Fake!

[caz]

Er, Raven, he's meant to be writing down his personal thoughts, not trying to compose music or write songs. He just likes to make up funny little rhymes.

The author is well aware that Michael writes "a merry tune" so surely no further explanation is required. But I'll grant you that a less subtle hoaxer would probably have made more of Michael's fame as a musician and less of his lesser known skills at rhyming verse.

Love,

Caz
X

[Casebook Wiki Editor]

. However, we will show that Mr. James Maybrick, a wealthy, upstanding citizen of good reputation, could not have committed these alleged crimes.

Let's put the Diary and the Watch aside for a moment.

Do you believe the "real" James Maybrick was wealthy and an upstanding citizen?

I'm not saying the defense wouldn't say this; I'm asking on the basis of the historical record was Maybrick such a man??

An important question in and of itself, no?

[miss marple]

Tempus, could you post an image of these letters and handwriting to compare, so we can see for ourselves? Also what is the content of the letters, are they in 'Letters from Hell'?
If the letters were posted in Hornsey I cant see a connection with Whitechapel. Was the memo referred to written by Maybrick or a clerk.
Please clarify.
Regards Miss Marple

[RavenDarkendale]

@ Sir Robert

Well he had a large house, was a business man with a fairly successful cotton importer business. That usually means money, unless some type of vice was draining it away. He probably was respected by the people with whom he came into contact. His drug addiction would make his relations with people sometimes difficult.

So, yes respected in the community, at least to his face. Behind his back would be a different matter, but if it came to court the antics caused by drugs and mental deterioration would make them fear to say the wrong thing in case he wasn't convicted.

Cheers

Darkendale

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

What says fake to me about the "Diary" is the author signing himself "Jack the Ripper" when three of Scotland Yard's head honchos agreed that the name and accompanying correspondence were a journalistic invention.

But I'm certain that someone will square this particular circle.

Regards,

Simon

[Casebook Wiki Editor]

@ Sir Robert

Well he had a large house, was a business man with a fairly successful cotton importer business. That usually means money, unless some type of vice was draining it away. He probably was respected by the people with whom he came into contact. His drug addiction would make his relations with people sometimes difficult.

He rented Battlecrease, and he was a speculator on the cotton markets. He had another family on the side, gambled, drank and drugged. When he died his estate was basically the life insurance proceeds he had recently bought.

He was smoke and mirrors. Flo made a comment that they had to keep up appearances or the creditors would demand payment.

[Tempus omnia revelat]

Tempus, could you post an image of these letters and handwriting to compare, so we can see for ourselves? Also what is the content of the letters, are they in 'Letters from Hell'?
If the letters were posted in Hornsey I cant see a connection with Whitechapel. Was the memo referred to written by Maybrick or a clerk.
Please clarify.
Regards Miss Marple

Hi Miss marple!

Yes I will try and upload the letters for you. I've got to scan them in first, so it might take some time.

Where the letters were posted, Miss Marple, is irrelevant - especially if JtR lived outside the area.

The memo was written by Maybrick. There are at least a dozen memos knocking about, in one form or another.


Kind regards,


Tempus

[Cogidubnus]

Where the letters were posted, Miss Marple, is irrelevant - especially if JtR lived outside the area.

I beg your pardon? Context may just be everything...else we'd all be believing Vincent or Walter did it...Please do indicate the origins where known!

All the best

Dave

[Tempus omnia revelat]

I beg your pardon? Context may just be everything...else we'd all be believing Vincent or Walter did it...Please do indicate the origins where known!

All the best

Dave

Sorry, Cogidubnus, but I have indicated the origins. My point was that just because a letter is posted outside of Whitechapel, it doesn't mean that JtR couldn't have sent it.

Kind regards,


Tempus.

[miakaal4]

Maybrick was definately living in the fast lane. On top of that, he was living at a time in history when men, of his class, had to behave in certain ways or they would lose face and credibility. This would effect them both socially and financially. The comments within the Diary show a man who is screaming against these 'restraints' one example being his attitude during the races where he is standing near royalty. This angst is not fake. It is not necessary to the books' authenticity, but it is there none the less. He shows intense anger, jealousy and endearment within a few lines, and again none of this promotes belief in any direct way, but it is there.

[Albert]

Is this not proof that the diarist got it wrong?

Hi everyone ,
I apologise in advance if this has been covered on previous threads but I can’t understand why the Diary is still believed to be a genuine Jack the Ripper artifact.
After reading the recent various Diary threads I was prompted to take another look at my copy of Shirley Harrison’s book (1993). On the first page I opened (Page 284, Diary section 241), ‘Sir Jim’ is describing his actions with the body of MJK and he writes ‘I thought it a joke when I cut her breasts off, kissed them for a while. Left them on the table with some of the other stuff.’ (my emphasis)
This didn’t seem to tie in with what I remember having read before about the crime scene and I referenced SPE’s SYI (2006) page 184 where Dr. Bond’s report states that The breast had been cut off with more or less circular incisions leaving the muscles down to the ribs attached to the breasts. One was placed under the head and the other by the right foot.’
This led me to have a look at the excellent reproduction of the said photograph on page 189 of CSI: Whitechapel (2012) by Bennet and Beggs.
As one looks at this, the second MJK photograph, the one with the ‘crocodile’, there on the table to the right of the photograph are two objects that do indeed look like breasts.
My point is that this proves to me that the diarist had access to the photograph but not to Bond’s report and therefore made the understandable mistake of thinking they were the breasts when describing the murder. If he was JtR he would have known exactly where he'd placed them, in my opinion.
I’m sure someone will explain to me why the diary is genuine, regardless of this important anomaly and I will look forward to reading it, but for me the Diary is definitely a hoax, albeit an interesting one.
Regards Albert

[Simon Wood]

Hi Albert,

Don't hold your breath.

Nobody can tell you why the diary is genuine; only why it may not be a fake.

Welcome to Ripperology.

Regards,

Simon

[Albert]

Hi Albert,

Don't hold your breath.

Nobody can tell you why the diary is genuine; only why it may not be a fake.

Welcome to Ripperology.

Regards,

Simon

Thanks Simon - I will definitely breathe while I'm waiting!!
Cheers
Alan

[caz]

Hi All,

What says fake to me about the "Diary" is the author signing himself "Jack the Ripper" when three of Scotland Yard's head honchos agreed that the name and accompanying correspondence were a journalistic invention.

But I'm certain that someone will square this particular circle.

Regards,

Simon

Hi Simon,

Each to his own, but for me it's the fact that the diary is not in the known handwriting of James Maybrick.

If you had murdered and mutilated one or more women, and a journalist had invented a really catchy name for you, based on the assumption of a lone killer at work, might you not have adopted it for yourself, rather than signing your real name?

I take it you realise that none of the people who signed themselves Jack the Ripper were actually called that?

Love,

Caz
X

[Simon Wood]

Hi Caz,

I too admit that the "Diary" not being in the known handwriting of James Maybrick is a bit of a deal-breaker.

And yes, you do take it correctly: no one who signed themselves "Jack the Ripper" was the real McCoy—for very good reasons.

Assuming for a brief moment that the "Diary" wasn't a late 20th Century concoction, imagine this "1889" drivel having accidentally landed on a pre-1894 desk at the CID.

What might Messrs Anderson and Macnaghten have made of it?

Regards,

Simon