Francis Thompson. The Perfect Suspect.

[Richard Patterson]

All the books on Francis Thompson but mine, say that the fact that the police may have questioned Thompson as a person of interest in the Jack the Ripper murders is simply a coincidence and nothing more. None of the other books on Thompson even show that Thompson’s editor and literary heir expressed an interest in the Ripper case and sought and gained an audience with the London’s Catholic Archbishop to discus it with. If the police did seek to question this trained surgeon and doctor’s son, he would not be hard to find. The easiest time would have been during the murders with Thompson living in Whitechapel on Crispin Street and especially easy when Mary Kelly was killed. This is because his place was just at the end of the street that she had been murdered. When not at home you could find this lodger crouched in a doorway scribbling notes for part of his confessions that concentrated on story about a knife wielding. Either that or he would only walking nearby streets looking the prostitute who dumped him. All the time he was keeping himself safe from the police who were ‘against him’ with his surgical knife hidden under his long coat. He would have been easy to find too only a few days after the last murder, because within a few days of it he was placed in a hospital. He was exhausted after being up all night dwelling on his prostitute and his murderer.

[Richard Patterson]

The Missing Piece is You. How gullible can we be?

If you are still waiting for the Great piece of hard evidence in the form of DNA evidence, a photo, a police file, then know that some people will slot that ‘proof’ in with faked moon landings or who masterminded September 11.

If you think, the murders cannot ever be solved then fair enough. Continue as you are but I know five women died. If I take an interest in the Ripper murders, I feel it is my duty to at least try solving the unsolvable out of simple respect for Chapman, Eddowes, Kelly, Nichols and Stride otherwise I am just playing with a single piece of the puzzle as if it were all a game.

If you have a different suspect in mind then please do not tell me about him. For what mind more diabolical or gifted in the devil’s luck would you have to surpass Francis Thompson? If your suspect killed so many in a small area, crawling with police, and then walked away into another life, better then Thompson could please keep him to yourself, for I would become afraid.

Apart from the ‘final’ piece of evidence, Thompson has all the most basic perquisites. He had a knife, a revenge fueled motive, operating skills, and he was in Spitafields, living only barely a quarter of an hour away walk to all the murder sites. If tomorrow I find that hard piece of evidence to ‘nail’ him nothing much we know about Thompson would change.

The story goes that he could not have been the Ripper because he hated medical school, that he loved his prostitute friend, and he was too weak and drugged to kill anyone. The story goes that even though, when his prostitute flees in June 1888, he stays on the streets looking for her until October. Reluctant to abandon her and the streets he lingers on homeless in London even though he now has an income as freelance journalist and he is offered accommodation. Finally, to weak go on he is taken to a country monastery to withdraw from his drugs and recover from three homeless years.

That is the official story based Thompson’s own account of what happened to him. It is believed by many to be true. However, it is not true. Because part of that story Thompson tells includes how a ghost saved him from suicide. When Thompson told it and when people wrote it down in his first biographies, people took his word for it. In 1888, spiritualism was at its height. People believed the authenticity of photographs of ghosts, fairies, seances were popular, and even the Ripper was described as a ghoul or bloodsucker. When Thompson, the once aspiring Roman Catholic priest said the ghost of a suicide poet touched and spoke with him, telling Thompson to stop his attempted suicide. People easily believed it as the truth. In 2015, we know this ghost rescue story is fiction. What is irrational is that we discount his ghost story but still accept everything else he said as the truth.
 

I have seen all the other suspects and none of them have as good a reason to kill those women than Thompson. Premeditated murder is hardly an easy choice to make. No other suspect has more motives so soon before the murders to kill these women Thompson’s prostitute ‘lover’ had fled in June 1888. No other suspect so soon after had as much reason to stop. Within a week of the last murder, Thompson was admitted to hospital and shipped 70 kilometers away to live long term in a country monastery. In the same year as the first murder, within the same week as the last while he lived a two-minute walk way from her in Crispin Street Spitafields.

