The Strange Death Of Montague John Druitt

[Bridewell]

What still intrigues me is whether the Manor House Asylum at Chiswick had any role to play in Druitt's suicide story, the family who ran the place also being of close association with the Druitt family.

The asylum can't have been far from where his body was found presumably, assuming that the location 'near Thornycroft's' refers to the shipbuilders of that name who were based in Chiswick.

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Thornycroft:_Shipbuilding

[Bridewell]

Where is it thought that Druitt entered the river? Do we know? Not Hammersmith presumably.

[Bridewell]

But the school didn’t know that he was dead. Just that he' been sacked. No certainties here of course Colin but I wonder how long they might have given him to get his property moved? Especially as he'd done something so serious. Why didn't the school try to contact him at KBW?

The note might have meant that but it could also have meant that he suspected that he was going to end up incarcerated like his mother.

Apologies. I wasn't suggesting that the school staff knew that he was dead but that, if he left his belongings behind they would surely have held onto them until he or somebody else collected them. It would be rather high-handed to chuck them out without further enquiry as to his whereabouts.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Why would his possessions not still be at the school? If he had died then obviously he couldn't collect them and no relatives had yet been contacted. The key question is surely the reason for his dismissal. The note he left suggests he may have thought he was going mad but what caused him to think that?

But the school didn’t know that he was dead. Just that he’d been sacked. No certainties here of course Colin but I wonder how long they might have given him to get his property moved? Especially as he’d done something so serious. Why didn’t the school try to contact him at KBW?

The note might have meant that but it could also have meant that he suspected that he was going to end up incarcerated like his mother.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Thanks Herlock.

Given the above, I am left wondering why Druitt was put in the frame at all - other than two facts

a the date of his death
b MacNaghten's talk of him being a strong candidate for the Ripper based on 'private information'

Those other (a, b and c) events, are speculated to be relating to Druitt but only due to his name already being in the ring. Why did MacNaghten favour him? If there was information relating to Druitt and the crimes, of which MacNaghten was aware, why was this not explored/investigated? Do we need to insert a conspiracy of silence to explain this?

Apologies for all the questions, but I am struggling to understand why contemporary investigators thought Druitt a possible suspect.

To be honest Eten the same could be said about Kosminski or any of the named suspects. We have no specific evidence against any suspect apart from that they were around at the time and appeared to be of the type or were mentioned by police.

A lot of this is down to whether MacNaghten genuinely did have reason to suspect Druitt or did he lie or was he mistaken? He went on record to say that he had good reason, that he’d received private information and that the Druitt family believed Monty to have been guilty. Could he have had info from the family? Was there a link/avenue? Yes, one of Mac’s best friends was related to the family by marriage. As Roger Palmer pointed out why did so many people in later years all accept MacNaghten’s solution?

Ive always been fascinated by Druitt. I favour him of the named suspects but I’m not saying that he was definitely the ripper. Even his death was strange. I certainly think that he’s worthy of continued research.

[Abby Normal]

Thanks Herlock.

Given the above, I am left wondering why Druitt was put in the frame at all - other than two facts

a the date of his death
b MacNaghten's talk of him being a strong candidate for the Ripper based on 'private information'

Those other (a, b and c) events, are speculated to be relating to Druitt but only due to his name already being in the ring. Why did MacNaghten favour him? If there was information relating to Druitt and the crimes, of which MacNaghten was aware, why was this not explored/investigated? Do we need to insert a conspiracy of silence to explain this?

Apologies for all the questions, but I am struggling to understand why contemporary investigators thought Druitt a possible suspect.

hi eten
the way i see it, someone who knew the family told mac of their suspicions. his other circs, being sexually insane and or mentally ill amd killing himself right after the c5 probably also solidified it in macs mind.

its based mainly on a rumor of course, but alot of the times rumors are true. that it came from his own family makes the rumor more likely to be true than if it came from some other source.imho

hes a valid suspect, i just dont have him in my top tier.

[Bridewell]

In the 5th January newspaper report it states that the note was found when his things were found “..where he resided.” Leighton takes this to have meant the school. If this was the case then we would have to ask why Monty’s possessions were still at the school around a fortnight after he’d been dismissed? It’s possible of course that after being sacked he was staying elsewhere. KBW for example?

Why would his possessions not still be at the school? If he had died then obviously he couldn't collect them and no relatives had yet been contacted. The key question is surely the reason for his dismissal. The note he left suggests he may have thought he was going mad but what caused him to think that?

[etenguy]

These are very brief responses of course Eten. Only d) can be called a fact a, b and c are suggested explanations.

Thanks Herlock.

Given the above, I am left wondering why Druitt was put in the frame at all - other than two facts

a the date of his death
b MacNaghten's talk of him being a strong candidate for the Ripper based on 'private information'

Those other (a, b and c) events, are speculated to be relating to Druitt but only due to his name already being in the ring. Why did MacNaghten favour him? If there was information relating to Druitt and the crimes, of which MacNaghten was aware, why was this not explored/investigated? Do we need to insert a conspiracy of silence to explain this?

Apologies for all the questions, but I am struggling to understand why contemporary investigators thought Druitt a possible suspect.

[Herlock Sholmes]

I'm not sure what is true in relation to Druitt's candidacy for JTR. The reasons I have come across for considering him to be JTR include:
a He confessed to being the ripper to family members (who told police officials)
b He confessed to being the ripper when in hospital/asylum (reported to the police)
c He had been arrested in Whitechapel covered in blood on the night of the double event, but let go
d He committed suicide (was murdered?) a few weeks after Mary Jane Kelly was murdered, bringing the spree to an end.

Are all of the above true? If c is true, surely he would be a leading candidate.

Hi Eten,

Your points are all relating to Jon Hainsworth’s latest book.

a) After a newspaper article reported that a priest had heard the rippers confession JH suggests that this might have been Monty’s cousin The Reverend Charles Druitt. As it was claimed in the article that the vicar was from the north JH suggests that Druitt told his friend The Reverend Arthur Du Boulay-Hill (CD married his sister) who was the article writer. The article was called The Whitechurch murders and Whitechurch was the alternative name for CD’s parish.

b) This was from a newspaper article discovered by Roger Palmer about an Englishman being confined in a French Asylum. He was taken there by 2 people. A lawyer and a doctor who JH suggests might have been William Druitt and one of the Tukes.

c) This is the PC Spicer story. JH suspects that this was Monty.

d) He was pulled from the Thames around a month after Kelly’s Murder and it was believed that he’d been in the Thames for a month or so. Just after he’d been sacked for getting into serious trouble at the Blackheath School.

These are very brief responses of course Eten. Only d) can be called a fact a, b and c are suggested explanations.

[etenguy]

I'm not sure what is true in relation to Druitt's candidacy for JTR. The reasons I have come across for considering him to be JTR include:
a He confessed to being the ripper to family members (who told police officials)
b He confessed to being the ripper when in hospital/asylum (reported to the police)
c He had been arrested in Whitechapel covered in blood on the night of the double event, but let go
d He committed suicide (was murdered?) a few weeks after Mary Jane Kelly was murdered, bringing the spree to an end.

Are all of the above true? If c is true, surely he would be a leading candidate.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Perhaps they made him move out but let him leave some of his belongings there until he’d found somewhere permanent?

[GUT]

perhaps they gave him a couple of weeks to move out?

Not if it was for kiddy fiddling like many would have you believe.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Double post - weird.

[Herlock Sholmes]

perhaps they gave him a couple of weeks to move out?

That’s probably the case Abby.

[Herlock Sholmes]

perhaps they gave him a couple of weeks to move out?

That's probably the case Abby.