Your top 3 suspects?

[Phil Carter]

Hello c.d.

This story about his private info can, if one wants to believe it, be conected to the west country polititian story, originally in the Bristol post of 1891, shown afterwards to come from Fraquaharson MP.
This MP said that the murderer died the night of the MJK muder, and that he was the son of a doctor.
As Druitt was alive until Dec 31st, it looks like the two stories (the MP's and MacNaughtens) were mixed up.
Abberline said in 1903 that the Druitt suspect/story was also mentioned in a Home Office report but was far from being a sealed idea. (As Macnaughten suggests)
This file has never been seen. (Big shock!)

The question one here has... what would the life and death of a barrister be doing in a Home office file anyway? (It isn't national security after all).

best wishes

Phil

[Tom_Wescott]

As the 'Macnaghten Memorandum' was more propaganda than anything, I'm surprised so many hold true to the notion that Druitt was actually Macnaghten's preferred suspect when the actual files seemed to have indicated this to be someone involved in a plot to kill Balfour.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Pirate!

Precisely CD. We cant guess at what information these guys new or did not know. Most of the files have gone missing. Which is why I’m saying these guys considering these suspects is more important than modern commentators trying to fit up Sickert , Maybrick, Lewis Carol and uncle tom cobbley etc etc.

Pirate

Well, at least it seems to be - based on the remaining contemporary information- that the police had several suspects already at the time!

All the best
Jukka

[Tom_Wescott]

We cant guess at what information these guys new or did not know. Most of the files have gone missing. Which is why I’m saying these guys considering these suspects is more important than modern commentators trying to fit up Sickert , Maybrick, Lewis Carol and uncle tom cobbley etc etc.

I completely agree.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[c.d.]

Hi Phil,

Macnaghten's private information and the newspaper article you reference could certainly be related. But I don't see how a newspaper article in and of itself could be considered private information. Perhaps the private information helped to confirm the story.

c.d.

[Phil Carter]

Hello c.d.,

I am assuming that MacNaughten got his private info from the MP, investigated with the family after that etc... and it was the MP who, according to the article, spread this theory about quite openly.

best wishes

Phil

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

There was more to the Farquharson story than the Bristol Times and Mirror was willing to disclose, for it withheld certain details for fear of being sued for libel. As you cannot libel the dead, it would be interesting to know who they thought might have brought such an action.

Regards,

Simon

[Ben]

Hi CD,

But I don't see how a newspaper article in and of itself could be considered private information

Unless Macnaghten was unaware of the existence of the press article, and could not therefore have known that his information was not as "private" as he thought.

Just a suggestion.

Best regards,
Ben

[Jeff Leahy]

I completely agree.

Yours truly, Tom Wescott

Blimey Tom thats a first. But then as I have said before when it comes to Ripperology I always find your views interesting and have even fallen out with the odd commentator quoting you. So I guess I will be buying your book for one.

Yours Pirate

PS that doesnt mean we have to be friends so chill

[Tom_Wescott]

You're good peeps, PJ.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[DVV]

Hi David,

I guess we have to disagree. I think Druitt's suicide was the clincher in that it confirmed the suspicions that Macnaghten already had based on his private information.

c.d.

Hi again CD,

agreed, we have to disagree (not a problem, of course). Would have Druitt been suspected, had he not committed suicide ?
I sincerely doubt it.

Amitiés,
David

[DVV]

You're good peeps, PJ.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

Don't want to flatter you, Tom, but I'm sure most of us here are eager to read your book.
Just stop posting and finish it!

Amitiés,
David

[c.d.]

You're good peeps, PJ.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

Which reminds me...what happened to Lynn Cates? I always valued his opinions although not always agreeing with them. He seems to have disappeared at the same time Michael (Perry Mason) left the boards.

c.d.

[c.d.]

Hi again CD,

agreed, we have to disagree (not a problem, of course). Would have Druitt been suspected, had he not committed suicide ?
I sincerely doubt it.

Amitiés,
David

Hard to say. Probably, but not nearly as strong a suspicion as Macnaghten appeared to have had.

c.d.

[Jeff Leahy]

Hi again CD,

agreed, we have to disagree (not a problem, of course). Would have Druitt been suspected, had he not committed suicide ?
I sincerely doubt it.

Amitiés, David

Thats a little like saying, would Kosminski have been suspected if he wasnt barking mad...

Druitt is sort of package that leads us to suspect him.

Pirate