Sickert Was Ripper

[yathome]

sickert was ripper

I have read Pat Cromwell's book "Portrait of a Killer..." and her theories are not so impossible to believe. Also after having read Stephen Frye's dissertation, I am more convinced than ever that Walter Sickert could possibly be the killer. There are just too many coincidences i.e. watermarks of paper used, the use of the name Mr. Nemo and the drawings on the letters sent to the police that could not have been done by anyone without artistic talent. That Walter Sickert would join in the sending of hoax letters to Scotland Yard about horrific murders is also too much of a coincidence, not to mention the homicidal themes in some of his art, some of which by coincidence resemble the murdered victims in different poses and locations.

[Sam Flynn]

"Letters from Nemo"

I have read Pat Cromwell's book "Portrait of a Killer..." and her theories are not so impossible to believe. Also after having read Stephen Frye's dissertation, I am more convinced than ever that Walter Sickert could possibly be the killer. There are just too many coincidences i.e. watermarks of paper used, the use of the name Mr. Nemo...

"Nemo" was a common - no, an extremely common - way of signing off letters to newspapers, and had been for many decades before the 1880s. It was also used very frequently by anonymous donors to charities. In fact, it's conceivable that not all such submissions were accompanied by the literal valediction of "Nemo", but that the publishers used it as the 19th Century equivalent of "Name and Address withheld". Here are just some of the examples from the Times published during the 1850s alone:


1) Aug 17th 1850 (Complaining about police in Whitechapel)
Sir - Between 3 and 4 o'clock this afternoon, in Church-lane, Whitechapel, I saw two women tearing, scratching and knocking each other right lustily. To me (a middle-aged man) 'twas a sight horrible enough - to the 30 or 40 younglings, spectators of the scene, ghastly and surely not instructive. A bystander told me that a policeman who had passed declined to interfere. During the 10 minutes that I remained on the scene I discovered no policeman, although anxiously on the look out for one.

Half an hour afterwards, when it was all over, I saw at least eight policemen, either in the street or the immediate neighbourhood, of the division H.

I represent the matter to you in a spirit of humanity, hoping that its publication in your journal will cause a more strict regard on the part of the police to public decency and morality.

Yours respectfully, NEMO


2) Sep 16th 1850 (A rather pointless letter, but showing an interesting use of "Scots" dialect)
Sir - I find in Scott's Paris Revisited (a work published in 1816, and professing to give an account of a tour through Belgium to Paris immediately after the battle of Waterloo), the following passage:-

"I inquired if the Duke of Wellington took severe means of enforcing on his army that regard for the lives and property of the inhabitants of the seat of war in maintaining which he has evidently placed the pride of his ambition not less than beating his armed adversaries. "Na, Sir, no here," was the reply, "for the men ken him gailies; but in Spain we aften had ugly jobs. He hung 15 men in ae day there, after he had been ordering about it God knows how lang; and d__n me if he did na ance gar the provost marshal flog mere than a dizen of the wimen, for the wimen thought themselves safe, wo they were war' than the men; they got sax-and-thirty lashes apiece on the bare doup, and it was lang aofre it was forgotten on 'em. One o' 'em was Meg Donaldson, the best woman in our regiment, for whatever she might take she did na keep it all to herself."

The soldier from whom Mr Scott receives this information is a Highlander who has been wounded at Waterloo, and is on march, with others, to join his regiment at Paris.

NEMO


3) Jan 18th 1851 (A tragic fire at St Martin's Lane)
Sir - In the name of London's 2,000,000 inhabitants, let me intreat [sic] of you, while breathing time and space are yet allowed by the Parliamentary recess, to say one word in favour of a suggestion which from time to time you have given place in your columns, with the object of rescuing those whose lives are endangered by the sudden night fire.

The police-sergeant Dominick Carr, whose evidence is recorded in The Times of today, says, with reference to the poor suffocated children of St Martin's-lane, that "the only possibility of saving them was from the top of the house;" and again, that it was "a pity that the barman (who escaped from the window of the very room where they were burnt) had not remained upon the roof." To the roof of the burning house from that of the adjoining one did Carr at last, of himself and without orders, make his way; but too late to save those whose "roar for help", loud above the roar of the flames, he had heard some minutes before, in his courageous, though fruitless attempt, to ascend the staircase of the burning house. Let me, Sir, recal [sic] to the readers of The Times a suggestion which nearly seven years ago found place in its columns:-

"That immediately on the alarm of fire being given, it be a standing positive order to the policemen (one or more) who arrive on the spot, to make their way, without a moment's delay, to the roofs of the adjoinging houses, there to afford every help to the inmates of the burning house as circumstances may allow".

