Time To Peruse The Druitt Letter?

[Chris Scott]

Hi Nats
is this the copy you mean?

[Robert]

I wonder what Monty meant by "earning something" - he'd only just started at university.

[Natalie Severn]

Thats certainly the one Chris.Tomorrow I will study the two scripts more closely.
Thanks again -I was out just now so have only just seen it.
Best
Natalie

[Natalie Severn]

There are a few similarities I think -that is if the copy lettering of the griffiti is a true likeness to the original.
The word "nephew" has a mid word flourish over the h in a similar way to "nothing" in the graffiti, with its flourish over the h.
Capitals are similar too in that they are a bit over pronounced and jolt the flow of the lettering.Though in the case of the letter from MJD almost all the capitals are used correctly whereas in the graffiti the B in blamed is a wrong use of a capital letter in mid sentence.
I notice too that there are several meaningless little curls on the letters in the MJD letter as there are in one or two words in the graffiti.
Best
Natalie

[aspallek]

Thanks, Chris, for saving me the trouble. I personally think the letter's value is more in giving a glimpse into Montie's life than in providing a sample of his handwriting.

[Stephen Thomas]

Blimey, Latin eh? I studied it for 5 years and passed the exam and it has been of zero usefulness to me ever since. All I can remember of it now is the first lesson when I was eleven.

AMO CASEBOOKUS (I like Casebook)
AMAS CASEBOOKUS (You, singular, like Casebook)
AMAT CASEBOOKUS (He/she/it likes Casebook)
AMAMUS CASEBOOKUS (We like Casebook)
AMATIS CASEBOOKUS (You, plural, like Casebook)
AMANT CASEBOOKUS (They like Casebook)

[Robert]

Amo CasebookUM - Accusative Case!

Take fifty lines, Thomas!

[Stephen Thomas]

Take fifty lines, Thomas!

Yes Sir!!!!

But I'll be using my two pens tied together by an elastic band technique so I'll only have to write 25.

[Magpie]

I think it's interesting that if you look at Druitt's letter and the use of "t"s, you'll notice that the crosspieces very widely. In some places it is very long, in others it's short and perfunctary, and in still others he dispensed with it altogether.

Something for everyone!

[Johnr]

Thanks Stewart, Chris S., Andy and everyone,
For achieving my object of putting the letter up for study.
When I first learned of this letter I thought it possible MJD might have indulged in mischievous, anonymous, letter writing to the police, and therefore searched high and low for examples of Montague's handwriting..(all I found was his signature on records at the Inner Temple), but did not find the West Sussex records.
I think it was Keith Skinner who brought them to light.
Like Andy, I believe the importance of this letter is in showing that, at least when MJD was twenty, he was in touch with the London Druitts.
I think the "Kitty" mentioned would have been Montague's neice Katherine Fitzroy Druitt, and "Emily" her older sister, (who Stephen P Ryder thought was the link to a Ripper suspect letter).
At the time of the letter (1876) Montague would have been the same age as Emily,(twenty) and two years older than Kitty.The reference to the girl's Wimborne hostess wanting to look after them by herself, obviously refers to Montague's mother, Anne (nee Harvey).
The other impoprtant thing to emerge from this letter ( I think) is that Montague comes across as a pedantic young so-and-so. A bit too bookish and boring.This pedantry probably prompted his drifting into teaching.
And, perhaps,his reference to possibly earning money soon, might mean he might have been considering a tutoring stint. In Latin(?). JOHN RUFFELS.

[Robert]

I don't know, John, he does admit he would have liked to brighten up the girls' visit - though he may have intended giving them batting practice and special coaching in semi-deponent verbs.

He comes across as a careful writer - look at the way he crosses out "often" on page two.

The thing that surprised me was his sign-off - M.J. Druitt! To his uncle!

R.C. Linford

[Doctor X]

Amo CasebookUM - Accusative Case!

Take fifty lines, Thomas!

"And if it's not there by sunrise, I'll cut your balls off!"

Because you cannot have enough comic relief.

--J. "Romanes Eunt Domus?" D.

[Mitch Rowe]

I think it would be quite unusual for JTR to have been as studious as MJD and still lack the empathy for those poor creatures of the night. I just cant see a guy like MJD ever having a rhyme or reason to hurt those poor girls for any reason. Sure Bundy was educated/smart/hansom/ect... But Bundy traveled around in his VW Beetle looking for victims. That was unusual. Bundy was caught with his tools of the trade. Nothing has ever come up to indicate Druitt was also obsessed with violence towards Women.

I think Druitt was just a Man who thought he was going insane and couldnt face the facts of his own mental instability.
He probably ended up killing himself over something some-one else would deem trivial.
His body was discovered in the Thames and Police having the theory that the Rippers mind must have gave way altogether after the horror of MJK thought that they should consider this Man.
I dont think Police ever had a clue about him until he was fished out of the water. And I dont think most Detectives considered MJD as much of a suspect. They still refer to him as a Doctor or a Medical Student many years later!

Sooo..Although the Official Police Records didnt survive. Something tells me they didnt have anything important in them. I dont think they talked to the Family and I dont think his Family ever considered him as JTR.

I think MJD was just a guy who ended up with severe mental anguish through no fault of his own. His story is a tragic one.
He is also a JTR Suspect who never got the chance to defend himself. Never got the chance to provide an alibi. Never got the chance to laugh at Police and say something like: "Impossible! I was here at this house that night visiting friends or relatives and I have Witnesses to prove it.

And to the People who say: "Well...Others commited suicide during that time and they were never suspected!"
I say they probably never looked anything like they were Doctors or had as much money on them as Druitt. Police must have got the Doctor idea from somewhere.
If ever something tangible comes along to indicate Druitt might have been the Ripper I may change my mind. But until then I cant consider him any more of a Suspect than his friends or relatives.

[Stephen Thomas]

Hi Mitch

A very sensitive and intelligent post from you above. Thanks.

[Natalie Severn]

Hi Mitch,
I agree with Stephen that your post is sensitive and it perceptive too.
I dont entirely agree with you, though.To me what Druitt was at twenty appears to have been a little different from what he was when he passed his twenty ninth birthday.For example he had by the end of that year been dismissed from his teaching job for getting into "serious trouble".For me it simply isnt adequate to say as some do that this was because he was caught out interfering with the boys or for engaging in homosexual acts.
We have no proof or evidence whatso ever that he had ever "interfered" with any boys-no record or mention of such a thing- anywhere- as far as I know ,but possibly Andy S can correct me on this. We face exactly the same problem over whether or not he was homosexual.He may have been but there is no record whatsoever of it.Moreover,since the head and owner of the school Mr Valentine,was a very close friend of Druitt,it is most unlikely he would have sacked him simply for being gay.Druitt would in fact have stepped well over some line either by mistreating a pupil causing bodily harm or significantly abusing a pupil.Why----because such p[ractises were rife throughout the public school system and as like as not it was brushed under the carpet just as cases of abuse have only recently been taken seriously in society today.
So in my view Druitt had some sort of mental breakdown that gave rise to a very real and serious concern by the head,Valentine.It may even have related to a violent assault on one of the teachers or pupils----a threat to life and limb-that kind of thing.
His mother suffered from paranoid delusions-----Druitt could have inherited the same illness and begun the hear voices......telling him to commit murder for example.The fact that he thought he was "going like mother" suggests he was ill----and knew it---hence the suicide.
Cheers
Natalie