Macnaughten Memorandum

[jason_c]

Maybe because his Top 3 suspects for the "5 victims only" attributed to Jack include a man who was in jail during the murders, a local Polish jew who had "circumstances" which made him a strong suspect, and someone who committed suicide.

And as for Anderson, I just call him Mr Jew Hater.

Tbf he wasn't to know Ostrog was in jail. It's not as if he could search that stuff up on the internet.

[Bridewell]

"Nobody ever saw the Ripper"?

If Martha Tabram was a victim and reached the place of her demise by the most logical route then someone would almost certainly have seen him because there was a constable on fixed point duty at the entrance to George Yard until the small hours.

(When the weather improves I'll venture out and check what time the fixed point constables moved on.).

[Michael W Richards]

Everyone always refers to Robert Anderson as Sir Robert Anderson.

But most theorists refer to Macnaghten as plain ol' Macnaghten.

Even the title of this thread misspells his name.

Sir Mel is given less respect than even Rodney Dangerfield.

Maybe because his Top 3 suspects for the "5 victims only" attributed to Jack include a man who was in jail during the murders, a local Polish jew who had "circumstances" which made him a strong suspect, and someone who committed suicide.

And as for Anderson, I just call him Mr Jew Hater.

[mpriestnall]

It’s a good point Roger. I know that it suits some to wrongly portray him as an idiot though.

Cue my stalker……….

To coin a phrase.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Everyone always refers to Robert Anderson as Sir Robert Anderson.

But most theorists refer to Macnaghten as plain ol' Macnaghten.

Even the title of this thread misspells his name.

Sir Mel is given less respect than even Rodney Dangerfield.

It’s a good point Roger. I know that it suits some to wrongly portray him as an idiot though.

Cue my stalker……….

[rjpalmer]

Everyone always refers to Robert Anderson as Sir Robert Anderson.

But most theorists refer to Macnaghten as plain ol' Macnaghten.

Even the title of this thread misspells his name.

Sir Mel is given less respect than even Rodney Dangerfield.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Stewart,

I quote from your post #59 on this thread—

"The 'Macnaghten Memoranda' is written on official embossed 'Metropolitan Police Office' paper and remained in the Metropolitan Police files. It is dated 23rd Feb. 1894."

I have never handled or seen the original Macnaghten Memorandum, but I'm guessing that you have.

Could you please tell me if the PDF file as seen in 'Official Documents' on Casebook is the original 24th February 1894 document as written by MM.

Regards,

Simon

[Johnr]

Lingering Macnaghten Matters

I am indebted to you once again Stewart,

For taking time out despite your busy writing and researching tasks, to respond to questions which I should readily have been able to turn up here and elsewhere.

In my last post I said:

[I]"But how did Sims obtain the crime scene items for his Crime Museum? Like the alleged clay pipe? Did Sims have access to murder scenes?

I am not sure that Macnaghten's commandeering of the "red Ink JTR letter" original was as legal as his obtaining of copy prints of JTR murder victims.
(See Farson's book).[/I]


I would be very interested in your reply to those questions . Given your vast JTR holdings, your knowledge of police procedures, and your many years toiling in the vineyard of Ripper Studies.

I agree with you about Anderson and Macnaghten. And particularly, your scenario about Macnaghten sharing more details re the MM with Griffiths than Sims.

And to Jonathan,

Thanks for your response too.Whilst it is impossible at this remove to verify what passed unrecorded, between Macnaghten and Sims and others, I still feel Farquharson would have told vastly more people than has so far, been uncovered.

The Druitt Suspicion was his theory;almost his dogma or religion.
He was a Druitt " Enthusiast" in current parlance.

For this reason, I think, not only the 1891 pupil or ex-pupil , or local inhabitant, or local gossip, or fellow political colleague of Farquharson's, but countless dozens of others would have been aware of Farquharson's Theory.

But. Just as Macnaghten seems to have definitely heard his theory, so to, from some quarter to both Macnaghten and Farquharson, came a warning that some legal retribution might eventuate from publicly articulating the Farquharson Theory.

Is it possible the Treasury Solicitor or the Solicitor General was consulted after the possible suicide of JTR?

Another prospect which interests me about Macnaghten.

Was he a bit of an amateur psychologist? Was Anderson?

Macnaghten seems to have formed strong views about JTR's mental state and the particular mental affliction he suffered from. I wonder who Macnaghten consulted? JOHN RUFFELS.

