THe Littlechild Letter.

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

A question.

How did Littlechild have any first-hand knowledge of the Whitechapel murders?

Regards,

Simon

[robhouse]

Hi Simon,

From Monro?

RH

[Stewart P Evans]

Or...

Hi Simon,
From Monro?
RH

Or Swanson, or Abberline, or...

[Jonathan H]

Not only did Littlechild know a great deal about the hunt for the fiend, being a top cop contemporaneous with the 1888 investigation, he is potentially the least biased of the significant police figures; because he had nothing to prove about the Whitechapel crimes. His career and public reputation were not tied to the mystery in the same way that Swanson's and Anderson's and Abberline's were, and even, though to a much lesser extent, Macnaghten.

Also, accepting the conventional wisdom about Druitt, Kosminski [and Chapman] Littlechild makes far less mistakes than Macnaghten, Anderson, Abberline and Swanson, about an embarrassing suspect he claims was 'very likely' to have been the fiend -- arguably none at all

Though Littlechild shies away from mentioning it, the trip to North America by Inspector Walter Andrews was most likely in pursuit of relevant intelligence about Tumblety. This has been decisively shown, in my opinion, to be the strongest argument for his trip by the recent pair of compelling, judicious and fascinating articles, in the Examiner, by R J Palmer.

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

The reason I asked about Littlechild's first hand knowledge of the WM is because of the following: Littlechild's testimony on 29th November 1889 at a hearing of the Departmental Committee Upon Metropolitan Police Superannuation.

Littlechild was asked about the risks and stresses of his job as a Chief Inspector of the Metropolitan Police.



From this it would appear that Littlechild was in the throes of a nervous breakdown throughout the Whitechapel murders.

Regards,

Simon

[mklhawley]

Hi Simon,

Let' assume that Littlechild's mind went completely blank during the murders, although I bet not. Why could he not have gotten brought up-to-date on the most public series of murders in the world, especially when Scotland Yard was directly involved? I'm sure he would have been a little bit curious.

Mike

[Simon Wood]

Hi Mike,

If on his recovery and return to work Littlechild was "brought up to date" on the WM it follows that there must have been something to implicate Tumblety as the Ripper in the "large dossier concerning him at Scotland Yard". And if he was the Ripper it makes it all the more inexplicable that Anderson should as a "definitely ascertained fact" pin the murders on a low-class Polish Jew.

However, for Anderson [or Macnaghten for that matter] to have been right Tumblety must have been cleared of any suspicion in the WM. So as Inspector Andrews never went anywhere near New York in search of him how and when was his innocence established?

This, of course, didn't happen, the reason being that Tumblety never was a Ripper suspect.

Author David Monaghan put it most succinctly–"The role of Francis Tumblety–an Irish-American in London–is a key cross-over where the Ripper murders became a smokescreen for political policing."

The sooner we treat the contradictory utterances of Anderson, Macnaghten and Littlechild as the wilful nonsense it is, the better our chances of getting to the bottom of the WM.

I'll bet it's a far more interesting story than the one which has been foisted on us.

Regards,

Simon

[mklhawley]

Hi Simon,

If on his recovery and return to work Littlechild was "brought up to date" on the WM it follows that there must have been something to implicate Tumblety as the Ripper in the "large dossier concerning him at Scotland Yard".

Agreed.

And if he was the Ripper it makes it all the more inexplicable that Anderson should as a "definitely ascertained fact" pin the murders on a low-class Polish Jew.

You’re talking about the same guy that purposely deceived the public by authoring the Parnell letters. My Anderson fashion, IMO he is again being deceptive.

However, for Anderson [or Macnaghten for that matter] to have been right Tumblety must have been cleared of any suspicion in the WM.

I disagree with this. Scotland Yard lost their man, and it would be pie in the face to admit it. Besides, “if Tumblety was JTR, he’s no longer our problem, just as long as we let American authorities know about it.”

So as Inspector Andrews never went anywhere near New York in search of him how and when was his innocence established?

Andrews had no intentions going to NYC. His intentions were to do begin the background investigation on him in Canada. I’m sure we will all enjoy Roger’s part three.

Sincerely,

Mike

[mklhawley]

Sorry about the typos. I wish there was an edit button!

[Simon Wood]

Hi Mike,

Whether or not Scotland Yard cared to admit such an "embarrassment", Anderson et al had to be clear in their own minds about Tumblety. To have simply swept him under the carpet before going on to incriminate three other people would have been an act which defied any semblance of moral or civil law.

