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Hi all,
While perusing jtrforums, I noticed no one answered a valid question from Howard Brown in May 2009, so I will. Here’s the question:
“WHY do we assume without any tangible evidence in any direction...that he was arrested ( as claimed ) in The East End as is alleged for something relative to the WM?
Are we not taking it for granted that this is so?
If he was under surveillence and lived in the West End...who's to say that the men compiling the "large dossier" on him didn't nab him on a West End street instead of actually within the boundaries of the East End for something relative to the WM?
I actually was asking anyone who believes he was arrested for something relative to the WM and hoping for their answer.”
My answer is not really directed towards Howard (he probably already knows the answer), but it’s an opportunity for me to explain that the reason why Tumblety was initially arrested on suspicion is not the same reason why Chief Inspector Littlechild stated he was ‘amongst the suspects.’
To answer the question that Tumblety was arrested on suspicion in the East End: First, Tumblety admitted it in his January 1889 interview with the New York World,
"My arrest came about this way," said he. "I had been going over to England for a long time-ever since 1869, indeed-and I used to go about the city a great deal until every part of it became familiar to me.
I happened to be there when these Whitechapel murders attracted the attention of the whole world, and, in the company with thousands of other people, I went down to the Whitechapel district. I was not dressed in a way to attract attention, I thought, though it afterwards turned out that I did..."
Second, his admission is corroborated by NY World London chief correspondent, E. Tracy Greaves, who sent, over the wire on November 17, the breaking the story about a New Yorker named ‘Kumblety’ being first arrested on suspicion:
He [Sir George Arthur] put on an old shooting coat and a slouch hat and went to Whitechapel for a little fun. He got it. It occurred to two policemen that Sir George answered very much to the popular description of Jack the Ripper. They watched him, and when they saw him talking with a woman they collared him. He protested, expostulated and threatened them with the royal wrath, but in vain…
Another arrest was a man who gave the name of Dr. Kumblety of New York. The police could not hold him on suspicion of the Whitechapel crimes, but he will be committed for trial at the Central Criminal Court under the special law passed soon after the Modern Babylon exposures. The police say this is the man's right name, as proved by letters in his possession; that he is from New York, and that he has been in the habit of crossing the ocean twice a year for several years.
A score of other men have been arrested by the police this week on suspicion of being the murderer, but the right man still roams at large.
The London correspondent did not know it was Francis Tumblety, just a New Yorker, but notice he grouped ‘Kumblety’ with ‘A score of other men’ being arrested on suspicion within the week; including another man with an American slouch hat visiting Whitechapel, Sir George Arthur.
With respect to Tumblety being under investigation prior to the arrest on suspicion, I actually challenge this claim; a claim finding its origins in an interpretation of one newspaper article,
Evening Star, 27 November 1888, MORE ABOUT DR. TWOMBLETY.
From the New York World.
The mysterious Dr. Twomblety, the American arrested in London November 18, suspected of having had some connection with the Whitechapel murders, seems to have figured extensively in Boston, where he is very well known. The same veil of mystery enveloped his private life in that city as everywhere else...
A few years ago the pimple-banishing enterprise was moved to London, where the doctor for a time is said to have made money. It was his queer method of spending his money which first attracted the Scotland Yard detectives to him, and after a slight investigation he was arrested, the idea being that if he were not the Whitechapel fiend, he is a dangerous character, and is not entitled to his liberty.
If the reporter got it right, this arrest was not the initial arrest on suspicion; it was his re-arrest on gross indecency and indecent assault. Note the statement, “the idea being that if he were not the Whitechapel fiend, he is a dangerous character, and is not entitled to his liberty.” This absolutely infers the police had Tumblety in custody before the slight investigation.
Corroborating the claim of a slight investigation prior to his arrest are the dates of gross indecency offenses Tumblety had with the four young men: Albert Fisher, July 27, Arthur Brice, August 31, James Crowley, October 14, and John Doughty, November 2. The claim suggests the slight investigation began in July (hardly a slight investigation, then). Thanks to Howard, we now know the four young men were actually identified by letters in Tumblety’s pocket when he was initially arrested on suspicion. A slight investigation AFTER the discovery of the letters, i.e., after the arrest on suspicion, likely revealed the dates of his young man interludes.
Because there was no slight West End investigation prior to Tumblety’s arrest, combined with his admission he was arrested for the Whitechapel murders in Whitechapel, combined with the reporter reporting on East End arrests, I see no reason to assume he was first arrested on the West End.
