Druitt's personality

[Limehouse]

Several things bother me about Druitt's candidacy as the ripper.

1. Despite his eventual suicide, Druitt was a very popular and outgoing individual who was involved in sports and social activities right up to shortly before his death. His personality does not seem to match most profiles drawn up concerning this type of killer. They are most often loners who do not socialise greatly.

2. Concerning his suicide, there seems to have been a melancholic streak in the family that resulted in several family members killing themselves. This kind of throws doubt on Druitt's suicide being related to him being the ripper. As his suicide letter mentioned his fear that he was to become 'like mother', perhaps he feared being confined to an asylum with all the associated horror, not the mention the stigma.

3. Although Druitt's chambers were close to the site of the murders, there is no real reason to suppose Druitt had sufficient knowledge of the east end to effect a swift escape from each murder scene, and the abandonment of Eddowes' portion of apron in Goulston Street takes him away from his most direct route back to his chambers. Are we to suppose he roamed the streets, blood-stained rather than making his way directly to safety??

In summary, Druitt's personality seems all wrong for this type of murder and his suicide was the act of a man who felt isolated and suffered inwardly rather than the more 'outward' expression of madness exhibited by the murderer.

[pinkmoon]

Several things bother me about Druitt's candidacy as the ripper.

1. Despite his eventual suicide, Druitt was a very popular and outgoing individual who was involved in sports and social activities right up to shortly before his death. His personality does not seem to match most profiles drawn up concerning this type of killer. They are most often loners who do not socialise greatly.

2. Concerning his suicide, there seems to have been a melancholic streak in the family that resulted in several family members killing themselves. This kind of throws doubt on Druitt's suicide being related to him being the ripper. As his suicide letter mentioned his fear that he was to become 'like mother', perhaps he feared being confined to an asylum with all the associated horror, not the mention the stigma.

3. Although Druitt's chambers were close to the site of the murders, there is no real reason to suppose Druitt had sufficient knowledge of the east end to effect a swift escape from each murder scene, and the abandonment of Eddowes' portion of apron in Goulston Street takes him away from his most direct route back to his chambers. Are we to suppose he roamed the streets, blood-stained rather than making his way directly to safety??

In summary, Druitt's personality seems all wrong for this type of murder and his suicide was the act of a man who felt isolated and suffered inwardly rather than the more 'outward' expression of madness exhibited by the murderer.

Ted Bundy had an out going charming personality but he seems to be the exception to the rule.Druitt could have quite easily have stayed in a common lodging house he would have simply been another unsavoury character in a house full of unsavoury characters.

[Phil H]

Druitt could have quite easily have stayed in a common lodging house he would have simply been another unsavoury character in a house full of unsavoury characters.

As a member of the Victorian middle-class, I doubt that Druitt (or anyone like him) could ever have passed himself off as the type of peron who could use a common-lodging house.

As I have often said, his way of speaking, his haircut, his bearing, vocabulary, would all have marked him out indelibly as "different". Clothes are one thing, not washing another, but there is no evidence he ever went missing from his usual routine for long period, so he could not have changed his hairstyle or moustache readily.

The one surviving letter of Druitt;s of which I am aware seems to indicate that he was a pernickety sort of person, very conscious of his education. Not the sort to fit in easily with the dregs of society, I would have thought.

Why do you use the words "another unsavoury character" of Druitt. What evidence do you have that he was in anyway unsavoury?

Phil

[pinkmoon]

I used the word unsavoury purely if druitt was our killer or as some people have speculated that he was sexually attracted to boys.He could quite easily indulge his sexually needs in Whitechapel and if he did visit this area he would surely dress down.People tend to forget what an awfully place Whitechapel was it attracted a lot of scum yes some descent hard working people did live and travel through there .I will make no bones that druitt is my favourite "suspect" purely from the tales told by my ancestors however I will also admit that when you look at him in some detail there is a very low chance that he was our killer.Untill something better comes along I'm sticking with him!.

[Wickerman]

Several things bother me about Druitt's candidacy as the ripper.

1. Despite his eventual suicide, Druitt was a very popular and outgoing individual who was involved in sports and social activities right up to shortly before his death. His personality does not seem to match most profiles drawn up concerning this type of killer. They are most often loners who do not socialise greatly.

2. Concerning his suicide, there seems to have been a melancholic streak in the family that resulted in several family members killing themselves. This kind of throws doubt on Druitt's suicide being related to him being the ripper. As his suicide letter mentioned his fear that he was to become 'like mother', perhaps he feared being confined to an asylum with all the associated horror, not the mention the stigma.

3. Although Druitt's chambers were close to the site of the murders, there is no real reason to suppose Druitt had sufficient knowledge of the east end to effect a swift escape from each murder scene, and the abandonment of Eddowes' portion of apron in Goulston Street takes him away from his most direct route back to his chambers. Are we to suppose he roamed the streets, blood-stained rather than making his way directly to safety??

In summary, Druitt's personality seems all wrong for this type of murder and his suicide was the act of a man who felt isolated and suffered inwardly rather than the more 'outward' expression of madness exhibited by the murderer.

One of thee most common reactions from friends and neighbours when learning of a murderer in their midst is, "who would have thought it?", "he was such a nice man", "oh, I thought he was quite ordinary".