To the letter bearing the signature of "M.D.", in The Times of April 10, 1844, in which this suggestion occurs, and also two others from the same hand in The Times of respectively December 24, 1844, and May 30, 1845, I may refer as proofs of your never tiring readiness to promote the public good. Allow me again to quote the first letter of "M.D.", as bearing most practically on this last sad event:-

"Were it generally known throughout London to householders and their families, that on the instant of an alarm of 'Fire' being sounded through the street, two, if not more, well disciplined, resolute, able-bodied men were fast making their way to the roofs of the houses on either side of the one on fire, there would surely be less of the panic and bewilderment which so often mars their efforts to escape. The lusty shout of a manly voice - the gripe [sic: "grip"] of a well-nerved hand - would cheer and remediate the half suffocated child or woman, otherwise fast sinking in despair... The Londoners have now in their new police the best possible machine for the protection of life from fire. For God's sake act in the true spirit of city bortherhood, let them learn at once how to use it."

You, Sir, have already, by the space allowed to "M.D.'s" letters, made this matter your own. With the more confidence do I again intreat [sic] you to speak yourself, as The Times knows how to speak, and so, perhaps, to save many lives from being lost, many hearts from being broken by the awful havoc of a London fire.

I am, Sir, your very faithful servant, NEMO.


4) April 19th 1852 (Pirates in the Indian Ocean)
Sir - Under the head of "Ship News" in The Times of the 15th of April there is mention of the massacre of the master and his wife and child, the mate, and two other Englishmen, of an English bark from Calcutta, by the natives of the islands of Noncowrie, &c.

It is known that these massacres take place every now and then. For instance, in 1844 the captain and crew of the brig Mary, last from Madras, were murdered, and the ship sunk by these same people. From inquiries on the spot in April, 1845, I found that not only was the above true, but that other vessels had a short time previously been destroyed, and their crews murdered.

The natives are a treacherous race; they come on board pretending to barter, having their clubs concealed in baskets of fruit, &c., and watch their opportunity for attack.

The Danish Government had these islands formerly. In 1845 there were no Danes there.

It would be very easy to put a stop to these atrocities.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant, NEMO.


5) Jun 24th 1856 (Butchers exploited by middle-men and resellers)
Sir - I learn from the best authority that the present high price of meat is occasioned, not from a want of supply, but form a combination and monopoly of the jobbers, or agents, to whom the farmers sell it.

The butchers tell me, "The public will have it; that they are obliged to give what is demanded, or lose their customers."

Now for the remedy. When sugar was lately raised to an exorbitant price, we all agreed to consume half the quantity, or go without.

Let us, as far as possible, do the same by meat - living on fish, soup, eggs, vegetables (now, thank God, so abundant), rice, in all its pleasant forms, gooseberry and currant pies and puddings, bread, cheese, &c. - for a week or two, and the thing is accomplished.

Yours, Sir, NEMO


6) Mar 8th 1858 (Nemo makes an anonymous donation to charity)
Sir - As you have so kindly allowed The Times to be the medium of my appeal to the public on behalf of my suffering poor, will you also permit me to make use of it as the channel through which to convey my very sincere thanks to a number of persons who with their donations have not sent their addresses?

I beg to remain your faithful servant, JOHN LINGHAM, Rectory, Lambeth.

W. Dunn, "A Poor Jew", "anonymous", "JCDB", "NEMO", and "Matthews, W." £5 each: two ladies at Brighton, £2; "MBH", £1 10s; "FGS", £1 1s...

