The EYES have it!

[The Rookie Detective]

So I wanted to start a new thread and talk about EYES!

There are several different paper reports and witness accounts that refer to a potential suspect having unusual EYES.

That's a very unusual and distinctive feature to have in the context of the witnesses' observations of the suspect. and to be obvious enough for multiple people to notice atypical eyes.

What could cause an issue with the eyes?

Could this act as a clue?


Thoughts please


RD

[Wickerman]

Madarosis - the loss of eyelashes?

[Fleetwood Mac]

So I wanted to start a new thread and talk about EYES!

There are several different paper reports and witness accounts that refer to a potential suspect having unusual EYES.

That's a very unusual and distinctive feature to have in the context of the witnesses' observations of the suspect. and to be obvious enough for multiple people to notice atypical eyes.

What could cause an issue with the eyes?

Could this act as a clue?


Thoughts please


RD

I think there's a case for understanding the Victorian era, the way they thought and the propensity for sensationalism.

How many people have walked past you in the street and you've thought: "peculiar eyes" or a "peculiar gate"? Ever.

[Lewis C]

If you want a suspect with weird eyes, I'd say that Thomas Cutbush qualifies.

[Fleetwood Mac]

If you want a suspect with weird eyes, I'd say that Thomas Cutbush qualifies.

He's the most interesting of those mentioned, but there is nothing weird about his eyes.

[Lewis C]

He's the most interesting of those mentioned, but there is nothing weird about his eyes.

I guess judging the weirdness of eyes is pretty subjective.

[mpriestnall]

So I wanted to start a new thread and talk about EYES!

There are several different paper reports and witness accounts that refer to a potential suspect having unusual EYES.

That's a very unusual and distinctive feature to have in the context of the witnesses' observations of the suspect. and to be obvious enough for multiple people to notice atypical eyes.

What could cause an issue with the eyes?

Could this act as a clue?


Thoughts please


RD

Hi RD

I am happy to see a thread on this.

Take a look at the face card on Abberline's walking stick

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jack-the-ripper-women-face-police-b2253187.html

or here:

https://www.casebook.org/forum/messages/4924/13776.html

The eyes on the walking stick face seem to exhibit the eye condition "Strabismus" or squint in common parlance?

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001004.htm

https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/strabismus.htm

Some case students have asked the question if this face depicts JTR. I personally do myself.

I have searched in the past for any press reports of descriptions for including "unusual" or "weird" eyes etc, but I only found one, namely the well-known report quoting Bowyer where he said he saw someone with unusual/weird eyes.

BTW the FBI profile on JTR states he might suffer from some physical deformity.Just an aside.

It might be useful to list all these sightings from the press etc that mention strange-looking eyes here?

[Herlock Sholmes]

Could I also suggest that some people can tend to get a bit over-dramatic about eyes? I’m not talking about people on here, I’m talking about people in general and witnesses. You get people saying stuff like “you could see the evil in his eyes” etc. I just think that we have to be a bit cautious of possible witness exaggeration especially when we’re talking about a murderer.

[GBinOz]

This is from the Daly Telegraph, Oct 6 1888 and has a number of items of interest including "a staring look" and a description of a felt deerstalker hat :

It is a remarkable circumstance - much more than an ordinary coincidence - that the description of the supposed murderer given by Packer, was yesterday confirmed by another man who, without being aware of the fact, also chose from the sketches the one which had been already selected by Packer. Search for an individual answering to the description above detailed, but having a small moustache and wearing a black deerstalker felt hat, instead of a soft one, has been made by the police in Whitechapel ever since Saturday, Sept. 1, the day following the Buck's-row tragedy. Information was tendered at the King David's-lane Police Station, at about that time, by a dairyman who has a place of business in Little Turner-street, Commercial-road. It will be recollected that on Saturday, Sept. 1, a desperate assault was reported to have been committed near to the music-hall in Cambridge-heath-road, a man having seized a woman by the throat and dragged her down a court, where he was joined by a gang, one of whom laid a knife across the woman's throat, remarking "we will serve you as we did the others." The particulars of this affair were subsequently stated to be untrue; but the milkman has reason to suppose that the outrage was actually perpetrated, and he suspects that the murderer of Mary Ann Nicholls in Buck's-row had something to do with it. At any rate, upon that Saturday night, at five minutes to eleven o'clock, a man corresponding with the description given by Packer of the individual who purchased the grapes in Berner-street, called at the shop, which is on the left of a covered yard, usually occupied by barrows, which are let out on hire. He was in a hurry, and he asked for a pennyworth of milk, with which he was served, and he drank it down at a gulp. Asking permission to go into the yard or shed, he went there, but the dairyman caught a glimpse of something white, and, having suspicions, he rejoined the man in the shed, and was surprised to observe that he had covered up his trousers with a pair of white over-alls, such as engineers wear. The man had a staring look, and appeared greatly agitated. He made a movement forward, and the brim of his hard felt hat struck the dairyman, who is therefore sure of the kind that he was wearing. In a hurried manner the stranger took out of a black shiny bag, which was on the ground, a white jacket and rapidly put it on, completely hiding his cutaway black coat, remarking meanwhile, "It's a dreadful murder, isn't it?" although the subject had not been previously mentioned. Without making a pause the suspicious person caught up his bag, which was still open, and rushed into the street, towards Shadwell, saying, "I think I've got a clue!" The matter was reported to the police, and although strict watch has been maintained for the reappearance of the man he has not been seen in the street since. He is said to have had a dark complexion, such as a seafaring man acquires. The style of collar that he was then wearing was of the turn-down pattern. He had no marked American accent, and his general appearance was that of a clerk or student whose beard had been allowed three days' growth. His hair was dark, and his eyes large and staring. The portrait gives, according to the statement of the witness, a good approximate idea of his look. The bag carried by the young man, whose age the dairyman places at twenty-eight, is stated to have been provided with a lock at the top, near the handle, and was made, as stated, of a black glistening material.

