation? Has the Lusk letter been studied by the police for its ethnic origins? I also wonder as well, why isn't there more information and questioning regarding the suspects' dialects in general during these investigations.

[erobitha]

The assumption was that certain words, when pronounced, would sound Irish. However, I am inclined to believe the writer was actually trying to present themselves as an uneducated cockney.

In my opinion, he was neither Irish nor a cockney.

https://jayhartley.com/letters-from-hell/

[Sam Flynn]

It's quite possible that the writer was affecting an Irish accent, peppering the letter with what might be called "Stage Irish":

"Sor" (Sir), "prasarved" (preserved), "tother piece", "wate a whil longer" and "Mishter" (mister).

[Losmandris]

I wonder if there is any contemporary evidence that people actually wrote like that in other letters, correspondence etc.? Does come across as all a bit 'Am Dram' to me. Not sure what you would call it/or explain it but in reading it, to me at least in my head I hear a very strong Irish accent coming through.

[Abby Normal]

or the writer was irish and was writing phonetically

[Sam Flynn]

I wonder if there is any contemporary evidence that people actually wrote like that in other letters, correspondence etc.?

I'm not sure how often it occurred in private correspondence, but trying to convey accents in writing was very common in plays, books and popular literature. The novels of Dickens are probably the best known, and there are even examples in Shakespeare.

[c.d.]

Yo, Sam. Welcome back, brother! You have been gone too long.

c.d.

[Losmandris]

I'm not sure how often it occurred in private correspondence, but trying to convey accents in writing was very common in plays, books and popular literature. The novels of Dickens are probably the best known, and there are even examples in Shakespeare.

My point exactly. Does come across as a piece of dialogue in a book or a play!

[Sam Flynn]

Yo, Sam. Welcome back, brother! You have been gone too long.

c.d.

Thanks, CD! Hopefully I'll be chipping in now and again

[Filby]

It's quite possible that the writer was affecting an Irish accent, peppering the letter with what might be called "Stage Irish":

"Sor" (Sir), "prasarved" (preserved), "tother piece", "wate a whil longer" and "Mishter" (mister).

So you presume the letter is a fake?..forgery then.

[Filby]

I'm not sure how often it occurred in private correspondence, but trying to convey accents in writing was very common in plays, books and popular literature. The novels of Dickens are probably the best known, and there are even examples in Shakespeare.

Exactly. I'm still an amateur ripperologist but I find it remarkable that the dialect of suspects was so little asked by the police to the key witnesses. .. or not documented? But that's evidence that could rule out plenty of the JtR suspect list.

[Sam Flynn]

So you presume the letter is a fake?..forgery then.

I think it unlikely that any of the letters were from JTR, and the Lusk Letter is no exception. It's such an obvious piece of grand guignol that it was probably nothing more than a macabre prank.

[Trevor Marriott]

or the writer was irish and was writing phonetically

The same could be said for the GS graffiti JUWES=JURORS

https://www.trevormarriott.co.uk

[Sam Flynn]

or the writer was irish and was writing phonetically

The problem there is that the Irish actually pronounce "mister" more like "misther", but never "mishter".

[Abby Normal]

The problem there is that the Irish actually pronounce "mister" more like "misther", but never "mishter".

thanks Sam. And welcome back! been too long.