Who were they?

[Iconoclast]

As for your description of me as 'Johnny-Come-Lately', it was made clear to me before anyone said anything about my 'discoveries' having been made long before that my presence on this thread is not welcome.

I refer to:

'But some friendly advice, you might simply want to say "oops, wrong room. Sorry about that" ' (#286 from c.d.)

the friendly advice which obviously is not as friendly as it purports to be, and

I am afraid that you are wrong, P.I. It was most definitely friendly advice. Your presence on this thread means nothing to me one way or another but it didn't take a clairvoyant to see how it would turn out and now it appears that I was correct.

If you recall, I also advised you not to mess with Ally and we all now how that turned out for you.

As for advice, I can but lead the horse to water etc. etc.

c.d.

Hey, you led them, c.d., they just didn't seem to know it was water you were offering, mate. Probably your reputation precedes you, huh?

[Iconoclast]

Good Lord, Ike.

Trust you not to understand the definition of harmony. Cadence maybe, or rhythm...

Or did you mean spoil the harmonious ambiance of the Maybrick forums?

But of course, RJ - we were all getting along so well for about two posts and then you go and stick the boot in!

[Iconoclast]

yes i admit it. its a yanky saying.

I knew it - I'm always right!

It's like a gift ...

[Iconoclast]

You may.

I had already made it abundantly clear that I would welcome polite remarks rather than those of the kind to which I have become accustomed.

The fact that someone else previously pointed out something does not mean that it is somehow wrong when I point it out.

As for your description of me as 'Johnny-Come-Lately', it was made clear to me before anyone said anything about my 'discoveries' having been made long before that my presence on this thread is not welcome.

I refer to:

'But some friendly advice, you might simply want to say "oops, wrong room. Sorry about that" ' (#286 from c.d.)

the friendly advice which obviously is not as friendly as it purports to be, and


'You might regret stepping foot into this world.' (# 288 from erobitha)

which seems considerably less friendly, and


'So, be as smarmy as you want, but you are not up on all the facts.' (# 301 from erobitha)

and

'I assume that he or she is confused...That's what happens when you don't think things through.' (# 329 from Iconoclast)

or

'Can anyone help him or her make sense of the conundrum they just wandered into there?' (# 338 from Iconoclast)


I thought the whole point of a discussion forum is to welcome new contributors, not to tell them that they are unwelcome.

But what is your purpose?

Is it to establish the truth about the so-called Maybrick diary, or is it that you see yourself as

'The one whose mission in life is to defend the Maybrick scrapbook (and the Maybrick watch) against all stupidities, ill-thought out 'arguments', and fashionable misunderstandings.'

I ask why you defend the Maybrick scrapbook by writing

'PS The expression one-off was almost certainly in some sort of nascent use by 1888...'

without offering any evidence in support of your assertion.

As for your description of me as 'Johnny-Come-Lately', if one of us is a 'Johnny-Come-Lately', it is you - a latecomer to the world of polite discussion.

If you take yourself too seriously - certainly on the Maybrick threads - you are guaranteed a roasting. I have literally begged new people to come on to these threads and post their opinions but I'm afraid you came on with such a loud shirt that you just invited opprobrium. The people who warned you were not your enemies, you idiot, they were worried about you because they knew what was coming.

Pretty much everyone gets it (as in, gets a shirt load of flak), but only a certain type of poster takes it to heart and you very quickly displayed yours on your shirt sleeve.

Guaranteed to set the sharks circling.

Stop taking yourself so seriously, recognise that it's probably all been done to death many times over, and enjoy the ride. You're like a wound-up passenger in the back of my taxi and - frankly - I'm looking forward to when you get out which is a shame because (as I say) I would love more people to contribute if for no other reason than I wouldn't have to read posts by muppets such as Palmer, AethelMermon, Fishcake, Normal, Wheatabix, etc..

No offence, by the way, lads ...

[Abby Normal]

That's a bit strong cd. Sounds like poor old pi has been caught up in some heavy shirt.

lol. The shirts are the men that will not be blamed for nothing.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

And I knew that you would feel ganged up on and mistreated. And I was right.

You are not seriously suggesting that I have been treated fairly and have imagined that I have been 'ganged up on and mistreated'?

[Aethelwulf]

now you are caught up in it with no way out.
c.d.

That's a bit strong cd. Sounds like poor old pi has been caught up in some heavy shirt.

[c.d.]

Again, you have missed the point, P.I. I care absolutely nothing about your views regarding the validity of the diary. They may be or not be correct. Again, I don't care. What I meant by I knew how it would turn out is that I knew with virtual metaphysical certainty that you would take a lot of flak for your views. That you would attempt to defend them all the way into dead horse territory. And I knew that you would feel ganged up on and mistreated. And I was right.

You should have no quarrel with me. I am not part of the diary crowd that is giving you ****. I tried to warn you and you didn't listen and now you are caught up in it with no way out.

c.d.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

yes i admit it. its a yanky saying.

Where is the evidence?

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

Your presence on this thread means nothing to me one way or another but it didn't take a clairvoyant to see how it would turn out and now it appears that I was correct.

The way it has turned out is that my detractors here are unable to produce any evidence that the adjective 'one-off' was in use in 1889.

That means that the 'Maybrick' diary is a forgery - or had you not noticed?

