"Deeming Wrote To Eddowes"-1897 Encyclopedia re: Deeming's Trial & Execution

[Archaic]

Hi, folks.

I came across this article on Frederick Deeming in an 1897 encyclopedia called 'The Standard American Encyclopedia' and thought it might be of interest.

The passage stating that a man in Halifax claimed Deeming "wrote to Eddowes" is what caught my eye.

Best regards, Archaic

[Yimmit]

Very interesting indeed. I'm surprised no one has picked up on this before!

[jmenges]

Some books on the subject mention this incident as Eddowes writing to Deeming.

JM

[Archaic]

Hi Jon, how are you?

Do you think there's any truth in the story that Eddowes and Deeming ever corresponded, or do you think it's just a rumor that got repeated and printed in the newspaper? (And eventually in books, as you have pointed out.)

Personally I think the story was merely a rumor.

Best regards,
Archaic

[jmenges]

Hi Jon, how are you?

Personally I think the story was merely a rumor.

I'm fine, and you?

I agree, for now, since all evidence points to Deeming being in South Africa in the whole of 1888. His arrest for the Rainhill murder was so complete a press sensation that people were coming out of the woodwork identifying him as 'Jack the Ripper'. "Eye witnesses", over-heard train-conversation confessions, handwriting "similarities" with the letters, etc. I don't buy any of it.

All the best,

JM

[Adam Went]

That's a very interesting article, although as Jon says, Deeming was most likely in South Africa at the time of the murders.

I wonder if this article doesn't have something to do with Kate Eddowes' apparent claim that she knew who JTR was, then when Deeming came to light as a plausible suspect, these two events were linked together in the form of correspondence by mail?

Do we even know whether Kate could read or write that well?

Cheers,
Adam.

[Mayerling]

When I did some research on Deeming back in the 1980s I saw the various "Jack the Ripper" stories, and the attempts that linked Deeming to the "double header" killing of September 29/30 1888. This was the only one of the attempts to link Deeming to the killings that had a minimum of plausibility. But it is very much a minimum.

By the way, Deeming was out of South Africa by the fall of 1888, but his exact whereabouts are extremely questionable. This problem is complicated by a tendency to claim he was in jail while the Ripper murders occurred. The late Tom Cullen said so in his AUTUMN OF TERROR (in the U.S.A. WHEN LONDON WALKED IN TERROR) citing the earlier work by L.C. Douthwaite called MASS MURDERERS. But Douthwaite only mentioned a period Deeming was in jail from 1890 to 1891 in England, and that period inclluded the murder of Frances Coles (then, in 1930, considered one of the victims of the Ripper). Today Coles is not so considered, so Douthwaite's comment is faulty, and Cullen's reliance on it is wrong.

Jeff

[jmenges]

Hi Jeff,

Is the information (presumably reported by the press) that he was in Port Elizabeth until August of 1889 erroneous? I'm citing Summing Up and Verdict, but am unaware of their source.

Thanks,

JM

[jmenges]

One such press report gives us this timeline:

Daily Gleaner 19 April 1892

1888 - January to June - Arrives from Melbourne in Adelaide under name of Ward. Sails from Port Adelaide after a month's stay there.

Two brothers with whom he sails on ship Barossa are robbed of £60. Deeming suspected but nothing proved. Boy Sidney (third child) born on voyage. On arrival at St. Helena tranships to Dunrobin Castle, and arrives with wife and family at Cape Town about middle of year, say June.

April 3 - Emma Smith died in her lodgings of injuries received at the hands of Whitechapel roughs.

Aug. 7 - Martha Tabram. Murdered and mutilated, George yard buildings, Commercial street, E.

Aug. 31 - Mary Ann Nicholls. Murdered and mutilated Buck's row.

Sept. 8 - Annie Chapman. Hanbury street, Whitechapel.

Sept. 30 - Elizabeth Stride, Berner street, Whitechapel, and Catherine Eddowes, Mitre square.

Nov. 9 - Mary Jane Kelly. Murdered and mutilated in a room of Dorset street.

Deeming at work for a form of engineers in Cape Town from the middle of the year. Subsequently at Port Elizabeth, Natal, and Kimberley, where he passes as a gold mine manager.

1889 - April - In Kierksdorp, Transvaal, having previously obtained £600 in Durban by fraud.

July 18 - Gets £2,800 at Johannesburg on worthless securities, obtains £420 of jewellery, and decamps, sailing from Durban in SS Dunkeld.

July 17 - Alice MacKenzie murdered in Castle alley. Some attempt at mutilation.

Sept. 11 - Mutilated remains found under a railway arch in East end.

Sept. 14 - Having reached Suez in August or September, Deeming embarks on Sept. 14th on British India steamer Jumna.

Sept. 27 - Arrive at Plymouth.

JM

[Archaic]

I wonder if this article doesn't have something to do with Kate Eddowes' apparent claim that she knew who JTR was, then when Deeming came to light as a plausible suspect, these two events were linked together in the form of correspondence by mail?

Do we even know whether Kate could read or write that well?

Hi Adam.

I doubt this story for many reasons, including the fact that even if Kate was reasonably literate it's unlikely that she had money to spend on pens, ink, paper, envelopes and stamps.

If the story is true, where is the evidence? Where are the physical letters? I think it's just another myth.

Thanks Jon for the timeline.

Best regards,
Archaic

[Bob Hinton]

Writing to Eddowes

Since Eddowes like a lot of people in the East End led a transigent life, how would anyone know where to send the letter?

[Hunter]

I might add, Bob, that many of these women, including Kate, didn't even go by or were known by their actual names.

[John Bennett]

Since Eddowes like a lot of people in the East End led a transigent life, how would anyone know where to send the letter?

Bloody good point, Bob!!