[Jonathan H]

To Stewart

I think Anderson telling Griffiths in 1895 about the un-named Kosminski is what triggered an alarmed Macnaghten to propagate, in a couple of years, his preferred suspect, Druitt, and to head off what I think he perceived as his superior's ugly, anti-Semitic-driven agenda.

That is why, I believe, he composed the 'Aberconway' version, which he deceitfully claimed to Griffths, or at least Sims, was a copy of a 'final' and 'conclusive' Home Office Report -- which it was not.

Also, if I am wrong, why did Griffiths change the Druitt 'family' into 'friends'?

The dissemination of the un-named Kosminski and Druitt cannot be separated from the fact that Anderson and Macnaghten were rivals, and loathed each other.

They never mention the others' suspects, or even each others' existence in their respective memoirs.

To Johnr

I think that Macnaghten kept pics of the Ripper killiings not because he was a bit unsavory but simply because he believed, rightly or wrongly, that he, and no other policeman, had 'caught' Jack the Ripper -- albeit posthumously.

[robhouse]

I am not sure when Sims learned of the Memorandum, but according to the casebook page (http://www.casebook.org/press_reports/dagonet.html), it seems his first writings on the subject are January 1899, when he wrote:

"Almost immediately after this murder he drowned himself in the Thames. his name is perfectly well known to the police."

In March 1903, Sims wrote the following, which suggests that he understood the memo to have been submitted to the Home Office. Not sure if that was actually the case, but anyway:

""Jack the Ripper" committed suicide after his last murder - a murder so maniacal that it was accepted at once as the deed of a furious madman. It is perfectly well know at Scotland Yard who "Jack" was, and the reasons for the police conclusions were given in the report to the Home Office, which was considered by the authorities to be final and conclusive."

Rob H

[Robert]

Stewart, any idea why TP O'Connor didn't raise the issue in the House? According to the Hansard site, 1894 was the only year in his 49 year career as an MP in which he didn't speak at all (except for 1929 which was his last year as an MP).

[Stewart P Evans]

The Macnaghten Memoranda

Thanks very much Stewart,
...
And I have always been troubled by the lack of endorsing or initialling of the Macnaghten "Aide Memoire" known as the "official" version of the " Macnaghten Memorandum ".
If Anderson read it, and presumeably, Permanent Under Secretaries too, in anticipation of using its contents (or not) in the House, why did that perusal not generate further requests for lines of enquiry? Or suggested other points thought necessary to be included in any paper for the Home Secretary to use?
Was Macnaghten the only person to see the MM? And if Anderson did, why did he not record having done so?
Finally, turning to Jonathan's scenario and his ingenious theory:it surprises me that not one person, having become the beneficiary of Macnaghten's
Solid Gold Tip-Off about the identity of JTR, did not feel the surreptitious urge to go out and find out more about the alleged chief suspect.
Weren't they human beings with a spark of curiosity?This was the biggest crime sensation of the Nineteenth Century! JOHN RUFFELS.

The 'Macnaghten Memoranda' is written on official embossed 'Metropolitan Police Office' paper and remained in the Metropolitan Police files. It is dated 23rd Feb. 1894.

I have discussed all this in the past and it is covered in the new edition of The Man Who Hunted Jack the Ripper. The resurgent press interest in 'Jack the Ripper' at that time was obviously causing the police some concern especially as a 'rogue' detective inspector (Race) had apparently leaked information to the press as a result of his frustration at not having been credited with the apprehension of the murderer (Cutbush). It requires little imagination to picture the consternation of the Chief Commissioner (Sir Edward Bradford), especially as there were rumblings of a public investigation. "What is all this about!", we can imagine him crying to his subordinates Anderson and Macnaghten at their daily briefing. Answers were needed and a certain detective inspector had seriously blotted his copybook.

This, then, was the genesis of the 'memoranda'. The scenario is that Macnaghten was tasked with supplying Anderson and the Commissioner with enough information to address any queries that may have emanated from the Home Office in this regard. Indeed, The Sun of 19 February 1894, just four days before Macnaghten penned the 'memoranda', indicated their desire to carry the matter further and they consulted the radical MP Henry Labouchere. Macnaghten would have submitted the 'memorandum' directly to Anderson, observing usual police protocol, and there would be no need for any endorsing or initialling of such a report which was confined to the eyes of the 'top three' officers involved.

