Druitt the Cricketer

[aspallek]

Thanks, Mags. I wasn't sure whether he was still with the club or not by 1888. When I first saw mention of the match I thought I might have finally found Montie's alibi, until the scoresheet showed that he didn't play. As to whether he was a spectator or not there, of course, no possible way to know.

I have checked for his usual club, Blackheath, and I find no mention of that club being involved in any fixtures during the month of August. The question is whether or not Montie played for one of the Dorset teams on 30 or 31 August. 1 September does not pose a problem because that gives him more than 24 hours to get to Dorset from London. Unfortunately, I have not found any digitized archive of any Dorset newspaper. Both the Hampshire and Bristol papers covered a lot of Dorset news but there is not mention in either of Montague playing cricket at the time of the Nichols murder.

[Johnr]

Farson's Information on Druitt's Cricketing..

Hello All,
Daniel Farson's eponymous titled book " Jack The Ripper" (Michael Joseph: London: 1972) contains some interesting details of Druitt's earlier cricketing career apparently garnered from the Winchester College annual magazine.
Page 113 of the Sphere paperback (1973).
Interestingly, outside of cricket, Druitt was a "competant though not outstanding football player " (this is Rugby football);"but he excelled at Fives
and cricket. He won the Fives doubles and Singles competitions and went on to dothe same at Oxford.This has a special significance as I shall show later.
In the athletic Sports of 9 March 1975, he came third in the "throwing the Criicket Ball" event with a throw of more than 92 yards - further evidence of the strehgth of his arms"..( This last bit is an example of the author's special pleading for his JTR suspect).
..." A 'very serviceable ' opening bowler, he had a distinctive style of his own that was described as 'original and peculiar' ".
In the 1874 Winchester Two Guinea Match Druitt was described as " Druitt
..with a little more accuracy, might become a useful fast bowler' ".
By 1876 his accuracy had improved when he bowled the famous Kynaston Studd 'all over his wicket' .And bowled only six wides all season".

My apologies to non-cricketing readers. The above is placed here in an effort to show that Farson was using Druitt's sporting prowess in a couple of sports to demonstrate that this Ripper suspect had a strong bowling and Fives playing arm....
Please note: It also indicates Druitt probably partnered his contemporary REGINALD BRODIE DYKE-ACLAND in the FIves matches at both Winchester and Oxford, as both were the same age and both won these events.
JOHN RUFFELS.

[Johnr]

Farson's Information on Druitt's Cricketing..

Hello All,
Daniel Farson's eponymous titled book " Jack The Ripper" (Michael Joseph: London: 1972) contains some interesting details of Druitt's earlier cricketing career apparently garnered from the Winchester College annual magazine.
Page 113 of the Sphere paperback (1973).
Interestingly, outside of cricket, Druitt was a "competant though not outstanding football player " (this is Rugby football);"but he excelled at Fives and cricket. He won the Fives doubles and Singles competitions and went on to do the same at Oxford.This has a special significance as I shall show later."
"In the Athletic Sports of 9 March 1975, he came third in the "Throwing the Criicket Ball" event with a throw of more than 92 yards - further evidence of the strehgth of his arms"..( This last bit is an example of the author's special pleading for his JTR suspect).
..." A 'very serviceable ' opening bowler, he had a distinctive style of his own that was described as 'original and peculiar' ".
In the 1874 Winchester Two Guinea Match Druitt was described as " Druitt
..with a little more accuracy, might become a useful fast bowler' ".
By 1876 his accuracy had improved when he bowled the famous Kynaston Studd 'all over his wicket' .And bowled only six wides all season".

My apologies to non-cricketing readers. The above is placed here in an effort to show that Farson was using Druitt's sporting prowess in a couple of sports to demonstrate that this Ripper suspect had a strong bowling and Fives playing arm....
Please note: It also indicates Druitt probably partnered his contemporary REGINALD BRODIE DYKE-ACLAND in the Fives matches at both Winchester and Oxford, as both were the same age and both won these events.
JOHN RUFFELS.

[jmenges]

Interestingly, outside of cricket, Druitt was a "competant though not outstanding football player " (this is Rugby football);"[I]but he excelled at Fives and cricket.

Is the "(this is Rugby football)" your parenthetical or Farson's?

I've always suspected that Druitt played cricket, rugby and football, and that one of his duties at the Blackheath school may have been teaching sports to the students.

For a good description of the elite Oxbridge youth sporting set of the LVP, their moral philosophy and make-up, I recommend the first 150 pages or so of David Goldblatt's The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football.

JM

[aspallek]

My apologies to non-cricketing readers. The above is placed here in an effort to show that Farson was using Druitt's sporting prowess in a couple of sports to demonstrate that this Ripper suspect had a strong bowling and Fives playing arm....

No need to apologize, John. Everyone with an interest in understanding Montague Druitt needs to know something about cricket and I regret that I have not made the effort to learn more than a rudimentary understanding of the game (which, incidentally, looks rather fun to me though I have never really played it in earnest).

Farson, in my opinion, followed by others probably makes a bit too much of Druitt's athletic prowess in connection with his being a suspect. Yes, it does show that he had agility and strength and that is not unimportant. Of course, so did countless others in London at the time. At age 31, he would have lost some of that athletic prowess, although he was still competing at the time of the murders. There is something of a kinship here to the whole OJ Simpson thing -- his superior athletic skill lends a certain plausibility to what otherwise would seem an unlikely occurrence.

