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The article below says that when Tumbley was arrested in London the police, failing to find enough evidence to charge him in connection with the Whitechapel murders, charged him with another offence decribed as follows:
"The police, being unable to procure the necessary evidence against him in connection therewith, decided to hold him for trial for another offence against a statute which was passed shortly after the publication in the Pall Mall Gazette of "The Maiden Tribute," and as a direct consequence thereof Dr Tumblety was committed for trial and liberated on bail, two gentlemen coming forward to act as bondsmen in the amount of £300."
I assume that this is an oblique reference to the chrges of gross indecency with which Tumblety was charged, but does any one know details of "The Maiden Tribute"
Grey River Argus (New Zealand)
25 February 1889
IS THIS THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERER?
AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSONAGE
A man calling himself Dr Tumblety was arrested some time ago in London on
suspicion of being concerned in the perpetration of the Whitechapel
murders. The police, being unable to procure the necessary evidence
against him in connection therewith, decided to hold him for trial for
another offence against a statute which was passed shortly after the
publication in the Pall Mall Gazette of "The Maiden Tribute," and as a
direct consequence thereof Dr Tumblety was committed for trial and
liberated on bail, two gentlemen coming forward to act as bondsmen in the
amount of £300. The last seen of him was at Havre, and it is taken for
granted that he had sailed for New York. The man is declared by U.S.
papers to be well known for his eccentricities. William P Burr, of No 320
Broadway, speaking of the man, said:-
"The English authorities, who are now telegraphing for samples of his
writing from San Francisco, ought to get them in any city of Europe. I
had a big batch of letters sent by him to the young man Lyon, and they
were the most amusing farrago of illiterate nonsense. Here is one written
from the West. He never failed to warn his correspondent against lewd
women, and in doing it used the most shocking language. I do not know how
he made his money. My own idea of the Whitechapel case is that it would
be just such a thing as Tumblety would be concerned in; but he might get
one of his victims to do the work, for once he had a young man under his
control he seemed to be able to do anything with the victim."
Col. C.A. Dunham, a well known lawyer, who lives near Fairview, N.I., was
intimately acquainted with Tumblety for many years, and in his own mind
has long connected him with the Whitechpel horrors. "The man's real
name," said the lawyer, "is Tumblety, with Francis for a Christian name.
I have here a book published by him a number of years ago, describing
some of his strange adventures and wonderful cures - all lies, of course
- in which the name of 'Francis Tumblety M.D.' appears. When, to my
knowledge of the man's history, his idiosyncracies, his revolting
practices, his antipathy to women (and especially fallen women), his
anatomical museum, containing many specimens like those carved from the
Whitechapel victims - when, to my knowledge on these subjects, there is
added the fact of his arrest on suspicion of being the murderer, there
appears to be nothing improbable in the suggestion that Tumblety is the
culprit. He is not a doctor. A more arrant charlatan and quack never
fattened on the hopes and fears of afflicted humanity. I first made the
fellow's acquaintance a few days after the first battle of Bull Run. The
fellow was everywhere. I never saw anything so nearly approaching
ubiquity. Go where you would, to any of the hotels, to the war Department
or the Navy Yard, you were sure to find the 'doctor.' He had no business
in either place, but he went there to impress the officers whom he would
meet. He professed to have had an extensive experience in European
hospitals and armies, and claimed to have diplomas from the foremost
medical colleges of the Old World and the New. At length it was whispered
about that he was an adventurer. One day my Lieutenant Colonel and myself
accepted the 'doctor's' invitation to a late dinner - symposium, he
called it - at his rooms. He had very cosy and tastefully furnished
quarters in, I believe, H. Street. Some one asked him why he had not
invited some women to his dinner. His face instantly became as black as a
thunder cloud. He had a pack of cards in his hand, but he laid them down
and said, almost savagely,:
No, Colonel, I don't know any such cattle, and if I did I would, as your