There needs to be a big clarification. The reason why Francis Tumblety was initially arrested on suspicion for the Whitechapel murders was not the same reason why he was a significant enough suspect to ‘hold’ him for gross indecency and indecent assault. Tumblety was arrested on suspicion on the streets just like Sir George Arthur and scores of other men were, suspicious behavior on the streets, plus fitting a certain description (American slouch hat in his and Arthur’s case). In other words, the reason why Tumblety was first arrested on suspicion was not the reason why Chief Inspector Littlechild recalled Tumblety as ‘amongst the suspects’. Scotland Yard took Tumblety seriously because of “a fact on record” in the large dossier: “his feelings toward women were remarkable and bitter in the extreme, a fact on record.”
Note how Chief Inspector Littlechild stated it in his letter:
“I never heard of a Dr D. in connection with the Whitechapel murders but amongst the suspects, and to my mind a very likely one, was a Dr. T. (which sounds much like D.) He was an American quack named Tumblety and was at one time a frequent visitor to London and on these occasions constantly brought under the notice of police, there being a large dossier concerning him at Scotland Yard. Although a 'Sycopathia Sexualis' subject he was not known as a 'Sadist' (which the murderer unquestionably was) but his feelings toward women were remarkable and bitter in the extreme, a fact on record. Tumblety was arrested at the time of the murders in connection with unnatural offences and charged at Marlborough Street, remanded on bail, jumped his bail, and got away to Boulogne. He shortly left Boulogne and was never heard of afterwards. It was believed he committed suicide but certain it is that from this time the 'Ripper' murders came to an end.”
I added the complete paragraph for a reason. Many experts today believe the reason why Scotland Yard considered Francis Tumblety a Whitechapel murder suspect was because he was gay; a ridiculous nineteenth century bias that homosexuality was pathological. This is not at all what Littlechild was saying. The reason why he was ‘amongst the suspects’ was his bitter and extreme hatred of women. Littlechild did not say he was ‘amongst the suspects’ because of him being a ‘Sycopathia Sexualis’.
Did Littlechild have a bias against ‘Sycopathia Sexualis’ folk, maybe having the opinion that he was ‘a likely one’ because of it? Who cares! Littlechild was not involved in creating the Whitechapel murder suspect list. Tumblety was already on the suspect list that Littlechild remembered, and he must have been significant enough to remember the guy after 24 years.
So, Francis Tumblety was not a Scotland Yard suspect for the ridiculous reason of being a homosexual, but because of the credible reason of having an extreme hatred of women, plus a few other reasons, such as the fact that he was in London throughout the murders, he was an American wearing a slouch hat like Sir George Arthur, and was a type of doctor likely to have anatomical knowledge.
Sincerely,
Mike
While perusing jtrforums, I noticed no one answered a valid question from Howard Brown in May 2009, so I will. Here’s the question:
“WHY do we assume without any tangible evidence in any direction...that he was arrested ( as claimed ) in The East End as is alleged for something relative to the WM?
Are we not taking it for granted that this is so?
If he was under surveillence and lived in the West End...who's to say that the men compiling the "large dossier" on him didn't nab him on a West End street instead of actually within the boundaries of the East End for something relative to the WM?
I actually was asking anyone who believes he was arrested for something relative to the WM and hoping for their answer.”
My answer is not really directed towards Howard (he probably already knows the answer), but it’s an opportunity for me to explain that the reason why Tumblety was initially arrested on suspicion is not the same reason why Chief Inspector Littlechild stated he was ‘amongst the suspects.’
To answer the question that Tumblety was arrested on suspicion in the East End: First, Tumblety admitted it in his January 1889 interview with the New York World,
"My arrest came about this way," said he. "I had been going over to England for a long time-ever since 1869, indeed-and I used to go about the city a great deal until every part of it became familiar to me.
I happened to be there when these Whitechapel murders attracted the attention of the whole world, and, in the company with thousands of other people, I went down to the Whitechapel district. I was not dressed in a way to attract attention, I thought, though it afterwards turned out that I did..."
Second, his admission is corroborated by NY World London chief correspondent, E. Tracy Greaves, who sent, over the wire on November 17, the breaking the story about a New Yorker named ‘Kumblety’ being first arrested on suspicion:
He [Sir George Arthur] put on an old shooting coat and a slouch hat and went to Whitechapel for a little fun. He got it. It occurred to two policemen that Sir George answered very much to the popular description of Jack the Ripper. They watched him, and when they saw him talking with a woman they collared him. He protested, expostulated and threatened them with the royal wrath, but in vain…
Another arrest was a man who gave the name of Dr. Kumblety of New York. The police could not hold him on suspicion of the Whitechapel crimes, but he will be committed for trial at the Central Criminal Court under the special law passed soon after the Modern Babylon exposures. The police say this is the man's right name, as proved by letters in his possession; that he is from New York, and that he has been in the habit of crossing the ocean twice a year for several years.
A score of other men have been arrested by the police this week on suspicion of being the murderer, but the right man still roams at large.
