Is it plausible that Druitt did it?

[Pilgrim]

"If the area covered by a series of crimes is circumscribed, then in the majority of cases the serial offender has a base of some sort within that area. Let me hasten to add that this is not true in all cases, and the proportion of offenders who live within this 'criminal range' varies considerably depending on many aspects of the crimes and locations. But as a rule of thumb there is at least a 50-50 chance that the offender lives within the area defined by a circle that joins the two furthest crimes. If the spread of the crime is great and the criminal thinks he may be recognized in a given location then the chance he lives within this circle increases. If the criminal is clearly targeting a particular type of criminal opportunity then the chance will decrease because it is the opportunity for the crime that determines where he will offend, rather than the locaton of his base. There is thus the real possibility that Jack came into the area because of the opportunities available to carry out his mission. But the distribution of the crimes around the small area, together with their timing, also offers the possibility that he had a a base in the area." David Canter, Mapping Murder, p. 131.

[anna]

Thanks Simon,great read. Well,that puts the cat amongst the pidgeons,as they say! -So Whitechapel wasn't all dirt and grime,as we are led to believe.....

[Mr Poster]

hi ho

Nor should we forget Kovens excellent book describing the torrents of well meaning and not so well meaning non-local, non-working class people who streamed into Whitechapel for a variety of reasons. Many no doubt, who were well familiar with the main thoroughfares.....the only familiarity really necessary to get up to some whore killing.

p

[Sam Flynn]

Nor should we forget Kovens excellent book describing the torrents of well meaning and not so well meaning non-local, non-working class people who streamed into Whitechapel for a variety of reasons.

I don't think that Koven states - or even implies - that there were "torrents" of slummers, MrP. True, the slum areas of London (not just Whitechapel) attracted some intrepid adventurers - frequently disguised as locals. The reasons they visited revolved largely around ragged-trousered philanthropy, although some treated the slums as a freak show, whilst a few others may have done so to satisfy their pederastic urges. Wenching with bedraggled, stinking, middle-aged wrecks was assuredly a minority pursuit. If an upper-class person fancied a tumble with a prostitute, I daresay that those of the East End would have been very low on his list, if they were on his list at all.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Anna,

Glad you enjoyed it.

Here's Part 2.

Regards,

Simon

[dougie]

For entirely the wrong reasons, Ella - and it's a long story. I can't see why anyone of Clarence's or Druitt's class would have "frequented" Whitechapel anyway, with more "respectable" brothels in the West End and elsewhere.

wrong-headed.

whos to say low class, grimy and drink sodden prostitutes wasnt druitts "thing"?......many strange tastes out there..so im led to believe. horses for courses and all that stuff.
regards

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

Here's Part 3 of Harry Dam's NYT article, 21st October 1888.

Regards,

Simon

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

Part 4 of Harry Dam's NYT article, 21st October 1888.

Regards,

Simon

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

Part 5 of Harry Dam's NYT article, 21st October 1888.

Regards,

Simon

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

And, finally, Part 6 of Harry Dam's NYT article, 21st October 1888.

Regards,

Simon

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Dougie,

whos to say low class, grimy and drink sodden prostitutes wasnt druitts "thing"?

If so, there were plenty of those available closer to home, without necessitating his crossing the Thames to find them. There was still less of a necessity to confine his activities to a region of East London barely 0.5 square miles in extent, if he'd decided to go there in the first place.

[Mr Poster]

Hi ho SamF

He specifically describes them coming by the omnibus load.

No doubt driven by the same drives that propell people into the seedier areas of most big cities.

At any rate..I dont even have to believe his description. Not as I have an actual resdient decalring how the residents of teh area were not surprised by seeing all sorts down there. It would have taken a silk hat for them to notice.

Which means everything up to that toff headwear was common in Whitechapel.

p

[Sam Flynn]

Hi MrP

He specifically describes them coming by the omnibus load.

An omnibus-load. If that constitutes a "torrent", it's hard to imagine what a "trickle" would have looked like. The horse on his own, perhaps?

No doubt driven by the same drives that propell people into the seedier areas of most big cities.

If "seedy areas" were required, there were plenty more closer at hand to Druitt than Spitalfields.

[anna]

Hi all, Many thanks Simon,you've brightened up my Friday night! What an atmospheric piece...well they didn't have much...but you can't say it was boring!Wouldn't like to have been a copper,sounds like they all deserved a bravery award on a daily basis.

[Mr Poster]

Hi ho SamF

Youd have to multiply your picture by a few hundred.....that would be a torrent.

As to Druitt....I dont doubt his alibi is forthcoming. Im arguing that this notion that only scumbags were down there is nonsense. We KNOW it is from contemporary records. We KNOW it is from residents.

Part of it is caused by people (not necessarily you) seeking to distance themselves from the Epitome of Non-Suspects, Knights Gull. To show their non-susceptibility to guff.....they flee with fervency to the antithesis of the toff....which is the scumbag.

To copperfasten their new found credentials as non-toff-ists, they now seek to prove that no one except scumbags were ever down there. Which is patent nonsense..

p