GWBs

[Steven Russell]

An Australian gentleman calling himself GWB claimed that his father had confessed to him that he was JtR. The A-Z states that, coincidentally, Albert Bachert received a letter in 1891 purporting to be from the killer and signed GWB. I can't find any mention of this letter elswhere including in Letters From Hell. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Oddly enough, the initials coincide with those of G. Wentworth Bell Smith (or more probably Bellsmith according to JtR Scotland Yard Investigates). His details do not match those supplied by "GWB" regarding his father but this does not rule him out as the letter writer.

Thoughts anyone?

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Sister Hyde]

hm tricky one. when did this aussie mister claimed that?

[Chris]

An Australian gentleman calling himself GWB claimed that his father had confessed to him that he was JtR. The A-Z states that, coincidentally, Albert Bachert received a letter in 1891 purporting to be from the killer and signed GWB. I can't find any mention of this letter elswhere including in Letters From Hell. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Oddly enough, the initials coincide with those of G. Wentworth Bell Smith (or more probably Bellsmith according to JtR Scotland Yard Investigates). His details do not match those supplied by "GWB" regarding his father but this does not rule him out as the letter writer.

It's worth noting that according to Dan Farson, the Australian G.W.B. had changed his name, so those initials may not give any clue at all to his father's identity. It's also worth noting that Farson didn't attach any particular importance to this letter - he quoted it as a typical example of those he had received.

[Steven Russell]

It's worth noting that according to Dan Farson, the Australian G.W.B. had changed his name, so those initials may not give any clue at all to his father's identity. It's also worth noting that Farson didn't attach any particular importance to this letter - he quoted it as a typical example of those he had received.

Hello, Chris.

Thanks for that. Had he definitely changed his name or did he say that his father had urged him to do so? Either way, as you imply, his father may have had completely different initials anyway.

To be honest, I'm more interested in the letter to Bachert and in the religious maniac Bell Smith / Bellsmith. There's probably no connection between the three GWBs but it's a nice coincidence, don't you think?

As I said, I'd never come across this Bachert letter before and wondered if anything more was known e.g. its contents. This got me thinking about Bell Smith / Bellsmith. As far as I can gather, he was never traced by police despite there being circumstancial evidence against him according to Dr. Winslow and his informant.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Chris]

Thanks for that. Had he definitely changed his name or did he say that his father had urged him to do so?

Sorry - Farson says he did change his name, but a bit further on he adds that he later reverted to his real name. So his father's surname would have started with a 'B' after all.

[Chris]

PS There's some discussion of the letter to Bachert in relation to "GWB" on this thread from 2008:

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=1425

[Steven Russell]

PS There's some discussion of the letter to Bachert in relation to "GWB" on this thread from 2008:
http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=1425

Thanks again, Chris. This was very informative.

Sister Hyde: The thread shown above will help and I cannot add anything to the info. there except to say that Colin Wilson was aware of the Australian letter which he mentions in World Famous Gaslight Murders (1992), calling the suspect "the likeliest candidate".

I also note with some chagrin that jerryd beat me to the Bellsmith connection by a few years. Bah!

Chris Scott notes that Bellsmith "...does not seem to fit with the hints in the [Bachert] letter". I don't know though; the phrases "for the love of God" and "infernal gang" could suggest a religious man. Pretty tenuous I know.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Sister Hyde]

I also note with some chagrin that jerryd beat me to the Bellsmith connection by a few years. Bah!

Best wishes,
Steve.

don't be disapointed Steve i'm sure you'll beat him on another thing...

[Steven Russell]

don't be disapointed Steve i'm sure you'll beat him on another thing...

Thanks, sis. Anyway, the real spirit of the boards is about collaboration rather than competition so I shouldn't take that attitude.

All the best, Steve.

[Sister Hyde]

definitely, but i've noticed that the members here were becoming quite fierce when they are convincved to be right and wanna defend their views, which i respect in a way, but which also makes me reserved for posting very often

[Steven Russell]

definitely, but i've noticed that the members here were becoming quite fierce when they are convincved to be right and wanna defend their views, which i respect in a way, but which also makes me reserved for posting very often

I wouldn't worry about that. What's the worst that could happen? You might get into a little tussle or make a fool of yourself now and again but so what?

I'd still like to know if there is any info out there regarding Bellsmith other than that supplied by Winslow and subsequently looked at by Swanson. He seems an interesting character at the very least.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Steven Russell]

I have now found some more info. on this site pertaining to Bellsmith by cunningly searching for the key word "Bellsmith". Now that's detective work.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[robhouse]

Because I think the Bellsmith info is all over the place, I have decided to put a sort of summary on him here. This is chicken scratch -type notes that I just copy-pasted from various older posts some time back, so I apologize for the disorganized manner of the writing here.