Thompson has more reason to kill these women than any other suspect. All the other suspects are built on circumstantial evidence if at all. None of the others had a reason so soon before to start killing or a reason so soon after to stop. That is why, as one example. Christer Holmgren promotion of Charles Lechmere goes nowhere. It slips because without reason, there is no traction. Lechmere was found alone next to a victim's body. He lied to the police about who he was and what had happened. His routes to work were all right besides or walking distance from each murder. Why does not everyone automatically think he is the Ripper? Because Lechmere, a simple cart-driver had no conceivable reason to start or stop killing. With Thompson, there are reasons, jilted by his prostitute, an autumn in London and then a few days later placed in a hospital. People are looking for 'hard' evidence, while believing Thompson, over me. When he said all he felt was love for the girl who had ran away from him. When after 6 years, in medical school that he registered into each day, where ’High Physical Strength’ was a major course requirement, he said he was weak and hated the sight of blood. When he was found carrying a dissecting scalpel made to cut into flesh people trusted his explanation that it was just so he could shave. Thompson is the same man who told people he was rescued from a suicide attempt by a ghost that touched him and talked to him.

A part of his watertight story has become unglued. When he told about the ghost, Victorian England was in the grip of mass ghost hysteria. When Thompson told that lie, he was certain it would be accepted like everything else in his version of events. People bought the lies around him then as easily as we do now, but because of science, we have caught him out on one. Some people have a suspect other than Thompson. Some people think we will never know who he is, but if you see the only reasonable suspect is him then what can you do about it anyway and if not now, when?

Patterson. Paradox 2015.

[Richard Patterson]

When, in 2009, I sent samples of writing of Francis Thompson’s letters and the ‘Dear Boss’ letter to a forensic document examiner, I had high hopes. I was certain the Francis Thompson, who after his rescue from being a vagrant in 1888m became a journalist and poet had written the Jack the Ripper ‘Dear Boss’ letter.

This is because so much of the letter seems to be about him. In his three years of homelessness 85 to 88. He carried with him a scalpel he boasted was razor sharp. After his rescue and he was sent in early 1889 to a monastery. In his first letter on the top floor of a building in country retreat of a religious order, Thompson was straight to the point,

‘And I want to make a request which looks rather a Luxury, but which I believe to be a necessity in my present position. Can you send me a razor? I shall to shave myself here, I think; & it would of course be saving of expense in the long run. Any kind of razor would do for me, I have shaved with a dissecting scalpel before now. I would solve the difficulty by not shaving at all, if it were possible for me to grow a beard, but repeated experiment has convinced me that the only result of such action is to make me look like an escaped convict…I know this is a very perfunctory letter…there is no cause for uneasiness on that account.’

Thompson who was in London all of 1888, lived during some of the murders the Providence Row night refugee in Spitalfields, Whitechapel. It was in the streets around this East End homeless shelter that the murders occurred. During the time the ‘Dear Boss’ letter was sent Thompson was looking for work as a journalist. He had just been in a breakup that ended a yearlong affair with a working prostitute who dumped him. She had disappeared. If he could not get into the Providence shelter Thompson slept in the Salvation Army’s first homeless shelter newly opened in Limehouse The shelter had narrow wooden boxes for the men to sleep that were covered by a leather apron. Thompson was known to joke about the leather apron, saying it was all the fashion. In the ‘Dear Boss’ letter the Ripper wrote.

‘Dear Boss,
I keep on hearing that the police have caught me but they wont fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits. I am down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now. I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear of me with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with but it went thick like glue and I cant use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope Ha ha. The next job I do I shall clip the ladys ears off and send to the police officers just for jolly wouldn't you. Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work, then give it out straight. My knife's so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get the chance. Good Luck.
Yours truly
Jack the Ripper’

Thompson’s favourite motto was about how being in extreme circumstances led to moderation, 'Every scope by immoderate use turns to restraint.’ The Ripper put it more simply. ‘I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled.’ The Ripper’s only repetition are the words ‘ha ha’. Thompson wrote in the same style and theme as the Ripper. In February 1887 he submitted this unsolicited poem, “The Nightmare of the With Babies,” to a publisher. Here’s some of it.

