The Diary — Old Hoax or New or Not a Hoax at All?​

[Iconoclast]

I'm not suggesting for one minute that Gray "simply punted some dates into the affidavit". He was obviously told by Barrett that Devereux died in 1990 and put that in the affidavit. So we do know for a fact that Gray got muddled over dates.

Barrett told Gray Devereux died in 1990 and it was Gray who was muddled over dates? He was just typing-up when Barrett had told him, for goodness sake!

[Iconoclast]

To be clear, I'm suggesting what is perfectly obvious. Alan Gray wrote Barrett's affidavit based on what Barret told him during their conversations. So Barrett being muddled up meant Gray got muddled up. It can’t be unrealistic for a guy who was almost permanently p***ed.

Gray - in this scenario - could not be muddled up. He was just typing-up what Barrett had told him was true. You can't dictate an incorrect letter to your secretary and then accuse him or her of being confused over the details!

[Iconoclast]

If you thought anyone was "crowing" you must have mistaken crowing for laughter at such an own goal.

You're right there - I've definitely been laughing a lot recently ...

[Herlock Sholmes]

Barrett told Gray Devereux died in 1990 and it was Gray who was muddled over dates? He was just typing-up when Barrett had told him, for goodness sake!

He was typing up what Barrett had told him, sure, but not, I'm certain, what Barrett was dictating.

In other words, Gray had to take all the bits of information that Barrett had given him, perhaps at different times, and type the story up into some sort of coherent narrative.

So, in the first place, everything had to fit around Devereux's death. Barrett must have said Devereux had helped with the diary but, as Gary would have been well aware, he couldn't have done so after his death. So he couldn't have been involved in 1991.

Gray obviously didn't know when the April 1891 diary was received. He must have thought it was in 1990 because otherwise it didn't fit the narrative.

If Gray started off believing, from Barrett's misdating, that the diary was written in 1990 then everything else that followed in the story that he drafted was going to be wrong in terms of the chronology.

I don't think this is rocket science, Ike. I'm suggesting Gray's job was to frame a coherent story around the bare facts he'd been given by Barrett. And of course he messed it up, that's for sure, because Barrett gave him faulty information.

I honestly don't know I can say it any clearer.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Gray - in this scenario - could not be muddled up. He was just typing-up what Barrett had told him was true. You can't dictate an incorrect letter to your secretary and then accuse him or her of being confused over the details!

Okay, now you've introduced the concept of dictation.

Perhaps that's the image you have in your head. Perhaps because you think that's how it should have been done. Or perhaps because that's how Mike said the diary was written.

I've explained what undoubtedly occurred. Whether you accept that or reject it is up to you.