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

[Herlock Sholmes]

An interesting excerpt in the book is Smith's very strong criticism of Melvyn Harris and Nick Warren (without actually saying it outright he's accusing them of dishonest.)

MH and NW commissioned scientific tests to try and detect the presence of chloroacetamide which is present in Diamine ink. Diamine's chief chemist Alec Voller used 3.28% iof chloroacetamide in the ink. Apparently this is a significant amount but MH and NW only asked for its presence to be detected (not its quantity.) On the face of it this seems like an issue. Chloroacetamide was found and they said 'hoax.'
Smith contacted the lab and they said that MH and NW had asked for 'its absence or presence without qualification.' The lab gave Smith the info. Chloroacetamide was present at 6.5 parts per million or 0.000065% whereas Diamine ink contains over 5000 times the amount. Smith concluded cross-contamination as chloroacetamide was present in the lab as part of the tests. A later test found no chloroacetamide in the ink.
I'm only going on what is stated in the book. I know nothing of inks or chemistry but it may show that it's not only those on one side that may have had an 'agenda?' Something about the end justifying the means.

[Mike J. G.]

I know nothing about it but I think that it's perhaps not so much the engravings but the evidence of the brass cutting tool embedded in the grooves and the difficulty of recreating those.

From what I can gather, transferal of the aged particles could be done with the tool itself. If this was a tool that had been used many times before, it'd make sense.

Another problem is that this watch was supposedly taken in for cleaning at one point, and no engravings were visible to the man set with the task of the cleaning.

I'd find it hard to believe that he'd not see them, as it's his job to make sure that he knows what's on there and what isn't, otherwise he'd find himself in hot water with the owner.

[Mike J. G.]

I think it's pretty much accepted that the Diarist claims ownership of Dear Boss with the line "I'll send central another..." or something along those lines. He also refers to giving himself the nickname JTR.

And it doesn't seem like Dear Boss really matches the handwriting in the diary at all, and neither match Maybrick's signatures, which is problematic all-round.

[Abby Normal]

I think it's pretty much accepted that the Diarist claims ownership of Dear Boss with the line "I'll send central another..." or something along those lines. He also refers to giving himself the nickname JTR.

thanks Owl

well then I guess maybrick had three different hands he could right in.

quite the chameleon when it comes to writing I suppose.

[Mike J. G.]

Hi Abby,

I suppose that it could be argued that he settled on just writing 'Jack' because of the limited space on the watch surface. Also it would be more difficult 'scratching' words than writing them with a pen so maybe the fewer words the better?

Just a possibility....

For me, the addition of "I am Jack" just makes it seem like at the last minute, whoever carved it wondered if people would get the gist of the engravings or not, and he deliberated, and thought, I'll carve "I am Jack" just in case.

It's like, you have "Maybrick" on there, and the canonicals, and to tie it all in, he carves the "I am Jack" on so that everyone can see that the intention is to have Maybrick admitting to the killings. It's all rather silly for me.

Another thing I have an issue with, is why didn't Maybrick strike in Liverpool? Why not strike in our very own Whitechapel? Why not write in to the local press?

Convenient that he went all the way to London, and randomly, Manchester, to do "his work", when he lived in Liverpool.

So this was a degenerating man with a tendency to mutilate and kill, yet he kept himself from doing it in his own city, choosing to sit nicely on a train and wait til he got to London.

Also something odd is that there's no indication from anyone close to him that he was a man either capable of such a crime, and was obviously able to keep appearances up to the best of his ability, despite that he was supposedly losing his mind and slowly building up to the ghastly murder of Kelly, yet after that, Maybrick simply goes back to Liverpool and gets on with things, even attending the Grand National with his wife.

None of that adds up for me if Maybrick is the killer.

[Mike J. G.]

An interesting excerpt in the book is Smith's very strong criticism of Melvyn Harris and Nick Warren (without actually saying it outright he's accusing them of dishonest.)

MH and NW commissioned scientific tests to try and detect the presence of chloroacetamide which is present in Diamine ink. Diamine's chief chemist Alec Voller used 3.28% iof chloroacetamide in the ink. Apparently this is a significant amount but MH and NW only asked for its presence to be detected (not its quantity.) On the face of it this seems like an issue. Chloroacetamide was found and they said 'hoax.'
Smith contacted the lab and they said that MH and NW had asked for 'its absence or presence without qualification.' The lab gave Smith the info. Chloroacetamide was present at 6.5 parts per million or 0.000065% whereas Diamine ink contains over 5000 times the amount. Smith concluded cross-contamination as chloroacetamide was present in the lab as part of the tests. A later test found no chloroacetamide in the ink.
I'm only going on what is stated in the book. I know nothing of inks or chemistry but it may show that it's not only those on one side that may have had an 'agenda?' Something about the end justifying the means.

Surely another coincidence, though, is that Barrett knew that Diamine ink could be purchased in the Blue Coat Chambers' art shop, and that it's not a commonly used or commonly sold ink anywhere.

[Mike J. G.]

thanks Owl

well then I guess maybrick had three different hands he could right in.

quite the chameleon when it comes to writing I suppose.

Given what we already know about James Maybrick, aka, the International Man of Coincidence, what's one more little coincidence? lol.

[StevenOwl]

For me, the addition of "I am Jack" just makes it seem like at the last minute, whoever carved it wondered if people would get the gist of the engravings or not, and he deliberated, and thought, I'll carve "I am Jack" just in case.

