JtR: arsonist?

[Steven Russell]

Profilers would have us believe that, along with cruelty to animals, arson is often a behaviour indulged in by budding serial killers. We know that John Pizer went out of his way to watch a fire but off the top of my head, I can't think of any other suspects connected with setting or watching fires. No doubt, as usual, I have missed something obvious but the top of my head is only little so I trust you will forgive me. Any thoughts?

Best wishes,
Steve.

[lynn cates]

fires

Hello Steven. That's a good question. And, of course, one could tend towards pyromania without its being discovered.

One might also ask about fires in the metropolis near the times of the killings. If I recall properly, there were fires reported at those times (Chapman killing and Double Event). Problem may be the numerous fires occurring in a given week in London.

Perhaps this could be researched? As I recall, Lloyd's has a weekly listing for those.

Cheers.
LC

[curious]

There were two dock fires the night Polly Nichols was killed.

but it is likely that the fires were related to the murder, except as perhaps having law enforcement's attention focused somewhere else.

Don't most arsonists advance on to serial killers, not indulge in both fetishes at the same time?

[The Grave Maurice]

Interesting point, Steven. I don't recall seeing any data on fires in the East End in the late 19th century, but they must have been fairly common. Lots of wooden buildings, lots of open coal or wood fires, lots of candles, lots of people with pipes throwing their matches heaven knows where. Even the night-patrol bobbies were walking around with lanterns that didn't run on batteries.

Perhaps we can't apply twentieth-century theories to the period in which we are interested. Fire might have had a different meaning then, even to a psycho.

[Tom_Wescott]

I can't think of any other suspects connected with setting or watching fires.

Charles Le Grand wrote a letter to the Commissioner of police threatening to burn down buildings if the police didn't leave him alone. I believe the letter was in red ink.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Rubyretro]

I was very interested in this line of thought at one time -especially as I read somewhere that there was a spate of anti-semite arson attacks against jewish businesses in the East End at this time.

However Dave (Protohistorian) was researching all crime in the East End in this period to plot on a map, and he specifically looked for arson attacks
for me....and couldn't find any.

[Cuervo]

Yes its true. I can´t think of any other serial killer who was an arsonist when being a child.
Is it possible that the arsonist theory may have been a mistake?
About JTR...fires where something more usual in Voctorian times weren´t they?

[Heinrich]

Of interest is the fact that, at Mary Kelly's dwelling, a "fire fierce enough to melt the solder between a kettle and its spout had burnt in the grate, apparently fuelled with clothing. Inspector Abberline thought Kelly's clothes were burnt by the murderer to provide light, as the room was otherwise only dimly lit by a single candle. (Inspector Abberline's inquest testimony, 12 November 1888, quoted in Evans and Rumbelow, p. 185; Evans and Skinner, pp. 375–376 and Marriott, p. 177; Fido, p. 95)

[Barnaby]

There was a large dock fire the night of the Nichols murder. Probably a coincidence but if Nichols was his first victim...

There was also the fire at the Kelly murder.

But overall, I doubt pyromania has much to do with this series of murders.

[Steven Russell]

What I was wondering about was whether any of the suspects was known to have been a firebug, perhaps in their youth. I did not intend to suggest that JtR was setting fires in 1888.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[GregBaron]

He had to have an apprenticeship...

Your suggestion of a precursor to serial murder is certainly apt Steven. I personally don’t know of any pyro that graduated to lust murder but there may be some out there. What is almost certain is that the ripper was a sick individual probably locked in at about age 12 as I believe a psychologist we have onboard has suggested. This is probably the age when the anti-social acts began to manifest. The case I know most about is Ted Bundy who started with pornography which escalated into peeping Tom-ism. Assault soon followed. He also had a history of lying and stealing from a very early age. He was a very successful thief. JTR didn’t go from a saint to a devil the night of the Mary Nichols murder. Finding evidence of his criminal training period is probably even harder than finding the fiend himself. The chance of his crimes even making the newspapers is open to question. Looking for evidence of pyromania or other anti-social acts pre 1888 is a noble but daunting task…

Greg