Trowbridge Letter

[mrwoo]

I remember there being a letter from Trowbridge sugesting one of the policemen should be a suspect?
Has anyone any info on this letter?

[Chris Scott]

Re: Trowbridge letter
I don't have details of the letter but two interesting connections
Trowbridge is in Wiltshire and
1) William Perkins, surgeon, a medical officer at the Infirmary in Baker's Row was from the town and
2) Druitt played cricket there in 1885
see http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=666

[Stewart P Evans]

A Letter From Trowbridge

I remember there being a letter from Trowbridge sugesting one of the policemen should be a suspect?
Has anyone any info on this letter?

This letter was dated 15 October 1888 and suggested PC Watkins as a suspect. The City letters reference is 3.18 No. 215.

[mrwoo]

Stewart, how can I get to see a copy of this letter? I think it was on here some time ago?

[Stewart P Evans]

Text?

Stewart, how can I get to see a copy of this letter? I think it was on here some time ago?

The text or the actual letter?

[Stewart P Evans]

Envelope

The Trowbridge letter was unsigned and addressed to the Metropolitan Police but as Watkins was a City PC the letter was forwarded to the City Police after being read by Swanson. Here is the envelope with the Trowbridge postmark -



Looking at the postmark I'm not so sure that it isn't 13 October, but the City date stamp is 15 October.

[aspallek]

Stewart,

Any chance you could post the text of the letter or a scan?

Thanks.

[Stewart P Evans]

Wish

Stewart,
Any chance you could post the text of the letter or a scan?
Thanks.

Andy, your wish is my command. If you look at the dates on this I think that the chronology of this letter was posted on 13 Oct 1888, received by Met Police on 15 Oct 1888, then received by City Police on 18 Oct 1888 -



The letter reads -

'Dear Sir excuse me for writing to you but i feel i must for reasons which i will tell you another time if the man should prove to be the one that did the murders i mean the policeman Watkins that found the body of the woman in mitre square i want you to keep an eye on him you may think it strange i should pick out a man in the service but if he was in the ploice service or my own brother i would for the sake of the peopel try and find him out Dear Sir if he should prove to be the man or lead to the discovery you will hear from me again.'
[Back page] - 'please be careful and keep this quiet not let him know you are watching him.'

[The Good Michael]

Stewart,

Thanks for being so active on the boards, and so helpful with the posting of letters and such. I know that sometimes we get you down with our challenges of things that you just know, but we are just discovering. As we all grow in this field and want to assert ourselves, much like you must
have done when you were a fledgling ripperologist (I hate that word), we have to challenge the status quo. We are rebellious teens in a sense and have to find our own paths, and that means going against the grain, and sometimes without anything but an inkling. Thanks for toughing it out with this motley, unruly lot. There's no one here that doesn't respect your work and your integrity though we may cast stones periodically. That then, is part of our growing up.

Cheers,

Mike

[Stewart P Evans]

Thank You Very Much

Stewart,
Thanks for being so active on the boards, and so helpful with the posting of letters and such. I know that sometimes we get you down with our challenges of things that you just know, but we are just discovering. As we all grow in this field and want to assert ourselves, much like you must
have done when you were a fledgling ripperologist (I hate that word), we have to challenge the status quo. We are rebellious teens in a sense and have to find our own paths, and that means going against the grain, and sometimes without anything but an inkling. Thanks for toughing it out with this motley, unruly lot. There's no one here that doesn't respect your work and your integrity though we may cast stones periodically. That then, is part of our growing up.
Cheers,
Mike

Mike, Thank you very much for the kind words, they are greatly appreciated. I may have been 'at it' (Ripperology that is) for 47 years now but I am still learning and I do still make the odd mistake or two. And the young 'whippersnappers' are soon there to take me to task if I need it. I do welcome the 'new' blood' and I am all for encouraging the youngsters to take on the task of detailed research. They are the future of Ripperology, I'm not.

Yes, I have been through the whole gamut of experiences in Ripper research, from the tyro stage, to learning, thinking I know the identity of the Ripper, thinking I know it all (when I really know nothing much at all), challenging the views and conclusions of earlier authors (thinking how clever I am when I have found something new when it's really only luck or chance), then becoming disillusioned, tired of the subject, and finally realising that there is no such thing as a 'Ripper expert' and that the 'final word' will never be written. I have also discovered that when I may have 'built myself up' and imagined that I was occupying the high ground - I have only had further to fall. However, what I do have that the average researcher and student of the case doesn't is experience and knowledge that has accumulated over the years.

There are the authors and historians that I know and have known (several have now passed on), my collection of unique material that runs into hundreds of files and thousands of pages of records and letters. My friendship with people such as Richard Whittington-Egan (my mentor), Don Rumbelow (my wise adviser and very dear friend), Phil Sugden, Robin Odell, Colin Wilson, Jonathan Goodman, Melvin Harris, Jim Tully and so on. There are many others I haven't named but this doesn't mean that their contributions aren't valued.

Those of us who have been lucky enough to be moderately successful in writing books on the subject owe a debt to those who support us and who may buy our books. We owe a debt of honesty and helping, if we are able, to build their knowledge and understanding, but in an objective and selfless way. I sometimes become feisty, even aggressive, but that is the result of age and a deep-seated cynicism that comes of being a police officer for the best part of 30 years. To those whom I may upset I merely ask a modicum of understanding and patience - for I know I am far from perfect.

[aspallek]

Thank you, Stewart.

Just for informational purposes what is the history of the letter. Is it in the archives or in your collection?

Also, what is the notation in the upper left corner? I make out the "DSS" (Swanson's initials) but what is that underneath? It looks like maybe "City Adm." And the "215" at the top. These all seem to have been written by Swanson, or at least by the person who wrote Swanson's initials (perhaps a secretary).

What do you make of the letter? Prank? Hoax? Crackpot? In some ways it seems to be a literate person trying to sound semi-literate.

[mrwoo]

Thanks Stewart for all the info.

[Stewart P Evans]

Archives

Thank you, Stewart.
Just for informational purposes what is the history of the letter. Is it in the archives or in your collection?
Also, what is the notation in the upper left corner? I make out the "DSS" (Swanson's initials) but what is that underneath? It looks like maybe "City Adm." And the "215" at the top. These all seem to have been written by Swanson, or at least by the person who wrote Swanson's initials (perhaps a secretary).
What do you make of the letter? Prank? Hoax? Crackpot? In some ways it seems to be a literate person trying to sound semi-literate.

Andy, the letter is in the City Archives, placed there by Don many years ago. Swanson has written 'City Police' below his initials and the '215' is the archive reference number. It is just one of many letters sent by the public giving advice or suggestions to the police. Your guess is as good as mine as to the writer.

[aspallek]

Thanks, Stewart.

[perrymason]

Thank you for the posts Stewart, it is an interesting letter. I found it interesting that of the two policeman that figure prominently up until her discovery, Watkins was the one suggested to keep an eye on. Ive always thought Harveys Church Passage time was problematic for him, but Ive never considered Watkins the type to merit something like this accusation.

Is this considered to be a hoax, or possibly legitimate by those in the know?

Best regards.