Where do you think sayings like, "still waters run deep", "never judge a book by its cover", and, "the quiet one's are the worst", came from?
If our perceptions of personality traits were so reliable there wouldn't be any criminals on the streets, but there are, because we can't see behind the facade.

[Limehouse]

Druitt fits early speculation that the killer was a 'toff'. This idea fits broadly into the notion that he couldn't be a REAL local, he would have to be 'an other' - a toff or a foreigner. Couple that with the assumption that he would have to be 'insane' and you have rumours and notions 'creating' an unstable outsider who 'in all probability did away with himself after his awful glut in Miller's Court'. Insane medical students, deaths in the Thames and a mysterious 'toff' who died shorty after the Millers' Court murder morphs into Druitt.

[pinkmoon]

Druitt fits early speculation that the killer was a 'toff'. This idea fits broadly into the notion that he couldn't be a REAL local, he would have to be 'an other' - a toff or a foreigner. Couple that with the assumption that he would have to be 'insane' and you have rumours and notions 'creating' an unstable outsider who 'in all probability did away with himself after his awful glut in Miller's Court'. Insane medical students, deaths in the Thames and a mysterious 'toff' who died shorty after the Millers' Court murder morphs into Druitt.

Well said....still a slight chance druitt was the killer though.

[Wickerman]

Druitt fits early speculation that the killer was a 'toff'.

Earlier than what?
Speculations in the press considered anyone from a lunatic Jew to a doctor, or at least someone with anatomical knowledge.
The idea of a 'Toff' came later, more as a result of the Kelly murder & Astrachan.

This idea fits broadly into the notion that he couldn't be a REAL local, he would have to be 'an other' - a toff or a foreigner.

The only man who has been identified with Astrachan (Joseph Isaacs) was a local. So, I guess that undermines the 'outsider' theory.

Couple that with the assumption that he would have to be 'insane' and you have rumours and notions 'creating' an unstable outsider who 'in all probability did away with himself after his awful glut in Miller's Court'. Insane medical students, deaths in the Thames and a mysterious 'toff' who died shorty after the Millers' Court murder morphs into Druitt.

It may be necessary to define what 'Toff' means, because Druitt was not a Toff, and neither was Astrachan for that matter.
Much of this 'Toff' thinking has been inspired by the Jekyll and Hyde scenario popular at the time.

[Ausgirl]

Gacy was a real charmer, too, and a pillar of his community.

[pinkmoon]

Some are born to sweet delight and some are born to endless night

[Wickerman]

Gacy was a real charmer, too, and a pillar of his community.

Indeed, along with a number of others. Role playing is part of the charade, along with the desire to manipulate people.
Contrary to what is promoted about Profiling, there is no clear definitive 'type' for a murderer.

[Phil H]

I used the word unsavoury purely if druitt was our killer or as some people have speculated that he was sexually attracted to boys.

Quite a lot of assumptions in that one sentence.

He could quite easily indulge his sexually needs in Whitechapel

Can you cite a single instance of such activity (I mean "brothel" or equivalent/club) in Whitechapel/Spitalfields in the period in question?

For middle class men such as Druitt the focus for such kinds of sex was almost certainly the WEST End - after all, the Cleveland St scandal began with the Post Office "rent boys" being revealed. Why with such "facilities available should a man with those tastes chose the East End?

and if he did visit this area he would surely dress down.

You have now changed your tune - it was staying in lodging houses you mentioned before, and on which I commented.

As I have said (with copious reasons), in 1888 it would have been much more difficult to "dress down" than it would be today.

Druitt was almost certainly not JtR (at least on the evidence we have) and your reasoning, to be frank, is wild even by the standards of Casebook. Not a shred of evidence anywhere, just vast generalisations.

Phil

Phil

[pinkmoon]

I used the word unsavoury purely if druitt was our killer or as some people have speculated that he was sexually attracted to boys.

Quite a lot of assumptions in that one sentence.

He could quite easily indulge his sexually needs in Whitechapel

Can you cite a single instance of such activity (I mean "brothel" or equivalent/club) in Whitechapel/Spitalfields in the period in question?

For middle class men such as Druitt the focus for such kinds of sex was almost certainly the WEST End - after all, the Cleveland St scandal began with the Post Office "rent boys" being revealed. Why with such "facilities available should a man with those tastes chose the East End?

and if he did visit this area he would surely dress down.

You have now changed your tune - it was staying in lodging houses you mentioned before, and on which I commented.

As I have said (with copious reasons), in 1888 it would have been much more difficult to "dress down" than it would be today.

Druitt was almost certainly not JtR (at least on the evidence we have) and your reasoning, to be frank, is wild even by the standards of Casebook. Not a shred of evidence anywhere, just vast generalisations.

Phil

Phil

hi Phil,my posts on here are purely based on the word "if".You are perfectly right druitt probley wasn't jack the ripper and all we can do without knowing this"private information" is guess and make assumptions.

[Phil H]

Understood.

[curious]

I will make no bones that druitt is my favourite "suspect" purely from the tales told by my ancestors however I will also admit that when you look at him in some detail there is a very low chance that he was our killer.Untill something better comes along I'm sticking with him!.

Hi, Pinkmoon,
Have you ever discussed your ancestors' stories here on Casebook?

If so, do you remember the thread?

If not, would you mind sharing, either here, if you think it fits this discussion, if not here perhaps in a private email. I'd love to know what people living in the area had to say about the murders.

Thanks,
curious