[jmenges]

There is something of a kinship here to the whole OJ Simpson thing -- his superior athletic skill lends a certain plausibility to what otherwise would seem an unlikely occurrence.

But, at the same time one could argue that Druitt, being of a certain generation of sporting men, who had specific liberal elitist views and philosophies, particular attitudes towards gamesmanship and fair-play, and a shared morality, that these things would mitigate against him having the moral reprehensibility to engage in the slaughter of slum-dwelling prostitutes. Druitt continuing to engage in classist team sports while at the same time being 'Jack the Ripper' is a huge contradiction in character IMO.

JM

[aspallek]

Hi Jon,

I honsetly don't think Druitt's sporting activities has very much to do at all with his likelihood as a suspect. At most it does show that he was physically fit enough to have committed the crimes. That's about all.

[Johnr]

Stuff and Nonsense !!

Hello All,
I'm afraid I have to disagree.
Firstly, Montague's youthful sporting prowess and demonstrably strong right and left arms, are relevant.
Because if he regularly played these sports well into his late twenties and beyond, his reaction times,reflexes, eye to hand co-ordination general bodily flexibility and fleetness of foot would all have been superior to the average, non-sporting desk jockey.
I cannot help noticing that the photo of Montague recently posted on these threads (complete with red tie) and the one of his soldier/cricketer brother
Edward, both show decidedly thick necks.
Meaning that they would have been fairly sturdy generally.
(Not to mention, Montague would have given the hangman a run for his money with that neck!).
Could you throw any hard ball 92 yards when you were young?
Finally, I've never thought regular participation on a sporting team reduced the likliehood of such a person being a murderer.
JOHN RUFFELS.

[aspallek]

Hi John,

I agree that it is relevant. I just don't think it is terribly significant. It shows that Druitt possessed the physical skill and agility, that about all.

[Johnr]

Thanks Andy,
So far not significant....Although thus far relevant.
Its good to see you having a tempered approach Andy, but don't go too tepid.
I wanted you to be a bit more animated about the possible 1890's Winchester knowledge of the Druitt Suspicion. I did not expect you to be so underwhelmed. I thought you would immediately dash off a missive to the Winchester College Archivist!

Sorry JM, yes the interspersed comment "this is rugby football" was a sympathetic interpolation by me.After all that cricket mumbo-jumbo.I should have made that clearer.
Yes, Monty might have trained the young Valentinians at Rugby in the winter.
JOHN RUFFELS.

[jason_c]

The rugby aspect does imply a more aggressive, physically rugged Druitt. Its not a game for the faint hearted.

[aspallek]

I wanted you to be a bit more animated about the possible 1890's Winchester knowledge of the Druitt Suspicion. I did not expect you to be so underwhelmed. I thought you would immediately dash off a missive to the Winchester College Archivist!

Hi John. I realize there is some humor here. Yes, I am very interested in the Kennyite reference. As you can see I did some immediate quick research and found an Edwin Harvey attending Winchester in 1891. As exciting as that is, this particular Harvey does not appear to be a close relative of Montague's mother, Ann Harvey Druitt. Also, Edwin Harvey was not a resident at Fearon's but rather most probably at Turner's. Of course, he might have told someone at Fearon's about the family suspicion -- if he was indeed p art of the family.

That does bring up something I have neglected. When considering the "family suspicion" I have always focused on the Druitts. In some ways it makes more sense that it would be the Harveys who would be in tune to this sort of thing since the history of mental illness ran in their family.

With regard to contacting an archivist at Winchester, I am not a very aggressive researcher. Does anyone know what is the college's attitude toward Druitt inquiries? I will be in nearby Fareham for a couple of weeks in July and I do plan a trip to Winchester but I understand the college is not open to visitors.

[Johnr]

Keep up the tepidity!!

Thanks Andy,
Farson seems to have lucked upon a sympathetic Winchester College archivist named Dr Sabben-Clare. That was in the early 1970's.
It has he who told Farson of the "Trusty Servant" article about the Druitt Suspicion.
I do not know if I am imagining it, but Mr Leighton seems to have enjoyed some more recent access to the college for his book (including an exclusive:
a clear photo of "M.Druitt" carved in some Winchester College door.Montague seems to have done a very serviceable job at his grafitti. A rather good knifeman? eh?).
I suggest you send a letter ahead of you and ask for an interview with the college Librarian or Archivist.And then be sure to keep in contact by phone and email upon your arrival. JOHN RUFFELS.

[aspallek]

I'll think about it, John, but I'll bet the Winchester record have already yielded all they're going to yield about Montie.

On another note, I did find a sympathetic librarian at the Bournemouth public library. Does anyone know if local newspapers have been searched for Druitt alibis? I'm going to try to find out once and for all whether Montie played cricket on within about 12 hours of the Nichols murder. That would give him a near airtight alibi. Has anyone scoured those papers?

[Magpie]

The rugby aspect does imply a more aggressive, physically rugged Druitt. Its not a game for the faint hearted.

Even moreso is Druitt's participation in the Bleakheath hockey time.