Why did Macnaghten deny Cutbush as a serious suspect?

[Robert]

In other words, Nats, you think Macnaghten wasn't being quite straight on this.

[Natalie Severn]

Robert

[Chris]

I don't think the Sun mentions this police uncle relationship, which one would have expected them to do if it were true.

But wouldn't it have been difficult to do that while preserving the anonymity of the suspect?

Perhaps this was the closest the Sun could come to mentioning the alleged relationship?
"Jack the Ripper has relatives; they are some of them in positions which would make them a target for the natural curiosity - for the unreasoning reprobation which would pursue any person even remotely connected with so hideous a monstrosity ..."

[Robert]

Yes Chris, well, it seems to me that there are two possibilities here :

Either the Sun had no evidence of a Thomas/Supt Cutbush link, or it did, but declined to publish it or hint at it. The latter possibility would suggest that the Sun was not in the business of out and out sensationalism - I mean, Jack the Ripper a friend/nephew/what-have-you to a top policeman? What a godsend for a newspaper!

[Mitch Rowe]

I haven't seen anything in the recent information released from Broadmoor that convinces me that Cutbush might have been the Ripper.

But the Ripper was no foaming at the mouth lunatic - he was able to carry out a series of murders and escape without leaving a clue. Cutbush was a rather obvious head case.

Most likely the records will convince me otherwise. Schizophrenia is no laughing matter. Ive seen it first hand and its not what makes a Ripper.

Im in total agreement that JTR was somewhat more than a lunatic. In fact I believe he was alot more than that. And Cutbush seems like a total red herring.

[Cap'n Jack]

A red herring?
Pop over to the FBI thread for there is a shark there which will swallow all red herrings.

[Mort Belfry]

Would Cutbush even have made an everlasting impression on us if Macnagthen didn't deny him?


By the way, can anyone hazard a phonetic pronounciation of the name Macnaghten? Is it Mac-Nak-Ten, Mac-Norton, Mig-Nag-Den or what?

[Sam Flynn]

By the way, can anyone hazard a phonetic pronounciation of the name Macnaghten? Is it Mac-Nak-Ten, Mac-Norton, Mig-Nag-Den or what?

muck-NOUGHT-n, I'd say.

[Stephen Thomas]

By the way, can anyone hazard a phonetic pronounciation of the name Macnaghten? Is it Mac-Nak-Ten, Mac-Norton, Mig-Nag-Den or what?

It would be pronounced Mack-Norton.

Modern day spelling would be MacNaughton or McNaughton.

Hope this helps.