25 YEARS OF THE DIARY OF JACK THE RIPPER: THE TRUE FACTS by Robert Smith

[Kaz]

Errrm.....

The local Lodge comes for them in the night?

They'd be inditing themselves? Surely.

Admitting they STOLE it from the owner of battlecrease.

There'd be plenty involved with the diary NOT wanting this...

[caz]

Attributing the murders to Michael, for me, is about as random and out of left-field as you can get...

...Now we're just going to attribute it to his brother...

Are you? Just you and Bruce then?

Might as well just blame James's neighbour, or Florence. Why not? The local Aigburth Milkman may be a decent suspect.

So you're not quite decided after all. Fair enough.

I've always suspected Mrs Hammersmith myself. She keeps a suspiciously low profile.

Love,

Caz
X

[caz]

According to Feldman (P149 paperback edition of The Final Chapter) when he contacted Liverpool University (he doesn't say which department he contacted) they confirmed that they recalled the visit of the two electricians but could not or would not confirm what it was they had brought with them to the University. However, much later (per The Inside Story) I understand that Feldman said he no longer thought that it was the Diary that had been abstracted from Battlecrease then taken to Liverpool University; more likely some old documents.

Another mooted Battlecrease Provenance is the tale apparently told by Billy Graham that a servant at Battlecrease had stolen it some time after Maybrick's death and gave it to his, Graham's, step-grandmother Elizabeth Formby who was a friend. This is the story that Anne Graham stuck to as it explained how the Diary was in her father's family, who eventually passed it on to her, and in turn she passed it to Devereux to give to Mike Barrett.

So which piece of fiction is favourite?

Graham

Hi Graham,

My personal favourite so far has got to be the one that has Mike dreaming up the whole thing between 9 March and 13 April, on the back of an old photo album being found under the floorboards in Maybrick's bedroom.

Knocks all the other stories into a cocked hat.

Love,

Caz
X

[Monty]

Keith's wait shall be a long one Caz.

Monty

[caz]

It matters not whether Maybrick was born with a silver spoon up his backside rather than in his mouth. The point being made was, the language used in the Diary was Mike Barrett's interpretation of how James Maybrick would have written it.

And that point strikes me as being every bit as ill-informed as the one about Maybrick's class.

Love,

Caz
X

[ohrocky]

They admit to taking it (TAKING IT!)

Then what happens to them?

So the electricians are lying. But what is the evidence that they are lying?

And round in circles we go!

So let's assume the electricians are lying. Why would they have handed it over to Barrett? Surely if you are going to steal (and that's what you are saying) something you would do so because there would be some value in the stolen articles..otherwise why steal them in the first place?

If the electricians were uncertain whether the stolen diary had any value, why wouldn't they have gone to a secondhand book store or an antiques dealer to check out the value?

Having gone to the trouble of "stealing" the diary, why just hand it over to the local drunk?

[caz]

Who was it that hired these electricians?

c.d.

It was Paul Dodd who wanted the work done on his property, if that helps, c.d.

Love,

Caz
X

[Kaz]

So the electricians are lying. But what is the evidence that they are lying?

And round in circles we go!

So let's assume the electricians are lying. Why would they have handed it over to Barrett? Surely if you are going to steal (and that's what you are saying) something you would do so because there would be some value in the stolen articles..otherwise why steal them in the first place?

If the electricians were uncertain whether the stolen diary had any value, why wouldn't they have gone to a secondhand book store or an antiques dealer to check out the value?

Having gone to the trouble of "stealing" the diary, why just hand it over to the local drunk?

You'll have to read the new book.

I'm not wasting my time reciting it here for the naysayers to naysay over..

[caz]

Indeed they are. Has anyone managed to track down the receipt for Mike Barrett's trans-atlantic plane ticket yet? I demand that it's published right here, right now, so we can put and end to all this nonsense once and for all...

edit: Or maybe Trevor Christie is our master forger? Surely more likely than old Bongo Barrett.

Naughty naughty, Steven.

Love,

Caz
X

[caz]

And in general, people on the outside might look like they are not capable of something and yet you come to find out that, particularly in the arts, creativel, they are capable of amazing things.

But capable of dreaming up and completing a diary that was shown in London on 13 April 1992, which had come out of the 'right' house on 9 March? That would have been truly amazing.

But even Mike had to obey the laws of physics, Abby.

Or are people verging on paranormal explanations now - anything just to keep Mike in the frame?

Love,

Caz
X

[Graham]

Hi Graham,

My personal favourite so far has got to be the one that has Mike dreaming up the whole thing between 9 March and 13 April, on the back of an old photo album being found under the floorboards in Maybrick's bedroom.

Knocks all the other stories into a cocked hat.

Love,

Caz
X

Hi Caz,

Jeez...now why didn't I think of that??

Graham

[caz]

Keith's wait shall be a long one Caz.

Monty

Oh do tell, Monty. Don't keep me in suspenders.

Love,

Caz
X

[caz]

So the electricians are lying. But what is the evidence that they are lying?

And round in circles we go!

So let's assume the electricians are lying. Why would they have handed it over to Barrett? Surely if you are going to steal (and that's what you are saying) something you would do so because there would be some value in the stolen articles..otherwise why steal them in the first place?

If the electricians were uncertain whether the stolen diary had any value, why wouldn't they have gone to a secondhand book store or an antiques dealer to check out the value?

Having gone to the trouble of "stealing" the diary, why just hand it over to the local drunk?

Again, it might be wise to read Robert's chapter on the subject in its entirety, and wait to hear what other diary researchers have to say in Liverpool, rather than speculate based on the few crumbs picked up here, which don't give anything like the full picture.

Love,

Caz
X

[Graham]

Two quick questions concerning Trevor L Christie. Does anyone know:

1) is he still alive?

2) is he, or was he, American?

Thanks.

Graham

[Abby Normal]

But capable of dreaming up and completing a diary that was shown in London on 13 April 1992, which had come out of the 'right' house on 9 March? That would have been truly amazing.

But even Mike had to obey the laws of physics, Abby.

Or are people verging on paranormal explanations now - anything just to keep Mike in the frame?

Love,

Caz
X

but what are you saying here Caz? the diary came out of Battlecrease House in its complete form?