‘…A lusty knight,
Ha! Ha!…
A rotten mist,
Ha! Ha!…
No one life there,
Ha! Ha!…
'Swiftly he followed her
Ha! Ha!…
Into the fogginess
Ha! Ha!…
Into the fogginess
Ha! Ha!
Lo, she corrupted
Ho! Ho!
Comes there a Death..

Here’s the part where the night rips a woman’s stomach open with a knife.

And its paunch [stomach] was rent
Like a brasted [bursting] drum;
And the blubbered fat
From its belly doth come
It was a stream ran bloodily
Under the wall
O Stream, you cannot run too red…’

Before seeking a document examiner to compare Thompson’s and the ‘Dear Boss’ writing. I travelled to England where I took forensic style photographs of the ‘Dear Boss’ letter at London’s Kew Archives. I was shocked to be told that the writing did not match. In my mind isolating the ‘Dear Boss’ letter to Thompson would have been amazing. The thing is there is no reason why Thompson wrote. But thinking outside of the box maybe Meynell wrote it. Perhaps he suspected that the Ripper might be Thompson. By now Thompson had returned to the streets. By the time the letter had reached the Central News Agency, Meynell through correspondence with Thompson’s family knew his circumstances of homelessness. He also had access to pages of Thompson’s handwriting. The ‘Dear Boss’ letter it might have been the only way to get word out to him. Thompson would have seen from the letter with its references to doctors, hinting to his shelter’s leather, the words that underlined, ha ha, and prostitutes when he had just dramatically ended an affair with one. To finish it off the handwriting looking enough like his for the police to simply blame him for writing it if her were to be caught. If he said it was the Meynell’s they would have simply laughed at his story.

[Richard Patterson]

I think that the letters were probably hoaxes, with the possible exception of the "From Hell" letter. It's worth remembering that during the Yorkshire Ripper enquiry, the West Yorkshire police seemed convinced that the Wearside Jack letters and tapes were perfectly genuine. We now know, of course, that they were a complete hoax, written by a publicity seeker who used library books for inspiration.

To be honest with you. You may be right and you have shown precedent, even if it was antecedent to the Ripper. But if they were hoaxes then be who and why.I believe that the truth hides where the strongest motive lies. If this was the work of journalists and a hoax, why not consider it might have been by Thompson, who after has been connect to the Ripper crimes for half a century. He happened to be a journalist as well as his editor, Meynell. If it were the Central News who created it all they stood to gain was money. FT and WM would have two motives, money and preventing the hangman's noose.

[John G]

I think that the letters were probably hoaxes, with the possible exception of the "From Hell" letter. It's worth remembering that during the Yorkshire Ripper enquiry, the West Yorkshire police seemed convinced that the Wearside Jack letters and tapes were perfectly genuine. We now know, of course, that they were a complete hoax, written by a publicity seeker who used library books for inspiration.

[Richard Patterson]

So when the handwriting analysis was done by some registered experts with a good track record what results did they come up with?

In 2009, I had Mr. Steven Dale of Forensic Document Examiners Pty. Ltd. examine the handwriting of Thompson’s writing and the ‘Dear Boss’ letter to see if the same hand wrote them. He concluded that the, ‘writings are not consistent with being by the same writer’. He said that one limitation to his findings were the writing available for examination was scanned images. He wrote ‘Obviously less of the very fine detail of the writing can be observed from a copy, as distinct from a microscopic examination of an original. Therefore the examiner's opinion is more cautiously expressed accordingly.’

Mr. Dale’s credentials are that he had previously had been a Document Examiner with the Document Examination Section of Tasmania Police for twenty-nine years. His company provided Forensic Document Examination expertise in all Australian States. He has worked for the State, federal and commonwealth police and has been an expert witness and member of the Specialist Advisory Group (S.A.G.) of the Senior Managers of Australian & New Zealand Forensic Laboratories (S.M.A.N.Z.F.L), The Forensic Science Society, and the International Association for Identification. He was a member of the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society. He participated in the foundation of the Australian Society of Forensic Document Examiners, (the A.S.F.D.E) in 1980.

Here is the substance of his report. In it “A“ refers to the Dear Boss letter and “B” refers to Thompsons’ writing.