In the event the whole matter seems to have 'died a death', no doubt put down to press sensationalism and it was probably felt better to ignore it rather than give it any sort of official recognition. No questions were raised in the House and the 'memoranda' was duly filed, possibly for future reference should it be required. No report, apparently, was asked for by, or sent to, the Home Office but the matter may well have been discussed at the Police/Home Office routine briefing.

There has been (and is) considerable discussion about the Aberconway, or draft, version of this report. We have seen it discussed here in this very thread. It must be looked at in context and with reference to all the surrounding circumstances and personalities involved. Other than the senior officers at New Scotland Yard the only others apparently aware of it, or the contents, were Major Arthur Griffiths and George R. Sims. Griffiths, like Macnaghten, Anderson and Bradford, was a senior government official and not a 'civvie' as we would call them today. Sims, although of high social status and renown, was not an official and was also a journalist. It is fair to assume that Griffiths would be privy to more than Sims and at an earlier date. It is for this reason that I think that Griffiths would have been aware of the suspects, and have discussed them, with both Anderson and Macnaghten as early as 1894/5 just after the Cutbush controversy. This is borne out by Griffiths article of early 1895 published in the Windsor Magazine. In this article Griffiths says of Anderson, "He has himself a perfectly plausible theory that Jack the Ripper was a homicidal maniac, temporarily at large, whose hideous career was cut short by committal to an asylum", indicating that Anderson had imparted the incarcerated Polish Jew suspect theory to Griffiths.

[Johnr]

Belated thanks and ponderings..

Thanks very much Stewart,

For providing those succinct answers to my many questions. Your patience is considerable.
Yes, I should had looked at ' The Ultimate JTR Sourcebook ".And that would have shown me Macnaghten acted as Confidential Secretary to Sir Robert Anderson. thus indicating a closeworking relationship.

I do however, have a little difficulty with Macnaghten having his album of JTR victim photos in his desk.Vicarious voyerism? Or Macnaghten's proof the man had to be off his head to commit such crimes?
Sure, I am convinced many police souvenired, or acquired prints of lurid crime scene photos.

But how did Sims obtain the crime scene items for his Crime Museum? Like the alleged clay pipe? Did Sims have access to murder scenes?

I am not sure that Macnaghten's commandeering of the "red Ink JTR letter" original was as legal as his obtaining of copy prints of JTR murder victims.
(See Farson's book).

And I have always been troubled by the lack of endorsing or initialling of the Macnaghten "Aide Memoire" known as the "official" version of the " Macnaghten Memorandum ".

If Anderson read it, and presumeably, Permanent Under Secretaries too, in anticipation of using its contents (or not) in the House, why did that perusal not generate further requests for lines of enquiry? Or suggested other points thought necessary to be included in any paper for the Home Secretary to use?

Was Macnaghten the only person to see the MM? And if Anderson did, why did he not record having done so?

Finally, turning to Jonathan's scenario and his ingenious theory:it surprises me that not one person, having become the beneficiary of Macnaghten's
Solid Gold Tip-Off about the identity of JTR, did not feel the surreptitious urge to go out and find out more about the alleged chief suspect.

Weren't they human beings with a spark of curiosity?This was the biggest crime sensation of the Nineteenth Century! JOHN RUFFELS.

[Jonathan H]

To Robhouse

Yes, that's my theory.

That Sims was more likely to stray than Griffiths, so to speak, and would have to be appeased with more details.

Macnaghten simply made up stuff about Druitt, and perhaps Kosminski too.

In a sense the Littlechild reply shows exactly the kind of probing by Sims -- getting in touch with other retired top cops from 1888 -- which I think Macnaghten hoped he would not do.

And Sims, via Littlechild, really was shown the curtain pulled back to reveal that the Wizard of Oz is all humbug.

It is after this letter, in 1915, that Sims, for the only time, names 'Blackheath' as the suburb the Ripper resided in, and also that he lived with his 'people', the same phrase as in Macnaghten's memoirs. That suggests he knew by then that 'friends' was a polite fiction and that it was really 'family' the Fiend lived with -- and that was a lie too.

Perhaps to prove Littlechild wrong, or talking about the wrong suspect, Macnaghten showed his anxious pal the 'copy' of his 'Home Office Report' to prove that M J Druitt really was an English doctor who killed himself in the Thames?

[Scott Nelson]

You cannot arrest the dead.

Who says so? Lots of dead people have been arrested.