Regards,

Simon

[Jonathan H]

To John R

Thanks, and that's why I don't think Littlechild was serious about the American suspect killing himself, or anybody believing he had. It is just my opinion, but I think he was trying to leave the humiliated Sims with something.

To Simon

I think the stronger argument that at some point after 1888 Tumblety, rightly or wrongly, was cleared in the minds of Anderson and Swanson is the police agitation over Tom Sadler in 1891, and the setting up of the 'confrontation' with a Ripper eyewitness -- almost certainly Lawende.

Why bother to do all that, that is to invite more public ridicule over this case, if you still firmly believe that the best suspect is safely hunkered down in North America?

On the other hand, we might expect Littlechild to mention this fact to a famous journalist, in case he made a further fool of himself?

He does not.

Also, the agitation over Sadler could be seen as official desperation to quash the Tumbelty fumble, once and for all. I don't mean in any corrupt way, just the forlorn hope that Jack is this sailor and not the Confidence Man who fled. And it failed at the first test.

[Johnr]

Now I'm REALLY confused...

Boy oh Boy,.

And I thought Alice In Wonderland was a harder book to read than Ullyses

Anyone for a 'hot potato'? ( Littlechild liked them!).

But James Monro didn't.

Have you all considered just who the latter considered as chief suspect?
(See Howells & Skinner "The Ripper Legacy".).

JOHN RUFFELS.

[Stewart P Evans]

Littlechild

...
If on his recovery and return to work Littlechild was "brought up to date" on the WM it follows that there must have been something to implicate Tumblety as the Ripper in the "large dossier concerning him at Scotland Yard"....

Dear A. P. Wood, there is no evidence that Littlechild went off sick at all at the time of the murders. Sick leave was published in Police Orders and none for Littlechild appears. However, the Orders do show him to have been working in November 1888. That one reference to his disposition of health is a general reference but did not mean that he actually went off work sick with his problem. He was working up for retirement on pension.

[Trevor Marriott]

Dear A. P. Wood, there is no evidence that Littlechild went off sick at all at the time of the murders. Sick leave was published in Police Orders and none for Littlechild appears. However, the Orders do show him to have been working in November 1888. That one reference to his disposition of health is a general reference but did not mean that he actually went off work sick with his problem. He was working up for retirement on pension.

But of course he could have been on light duties which as you know entails officers doing less strenuos jobs sometimes in different departments.

Anyone who suffers a nervous breakdown cannot function correctly. Those who are heading for such a breakdown are not usullay able to identify it themselves and are prone to "losing the plot" in advance of the actual breakdown. When that happens they are prone to doing all sorts of out of character things.

Does Littlechild not mention anything about this breakdown in his book ?

There are many entries in the Special Branch registers and ledgers relating to Littlechild it wil be interesting as, and when, an if, I ever get to examine them what they reveal as they may give us a clearer picture on exactly what he was doing during the period of the murders,

On that note I am still waiting on a decison notice being served on me from the Freedom Of Information Office. As to what that decison is I wait with baited breath. However I canot see his being resolved quickly if they decide in my favour then the Met Police will no doubt want to take it to an appeal, likewise if they rule in favour of the met Police I will do the same.

In any event that process is likely to take many months.

[Stewart P Evans]

Early Retirement

But of course he could have been on light duties which as you know entails officers doing less strenuos jobs sometimes in different departments.
Anyone who suffers a nervous breakdown cannot function correctly. Those who are heading for such a breakdown are not usullay able to identify it themselves and are prone to "losing the plot" in advance of the actual breakdown. When that happens they are prone to doing all sorts of out of character things.
Does Littlechild not mention anything about this breakdown in his book ?
There are many entries in the Special Branch registers and ledgers relating to Littlechild it wil be interesting as, and when, an if, I ever get to examine them what they reveal as they may give us a clearer picture on exactly what he was doing during the period of the murders,
...

As you well know, Littlechild was a Chief Inspector and Departmental head with an office in Scotland Yard. He could choose how involved he got in physical activity. However, he didn't suffer a 'nervous breakdown', just a deterioration in general health due to stress. 'I went off in my health' means his health went downhill, not that he was off work. At least that's what he indicates, but the probability is that he was merely looking for early retirement with the benefit of the new pension rules. As a ex-police officer you should understand that.