Broadmoor Archives finally open

[Sara]

I think the Thomas Cutbush candidacy is about to grow legs!

About two years ago the Broadmoor Hospital archives were removed to Reading (they are now lodged with the Berks County Archives), and have now been sufficiently sorted and listed to be offered to the public for research.

It seems the hospital staff and administrators were convinced that Cutbush was Jack The Ripper and there may be some evidence in there to support the theory - see report in this weekend's Telegraph:

http://tinyurl.com/62aedm

I looked on the site to see what reaction amongst you there was to this exciting development, and was surprised to see that there was no mention! So I registered to alert you all, since it's now open to anyone to make an appointment and look into these.

I do have a researcher's card for the County Archives and friends in Reading I could stay with, but I don't have much time - and anyway it would be better if someone more steeped in the Ripper case and especially in the matter of Cutbush could do the research - I'm a superficial amateur when it comes to this stuff

(Most of my research is done in the racing Post LOL)

[KatBradshaw]

Ooooh I want to see those files. It would be so interesting to read the notes on Cutbush's addmitance. I wonder if they contain any reference to the belife that he was the ripper. Oooh I am salivating at the thought.

[Natalie Severn]

Thankyou Sara,for providing that link. AP Wolf whose book ,Jack the Myth,is available in full on the casebook,wrote about him very compellingly,as a suspect , back in the 1990"s .Long before that, The Sun national newspaper named Cutbush [virtually]in a series of full spread leading articles over a period of five days in 1894---again accessible here on casebook.

So far we have insufficient information about

a] his wherabouts on the nights in question.

b]why he would satisfy himself with stabbing 2 young women in the streets of Kennington in 1891 if indeed he had committed the series of Whitechapel murders and mutilations of 1888----these stabbings did not take place when he escaped from the asylum.They were committed several months previously.


c]his whereabouts between 1888 and 1891 are unknown.It would be helpful with regards to the answer to "b" above, to know whether he was detained in a private asylum between those dates and whether he received treatment for his paranoia.
b]

[Jeff Leahy]

A limp and blue eyes? which witness do you suppose they are referring to?

Shwartz?

Pirate

[Robert]

Thank you, Sara. I might be able to get up there before Christmas.

I'm so glad I don't have to go to Broadmoor - they might not have let me out again.

[Chris]

It seems the hospital staff and administrators were convinced that Cutbush was Jack The Ripper and there may be some evidence in there to support the theory - see report in this weekend's Telegraph:

http://tinyurl.com/62aedm

I can't actually see anything in the article about "hospital staff and administrators [being] convinced that Cutbush was Jack The Ripper".

It reads to me as though David Bullock (who has posted on Casebook in the past) has already looked at these papers and plans to use them in a book, but the fact that the article describes the evidence as "tantalising" scarcely suggests there's anything very definite there.

It's odd that Bullock is quoted as describing Charles Cutbush as Thomas's uncle. That wasn't the case, was it? More research needed, apparently.

[Robert]

Hi Chris

The article does have the odd error.

As regards Supt Cutbush, as far as I have been able to determine Supt Cutbush was not Thomas Hayne Cutbush's uncle by blood or marriage. Whether THC called him uncle in a family friend sort of way, I don't know.

What intrigues me is how on earth Macnaghten could have got the idea that THC was Charles Cutbush's nephew. Of course, if Macnaghten believed that he was his nephew, then this might supply grounds for a cover-up, even if the belief was incorrect.

[Cap'n Jack]

This is indeed a very dramatic moment; and one I have waited for many a long year. It means I will either fall on my sword, or with one swift blow with that toy sword decapitate the many-headed monster that is called 'Ripperology' today.
I know that Robert has been chipping away at the Broadmoor record holders for a couple of years now, with my support and blessing, and I would like to think that his endeavours have helped us to reach this now unique position with these enormously important historical documents.
As much as I favour Thomas Cutbush as the most likely candidate for the Whitechapel Murders, there is another young man who murdered a prostitute in the same time period who was also confined there; and it is equally vital to examine the documents referring to his stay at Broadmoor.

As you know, Robert, I suspect the relationship between Thomas and Charles Cutbush to have been closer than we imagine.

[Robert]

Hi AP

I can't claim any credit for the appearance of the archives, since the whole matter has been on hold for some time.

I will endeavour to contact the archive and if necessary go there, and we'll see what the evidence is. I doubt if it will be conclusive one way or t'other - nothing in Ripperology ever is - but it's certainly info that we should have.

BTW, I have had news from South Africa of a rather strange genealogical twist in the Cutbush family, but again that's something that I will attend to properly a bit later on.

[Sara]

Sorry if I made the archive sound more compelling in terms of the heirarchy's beliefs than is the case - I read it before doing a lot of trawling on Cutbush in here and didn't re-read it before posting the link many hours later - my subconscious was probably working overtime!

I did get a sense however that those working in the hospital at the time thought it probable that Cutbush was the Ripper, and given how little of this leaked into the public prints or consciousness there may have been efforts to cover this up...

Also that he was prone to outburst of violence rather than being a naturally violent person, which would indicate some probable injury to or malfunction of the brain, rather than him being a violent man, per se. This would fit with varying levels of violent attacks, so I don't feel that the low level of some of his violent episodes in itself disqualifies him from being the Ripper.

The fact that Cutbush was found with torn up drawing of women's innards,. and would later threaten to 'rip up' the hospital nurses (whilst much of the time presumably appearing mild-mannered), seem highly indicative to me

Anyway I'll leave it to those of you steeped in the story to do the next round of digging, meanwhile I shall look on with interest!

[Cap'n Jack]

Yes, Robert, you must go.
And the other chap I'm interested in is Reginald Traherne Bassett Saunderson.
Very interested indeed!

My thanks to Sara again for bringing this to our somewhat slovenly attention.
Most of us are either dead or dinosaurs.
Please forgive.

[Natalie Severn]

AP,
Was Reginald the chap who attacked a prostitute in Kensington? Would you mind helping to rekindle my memory over this chap?
Thanks

[Sara]

Delighted to be able to contribute anything, after a few years occasionally looking in and reading great chunks of the site (usually in the middle of the night, and always on my own i the middle of nowhere - so the HELLO-OH! always makes me jump out of my skin )

Until I got into this Cutbush stuff I rather favoured the American medic...
- but why isn't Cutbush on the opening page, with all the other cantidates' heads

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

Oh Boy!

Scotland Yard, Chief Inspector Donald Swanson, JtR letters, Royal Irish Constabulary, murder most foul—the Full Monty.

Read all about it.

The Times, 11th December 1894—



Regards,

Simon

[Robert]

Sara

HALLO

and welcome to Casebook.