The `Reverand Dott letter to Australia

[seecomber]

Although it is tempting to assume `Tilly' is short for Matilda there is a photograph on a geneology site showing`Fred and Tilly Dott with Harold Veeder and daughters Pearl and Joan'.This was provided by Joan Dott born 1932. This is probably the `Tillie' to which the writer refers.
With regard to the elusive Sister Rachaell the Dotts were acqainted with the family of Gertrude Bell whose father subsequently contributed to the founding of the model village for disabled officers founded by the good Reverand and Annabel Dott. However I have so far not traced any Rachaell in the Bell family and there may no connection.Bell is a common enough name in the UK.

[Darryl Kenyon]

To me, it seems highly unlikely that the writer would be on first name terms with "poor Tilly" and yet refer to her brother as "the jew Kosminsky", as if a) she wouldn't have been jewish herself, and b) they were unaware of the brother's first name.

Good point Joshua
Regards Darryl

[Scott Nelson]

Kosminski was never given a first name. The letter is in keeping with that distinction.

[Joshua Rogan]

seems weird that a letter sent from England to Australia from loved ones would be so short, with alot of it talking about koz. plus seems odd he would be referred to as "the Jew Kosminski" especially if the letter writer was jewish or had jewish sympathy, no?

You beat me to it.

Not to mention that, if it was indeed sent half way around the world (which would surely take several weeks) how could the writer be so sure that the recipient would already know that Rachael had died, when this was just a few days earlier?

[Joshua Rogan]

If the letter is correct, what it does suggest, albeit indirectly is that Macnaghten was possibly wrong in his belief that Kosminski was removed about March 89 to an asylum.

It doesn't do much for his assertion that there were only five victims, either, if Kosminski was threatening women only days before the McKenzie murder.

If the Tilly in the letter is Matilda Kosminski.

To me, it seems highly unlikely that the writer would be on first name terms with "poor Tilly" and yet refer to her brother as "the jew Kosminsky", as if a) she wouldn't have been jewish herself, and b) they were unaware of the brother's first name.

[Abby Normal]

seems weird that a letter sent from England to Australia from loved ones would be so short, with alot of it talking about koz. plus seems odd he would be referred to as "the Jew Kosminski" especially if the letter writer was jewish or had jewish sympathy, no?

[Darryl Kenyon]

Darryl - 'ctd.' was written at the top of the other side of the letter and is taken to mean 'continued'. The letter writer clearly lost the thread after writing this, since the object of the verb 'took' is missing. Possibly 'fright'.
I don't know what Victorians did but I was taught in the 1950s to just continue writing overleaf and then go back and write PTO at the end of the first page.
If this is a Victorianism, some say that the missing 'fright' (or whatever) makes it less likely to be a hoax.
The jury is out, but the temperature over on the other side is most definitely hot.
HTH, JJ

Thank you for that Dupin. I hadn't realised that.
Regards Darryl

[Dupin]

Darryl - 'ctd.' was written at the top of the other side of the letter and is taken to mean 'continued'. The letter writer clearly lost the thread after writing this, since the object of the verb 'took' is missing. Possibly 'fright'.
I don't know what Victorians did but I was taught in the 1950s to just continue writing overleaf and then go back and write PTO at the end of the first page.
If this is a Victorianism, some say that the missing 'fright' (or whatever) makes it less likely to be a hoax.
The jury is out, but the temperature over on the other side is most definitely hot.
HTH, JJ

[Darryl Kenyon]

If the letter is correct, what it does suggest, albeit indirectly is that Macnaghten was possibly wrong in his belief that Kosminski was removed about March 89 to an asylum. My thinking being that if this is true they certainly released kosminski early , at most four months later only for him to attack a woman again and possibly to attack his sister again as well. If the Tilly in the letter is Matilda Kosminski. Though it might show were Mac got the info that Kos had a great hatred of women from.
Regards Darryl

[Darryl Kenyon]

In the letter it says - She shares no exceptional news of late other than a she took ctd. From the Jew Kosminski Wednesday week past. What does ctd stand for ? Is it - cumulative trauma disorder ?
Regards Darryl

[Herlock Sholmes]

Apparently its a composite photo of what he may have looked like from taking features off photo's of his relatives.
Regards Darryl

Cheers Darryl

[barnflatwyngarde]

Here is the link to the Dott letter on the JTRFORUMS.

And very interesting it is too.

http://www.jtrforums.com/showthread....53&t=31637

Oops, the link I posted seems to be the wrong one (not sure how that happened).

Try this one.

https://www.jtrforums.com/showthread.php?p=371275

[barnflatwyngarde]

Here is the link to the Dott letter on the JTRFORUMS.

And very interesting it is too.

http://www.jtrforums.com/showthread....53&t=31637

[Darryl Kenyon]

I did read the thread over on JTRForums and I know that Roger Palmer was looking into it but I’m not up to date. Where has that Daily Mail photo come from? Is anyone claiming that it’s actually a photo of Koz?

Apparently its a composite photo of what he may have looked like from taking features off photo's of his relatives.
Regards Darryl

[Herlock Sholmes]

I did read the thread over on JTRForums and I know that Roger Palmer was looking into it but I’m not up to date. Where has that Daily Mail photo come from? Is anyone claiming that it’s actually a photo of Koz?