What makes Druitt a viable suspect?

[The Baron]

Which suggests to me that Macnaghten wasn't overly familiar with the details of the Druitt case, and was acting on hearsay. The autobiographical errors (age, profession) he made in respect of Druitt point in the same direction.

Exactly.

After 130 years, the Druitt case should rest in peace.


The Baron

[Herlock Sholmes]

Not if your more familiar with the source of the druitt accusation.

herlock what are your thoughts on how and by whom mcnaughten heard his “information” from?

We can’t know for certain of course Abby but when we hear Macnaghten mention private info and the family it’s perhaps suggestive that Mac was such good friends with Vivian Majendie who was related to the Druitt’s through marriage. At least we have a plausible possible source rather than having no link between the Macnaghten’s and the Druitt’s. This doesn’t make Druitt the ripper of course but if his family did suspect him then they must have based that opinion on something. After all what we’ll-to-do family would want their name associated with the Whitechapel Murders?

[Herlock Sholmes]

Which suggests to me that Macnaghten wasn't overly familiar with the details of the Druitt case, and was acting on hearsay. The autobiographical errors (age, profession) he made in respect of Druitt point in the same direction.

Of course the ‘i Felt I was going to be like mother’ might just have meant that he felt that he might have just felt like a total mental collapse was on its way. Someone committing murders might have felt that they weren’t insane.

[Sam Flynn]

Of course the ‘i Felt I was going to be like mother’ might just have meant that he felt that he might have just felt like a total mental collapse was on its way.

Indeed, but if Macnaghten had actually seen, or known, the contents of the suicide note he might have thought twice about accepting that the "41 year-old doctor" Druitt was a misogynistic serial murderer.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Exactly.

After 130 years, the Druitt case should rest in peace.


The Baron

Nonsense of course. If you eliminate Druitt, and you have absolutely nothing to justify it, then you pretty much need to eliminate all suspects. Druitt remains in the very top tier of suspects for me.

To eliminate a suspect you need facts and you have none. Doubts, yes. But there are doubts against all suspects but very few can be categorically discounted. Inconvenience is no reason.

I have to ask if you have a favoured suspect because your illogical dismissal of Druitt tends to point in that direction.

[The Baron]

Nonsense of course. If you eliminate Druitt, and you have absolutely nothing to justify it, then you pretty much need to eliminate all suspects. Druitt remains in the very top tier of suspects for me.

To eliminate a suspect you need facts and you have none. Doubts, yes. But there are doubts against all suspects but very few can be categorically discounted. Inconvenience is no reason.

I have to ask if you have a favoured suspect because your illogical dismissal of Druitt tends to point in that direction.

I was responding to Sam's post.

I will advice you to continue favouring Druitt.

I too believe he is the best suspect for you.


The Baron

[Herlock Sholmes]

I was responding to Sam's post.

I will advice you to continue favouring Druitt.

I too believe he is the best suspect for you.


The Baron

If I needed advice I wouldn’t look in your direction. If you discount Druitt offhand then you discount yourself as someone worth discussing the case with.

[Abby Normal]

We can’t know for certain of course Abby but when we hear Macnaghten mention private info and the family it’s perhaps suggestive that Mac was such good friends with Vivian Majendie who was related to the Druitt’s through marriage. At least we have a plausible possible source rather than having no link between the Macnaghten’s and the Druitt’s. This doesn’t make Druitt the ripper of course but if his family did suspect him then they must have based that opinion on something. After all what we’ll-to-do family would want their name associated with the Whitechapel Murders?

HI HS
Agree. But im just trying to figure if he heard it directly from a family member, or a friend of the family-because the way he worded it it sounds like the latter.
and just to reiterate-he IS a valid suspect and must remain one until anything new comes up that rules him out.

[Herlock Sholmes]

HI HS
Agree. But im just trying to figure if he heard it directly from a family member, or a friend of the family-because the way he worded it it sounds like the latter.
and just to reiterate-he IS a valid suspect and must remain one until anything new comes up that rules him out.