It's like, you have "Maybrick" on there, and the canonicals, and to tie it all in, he carves the "I am Jack" on so that everyone can see that the intention is to have Maybrick admitting to the killings. It's all rather silly for me.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you believe that Barrett forged the Diary yes? If so, I'm genuinely interested in knowing how you tie the watch and Diary together? Coincidence? Barrett produced both? Barrett produced neither but was chosen as the front for the Diary only, while a mystery master forger chose the Johnson's to introduce the watch to the world? So many questions...

[Joshua Rogan]

It's obvious that the watch once belonged to Tyler Durden, there just wasn't enough room inside to complete the inscription.

[Mike J. G.]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you believe that Barrett forged the Diary yes? If so, I'm genuinely interested in knowing how you tie the watch and Diary together? Coincidence? Barrett produced both? Barrett produced neither but was chosen as the front for the Diary only, while a mystery master forger chose the Johnson's to introduce the watch to the world? So many questions...

It's not that I believe that Barrett wrote it, it's that I find it's the more likely of solutions, considering nobody else has come forward, and considering the obvious fact that Maybrick had nothing to do with it.

When you say "coincidence", you have to remember that the pro-diary people are the ones who seem to have no issue with those, as the diary is riddled with them.

I don't really think the watch took any "master forger" at all. What was masterful about it? It was carved by someone who presumed that the accepted JtR story was the likeliest, as in, the canonical 5. Some nice attention to detail might have included a Francis Coles, or a Martha Tabrahm, or any of the other potential victims.

I don't pretend to know who did what with anything, because we're not being allowed to know, which is what a hoax is all about in the first place. All you can do is follow the trail, and this trail leads us to Barrett/Devereux/Rigby.

Two of those men shared a street, and two of them, maybe three, shared a pub.

[Mike J. G.]

Something I think we often forget is that when you have a real story, you do not need to make up lies about it.

If the Maybrick diary was genuine, why would all involved, from the Barrett's to the electricians, think of various lies to carry it?

You have Devereux, who supposedly gave the diary to Barrett.

You have Devereux living in the same street as the electrician, Rigby, tasked with working on Maybrick's house.

You have Barrett who drinks in the same pub as Rigby, who lives in the same street as Barrett's mate, Devereux.

You have Barrett's wife, Anne, claiming that the diary had been in their family for generations.

You have Rigby claiming that the diary was taken in 1989.

You have Dodd claiming that no diary was ever found beneath the floor during any previous works.

I could honestly go on for a while with these weird errors.

Coincidence seems to only count for something when it goes against Barrett, yet people are perfectly happy and willing to ignore blatant errors and obvious coincidences to make Maybrick the writer and in turn, the Ripper.

Logical thinking goes out of the window in this case.

[Abby Normal]

Something I think we often forget is that when you have a real story, you do not need to make up lies about it.

If the Maybrick diary was genuine, why would all involved, from the Barrett's to the electricians, think of various lies to carry it?

You have Devereux, who supposedly gave the diary to Barrett.

You have Devereux living in the same street as the electrician, Rigby, tasked with working on Maybrick's house.

You have Barrett who drinks in the same pub as Rigby, who lives in the same street as Barrett's mate, Devereux.

You have Barrett's wife, Anne, claiming that the diary had been in their family for generations.

You have Rigby claiming that the diary was taken in 1989.

You have Dodd claiming that no diary was ever found beneath the floor during any previous works.

I could honestly go on for a while with these weird errors.

Coincidence seems to only count for something when it goes against Barrett, yet people are perfectly happy and willing to ignore blatant errors and obvious coincidences to make Maybrick the writer and in turn, the Ripper.

Logical thinking goes out of the window in this case.

apparently in the canelo fight too. lol.

[Mike J. G.]

apparently in the canelo fight too. lol.

Tbf, I had Canelo winning by two rounds, lol. GGG was missing way too much and just plodding forward. The cleaner and more eye-catching work came from Canelo. Beautiful counters and defensive work from Canelo, and it was his first legit fight at the weight, whereas GGG is supposed to be some monster, yet he looked clueless in there for most of the rounds.

Canelo Alvarez wrote the diary!

[Abby Normal]

Tbf, I had Canelo winning by two rounds, lol. GGG was missing way too much and just plodding forward. The cleaner and more eye-catching work came from Canelo. Beautiful counters and defensive work from Canelo, and it was his first legit fight at the weight, whereas GGG is supposed to be some monster, yet he looked clueless in there for most of the rounds.

Canelo Alvarez wrote the diary!

yeah-all my friends I spoke to thought canelo won easily-as in it shouldnt have been hard to see/ judge. On judge gave it to GGG ?!?!, another a draw and the other canelo by absurd margin. Bizarre scoring... makes you wonder.

[Mike J. G.]

yeah-all my friends I spoke to thought canelo won easily-as in it shouldnt have been hard to see/ judge. On judge gave it to GGG ?!?!, another a draw and the other canelo by absurd margin. Bizarre scoring... makes you wonder.

I don't personally have an issue with a draw, or with someone having GGG by one or two points, as it was a close fight where you generally can pick what kind of work you prefer. Alvarez was more varied, and his countering and defense were near perfect at times, whereas GGG was more aggressive and kept coming.

The one card that had Canelo by 9 rounds was way off. But I do think Canelo won, but by a couple of rounds rather than 9, lol.