Isenschmid(t) Records: Part 2

lynn cates · 05-20-2010, 11:09 PM

cheap articles

Hello Phil. One thing that bothered me about JI was that Annie had her pockets ransacked and her brass rings taken. I wondered if there was anything in JI's behaviour indicating any such. Yes. Notice this:

"Symptoms of Mental Disorder:
Patient upon admission was in a very excited state of sensibility, and incoherent in speech, and has delusions - has a collection of studs and other cheap articles in a piece of paper, which he said were worth no end of money."

And now the answer is obvious. He would have thought those rings in the same category. Stupid me--the hints were there in his 1908 incarceration. Notice that there he is picking up rocks, calling them diamonds, and stuffing his pockets with trash.

It all makes sense now.

Cheers.
LC

Phil Carter · 05-20-2010, 09:31 PM

Hello Lynn,

I stand corrected.. you are quite right.

best wishes

Phil

lynn cates · 05-20-2010, 08:50 PM

indeed

Hello Phil. Yes, well spoke. There are several letters from Abberline and Thick concerning this chap.

By the way, it's Mitford rd. Milford rd is in Ealing--over 14 miles away from WC. Mitford rd is in Upper Holloway--under 6 miles from WC. The first 2 letters in the "Ultimate Companion" have Milford, but later the police writers correctly change it to Mitford. The A-Z repeats the early police error.

Thanks, as always.

The best.
LC

Phil Carter · 05-20-2010, 08:04 PM

Hello Lynn,

Just had a careful look at the above. I would say, according to the age and description...more or less bang on. On 19th Sept, Abberline said that JI was the man believed to have been seen by Mrs Fiddymont.

On 11th September, two Doctors, Cowan and Crabb, believed JI to be the murderer of the women up until then. He was missing from his lodgings at 60, Milford Road on the night of Annie Chapmans murder. He had been lodging there since 5th September with a Mr. Tyler.
On 17th September Sgt Thicke learned he had told a number of women he was "Leather Apron".

It is only presumed that he wasn't the Ripper because of the subsequent murders, when he was safely locked up. But that doesn't mean he wasn't the man who killed at least one of the first two of the canonical 5, if not both, does it?

best wishes

Phil

lynn cates · 05-20-2010, 07:46 PM

description

Hello Phil. Thanks for that. I came across the following Star report for September 10. Please read slowly and carefully--then compare.

THE OTHER CLUE

is that of the man who went into the Prince Albert public-house with bloody hands, a torn shirt, and a bloodstreak on his neck. Mrs. Chappell, who saw the man along with Mrs. Fiddymont, was a customer, not friend of the latter, and the two stories of the man, which were independent of each other, agreed perfectly. Mrs. Fiddymont yesterday added to her previous statement the fact that the back of the man's head was grimy, as if it had been bloody, and had been dampened or spit upon in the endeavor to rub the blood off instead of washing it. The dried blood between the fingers was thus clear, though the back of the hand held only three or four small distinct spots. The man did not look in the least like a butcher, and no theory born of his appearance could account for his bloody hands at seven a.m.

Joseph Taylor also had some facts to add to his account of Saturday. Mr. Taylor is a cautious and entirely reliable man, and freely told all he knew to two detectives on Saturday. He says that as he entered the public-house Mrs. Fiddymont said that a man had just left whom she would like to give in charge on suspicion of the murder. Taylor went out a moment later without any particular intention of

FOLLOWING THE MAN,

whom Mrs. Chappell pointed out to him. The man was going towards Bishopsgate, however, and, as this was Taylor's direction, he increased his pace.

"It was all I could do to overtake him," he said yesterday, "and I am not a bad walker myself. The man walked very rapidly, however, with a peculiar springy walk that I would recognise again. He carried himself very erect, like a horse soldier. He had a ginger-colored moustache, longer than mine and curling a little at the ends. His shoulders were very square and his neck rather long. He was neither stout nor thin, and seemed between 30 and 40 years old. His face was medium in stoutness. There were faint hollows under the cheekbones. One thing that impressed me was that the man

SEEMED BEWILDERED.

