Leaving Aside the "Name Issue"

[Richard Patterson]

What a strange reply. I've been gone a while, and actually did want to know whether you'd hammered those details out yet.

But now I kinda don't. Carry on.

Thanks. I will. I would say that the killer was probably someone who had a mental condition that those around him would have had some awareness of. They were probably someone who knew the streets and had spent a great deal of time in them and had become used to the police beats. I suggest it was someone intelligent and shrewd enough to kill in such a populated area while avoiding detection. I wonder if you believe he needed medical skill. I don’t think you do which cancels out Thompson for you. I would guess you probably favour someone more like Kosminski or even Lechmere rather than Thompson because I doubt if you detect any surgical knowledge, in the wounds, even if I do.

[Ausgirl]

No that's ok. Some people handle fantasy better than facts. Like how you admire the Tolkien. Which is fine. Tolkien after all admired Francis Thompson. He gave lectures about him, named his elf maiden in his books Lúthien from Thompson’s coinage of the word Luthany and used of the word Southron for southerner, knowing it came from Thompson too, but you would know all that.

What a strange reply. I've been gone a while, and actually did want to know whether you'd hammered those details out yet.

But now I kinda don't. Carry on.

[Richard Patterson]

Hi Richard,

just to say,while I am far from convinced by Thompson, he is a genuine suspect, he has motive, was in the area and carried a blade.

greatly enjoyed the book.

Steve

Hi Steve.

Thanks for enjoying the book. It's ok not to be convinced by one book. Some are just from reading it but really all I wanted was for people to take a second look at a him. Thompson had previously been easily dismissed just because he is one of the suspects who happens to have been a well known 19th century figure. But, as you point out, to now being able to show he was in the area with a blade and a motive definitely raises his standing as a possible candidate.

Richard.

[Richard Patterson]

Sheesh. Was just asking.

No that's ok. Some people handle fantasy better than facts. Like how you admire the Tolkien. Which is fine. Tolkien after all admired Francis Thompson. He gave lectures about him, named his elf maiden in his books Lúthien from Thompson’s coinage of the word Luthany and used of the word Southron for southerner, knowing it came from Thompson too, but you would know all that.

[Ausgirl]

As Historian Paul Begg has said about my book, 'There seems little doubt that Thompson stayed at the Providence Row Night Refuge at the top end of Dorset Street and Patterson plausibly argues that the only time Thompson met the necessary conditions to stay there was in November 1888.'

'Ausgirl', I can see you have difficulty in understanding that I never said I knew the exact location of his bed. I do know that the men's room was on the 1st floor and had windows that overlooked Dorset Street. So from the room that had Thompson's bed he could look down to where, just yards away was the covered passage that led to the room that had Mary Kelly's bed.

Sheesh. Was just asking.

[Elamarna]

Thanks John.
People have argued that not all serial killers were arsonists, but when I read Thompson's proclivity for starting fires staring from an early age, it certainly rang alarm bells for me since I was already aware that this is a trait associated with such murderers.

Hi Richard,

just to say,while I am far from convinced by Thompson, he is a genuine suspect, he has motive, was in the area and carried a blade.

greatly enjoyed the book.

Steve

[Richard Patterson]

Thanks for this Richard. Personally, I consider Thompson an excellent candidate, not least because he may have been a serial arsonist, which accords extremely well with the profile of this type of killer. In fact, I'm unaware of any other candidate that meets this particular criteria.

Thanks John.
People have argued that not all serial killers were arsonists, but when I read Thompson's proclivity for starting fires staring from an early age, it certainly rang alarm bells for me since I was already aware that this is a trait associated with such murderers.

[John G]

As Historian Paul Begg has said about my book, 'There seems little doubt that Thompson stayed at the Providence Row Night Refuge at the top end of Dorset Street and Patterson plausibly argues that the only time Thompson met the necessary conditions to stay there was in November 1888.'

'Ausgirl', I can see you have difficulty in understanding that I never said I knew the exact location of his bed. I do know that the men's room was on the 1st floor and had windows that overlooked Dorset Street. So from the room that had Thompson's bed he could look down to where, just yards away was the covered passage that led to the room that had Mary Kelly's bed.

Thanks for this Richard. Personally, I consider Thompson an excellent candidate, not least because he may have been a serial arsonist, which accords extremely well with the profile of this type of killer. In fact, I'm unaware of any other candidate that meets this particular criteria.

[Richard Patterson]

Hello, Richard - so you've found some conclusive proof Thompson was in Providence Row at the time of the murders, then?

How'd you discover the exact location of his bed there?

Sorry, but derailing this thread with that post is slightly funny.

As Historian Paul Begg has said about my book, 'There seems little doubt that Thompson stayed at the Providence Row Night Refuge at the top end of Dorset Street and Patterson plausibly argues that the only time Thompson met the necessary conditions to stay there was in November 1888.'

'Ausgirl', I can see you have difficulty in understanding that I never said I knew the exact location of his bed. I do know that the men's room was on the 1st floor and had windows that overlooked Dorset Street. So from the room that had Thompson's bed he could look down to where, just yards away was the covered passage that led to the room that had Mary Kelly's bed.

[Fisherman]

I suppose then based on that assumption, I'd then make another assumption.

And which assumptions would you have in your pipeline, Billiou - and in which order?

[wigngown]

Quote - but I think critics of the theory are overplaying their hand

Perhaps, but the only way we stand any chance of identifying the killer is to test and examine theories in minutiae. Personally, I'm learning so much from all of the discussions and long may they continue.

Best regards.

[Ausgirl]

Francis Thompson can be placed in Spitalfields in Whitechapel at Providence Row night refuge. From the window of the room that contained his bed Thompson would have been able to look down Dorset Street to the covered archway that led to Kelly's room.

Hello, Richard - so you've found some conclusive proof Thompson was in Providence Row at the time of the murders, then?

How'd you discover the exact location of his bed there?

Sorry, but derailing this thread with that post is slightly funny.

[Damaso Marte]

Francis Thompson can be placed in Spitalfields in Whitechapel at Providence Row night refuge. From the window of the room that contained his bed Thompson would have been able to look down Dorset Street to the covered archway that led to Kelly's room.

But not for the entire murder series - wasn't he only in there for a month?

[wigngown]

The choice is yours Columbo: you don't have to read it.

Best regards.

[John Wheat]

Of course it's flawed. It's a 128 year old unsolved murder.

No its flawed because Crossmere was a witness that some have tried to turn into a suspect.