friend, sooner give you a dose of quick poison than take you into such
danger. He then broke into a homily on the sin and folly of dissipation,
fiercely denounced all women and especially fallen women. Then he invited
us into his office where he illustrated his lecture, so to speak. One
side of this room was entirely occupied with cases, outwardly resembling
wardrobes. When the doors were opened quite a museum was revealed - tiers
of shelves with glass jars and cases, some round and others square,
filled with all sorts of anatomical specimens. The 'doctor' placed on the
table a dozen or more jars containing, as he said, the matrices of every
class of women. Nearly a half of one of these cases was occupied
exclusively with these specimens. Not long after this the 'doctor' was in
my room when my Lieutenant Colonel came in and commenced expiating on the
charms of a certain woman. In a moment, almost, the 'doctor' was
lecturing him and denouncing women. When he was asked why he hated women,
he said that when quite a young man he fell desperately in love with a
pretty girl, rather his senior, who promised to reciprocate his
affection. After a brief courtship he married her. The honeymoon was not
over when he noticed a disposition on the part of his wife to flirt with
other men. He remonstrated, she kissed him, called him a dear jealous
fool - and he believed her. Happening one day to pass in a cab through
the worst part of the town he saw his wife and a man enter a gloomy
looking house. Then he learned that before her marriage his wife had been
an inmate of that and many similar houses. Then he gave up all womankind.
Shortly after telling the story the 'doctor's' real character became
known and he slipped away to St Louis where he was arrested for wearing
the uniform of an army surgeon. Tumblety would do almost anything under
heaven for notoriety, and although his notoriety in Washington was of a
kind to turn people from him, it brought some to him."
(In the light of the recent cable news from Nicaragua and Jamaica
reporting a number of murders very like in their details those committed
in Whitechapel, it does seem that the writer of the foregoing article has
hit upon the real Whitechapel murderer. The clue that is here afforded
should undoubtedly be followed up. No trouble or expense should be spared
in endeavoring to unearth so sanguinary a mixture of the miscreant and
monomaniac.)
"The police, being unable to procure the necessary evidence against him in connection therewith, decided to hold him for trial for another offence against a statute which was passed shortly after the publication in the Pall Mall Gazette of "The Maiden Tribute," and as a direct consequence thereof Dr Tumblety was committed for trial and liberated on bail, two gentlemen coming forward to act as bondsmen in the amount of £300."
I assume that this is an oblique reference to the chrges of gross indecency with which Tumblety was charged, but does any one know details of "The Maiden Tribute"
Grey River Argus (New Zealand)
25 February 1889
IS THIS THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERER?
AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSONAGE
A man calling himself Dr Tumblety was arrested some time ago in London on
suspicion of being concerned in the perpetration of the Whitechapel
murders. The police, being unable to procure the necessary evidence
against him in connection therewith, decided to hold him for trial for
another offence against a statute which was passed shortly after the
publication in the Pall Mall Gazette of "The Maiden Tribute," and as a
direct consequence thereof Dr Tumblety was committed for trial and
liberated on bail, two gentlemen coming forward to act as bondsmen in the
amount of £300. The last seen of him was at Havre, and it is taken for
granted that he had sailed for New York. The man is declared by U.S.
papers to be well known for his eccentricities. William P Burr, of No 320
Broadway, speaking of the man, said:-
"The English authorities, who are now telegraphing for samples of his
writing from San Francisco, ought to get them in any city of Europe. I
had a big batch of letters sent by him to the young man Lyon, and they
were the most amusing farrago of illiterate nonsense. Here is one written
from the West. He never failed to warn his correspondent against lewd
women, and in doing it used the most shocking language. I do not know how
he made his money. My own idea of the Whitechapel case is that it would
be just such a thing as Tumblety would be concerned in; but he might get
one of his victims to do the work, for once he had a young man under his
control he seemed to be able to do anything with the victim."