Cheers, George

[Wickerman]

I guess judging the weirdness of eyes is pretty subjective.

It's one thing to make a casual remark, "...and this guy had weird eyes", or "a weird look in his eyes", but to include this detail in a physical description involving height, facial hair, colour & style of hat & attire, is another matter.

[Wickerman]

...I have searched in the past for any press reports of descriptions for including "unusual" or "weird" eyes etc, but I only found one, namely the well-known report quoting Bowyer where he said he saw someone with unusual/weird eyes.

It might be useful to list all these sightings from the press etc that mention strange-looking eyes here?

I have three I can share.

J. Best, 82, Lower Chapman-street, said: I was in the Bricklayers' Arms, Settles-street, about two hundred yards from the scene of the murder on Saturday night, shortly before eleven, and saw a man and a woman in the doorway.
.....The man was about 5ft. 5in. in height. He was well dressed in a black morning suit with a morning coat. He had rather weak eyes. I mean he had sore eyes without any eyelashes.
Evening News, 1 Oct. 1888.


In stature he is variously described as of medium height and slight, short and thick set, and of awkward gait. Nearly all the accounts agree, however, as to his wearing a black moustache and having a very remarkable and unpleasant glare in his eyes.
Sunday Times, 11 Nov. 1888.


He had no marked American accent, and his general appearance was that of a clerk or student whose beard had been allowed three days' growth. His hair was dark, and his eyes large and staring.
Daily Telegraph, 6 Oct. 1888.

[NotBlamedForNothing]

J. Best, 82, Lower Chapman-street, said: I was in the Bricklayers' Arms, Settles-street, about two hundred yards from the scene of the murder on Saturday night, shortly before eleven, and saw a man and a woman in the doorway.
.....The man was about 5ft. 5in. in height. He was well dressed in a black morning suit with a morning coat. He had rather weak eyes. I mean he had sore eyes without any eyelashes.
Evening News, 1 Oct. 1888.

What's a middle-class man doing with Stride? One middle-class man who took an interest in Stride's murder, was Thomas Barnardo. He was a short man, with very short eyelashes.

[The Rookie Detective]

What's a middle-class man doing with Stride? One middle-class man who took an interest in Stride's murder, was Thomas Barnardo. He was a short man, with very short eyelashes.

Barnardo is one of my top suspects and I have another ongoing thread regarding him.

He did indeed have very "weak eyes" and when you look at photos of him it does seem particularly apparent.

[The Rookie Detective]

Hi RD

I am happy to see a thread on this.

Take a look at the face card on Abberline's walking stick

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jack-the-ripper-women-face-police-b2253187.html

or here:

https://www.casebook.org/forum/messages/4924/13776.html

The eyes on the walking stick face seem to exhibit the eye condition "Strabismus" or squint in common parlance?

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001004.htm

https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/strabismus.htm

Some case students have asked the question if this face depicts JTR. I personally do myself.

I have searched in the past for any press reports of descriptions for including "unusual" or "weird" eyes etc, but I only found one, namely the well-known report quoting Bowyer where he said he saw someone with unusual/weird eyes.

BTW the FBI profile on JTR states he might suffer from some physical deformity.Just an aside.

It might be useful to list all these sightings from the press etc that mention strange-looking eyes here?

Brilliant post.


There is also another case recorded from November 1892


The alleged attack on Emily Smith in Station Place on the 5th November of that year.


She specifically refers to the man's eyes, noting that he some kind of unusual squinting action and that they appeared to reflect slightly different colours. i.e his eyes were different colours.

Her description of her attacker is particularly interesting and I would really urge everyone to have a look at her story.

If it's true, then it would make the EYE subject even more interesting.

At the time the press were somewhat skeptical, but she was adamant that she was attacked by this man and even after being interviewed and seemingly warned of the consequences if she were to be found out as fabricating her story, she STILL remained adamant that it was true.

Her attacker even made a comment about the victims of Jack the Ripper being old women who were "better off out of the way"

But that's for another thread.

The point is that IF Emily was lying then she must have read reports in the press that mentioned a suspect's eyes. But if she was telling the truth, then the eyes of the man who attacked her become particularly relevant because it may suggest that the killer had an issue with their eyes that would be considered atypical.

Are there any reports of any of the suspects attending Moorfield Eye Hospital?

When i say atypical eyes. i am also referring to the possibility that the killer had a clinical, medical or genetic issue with their eyes.
RD

[The Rookie Detective]

If you want a suspect with weird eyes, I'd say that Thomas Cutbush qualifies.

The eyes are absolutely the window to the soul...and Cutbush clearly had eyes which would look through you instead of at you.

Very unnerving eyes indeed, great photo!



RD