Recent revelations about Inspector Dew and the suspected planting of evidence against Dr. Crippen reminded me of how Inspector Abberline reacted when he found out that "bordello" operator Charles Hammond and customers, including Lord Arthur Somerset, were tipped off and fled prosecution concerning the Cleveland Street Scandal.
From what I understand Abberline was absolutely livid. The only ones left to prosecute were the boys involved who were prosecuted and over 6 months at hard labor. An argument can and should be made that they were the real victims and what they received certainly wasn't justice. Nor the people who got away.
I think Abberline was a modest man who took his job very seriously. I think he was the perfect man to conduct the Ripper Investigation and I would have loved to have known what he thought of Tumblety, Druitt and Aaron Kosminski.
I wonder if most London Police Officers were like Dew or Abberline? That is an interesting question. Even when you are sure of the guilt of someone, that is exactly the point when you need to bend over backwards to make sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed.
As to Dr. Crippen and Dr. Sam Shepard, I always make a point of using them as examples of miscarriages of Justice.
And to be fair to Dew, I think that investigation needs to be carried out as to exactly what happened. I wonder if we can create a thread about Dew?
The only question about Abberline that I've ever heard was that when he found out about Albert Victor's role in The Cleveland Street Scandal, he helped shield him. I don't know that he had a choice. And I don't know that I would have done any differently.
From what I understand Abberline was absolutely livid. The only ones left to prosecute were the boys involved who were prosecuted and over 6 months at hard labor. An argument can and should be made that they were the real victims and what they received certainly wasn't justice. Nor the people who got away.
I think Abberline was a modest man who took his job very seriously. I think he was the perfect man to conduct the Ripper Investigation and I would have loved to have known what he thought of Tumblety, Druitt and Aaron Kosminski.
I wonder if most London Police Officers were like Dew or Abberline? That is an interesting question. Even when you are sure of the guilt of someone, that is exactly the point when you need to bend over backwards to make sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed.
As to Dr. Crippen and Dr. Sam Shepard, I always make a point of using them as examples of miscarriages of Justice.
And to be fair to Dew, I think that investigation needs to be carried out as to exactly what happened. I wonder if we can create a thread about Dew?
The only question about Abberline that I've ever heard was that when he found out about Albert Victor's role in The Cleveland Street Scandal, he helped shield him. I don't know that he had a choice. And I don't know that I would have done any differently.
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