What makes Druitt a viable suspect?

[AndrewL]

Do you think he would have thought about it?

Fair question - and like so many others in this case, the only honest answer is I don't know! I suppose my reasoning is that Druitt was not a resident of the East End, therefore if he was the killer then he most likely went there on selected evenings in the hope of finding a victim. Personally I find it slightly strange that he would choose a night/morning when his schedule was so tight - but of course, it's fair to point out that he may not exactly have been thinking rationally. I just think that the cricket angle is a small point against Druitt being JTR, I don't believe it eliminates him by any means.

[PaulB]

Fair question - and like so many others in this case, the only honest answer is I don't know! I suppose my reasoning is that Druitt was not a resident of the East End, therefore if he was the killer then he most likely went there on selected evenings in the hope of finding a victim. Personally I find it slightly strange that he would choose a night/morning when his schedule was so tight - but of course, it's fair to point out that he may not exactly have been thinking rationally. I just think that the cricket angle is a small point against Druitt being JTR, I don't believe it eliminates him by any means.

Just shooting the breeze for a moment, but if Druitt had been in Whitechapel and was heading for the railway station when he ran into Chapman in Hanbury Street, might he not have unthinkingly taken advantage of a fortuitous chance meeting? Perhaps it was purely by luck that he got back to Blackheath in time to play cricket.

[Joshua Rogan]

second-again the times tight. he would have to have gone to a private place, get cleaned up stash chapmans internal organ and then make it to the game.

Not that tight, timewise, really, with over 5 hours to play with. It was barely 6 miles from Hanbury Street to Blackheath; even if there were no trains running that early, he could have had a leisurely two-hour walk and been home (well, at the school) in time to clean up, cook and eat breakfast (whatever that consisted of) and still have had plenty of time to don his whites and stroll over to the heath before the toss.

I'm not saying it's likely, but it's far from impossible, chronologically speaking.

[Abby Normal]

Just shooting the breeze for a moment, but if Druitt had been in Whitechapel and was heading for the railway station when he ran into Chapman in Hanbury Street, might he not have unthinkingly taken advantage of a fortuitous chance meeting? Perhaps it was purely by luck that he got back to Blackheath in time to play cricket.

and just happened to be carrying his knife?

[Trevor Marriott]

Not that tight, timewise, really, with over 5 hours to play with. It was barely 6 miles from Hanbury Street to Blackheath; even if there were no trains running that early, he could have had a leisurely two-hour walk and been home (well, at the school) in time to clean up, cook and eat breakfast (whatever that consisted of) and still have had plenty of time to don his whites and stroll over to the heath before the toss.

I'm not saying it's likely, but it's far from impossible, chronologically speaking.

If Druiit was a homosexual what are the chances of him killing women? very slight I would say given all the other factors surrounding him.

https://www.trevormarriott.co.uk

[Abby Normal]

Not that tight, timewise, really, with over 5 hours to play with. It was barely 6 miles from Hanbury Street to Blackheath; even if there were no trains running that early, he could have had a leisurely two-hour walk and been home (well, at the school) in time to clean up, cook and eat breakfast (whatever that consisted of) and still have had plenty of time to don his whites and stroll over to the heath before the toss.

I'm not saying it's likely, but it's far from impossible, chronologically speaking.

yes of course-but with everything else isn't it improbable? also not sure how leisurely a two hour walk would be, especially with a uterus and knife in your pocket!

[Abby Normal]

If Druiit was a homosexual what are the chances of him killing women? very slight I would say given all the other factors surrounding him.

www.trevormarriott.co.uk

very slim I would say

[rjpalmer]

very slim I would say

Yet elsewhere you have Hutchinson, your prime suspect, molesting a couple of school-boys down in Australia!?

And what of Feigenbaum's sexuality? He was getting on in years, yet left his estate to his sister. What ho, no wife nor kids? And in the merchant marines?

Or do these rather idle speculations only apply to MJD?

No offense intended, just sayin'

[PaulB]

If Druiit was a homosexual what are the chances of him killing women? very slight I would say given all the other factors surrounding him.

www.trevormarriott.co.uk

But there is no evidence that he was homosexual.

[Joshua Rogan]

If Druiit was a homosexual what are the chances of him killing women? very slight I would say given all the other factors surrounding him.

www.trevormarriott.co.uk

Um, yes, pretty slim I'd think, *if* he was indeed homosexual. But I don't think there's any evidence one way or the other, merely speculation based on his mysterious dismissal and MM's characterisation of him as "sexually insane".

[rjpalmer]

Sims was certainly talking about the Macnaghten Memoranda, you only have to read what he says here, and have an understanding of Sims' writings on the Ripper murders, to see that this is true.

Wolf -- —no one is arguing that Sims didn’t get his information from Macnaghten. That is not the issue.

The issue is whether Abberline, in responding to Sims, is relying on his personal knowledge of events while he was at Scotland Yard (1888-1892) or relying on a document that was not filed until two years after his retirement.

You assume that Abberline cannot be referring to a different document, because you also assume that Druitt was never a contemporary suspect.

But elsewhere Sims implies that he was. ‘The police were searching for him alive, when he turned up dead.’

Abberline’s statements to the PMG make no mention of Macnaghten’s “private information,” nor to the supposed suspicions of Druitt’s family. Indeed, he denies there was any evidence against Druitt beyond his drowning in the Thames.

That doesn’t sound like the comments of a man who was truly aware of the full thrust of Macnaghten’s arguments, but instead someone who is responding from the vantage point of his own personal (and limited) involvement.

The possibility exists that he is referring to a different 'report,' and thus misinterpreted what Sims was alluding.

And the Macnaghten Memoranda is not lost. It was found in the Met files. There is no evidence it was sent to the Home Office. No stamps, no notations. Nothing.

[AndrewL]

Just shooting the breeze for a moment, but if Druitt had been in Whitechapel and was heading for the railway station when he ran into Chapman in Hanbury Street, might he not have unthinkingly taken advantage of a fortuitous chance meeting? Perhaps it was purely by luck that he got back to Blackheath in time to play cricket.

Yes, that's possible of course. I think I am slightly dubious because on the few occasions when I have stayed up all night, I was barely able to stand the next morning! Druitt only scored two runs but did take three wickets during that match, so he seems to have played at least reasonably well. As so often in this case, the evidence is totally inconclusive so we have to rely on gut instinct - and sometimes the humility to say "I just don't know..."

[Observer]

If the c5 is correct then there’s no issue with Druitt and until you can categorically prove that the ripper killed Tabram, Mackenzie, Coles and the Torso’s then the point is moot.

How on earth can you categorically prove that Mackenzie was a Ripper victim ! What a ridiculous statement

[Observer]

Just shooting the breeze for a moment, but if Druitt had been in Whitechapel and was heading for the railway station when he ran into Chapman in Hanbury Street, might he not have unthinkingly taken advantage of a fortuitous chance meeting? Perhaps it was purely by luck that he got back to Blackheath in time to play cricket.

Glad you're merely shooting the breeze, but what would Druitt be doing in Whirechapel at 5:30 in the morning?

[Observer]

But there is no evidence that he was homosexual.

There is no evidence that he rented rooms in Whitechapel during the terror.