The London correspondent did not know it was Francis Tumblety, just a New Yorker, but notice he grouped ‘Kumblety’ with ‘A score of other men’ being arrested on suspicion within the week; including another man with an American slouch hat visiting Whitechapel, Sir George Arthur.
With respect to Tumblety being under investigation prior to the arrest on suspicion, I actually challenge this claim; a claim finding its origins in an interpretation of one newspaper article,
Evening Star, 27 November 1888, MORE ABOUT DR. TWOMBLETY.
From the New York World.
The mysterious Dr. Twomblety, the American arrested in London November 18, suspected of having had some connection with the Whitechapel murders, seems to have figured extensively in Boston, where he is very well known. The same veil of mystery enveloped his private life in that city as everywhere else...
A few years ago the pimple-banishing enterprise was moved to London, where the doctor for a time is said to have made money. It was his queer method of spending his money which first attracted the Scotland Yard detectives to him, and after a slight investigation he was arrested, the idea being that if he were not the Whitechapel fiend, he is a dangerous character, and is not entitled to his liberty.
If the reporter got it right, this arrest was not the initial arrest on suspicion; it was his re-arrest on gross indecency and indecent assault. Note the statement, “the idea being that if he were not the Whitechapel fiend, he is a dangerous character, and is not entitled to his liberty.” This absolutely infers the police had Tumblety in custody before the slight investigation.
Corroborating the claim of a slight investigation prior to his arrest are the dates of gross indecency offenses Tumblety had with the four young men: Albert Fisher, July 27, Arthur Brice, August 31, James Crowley, October 14, and John Doughty, November 2. The claim suggests the slight investigation began in July (hardly a slight investigation, then). Thanks to Howard, we now know the four young men were actually identified by letters in Tumblety’s pocket when he was initially arrested on suspicion. A slight investigation AFTER the discovery of the letters, i.e., after the arrest on suspicion, likely revealed the dates of his young man interludes.
Because there was no slight West End investigation prior to Tumblety’s arrest, combined with his admission he was arrested for the Whitechapel murders in Whitechapel, combined with the reporter reporting on East End arrests, I see no reason to assume he was first arrested on the West End.
There needs to be a big clarification. The reason why Francis Tumblety was initially arrested on suspicion for the Whitechapel murders was not the same reason why he was a significant enough suspect to ‘hold’ him for gross indecency and indecent assault. Tumblety was arrested on suspicion on the streets just like Sir George Arthur and scores of other men were, suspicious behavior on the streets, plus fitting a certain description (American slouch hat in his and Arthur’s case). In other words, the reason why Tumblety was first arrested on suspicion was not the reason why Chief Inspector Littlechild recalled Tumblety as ‘amongst the suspects’. Scotland Yard took Tumblety seriously because of “a fact on record” in the large dossier: “his feelings toward women were remarkable and bitter in the extreme, a fact on record.”
Note how Chief Inspector Littlechild stated it in his letter:
“I never heard of a Dr D. in connection with the Whitechapel murders but amongst the suspects, and to my mind a very likely one, was a Dr. T. (which sounds much like D.) He was an American quack named Tumblety and was at one time a frequent visitor to London and on these occasions constantly brought under the notice of police, there being a large dossier concerning him at Scotland Yard. Although a 'Sycopathia Sexualis' subject he was not known as a 'Sadist' (which the murderer unquestionably was) but his feelings toward women were remarkable and bitter in the extreme, a fact on record. Tumblety was arrested at the time of the murders in connection with unnatural offences and charged at Marlborough Street, remanded on bail, jumped his bail, and got away to Boulogne. He shortly left Boulogne and was never heard of afterwards. It was believed he committed suicide but certain it is that from this time the 'Ripper' murders came to an end.”
I added the complete paragraph for a reason. Many experts today believe the reason why Scotland Yard considered Francis Tumblety a Whitechapel murder suspect was because he was gay; a ridiculous nineteenth century bias that homosexuality was pathological. This is not at all what Littlechild was saying. The reason why he was ‘amongst the suspects’ was his bitter and extreme hatred of women. Littlechild did not say he was ‘amongst the suspects’ because of him being a ‘Sycopathia Sexualis’.
Did Littlechild have a bias against ‘Sycopathia Sexualis’ folk, maybe having the opinion that he was ‘a likely one’ because of it? Who cares! Littlechild was not involved in creating the Whitechapel murder suspect list. Tumblety was already on the suspect list that Littlechild remembered, and he must have been significant enough to remember the guy after 24 years.
So, Francis Tumblety was not a Scotland Yard suspect for the ridiculous reason of being a homosexual, but because of the credible reason of having an extreme hatred of women, plus a few other reasons, such as the fact that he was in London throughout the murders, he was an American wearing a slouch hat like Sir George Arthur, and was a type of doctor likely to have anatomical knowledge.
Sincerely,
Mike