The Jack the Ripper Mystery is Finally Solved — Scientifically

[Lewis C]

The original version of the Royal Conspiracy had Anderson instead Sickert.

OK, Thanks!

[The Rookie Detective]

Just thought I’d post a rough ‘Thompson Timeline’ based on Walsh.

November 8th 1885 - There is a falling out between Thompson and his father with various possible reasons being suggested - his father accusing him of being a drunkard because of his flushed appearance (though we now know that this was due to drugs) - his father finding out about his drug habit - his father finding that Francis had been stealing from his stock of laudanum - Francis being unhappy about his father’s upcoming second marriage - or maybe a combination. Thompson left for London on foot.

November 15th 1885 - This is John Walsh’s estimated time of Thompson’s arrival in London. One of the first things that he did was to write to his sister Mary giving the address of a reading room in the Strand so that his father could send his allowance of seven shillings a week. He soon found work as a collector at a bookstore but this didn’t last long.

The first half of 1886 - Thompson is surviving on his allowance and whatever odd jobs he can pick up. He is still using opium. Thompson, at some point, began to use the Guildhall Library but was eventually asked to leave because he was so poorly dressed. He spent some time in galleries and museums.

July 1886 - Walsh suggests that it is perhaps likely that Thompson was living entirely on the streets by this time and spending most of whatever money that he received on drugs.

Early August 1886 - Thompson meets John McMaster who owned a boot shop just off Leicester Square. He was a religious man who often helped those in need. He saw Thompson (possibly while he was trying to sell matches but the exact circumstances are unknown) After contacting the Ashton police to confirm his good background he gave Francis a job learning the trade, had him examined by a doctor, bought him new clothes, arranged his daily food and found him a room in Southampton Row. He even attempted a family reconciliation. Thompson was still writing at this time.

Around mid-January 1887 - McMaster let Thompson go as his drug taking began to affect his work. He tried to get him to stop taking them but to no avail.

On 23rd February 1887 - Thompson sends a packet of manuscripts to a Catholic monthly called Merry England, edited by Wilfrid Meynell. He gave his return address as Poste Restante at Charing Cross Post Office but by the time that a reply arrived Thompson had disappeared. At around this time Walsh believes that Thompson was on the streets.

Around mid 1887 - According to the niece of Thompson’s father’s second wife his father and new bride went to London to look for Francis after they had been married on April 27th.

Around mid-June 1887 - Wilfrid Meynell finally gets around to reading Thompson’s submission. He sends a letter to the address given by Thompson.

- Walsh has Thompson living among the city’s “drifting horde of derelicts.” Thompson later spoke of a time when hunger and homelessness invested his life with “unspeakable misery.” He published no specific recollections of those days. He slept in doorways, on benches by the Thames or even under the arches of the bridges.

Late Summer 1887 - This is the time that Walsh believes the approximate time that Thompson might have met his prostitute girlfriend and that he lived with her at least intermittently.

September/October 1887 - Meynell’s letter to Thompson is returned to him undelivered.

Early 1888 - Thompson bought a large amount of laudanum and intended to commit suicide somewhere behind Covent Garden but he saw in his mind the image of the poet Chatterton so he didn’t go through with it.

End of March 1888 - Thompson is informed by a priest that one of his poems has been published in Merry England.

April 14th 1888 - Thompson writes to Meynell giving a return address of a chemist in Drury Lane.

Mid-May 1888 - Thompson and Meynell meet for the first time at Meynell’s office. Thompson reveals nothing of his background or circumstances.

June/July 1888 - Thompson continues to visit Meynell at his office and even at his home (where he persuaded Thompson to take a bath.

Around August/September 1888 - Thompson is searching for his friend.

Possibly around mid-October - Thompson has accepted that she had gone for good. Around this time Thompson was seen by a doctor. He was near total physical collapse exacerbated by his drug use. He was admitted to a private hospital to help him recover and to wean him off drugs.

Around December 1888 - Thompson was out of hospital and living in lodgings (probably in Paddington according to Walsh) but visiting the Meynell’s almost every day.

Around the beginning of 1889 - Thompson relapses.

February 1889 - Thompson arrives at the Priory of Our Lady of England in Storrington, near Kithurst Hill on the South Downs in Sussex.

March 1890 - Thompson returned to London.

Excellent Herlock


We also know that Thompson spent some time living in Kilburn/Maida Vale/Paddington/City of Westminster area of London.

He had several addresses at various times all within a relatively small geographical radius.

He certainly attended various Catholic establishments in and around that area (and further away across London), as well as frequenting the pubs around Kilburn.

It seems that he was based in West London shortly before his death in 1907.

There doesn't seem to be any direct link to the East End; although it's reasonable to assume that he visited the Catholic churches all over London at some point.

The image of a "slight" framed man shuffling along quickly in his distinct brown ulster, and carrying his worn sachel, whilst avoiding not speaking to anyone, is perhaps indicative of a man suffering from the ills of uncontrollable drug use.

Unless he was like Mr Hyde, then it's difficult to imagine him overpowering anyone.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Excellent Herlock


We also know that Thompson spent some time living in Kilburn/Maida Vale/Paddington/City of Westminster area of London.

He had several addresses at various times all within a relatively small geographical radius.

He certainly attended various Catholic establishments in and around that area (and further away across London), as well as frequenting the pubs around Kilburn.

It seems that he was based in West London shortly before his death in 1907.

There doesn't seem to be any direct link to the East End; although it's reasonable to assume that he visited the Catholic churches all over London at some point.

The image of a "slight" framed man shuffling along quickly in his distinct brown ulster, and carrying his worn sachel, whilst avoiding not speaking to anyone, is perhaps indicative of a man suffering from the ills of uncontrollable drug use.

Unless he was like Mr Hyde, then it's difficult to imagine him overpowering anyone.

The only thing that tells us that he was ever in the East End appears to be the article that he wrote in which he mentioned seeing the men queueing outside the Providence Row Refuge. We don’t know when this occurred so it may well have been before the murders. It’s also, of course, not evidence of staying in the East End. I saw The Ritz recently but I didn’t stay there. We have no evidence that he stayed there and yet, from these facts, Richard states as a fact the Thompson was living within a 100 yards of the murder sites at the time of the murders. What also has to be factored in is that Thompson’s friend was a West End prostitute and the only thing that we know about her is that she lived somewhere in Chelsea. So if Thompson was searching for her it would have made far more sense for him to have searched the West End (a daunting task) It’s not impossible that he might have tried the East End after having no success or after receiving a tip but this would be speculation as we have no reason to believe so.

You rightly mention Thompson’s physical condition which was never robust and was made much worse by his rough sleeping, his poor diet and his drug addiction. By around early October when he was examined by a doctor he was in a state of near total physical collapse and was sent to a hospital to recover. A condition like that doesn’t come on over night so this means that all through the period of the first four murders Thompson was in extremely poor health, almost certainly malnourished, under the influence of drugs, ragged, unwashed and unclean and focused on one thing only - persuading his friend to come back.

One final short point RD about this woman. Richard tries to paint a picture of an angry Thompson scouring the East End searching for this woman that betrayed him intent on murder and committing other murders along the way. This, in absolutely no way, accords with what we know about a man who committed not one single recorded act of violence in his life. He wrote about that woman in later life and it was made clear that he bore her absolutely no ill will. Only fondness and affection. Even years later he spoke wistfully of wishing that he could see her again. No one that knew him ever mentioned Thompson displaying an anger or resentment toward her after she had left. So Richard has to resort to poetry. To fiction.

Francis Thompson was no killer.