Hi Abby,
It does sound like he got the info from someone that knew the family rather than directly from the family which could mean Majendie but there’s no way of knowing for certain of course. I must make time to read Hainsworth’s book again. I’d say that for me Druitt is a ‘there just might be something in it’ candidate. There’s nothing to totally rule him out of course but we can say that for any number of suspects that we perhaps dont give a minutes credence to. We can’t place him close to a crime scene like Lechmere or Hutchinson but he was within walking distance and we can’t be certain that the ripper actually lived at the heart of the murders. Of course he might have had a room in the area unknown to all but himself. I’ve always thought that he was an interesting suspect though with a few ‘what if’s thrown in. As I alluded to in an earlier post why is assumed that he was sacked from the Blackheath School because of inappropriate behaviour with the boys? What if he’d become violent? What if he’d brought the school into disrepute by consorting with prostitutes? Who knows?

[Wickerman]

Of course the ‘i Felt I was going to be like mother’ might just have meant that he felt that he might have just felt like a total mental collapse was on its way. Someone committing murders might have felt that they weren’t insane.

Was it true though?
Or, was that suicide note written by William?
William was in a convenient position to steer the investigation in any direction he chose, naturally to guard the family name.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby,
It does sound like he got the info from someone that knew the family rather than directly from the family which could mean Majendie but there’s no way of knowing for certain of course. I must make time to read Hainsworth’s book again. I’d say that for me Druitt is a ‘there just might be something in it’ candidate. There’s nothing to totally rule him out of course but we can say that for any number of suspects that we perhaps dont give a minutes credence to. We can’t place him close to a crime scene like Lechmere or Hutchinson but he was within walking distance and we can’t be certain that the ripper actually lived at the heart of the murders. Of course he might have had a room in the area unknown to all but himself. I’ve always thought that he was an interesting suspect though with a few ‘what if’s thrown in. As I alluded to in an earlier post why is assumed that he was sacked from the Blackheath School because of inappropriate behaviour with the boys? What if he’d become violent? What if he’d brought the school into disrepute by consorting with prostitutes? Who knows?

Agree. And many rumors turn out to be true.

[GUT]

Hi Abby,
It does sound like he got the info from someone that knew the family rather than directly from the family which could mean Majendie but there’s no way of knowing for certain of course. I must make time to read Hainsworth’s book again. I’d say that for me Druitt is a ‘there just might be something in it’ candidate. There’s nothing to totally rule him out of course but we can say that for any number of suspects that we perhaps dont give a minutes credence to. We can’t place him close to a crime scene like Lechmere or Hutchinson but he was within walking distance and we can’t be certain that the ripper actually lived at the heart of the murders. Of course he might have had a room in the area unknown to all but himself. I’ve always thought that he was an interesting suspect though with a few ‘what if’s thrown in. As I alluded to in an earlier post why is assumed that he was sacked from the Blackheath School because of inappropriate behaviour with the boys? What if he’d become violent? What if he’d brought the school into disrepute by consorting with prostitutes? Who knows?

No idea why some have tried to link his sacking to child abuse.

in fact if we accept the date of his sacking as it was given, seemingly without question, at the inquest most likely it was for going AWOL.

[Joshua Rogan]

Was it true though?
Or, was that suicide note written by William?
William was in a convenient position to steer the investigation in any direction he chose, naturally to guard the family name.

Only if he "discovered" the note after Monty was known to be dead. Was that the case?

[GUT]

Only if he "discovered" the note after Monty was known to be dead. Was that the case?

We have no idea, it isn’t mentioned anywhere till at the inquest.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Was it true though?
Or, was that suicide note written by William?
William was in a convenient position to steer the investigation in any direction he chose, naturally to guard the family name.

Good point Wick.

Im a little hazy on detail but I’m pretty sure that Druitt was found with a return train ticket on him suggesting that he might not have planned suicide? If that was the case isn’t it possible that Druitt might have met up with William and confessed? William tells him that he’s going to the police and storms off. Druitt then decides to end it all.