HENRY WENTWORTH BELLSMITH (referred to by his landlord Mr. E Callaghan as "G Wentworth Bell Smith". Presumably Henry Wentworth Bellsmith is the man's real name?)

Henry Wentworth Bellsmith - Born 1849 in London, died 1926 NYC. (Age 39 at time of murders.) Married in 1871, moved to Toronto 1878, had 5 children. Early in 1888, separated from wife, then returned to London. Moved in with landlord E. Callaghan (around April 1888?) Moved out in august 1888(?) Departed for New York on November 4, 1888. A socialist. Occupation: “bookkeeper.” In 1889, he worked for George Eastman (founder of Eastman Kodak company) in London.

The landlord E Callaghan claimed to have reported his suspicions to the police in August 1888, but the police later claimed they had no record of any such visit. Callaghan then somehow reported his suspicions to Forbes Winslow around August 1889. Winslow seems to have been convinced that this man was the Ripper, and he published statements to that effect in the newspaper (originally in Illustrated Police News Sep 27, 1889?)

Swanson then visited Winslow to question him about all this, and Winslow retracted his statement somewhat. Winslow presented Swanson with a statement written by the landlord Callaghan. The statement was dated Aug 8, 1889, 20 Gainsborough Sq, Victoria Park. Callaghan noted that HWB’s suspicious behavior started on the night of the Tabram murder, but Swanson noted that Callaghan’s statement had been altered (by Winslow?) in the date from Aug 9 to Aug 7.

Summary of Callaghan’s statement:

Mr. E. Callaghan of 27 Sun St, Finsbury Sq. (west of Bishopsgate) placed an ad for a lodger in the Daily Telegraph around April 1888. Bellsmith moved in there around April 1888(?) He told Callaghan he was visiting from Toronto on business for a few months or maybe a year. He was said to have occupied himself writing on religious subjects. Kept late hours, came home late, owned India rubber boots and moccasins. According to Callaghan’s statement, Bellsmith came home late on Aug 9th (in the statement this was changed to the 7th) After this, Bellsmith “washed his own shirt,” and Callaghan noticed spots of blood on Bellsmith’s bedsheets. A few days later Bellsmith moved out “with the stated reason of returning to Toronto.” Callaghan later discovered he did not return to Toronto, but he also never returned to Sun St. “We all regarded him as a lunatic, obsessed with women of the street, who he said should be drowned.” He had delusions about his wealth. Groaned at night. Had delusions about his strength of will or brainpower. Kept loaded revolvers in his room. “I gave this information to the police in August (1888) after the man left my house, and curiously enough the detectives came over to my house to make inquiries also about this same man, at the instigation of a lady from the Surrey side of the water.” Callaghan claimed his writing was similar to that of the Ripper letters. Had religious ideas about fallen women. Callaghan claimed he was convinced the man is the Ripper.

Swanson noted that he had no record of Callaghan reporting to Police nor did Abberline. Seemed to take it seriously though.

HWB cannot have been guilty of killing Kelly as he was aboard a steamship at the time (as pointed out by R J Palmer)

Aboard steamship Fulda, left Southampton November 4, arrived NY November 14 was one 'H W Bellsmith' age stated as 45 occupation merchant, so it could be argued that this was not the same man, Henry being a 39 year old book-keeper, but the scarcity of the surname suggests that it probably was him.
- a direct quote posted by RJ Palmer... I think (?)

In 1897, H Wentworth Bellsmith wrote a semi-fictional book 'Henry Cadavere - A Study of Life and Work'. (See http://books.google.com/books?id=-Z4...page&q&f=false)

A quote from this book: “Murder, adultery, selfishness, hypocrisy, everything we call evil or sinful are equally meritorious with the most spotless purity of soul and body ... sin becomes a misnomer and crime another name for virtue”

I have not found any photo of Bellsmith from brief internet searches, but I would imagine a photo must exist somewhere.

RH

[robhouse]

The following report was posted in the Jamaica Gleaner 24 October 1889. This report was copied from the original which was posted (I think) in the Illustrated Police News on Sep 27, 1889 then copied in the New York Herald. The Jamaica article has some additional info at the end, which I do not think was printed in the other reports but I am not sure on this.

These reports were printed after the fresh wave of "Ripper" publicity following the Pinchin St affair of Sep 10, 1889. It is also intersting to not that the article adds that "There was some doubt as to whether he had ever belonged to the medical profession, but he was apparently a man in good circumstances." As far as I know, Bellsmith was not in any was involved in the medical profession...(?)


Jamaica Gleaner, 24 October 1889
(Copy of an article originally published in Illustrated Police News, Sep 27, 1889 or New York Herald?)

