Broadmoor Archives finally open

[Cap'n Jack]

True, Robert, but he certainly left some family behind him.
The father fathered many sons
and his true son fathered none
that soap in sud
or worm in bud.

I think his skin condition might have been related to his unusual eye colour. I think this is why he is described as 'singular'.

[brummie]

Thanks Natalie for the info on paranoid schizophrenia, certainly a plausible explanation. From the posts on this thread it would seem to have been established that Thomas Cutbush was not in fact nephew of police officer Cutbush, is this the case and he had no connection at all or was a different form of relative? In the Sun report it mentions the possibility of incidents at work indicating a mental disorder: "we can give the names of his employers, their places of business, the terms of his service there, and the incidents of his
connection with them - incidents which clearly show that he was in the neighbourhood of Whitechapel at the time when the
murders were committed; that he developed tendencies even in his employment of homicidal insanity; " Do we have any knowledge of what his employment was, I understand he was a clerk, and what these incidents at work might have been?

[George Spiggott]

Good morning to all.

The equivalent value today, of 10 shillings in 1891, would be £39.13p. This, however, is merely 'worth for worth'. To enable you to judge the 'true' value you should consider the per capita GDP equivalent - in this case, £296.64p. This rating is the 'affordability'. To understand this sum you should judge your own reaction to it (£296.64p). If your reaction is 'good heavens' or 'well I never', either you see the sum as very substantial or fairly trivial. On the other hand if your reaction is, faute de mieux, neutral; then you might take this to mean it is 'affordable' by the common understanding of that word.

[claire]

Very excited because the news about the opening of these files was just reported in the newspaper here yesterday--in Qatar! Next wild theory: Cutbush, bin Laden and the Ripper: One and the same man? Reckon it'd sell?

[Brenda]

Very excited because the news about the opening of these files was just reported in the newspaper here yesterday--in Qatar! Next wild theory: Cutbush, bin Laden and the Ripper: One and the same man? Reckon it'd sell?

Claire, maybe the same evil soul just gets reincarnated over and over. Saves on resources.

[Robert]

Ah, the metempsychosis of psychosis.

AP, can you expand on the eyes?

[Cap'n Jack]

In view of what we now know about Thomas Hayne Cutbush from the Broadmoor files, especially his appearance; and then combine that with what Robert discovered in that very interesting Lloyd's article... it is well worth remembering Winslow's description of Jack the Ripper that he made to the American press in 1895 whilst claiming that there had been a 'cover up':

'... in a country lunatic asylum, a medial student of good family... young man of slight build, blue eyes... studied very hard, and his mind gave way... became a religious enthusiast and attended early services at St Pauls...'

Thomas Cutbush came from a good family, he was confined in a country lunatic asylum in 1895, he believed himself to be a medical student (as he told a couple he met on the streets), he was a young man of slight build with blue eyes, he was a religious enthusiast who attended early services at St Pauls.

My conclusion?
Thomas Cutbush was the Whitechapel Murderer.

[DVV]

Hi AP,
Cutbush can certainly be the WM, but can he be Forbes' suspect?

Amitiés,
David

[Roy Corduroy]

what Robert discovered in that very interesting Lloyd's article...

Robert, which article is this referring to and what did it say? Is it here in Casebook Press Reports?

Roy

[Roy Corduroy]

Hello, I think I found it, thank you. Two articles, under the thread Long Article on Cutbush here on Casebook.

On the subject on asylums, the BBC announced a new book by Catharine Arnold - Bedlam a history. This photo was included - Roy

[Sara]

Hi Robert,
I wouldn't classify rosacea as "transitory", it sort of waxes and wanes depending on the level of irritation. But even in a controlled state, there is still a blotchy or ruddy appearance to the skin. You would be able to look at someone with it and know that they had skin problems.

I wonder if Brenda is thinking of psoriasis?

I suffered from both rosacea and eczma attacks quite badly as a kid, and still had the odd attack up to my late teens. I've never had one since, not on my face anyway, and such odd episodes as I had in my 20s were isolated (eg stomach) and rare. It was very much stress related ( I had a very unhappy childhood).

A thinking murderer (and I'm sure JTR was one, who planned his attack to some extent) could easily darken the skin on his face so he could flit more easily unseen in dark alleyways, by using something like walnut juice (it was much used in the war for night camouflage). JTR would have been sensible to do so - he'd be less recognisable too - and walnuts would be easily obtained in London markets in November I imagine

[Cap'n Jack]

Robert
your earlier question about the eyes.
Mercury poisoning, in addition to the blotchy or reddening of the face, also causes bleeding from the retina, a film over the eyes, and a grey ring that forms over the cornea.
As Thomas had blue eyes I thought this might be why they were later described as 'steel grey'.

[Vigilantee]

Hi Vigilantee

Thomas is my favourite suspect, but I'm blowed if I can see how he could possibly have been Supt Cutbush's nephew. I wish he had been, but he wasn't.

However, this may be beside the point, for Macnaghten seems to have believed that he was, and if other high ranking officers agreed with Macnaghten, then the motive for a cover-up is certainly available.

I'm jiggered if I can see why they thought he was his nephew, though. Swanson lived not far from Supt Cutbush, and I've an idea one or two other top officers did too. All they needed to do was trot round to his house, ring his doorbell and ask.

I suspect they knew the situation very well. I agree he certainly wasn't his uncle in any literal sense, but looking at their family trees they both appear to be descendants of the same ancestor about 100 years earlier, making them part of the wealthy Cutbush family of Maidstone. Originally a family of clockmakers in the mid 18th Century (with some interesting Masonic connections) they later went into property, and at its height the Cutbush Trust owned huge amounts of South London. What is uncertain to me is how extended and cohesive the Cutbush family was, a few appear to have been Freemasons, and I assume Supt Cutbush would have been, along with many of his colleagues. That might be an extra factor keeping an extended family together, at least in the same City? So its quite possible Thomas Cutbush or his mother and aunt knew Supt Cutbush. They don't appear wealthy (though Thomas' inheritance was two houses so werent poor either). Its a speculative leap but I wonder if Charlie was looking after them for the family. It would certainly explain the 'Uncle' belief, and in a sense he was albeit several times removed.

There might have even been a Masonic connection. Certainly there would be for Cutbush and his colleagues I believe. It would have been important to protect the family name, so engineering his disappearance to a private hospital in 1889 would have been ideal. With Macnaughton doing a bit of whitewashing after. The fact it went a little wrong and he still got into a bit of mischief later only increased the embarassment. Apparently too much for the Superintendent in the end.

[Vigilantee]

A couple of brief observations:

'Tom's mother says she shall come down to Margate, but Margate is not down from London, it is across from London'.

I think this might be a quirk of language relating to the capital, I've heard it said technically you always go down from London whatever the direction.

As for Tom's dark complexion, didn't it say in the reports he put mud on his face for a disguise once. Maybe he often did and didn't always wash well after...

[Vigilantee]

This is the relevant part of the probable Cutbush family tree (with thanks to a genaeologist friend)