----
I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The letter " f " tends to have a very narrow upper loop and lower loop with usually a mid-placed 'anti-clockwise buckle' into the start of the connecting stroke to the following letter : whereas
… in the group "B" of writings the letter " f " tended to have a relatively more rounded upper and lower loop and no rounded buckle, just an angular transition into the following connection stroke.

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The letter " g " tends to have a clockwise upper-oval, and traditional lower loop : whereas … in the group "B" of writings the letter " g " features an unusual form of an anti-clockwise upper-oval loop.

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing :
The cursive letter " H " has a more simple narrow upper introductory-loop and lower terminal-loop : whereas
… in the group "B" of writings the cursive letter "H " has a relatively more ornate rounded upper and lower loops.

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing :
The cursive letter " L " has a simple narrow upper introductory-loop and rounded lower- left base-loop : whereas
… in the group "B" of writings the cursive letter "L " has a relatively more broad upper and lower loop-strokes.

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The letter " k " tends to have a short staff, and features a relatively high placed 'buckle' in its right side, and the right leg is near vertical with a rounded hook on its end, descending well below the left-side of this letter : whereas
… in the group "B" of writings the letter " k " tended to have a straight upper right-arm instead, (no 'right-upper buckle'), and tended to have a detached right-leg formation.

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The letter " m " when it is the first letter of the word, tends to commence with a small spur curving in from the left side of this letter leg : whereas
… in the group "B" of writings the corresponding examples of the letter " m " tended to have a very long curved introductory stroke commencing from below its base-line.

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The capital letter " M " commences with a small eyelet curving in from the top of the left-side of this letter's first leg : whereas
… in the group "B" of writings the corresponding examples of the letter " M " tended to commence with substantial curves from the base of the left-side of this letter's first leg.

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The letter " n " when it is the first letter of the word, tends to commence with a small spur curving in from the left side of this letter leg : whereas
… in the group "B" of writings the corresponding examples of the letter " n " tended to have a relatively long convex curved introductory stroke commencing from below the base-line of that letter.

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The letter " p " exhibits an arch formation for the right side of its body : whereas … in the group "B" of writings the corresponding examples of the letter " p " exhibit an oval right side and a tall descender-stroke which extends well above and below that right-side of the body .

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The letter " r " exhibits a cursive style arch formation which descends down the right side of its body : whereas … in the group "B" of writings the corresponding examples of the letter " r " exhibit a concave-curved right-arm .

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The letter "s " is a cursive style which features a sharp retrace of the straight stroke up to its apex, and is habitually detached before and after : whereas
… in the group "B" of writings the corresponding examples of this letter " s " frequently exhibit a distinct anti-clockwise loop formation at the apex, and are usually attached to surrounding letters .

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The letter "t " exhibits a cross-bar which extends habitually only to the right side of its body, and a deep ' U ' shape forming its base : whereas -
… in the group "B" of writings the corresponding variations of the letter " t " exhibit include an extraordinary loop with pointed apex for the staff (sometimes) and a very broad cross-bar which usually extends well out to both sides of the staff.

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The letter "T " exhibits a broad concave top-bar, and a broad ' U ' shape forming its base : whereas -
… in the group "B" of writings the corresponding variations of the letter " T^ " features a complex convex up-curved cross-bar with a substantial loop in its top-right end, and usually a substantial angled loop to the left in its base.

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The small letter " v " has a small narrow body : whereas -
… in the group "B" of writings many corresponding examples of the letter "v " exhibit a very tall decorative right-arm .

I observed that in the 'A' Main hand-writing : -
The cursive capital letter " Y " has a small narrow introductory eyelet leading into the top of its left-arm : whereas -
… in the group "B" of writings the corresponding examples of the letter "Y " exhibit a tall more flamboyantly curved left-arm .’