Remarkable Statement.

A report having been current that a man has been found who is quite convinced that "Jack the Ripper" occupied rooms in his house, and that he had communicated his suspicions in the first instance to Dr. Forbes Winslow, together with detailed particulars, a reporter of a morning contemporary has just had an interview with the doctor on the subject.

"Here are Jack the Ripper's boots," said the doctor, at the same time taking large pair of boots from under his table. "The tops of the boots are composed of ordinary cloth material, while the soles are made of India rubber. The tops have great bloodstains on them." The reporter put the boots on, and found that they were completely noiseless. Besides these noiseless coverings the doctor says he has the "Ripper's" ordinary walking boots, which are very dirty, and the man's coat, which is also bloodstained. Proceeding, Dr. Winslow said that on the morning of August 30 a woman with whom he was in communication was spoken to by a man in Worship Street, Finsbury. He asked her to come down a certain court with him, offering her £1. This she refused, and he then doubled the amount, which she also declined. He then asked her where the court led to, and shortly afterwards left. She told some neighbours, and the party followed the man for some distance. Apparently, he did not know that he was being followed, but when he and the party had reached the open street he turned round, raised his hat, and with an air of bravado said: "I know what you have been doing; good morning." The woman then watched the man into a certain house, the situation of which the doctor would not describe. She previously noticed the man because of his strange manner, and on the morning on which the woman Mackenzie was murdered (July 17) she saw him washing his hands in the yard of the house referred to. He was in his shirtsleeves at the time, and had a very peculiar look upon his face. This was about four o'clock in the morning. The doctor said he was now waiting for a certain telegram which was the only obstacle to effecting the man's arrest. The supposed assassin lives with a friend of Dr. Forbes Winslow's, and this gentleman himself told the doctor that he had noticed the man's strange behaviour. He would at times sit down and write 50 or 60 sheets of manuscript about low women from whom he professed to have a great hatred. Shortly before the body was found in Pinchin Street the man disappeared, leaving behind him the articles already mentioned, together with a packet of manuscript, which the doctor said was in exactly the same handwriting as the Jack the Ripper letters which were sent to the police. He had stated previously that he was going abroad, but a very few days before this body was discovered (September 10) he was seen in the neighbourhood of Pinchin Street. The doctor is certain that this man is the Whitechapel murderer, and says that two days at the utmost will see him in custody. He could give a reason for the head and legs of the last murdered woman being missing. The man, he thinks, cut the body up, and then commenced to burn it. He had consumed the head and legs when his fit of the terrible mania passed, and he was horrified to find what he had done.

"I know for a fact," said the doctor, "that this man is suffering from a violent form of religious mania, which attacks him and passes off at intervals. I am certain that there is another man in it besides the one I am after, but my reasons for that I cannot state. The police will have nothing to do with the capture. I am making arrangements to station six men round the spot where I know my man is, and he will be trapped."

The public had laughed at him, the doctor went on to say, but on the Tuesday before the last body was discovered he had received information that a murder would be committed in two or three days. In conclusion, Dr. Winslow remarked, "I am as certain that I have the murderer as I am of being here." [NOTE: NY Herald article ends here]

In the course of a subsequent interview, Dr. Forbes Winslow said he wished in the first place to contradict the reports which credited him with the statement that he would be able, within three days, to put his hand upon the author of the Whitechapel atrocities. He thoroughly believed in the clue which he had obtained, but his evidence was circumstantial, and would take some time to piece together, and to thoroughly work out. His informant was a respectable resident of Whitechapel, with whom the suspected "Jack the Ripper" lodged, and who had given him (Dr. Winslow) information which he regarded as valuable and practically conclusive. He (Dr. Winslow) had no desire to act as an amateur detective; he had plenty else to attend to in his own profession, but he had taken this matter up because he believed the culprit to be a homicidal lunatic. The landlord of the so called "Jack the Ripper" was now in his (Dr. Winslow's) house, giving some further information. The suspected person, whose nationality was not known, for he spoke several languages equally well, left his lodgings some time ago to proceed to America, but he had been seen in London as late as August 5 last, and Dr. Winslow believed him to be in the metropolis now. There was some doubt as to whether he had ever belonged to the medical profession, but he was apparently a man in good circumstances. He had a mania respecting women of the street, and had covered 50 or 60 pages with writing about them. Dr. Winslow did not believe that "Jack the Ripper," if discovered, would be executed, as he was undoubtedly of unsound mind.
[END]

[Steven Russell]

Thanks a lot for all that, Rob. Presumably the reference to the medical profession reflects the author's belief that JtR was a medical man. The reporter is trying to fit Bellsmith to a "profile"!

Best wishes,
Steve.