[Leighton Young]

was he also able to make himself look taller and shorter too?
i dont think the ripper was sickert.yes he did call himself Mr nobody but then again so did the captain of the nautilus in the popular book at the time 20000 leagues under the sea...
the patricai cornell book is badly researched with glaring errors. she comes over as a woman who's not researched the cas e or had a passing interest, went to the library, read a few books and thinks she knows whats what. on the documentary about the same book.. she went on and on about how obsessed sickert was with the ripper case... if this is any foundation for convicting him then all of us lot should be sent down too. ha ha

leighton

[dougie]

Listened to an early podcast yesterday,which had as its guest a guy called Stan Russo..he said he believed sickert and stephen were the killers,said there was a great deal to back up the theory.unfortunately that podcast didnt go much further on that issue.I would have liked to hear his theory in full.He seemed much more open minded than .most .Is there anything around where he expounds on this theory?
regards

[Bailey]

I believe Mr Russo, who is quite a character if his Rippercast appearances are any indication, is in the process of writing a book and so is keeping his cards close to his chest. I think he went into a little more detail on a later podcast, but not much. I'm certainly intrigued as to what he has up his sleeve - Sickert & Stephen is an interesting combo!

B.

[stevebaker25]

Well it's nice to see that some things don't change. Denn have you bought another book yet or are you still studying Patty's inflammatory crusade?
Why not go and buy The Mammoth Book Of Jack The Ripper and you can read about a few more suspects? Most of which have stronger cases against them than Patty could ever hope to built against Walter Sickert.
Seriously, Bury is a much more viable suspect. What about 'David Cohen'? Martin Fido really could be onto something with that one. These two are great examples of the kind of people to be found on the streets of Whitechapel at the time of the murders.
Please just stop this madness before you encourage Patricia Cornwell to write another book about this. Case Closed? How insulting a title is that, really? It's no more closed than it was on Friday, August 31, 1888. It pains me that you've wasted so much time on this theory...

[Jeff Leahy]

Well it's nice to see that some things don't change. Denn have you bought another book yet or are you still studying Patty's inflammatory crusade?
Why not go and buy The Mammoth Book Of Jack The Ripper and you can read about a few more suspects? Most of which have stronger cases against them than Patty could ever hope to built against Walter Sickert.
Seriously, Bury is a much more viable suspect. What about 'David Cohen'? Martin Fido really could be onto something with that one. These two are great examples of the kind of people to be found on the streets of Whitechapel at the time of the murders.
Please just stop this madness before you encourage Patricia Cornwell to write another book about this. Case Closed? How insulting a title is that, really? It's no more closed than it was on Friday, August 31, 1888. It pains me that you've wasted so much time on this theory...

Surely its fairly common knowledge that another Patsie book is on its way...without he title 'caseclosed' which she now openly acknowledges was a miss-take.

So just another suspect book..

Pirate

[stevebaker25]

Surely its fairly common knowledge that another Patsie book is on its way...without he title 'caseclosed' which she now openly acknowledges was a miss-take.

So just another suspect book..

Pirate

Really?! Oh dear god! I don't keep up with anything that has her name tagged to it I'm afraid. So is it still Sickert's memory she's trying to rape or someone else now?

[Jeff Leahy]

Still poor old Sickert

Pirate

[Bailey]

Unless I've missed something, isn't it just a revised edition rather than a whole new book?

B.

[Dan Norder]

Well, Cornwell hired Keith Skinner to fact check her old book, among other things, so if she actually does go through and correct the errors in that one it would essentially be a whole new book despite having the same suspect.

[dougie]

Well if Stan russo goes ahead and publishes,ill be interested......Cornwell might have messed up,but that doesnt NECCESSARILLY mean a great deal in the fuller picture.Really I was just impressed by russos manner of thinking,it was refreshingly even handed I felt....and sccording to him Sickert DID have a fistula.....whether thats relevant to anything in particular I wouldnt like to hazard a fguess to be honest

[Jeff Leahy]

At best Sickert may have involved himself..possibly written hoax letters.

as for JK STephen? I'd stick with Druit

Pirate

[dougie]

Pirate,
Thats probabley good advice Druitt that is.......but who knows? its dangerous to "second guess" what the guy has to say......Im not really in any "camp" so that makes it easy to keep an open mind I suppose.
regards

[Jeff Leahy]

Hi Dougie

I guess most people know I've been out'ed as a Kosminskite

However I do hope that knowone would ever accuse me of not having an open mind on the Ripper case. Certainly from a professional view point I always strive towards balanced opinion.

All I was hinting at was I would find Jk Stephen more likely in Druits circle. not Sickert's

And I have not as yet crossed Druit off my suspect list as a posibility..

Though I admit it is a very short list

But I will be waiting along with you to hear what he has to say

Pirate