He crossed Brushfield-street three times in going from the Prince Albert to the next street, which was Bishopsgate. He clearly did not know where he was going. When he reached Bishopsgate, he stood at the corner and looked up and down the street undecided. Then he made up his mind and started across Brushfield-street rapidly, and kept on down Bishopsgate towards Liverpool-street. I followed as far as Half-Moon street, where my work was, and watched him for some time from the corner, but he kept straight on. I assure you that when I came alongside of him his look was enough to frighten any woman. His eyes were wild-looking and staring. He held his coat together at the chin with both hands, the collar being buttoned up, and everything about his appearance was exceedingly strange.

Description of a Man "Wanted."

The series of murders which now even the police believe to be the work of one man, is engaging the attention of a large force of plain clothes detectives. At eight o'clock last night the Scotland-yard authorities circulated a description of a man who, they say, "entered the passage of the house, 29, Hanbury-street, at which the murder was committed with a prostitute, at two a.m., the 8th." They give his age as 37, height 5ft. 7in., and add that he is rather dark, had a beard and moustache; was dressed in a short dark jacket, dark vest and trousers, black scarf and black felt hat; and spoke with a foreign accent.

(Accessed from Casebook.)

The best.
LC

Phil Carter · 05-20-2010, 07:37 PM

Well done Lynn!, well done Chris!!

Hello Lynn,

Wow! This time you have really got a fish my friend! Well done indeed!

Look at the whole scenario from all of this...admittedly plucking out points, without dating them all...

Whether dangerous to Others: Yes. Threatening to murder wife...
....Facts indicating Insanity observed by Medical Man - On admission, 12th October, it took the united efforts of four policemen to hold him. He was incoherent in his speech, threatened to murder every one and he did not know what he was doing....Other facts indicating Insanity communicated to him by others:-
Wife - Mary Isenschmid, 42 Grovedale Road, N. He imagines he owns a van and pair of horses. First he says they cost him �100, then says they have been given to him. He will not go to bed at night - makes every one get up. Says people are coming in, and wanted them to nail up the door. He attempted to strangle her and would have done so had not a neighbour rescued her....Form of Disorder: Mania.... Wife states that patient was discharged from Banstead rather more than a year ago; within a month he began to ill-treat his family and left his home; has tried to kill his wife and children on several occasions; it seems doubtful whether he drinks much; father believed to have been insane. Is now quiet and well behaved, and working well in the grounds, but he is evidently very unstable.....Yes, attempted to assault attendants....He is violent and maniacal....Whether dangerous to Others: Dangerous....1) Facts indicating Insanity observed by Medical Man: Unnaturally voluble and interfering, violent, and destructive, tearing up the sheets and bedding
2) Other facts indicating Insanity communicated to him by others: Mrs. Isenschmid - "I am unable to live with my husband, he has been off and on in asylums for 13 years; he is melancholy in the winter, and raving every summer."....Form of Disorder: Mania Recurrent....Dangerous to other....Patient has been noisy - he has threatened attack of patients and attendants.... He has been violent and has broken several articles in the ward.....Whether dangerous to Others: Yes. Threatened to murder landlady....2) Other facts indicating Insanity communicated to him by others:
P.C. 679 N. stated that Patient was disorderly, used threatening language, said he would take the lives of four women.....

This man has been dangerous since 1887. He has tried to commit murder with strangulation, threatened it to various women, is a butcher by trade, violent.... Reading these lines is an eye opener. Have we got someone here in the right place at the right time with means to be involved in the first two of the canonical 5 crimes I wonder? What do you think Lynn? Is this man a feasable suspect?

Personally, I think this puts the likes of Kosminski and his gutter-like habits into the shade. If one is to accept that Kosminski is capable of being a murderer, then what class do we put THIS man in? Head and shoulders a potential homocidal maniac.

Chris, many many thanks (once again) for the transcript work...marvellous!)

Congratulations Lynn. Marvellous find!

best wishes

Phil

lynn cates · 05-20-2010, 05:26 PM

thanks

Hello Norma. The pleasure was all mine.

Cheers.
LC

Natalie Severn · 05-20-2010, 05:12 PM

Its quite amazing all this that Chris has posted together with photos. The person suddenly has a real identity and is no longer just a nameyou have come across.
And btw Lyn, many many thanks for your kind pm and accompanying text.That too really brought those folk to life somehow!

Enjoy your break Chris!
Best
Norma