Col. C.A. Dunham, a well known lawyer, who lives near Fairview, N.I., was
intimately acquainted with Tumblety for many years, and in his own mind
has long connected him with the Whitechpel horrors. "The man's real
name," said the lawyer, "is Tumblety, with Francis for a Christian name.
I have here a book published by him a number of years ago, describing
some of his strange adventures and wonderful cures - all lies, of course
- in which the name of 'Francis Tumblety M.D.' appears. When, to my
knowledge of the man's history, his idiosyncracies, his revolting
practices, his antipathy to women (and especially fallen women), his
anatomical museum, containing many specimens like those carved from the
Whitechapel victims - when, to my knowledge on these subjects, there is
added the fact of his arrest on suspicion of being the murderer, there
appears to be nothing improbable in the suggestion that Tumblety is the
culprit. He is not a doctor. A more arrant charlatan and quack never
fattened on the hopes and fears of afflicted humanity. I first made the
fellow's acquaintance a few days after the first battle of Bull Run. The
fellow was everywhere. I never saw anything so nearly approaching
ubiquity. Go where you would, to any of the hotels, to the war Department
or the Navy Yard, you were sure to find the 'doctor.' He had no business
in either place, but he went there to impress the officers whom he would
meet. He professed to have had an extensive experience in European
hospitals and armies, and claimed to have diplomas from the foremost
medical colleges of the Old World and the New. At length it was whispered
about that he was an adventurer. One day my Lieutenant Colonel and myself
accepted the 'doctor's' invitation to a late dinner - symposium, he
called it - at his rooms. He had very cosy and tastefully furnished
quarters in, I believe, H. Street. Some one asked him why he had not
invited some women to his dinner. His face instantly became as black as a
thunder cloud. He had a pack of cards in his hand, but he laid them down
and said, almost savagely,:
No, Colonel, I don't know any such cattle, and if I did I would, as your
friend, sooner give you a dose of quick poison than take you into such
danger. He then broke into a homily on the sin and folly of dissipation,
fiercely denounced all women and especially fallen women. Then he invited
us into his office where he illustrated his lecture, so to speak. One
side of this room was entirely occupied with cases, outwardly resembling
wardrobes. When the doors were opened quite a museum was revealed - tiers
of shelves with glass jars and cases, some round and others square,
filled with all sorts of anatomical specimens. The 'doctor' placed on the
table a dozen or more jars containing, as he said, the matrices of every
class of women. Nearly a half of one of these cases was occupied
exclusively with these specimens. Not long after this the 'doctor' was in
my room when my Lieutenant Colonel came in and commenced expiating on the
charms of a certain woman. In a moment, almost, the 'doctor' was
lecturing him and denouncing women. When he was asked why he hated women,
he said that when quite a young man he fell desperately in love with a
pretty girl, rather his senior, who promised to reciprocate his
affection. After a brief courtship he married her. The honeymoon was not
over when he noticed a disposition on the part of his wife to flirt with
other men. He remonstrated, she kissed him, called him a dear jealous
fool - and he believed her. Happening one day to pass in a cab through
the worst part of the town he saw his wife and a man enter a gloomy
looking house. Then he learned that before her marriage his wife had been
an inmate of that and many similar houses. Then he gave up all womankind.
Shortly after telling the story the 'doctor's' real character became
known and he slipped away to St Louis where he was arrested for wearing
the uniform of an army surgeon. Tumblety would do almost anything under
heaven for notoriety, and although his notoriety in Washington was of a
kind to turn people from him, it brought some to him."
(In the light of the recent cable news from Nicaragua and Jamaica
reporting a number of murders very like in their details those committed
in Whitechapel, it does seem that the writer of the foregoing article has
hit upon the real Whitechapel murderer. The clue that is here afforded
should undoubtedly be followed up. No trouble or expense should be spared
in endeavoring to unearth so sanguinary a mixture of the miscreant and
monomaniac.)
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