The Davis Ward HOAX
This thread is devoted to the work that myself and my comrade in all things Donston, the eminent researcher, Mike Covell, have found out just today regarding the controversy which existed between the rival factions of Donstonology ( Yeah...its a separate entity within the field...).
The one side which states unequivocably that Donston resided in the Davis Ward has not budged one inch from their position, despite the fact that we, meaning Spiro Dimolianis,Mike and myself have demonstrated that Stephenson resided in the Currie Ward....a fact easily determined by the October 16th letter to the police, which is in the book, Letters From Hell, by Stewart P. Evans and Keith Skinner.
Our side has now got the facts on this issue and I will present them in their entirety for one and all. You will be surprised to find out that despite the two pro-Donston authors being in and ostensibly investigating within the London Hospital for information on Sudden Death, that they overlooked a very important point regarding the Davis Ward.
Two days ago I was at work and for some inexplicable reason decided to open up the "Ultimate" by SPE. I had this strange thought or urge to re-examine the December 26th letter to the police that Stephenson wrote....because I frankly have been waiting for Ivor Edwards to accept my challenge here and at JTR Forums.Com and mention the Dec. 26th letter as PROOF that Stephenson was in the Davis Ward. My original "counter" to this would have been that despite the address on this letter, it was not proof that he was actually in that ward. In all honesty, Ivor could have smoked me by stating that the same could have been said for the October 16th letter addressed from the Currie Ward.
But for some reason I paid more attention to the details in the December 26th letter than I had previously....and I think you will be glad that I did.
To be perfectly honest , I am embarrassed that I allowed this very important point go for as long as it did for so long up until now. I don't think an hour goes by without me thinking of "something" about Stephenson.
The detail that I paid attention to was the comment that Stephenson made which follows:
" Three weeks ago, I was a patient in the London Hospital,in a private ward (Davis) with a Dr. Evans, suffering from Typhoid who used to be visited almost nightly by Dr. (Morgan) Davies when the murders were our usual subject of conversation..."
As I read and re-read it, it struck me that this was a lie of significant magnitude.
I immediately jotted down a list of things to do yesterday and the first was to get Mike Covell to contact the London Hospital, which he did, and find out whether or not patients,such as Donston,without a contagious disease, would be allowed in a ward with a man,this Dr. Evans, who DID have a very contagious disease...typhoid.
Mr. Jonathan Evans sent Mike the following email which proves that Stephenson is either a liar...or that he contracted typhoid during his stay in the LH from July 26th up until December 7th, 1888. I am certain you will see the implications of this email immediately.
Dear Mike
In the early 1900s a separate Isolation Block was built at the hospital for cases like typhoid (which was often referred to as enteric Fever at the time). Before that, there were wards like Davis Ward which were divided up into single rooms and small units for reception of patients with communicable diseases, etc. The hospital drew up special instructions for the nursing of enteric fever cases around 1900 and these were sent to every ward sister in the hospital. Visiting was fairly restricted for all patients (one weekday afternoon and Sunday afternoon - Saturday for Jewish patients) per week. I think a visitors' ticket system had been implemented by the 1880s and tickets to visit patients who were dangerously ill would have been issued sparingly.
Hope this helps
This thread is devoted to the work that myself and my comrade in all things Donston, the eminent researcher, Mike Covell, have found out just today regarding the controversy which existed between the rival factions of Donstonology ( Yeah...its a separate entity within the field...).
The one side which states unequivocably that Donston resided in the Davis Ward has not budged one inch from their position, despite the fact that we, meaning Spiro Dimolianis,Mike and myself have demonstrated that Stephenson resided in the Currie Ward....a fact easily determined by the October 16th letter to the police, which is in the book, Letters From Hell, by Stewart P. Evans and Keith Skinner.
Our side has now got the facts on this issue and I will present them in their entirety for one and all. You will be surprised to find out that despite the two pro-Donston authors being in and ostensibly investigating within the London Hospital for information on Sudden Death, that they overlooked a very important point regarding the Davis Ward.
Two days ago I was at work and for some inexplicable reason decided to open up the "Ultimate" by SPE. I had this strange thought or urge to re-examine the December 26th letter to the police that Stephenson wrote....because I frankly have been waiting for Ivor Edwards to accept my challenge here and at JTR Forums.Com and mention the Dec. 26th letter as PROOF that Stephenson was in the Davis Ward. My original "counter" to this would have been that despite the address on this letter, it was not proof that he was actually in that ward. In all honesty, Ivor could have smoked me by stating that the same could have been said for the October 16th letter addressed from the Currie Ward.
But for some reason I paid more attention to the details in the December 26th letter than I had previously....and I think you will be glad that I did.
To be perfectly honest , I am embarrassed that I allowed this very important point go for as long as it did for so long up until now. I don't think an hour goes by without me thinking of "something" about Stephenson.
The detail that I paid attention to was the comment that Stephenson made which follows:
" Three weeks ago, I was a patient in the London Hospital,in a private ward (Davis) with a Dr. Evans, suffering from Typhoid who used to be visited almost nightly by Dr. (Morgan) Davies when the murders were our usual subject of conversation..."
As I read and re-read it, it struck me that this was a lie of significant magnitude.
I immediately jotted down a list of things to do yesterday and the first was to get Mike Covell to contact the London Hospital, which he did, and find out whether or not patients,such as Donston,without a contagious disease, would be allowed in a ward with a man,this Dr. Evans, who DID have a very contagious disease...typhoid.
Mr. Jonathan Evans sent Mike the following email which proves that Stephenson is either a liar...or that he contracted typhoid during his stay in the LH from July 26th up until December 7th, 1888. I am certain you will see the implications of this email immediately.
Dear Mike
In the early 1900s a separate Isolation Block was built at the hospital for cases like typhoid (which was often referred to as enteric Fever at the time). Before that, there were wards like Davis Ward which were divided up into single rooms and small units for reception of patients with communicable diseases, etc. The hospital drew up special instructions for the nursing of enteric fever cases around 1900 and these were sent to every ward sister in the hospital. Visiting was fairly restricted for all patients (one weekday afternoon and Sunday afternoon - Saturday for Jewish patients) per week. I think a visitors' ticket system had been implemented by the 1880s and tickets to visit patients who were dangerously ill would have been issued sparingly.
Hope this helps
Jonathan Evans
Trust Archivist
Royal London Hospital Archives and Museum
Whitechapel
London E1 1BB
Telephone: 020 7377 7608
Website: www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk
Trust Archivist
Royal London Hospital Archives and Museum
Whitechapel
London E1 1BB
Telephone: 020 7377 7608
Website: www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk
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