The Manchester Murders

[MayBea]

If it was murder wouldn't Betsy's husband be the prime suspect anyway?

Maybe he had a good alibi.

No poison in the stomach; it can't be suicide by arsenic although they looked for it in the stomach contents for some reason?

[MayBea]

Exactly, John. Who would think to make Jack's first murder a strangulation?

You're right also that it was a suspected suicide and not murder. But with no verdict leaves it a mystery.

There's no mention of bruising on the throat but, with an assumption of suicide, any bruising by squeezing could have been thought to have been done by the victim as she was in the grip of a poison. No?

The stomach contents were sent to another doctor who found nothing. Does this infer that there was poison on her person or in her mouth but not in the stomach? Does this suggest an attempt to make it look like suicide?

[John Hacker]

Of course he took his "medicine"... That's in character for Diary Jim.

But the autopsy shows no evidence of arsenic poisoning and no squeezing apparent. So.. Not a great fit..

For what it's worth, that bit of the diary always made me wonder what the author had in mind. Jack got his jollies post mortem, not watching them scream as every constable in London came to see what the fuss was about.

John

[MayBea]

This is the actual text of the Diary regarding the first Manchester Murder:

"Will travel to Manchester. Will take some of my medicine with me and think hard on the matter. I believe I could do so, though I shake with fear of capture. A fear I will have to overcome. I believe I have the strength. I will force myself not to think of the children. The whore, that is all that shall be on my mind.

"My head aches. My dear God my mind is in a fog. The whore is now with her maker and he welcome to her. There was no pleasure as I squeezed, I felt nothing. Do I now have the courage to go back to my original idea. Manchester was cold and damp very much like this hell hole. Next time I will throw acid over them. The thought of them ??? and screaming while the acid burns deep thrills me..."

[GUT]

It sounds like they suspected suicide, not murder.

Sure does.

[John Hacker]

He thought it would only be right that chemist's shops in the neighbourhood should be visited to see whether poisons and been sold to the deceased.

It sounds like they suspected suicide, not murder.

[GUT]

If it was murder wouldn't Betsy's husband be the prime suspect anyway?

[GUT]

An open verdict so it isn't even established as a murder?

[John Hacker]

I would tend to think that if JtR was responsible the cause of death would not rely on toxicology.

Even if we were to take the diary at face value once arsenic was ruled out I think James can be too.

Just my opinion. I could be and have been wrong.

John

[MayBea]

The Suspected Poisoning Case At Farnworth

...On resuming, tho deputy-coroner, Mr. W. Hardy, called upon Dr. Estcourt to give the result of his analysis. That gentleman stated that though he had submitted the substances handed to him to every conceivable test, he could not find any trace whatever of arsenic or poison, whether organic or inorganic. This being case, the Deputy-coroner closed the inquiry without calling any additional evidence, and directed the jury to return an open which direction was acted upon. The case has created a very considerable interest in the neighbourhood.

Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Wednesday 29 February 1888

[MayBea]

The Diary says the first and last murders were in Manchester.

Hoax-believes claim no unsolved murders of can be found that might be attributable to Jack for the spring of 1888 and for 1889 anywhere in Manchester. But I signed on to British Newspaper Archives online today and found one in Greater Manchester.

It says poisoning in the headline but there's no definite determination except that there's a strong case for death by unnatural causes.

THE MYSTERIOUS POISONING CASE AT FARNWORTH
The inquest upon the body of a collier's wife, named Betsy Dyson, aged 27, of Hill-street, Farnworth, the cause of whose death, occurred on Sunday week last, is shrouded in mystery, was resumed yesterday afternoon, by Mr. Hardy, the deputy coroner. As result of the examination of the body, made by Dr. Bradley, of Farnworth, that medical gentleman was strongly convinced that death was not the result of natural causes but of poisoning, and therefore the contents the stomach were submitted to Dr. Estcourt of Manchester, for analysis. The inquiry was adjourned until yesterday. On the assembling of the jury yesterday the Deputy Coroner explained that Dr. Estcourt bad been unable to complete the analysis of the contents of the stomach, so he would therefore have to again adjourn the inquiry. He added, however, that the police had been unremitting their energies to ascertain the cause of death, and he asked them to persevere their inquiries. He thought it would only be right that chemist's shops in the neighbourhood should be visited to see whether poisons and been sold to the deceased.-—The inquiry was again adjourned.

Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Friday 24 February 1888