---

I recently informed Dr. Joseph Rupp, the pathologist who in 1988 in the ‘Criminologist” first proposed that Thompson may be the Ripper. He expressed doubts in the finding and suggested I seek a second opinion. He said he would begin to investigate the handwriting. He very strongly told that we should concentrate not on the handwriting in the envelope but of the written address. He felt that the writer would be more concerned with eligibility of the address to bother hiding his handwriting style. Concerning whether Thompson wrote the Dear Boss letter. I was certain he had, but I now tend to think that Wilfrid Meynell may have arranged for the letter to be written. This is because I do not see a motive for Thompson, (why risk being caught simply to boast about his crimes) but I do see one for Meynell. At the time that the Ripper letter had been delivered to the Central News, Meynell had lost contact with Thompson who had returned to the streets to ‘find his prostitute friend’. If Meynell had wanted to lure Thompson from the streets a letter such as the Dear Boss, which was placed all over London’s streets, would have alerted Thompson that someone knew his game was up and also may have scared him off from committing more murders. If I had the funds, I would almost certainly be sending more samples of Thompson’s writing as well as all parts of the Dear Boss letter to more experts. I wold also include other 'ripper' letters which the police felt were genuine.

[Batman]

So when the handwriting analysis was done by some registered experts with a good track record what results did they come up with?

[GUT]

G'day Richard

No secret, I guess, that you have at times annoyed me with the talk of
his poetry pointing to him, or symbolism or a number of other things.

But I have absolute admiration for the research you are dong.

I am not persuaded, not to say I won't be, but please keep up this type of research it is fascinating and your thoroughness is to be admired.

[Richard Patterson]

Thank you. You are right there are small differences. I have had one expert look at the the handwriting and they also noted the same dissimilarities.

[Pcdunn]

Thanks for looking. The Dear Boss letter was sent when Thompson had temporarily withdrawn from his drug laudanum. The samples of Thompson's writing are all after 1888 when he returned to using. I see some differences in the handwriting, but I don't think you will, just from searching the internet ,find a closer match. I appreciate your observations.

You're welcome, Richard.
At the time I wrote my previous post, I had not seen your samples of individual words between Thompson and the Ripper on the previous page. I see differences in several example words. Thompson's "and" is connected at the "n" and "d", while "Jack the Ripper" wrote the word "and" with the "d" distinctly set apart from the "an" portion of the word.
Slight differences matter in handwriting analysis, so they should not be dismissed. I am no more than an observant amatuer, however, and would recommend that you find a professional document examiner to look these over and give you an opinion.

[Richard Patterson]

I noticed at once that the capital "I" in Thompson's samples does not greatly resemble that in the purported Ripper letter. The crossbar is longer in the former, and shorter in the latter.
Look also at the slant of the letters, and how Thompson's writing seems to reflect a certain wobblieness, perhaps suggesting infirmity or age, while the "Dear Boss" letter seems much firmer and stronger. Even if this indicates Thompson's addiction or poor health as a cosumptive, it is clear that the writer of the Ripper letter did not share these conditions.
Remember that most 19th century handwriting by educated people resembles the standard pattern they were taught, so it is necessary to look beyond superficial similarities.

Thanks for looking. The Dear Boss letter was sent when Thompson had temporarily withdrawn from his drug laudanum. The samples of Thompson's writing are all after 1888 when he returned to using. I see some differences in the handwriting, but I don't think you will, just from searching the internet ,find a closer match. I appreciate your observations.

[Pcdunn]

I noticed at once that the capital "I" in Thompson's samples does not greatly resemble that in the purported Ripper letter. The crossbar is longer in the former, and shorter in the latter.
Look also at the slant of the letters, and how Thompson's writing seems to reflect a certain wobblieness, perhaps suggesting infirmity or age, while the "Dear Boss" letter seems much firmer and stronger. Even if this indicates Thompson's addiction or poor health as a cosumptive, it is clear that the writer of the Ripper letter did not share these conditions.
Remember that most 19th century handwriting by educated people resembles the standard pattern they were taught, so it is necessary to look beyond superficial similarities.

[Richard Patterson]

One more of handwriting comparison. The Dear Boss letter is center and Thompson's handwriting is on each corner.

[Richard Patterson]

More samples of handwriting,

[Richard Patterson]

Hand writing samples.

Side by side photos of parts of the Dear Boss letter (left) and a letter by Francis Thompson (right)