The way it has turned out is that a small group of posters on this thread who seem to think they own it, and that anyone who sees things otherwise is unwelcome, have been making bitchy comments about me and to me.

Like them, you make it look as though my participation in this discussion has been a disaster.

So let us look at what has actually happened during the 49 hours since I dared to enter this discussion about the Maybrick diary's authenticity.

My very first comment, # 284, received a vote of approval.

My # 298 also received a vote.

So did my # 306.

So did my # 311.

So did my # 317.

So did my # 320.

So did my # 325.

So did my # 332.

So did my # 352.

So did my # 378.

My # 387 received two votes.

RJ Palmer in # 389 wrote about me: 'Actually, he's right.'

In # 406, Abby Normal accepted that I was right on the very point that my detractors here insisted I was wrong.


It appears that you are not correct.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

I don't imagine for a moment that Abby literally typed those four asterisks. I would suggest that the tone of his comment, couple with the four asterisks (not five), and the fact that he's one of those Yanky boys means that he actually wrote the word 'shirt' but skipped the 'r' and the Casebook algorithm said 'Not on my watch' and turned what he typed into asterisks.

As usual, I will be right - just watch Abby admit it.

Where is the evidence that 'get your shirt straight' is an expression in English anywhere?

I typed it into Google's search engine and nothing came up.

[c.d.]

As for your description of me as 'Johnny-Come-Lately', it was made clear to me before anyone said anything about my 'discoveries' having been made long before that my presence on this thread is not welcome.

I refer to:

'But some friendly advice, you might simply want to say "oops, wrong room. Sorry about that" ' (#286 from c.d.)

the friendly advice which obviously is not as friendly as it purports to be, and

I am afraid that you are wrong, P.I. It was most definitely friendly advice. Your presence on this thread means nothing to me one way or another but it didn't take a clairvoyant to see how it would turn out and now it appears that I was correct.

If you recall, I also advised you not to mess with Ally and we all now how that turned out for you.

As for advice, I can but lead the horse to water etc. etc.

c.d.

[rjpalmer]

Trust you to spoil the harmony ...

Good Lord, Ike.

Trust you not to understand the definition of harmony. Cadence maybe, or rhythm...

Or did you mean spoil the harmonious ambiance of the Maybrick forums?

[Abby Normal]

I don't imagine for a moment that Abby literally typed those four asterisks. I would suggest that the tone of his comment, couple with the four asterisks (not five), and the fact that he's one of those Yanky boys means that he actually wrote the word 'shirt' but skipped the 'r' and the Casebook algorithm said 'Not on my watch' and turned what he typed into asterisks.

As usual, I will be right - just watch Abby admit it.

yes i admit it. its a yanky saying.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

Private Investigator I, can I politely point out that every single possible nuance to be gleaned from James Maybrick's scrapbook has been done to death a billion - nay, trillion - times before the middle of 2023 turned up along with you?

There is not a single mark in the scrapbook that has not been analysed, criticised, and debated to within an inch of its life so you posting on these well-trodden themes just makes you look like the Johnny-Come-Lately that you are.

And when you ask questions along the lines of, "How can it be so?", all you have to do is turn to my brilliant Society's Pillar which will change your life, as it has many a naysayer before you.

Praise be the Lord!

PS The expression one-off was almost certainly in some sort of nascent use by 1888, but the issue is that the juxtaposition off 'one-off' and 'instance' was simply cognitively impossible to make due to the term 'one-off' not yet having gained any traction in the conjoinment with an 'event' rather than a manufactured item. All that said, I would politely remind my dear readers that Maybrick actually wrote "one off" not "one-off". Just saying. Don't shoot the messenger.

You may.

I had already made it abundantly clear that I would welcome polite remarks rather than those of the kind to which I have become accustomed.

The fact that someone else previously pointed out something does not mean that it is somehow wrong when I point it out.

As for your description of me as 'Johnny-Come-Lately', it was made clear to me before anyone said anything about my 'discoveries' having been made long before that my presence on this thread is not welcome.

I refer to:

'But some friendly advice, you might simply want to say "oops, wrong room. Sorry about that" ' (#286 from c.d.)

the friendly advice which obviously is not as friendly as it purports to be, and


'You might regret stepping foot into this world.' (# 288 from erobitha)

which seems considerably less friendly, and


'So, be as smarmy as you want, but you are not up on all the facts.' (# 301 from erobitha)

and

'I assume that he or she is confused...That's what happens when you don't think things through.' (# 329 from Iconoclast)

or

'Can anyone help him or her make sense of the conundrum they just wandered into there?' (# 338 from Iconoclast)


I thought the whole point of a discussion forum is to welcome new contributors, not to tell them that they are unwelcome.

But what is your purpose?

Is it to establish the truth about the so-called Maybrick diary, or is it that you see yourself as

'The one whose mission in life is to defend the Maybrick scrapbook (and the Maybrick watch) against all stupidities, ill-thought out 'arguments', and fashionable misunderstandings.'

I ask why you defend the Maybrick scrapbook by writing

'PS The expression one-off was almost certainly in some sort of nascent use by 1888...'

without offering any evidence in support of your assertion.

As for your description of me as 'Johnny-Come-Lately', if one of us is a 'Johnny-Come-Lately', it is you - a latecomer to the world of polite discussion.