The Murder of Elizabeth Stride

[Chris]

Wittgenstein was present when Russell and Moore were arguing a point of philosophy. Suddenly Russell broke off from the philosophy and said, "You don't like me, do you, Moore?" Moore thought for a moment and said, "No." And then they continued their discussion as if nothing had happened, leaving Wittgenstein scratching his head.

Funnily enough, Bertrand Russell may have been the first person to have been pestered by a Ripperologist (Dan Farson, in the 1950s) with a letter along the lines of "Did you know a member of your family had been suspected of being Jack the Ripper?" Apparently Russell replied on a postcard: "I am astonished by your suggestion ... and I most emphatically deny it."

[Robert]

Moore on fire? Russell rushes up and says, "You're going to love this, Moore. Here is one bucket of water. (SPLASH) And here is a second. (SPLASH)"

[Natalie Severn]

Robert and Lynn-I think Moore had a great mop of flaming red hair and a big red beard so I bet he set fire to it once or twice if he was that absent minded!
Oh No-that was his brother Sturge!

[lynn cates]

limerick

Hello Robert, Natalie.

Reminds me of a limerick concerning Lord Russell and his tryst with a young co-ed--but I shan't reproduce it here. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[Robert]

I don't know, Nats, but apparently Moore had a habit of continuing his philosophical arguments while lighting his pipe, with the result that his fingers kept getting burnt and his pipe never got lit. I like to think of Moore as Pipeman, standing there in Berner St muttering to himself about philosophy and never getting to light his pipe. Inevitably he runs out of matches and follows Schwartz with the innocent purpose of cadging a light.

[lynn cates]

invention

Hello Jon.

"what was the point of inventing him?"

I have often wondered why, if Schwartz's story were made up, Pipe Man should be included in the cast.

It seems the least bad answer is that, without PM, the SY rejoinder in the midst of the tale would be to stop Schwartz and ask, "If this lad is attacking the lady, why did you not help her out?" But with PM present AND a possible accomplice, there is a ready answer.

Cheers.
LC

[Natalie Severn]

Lynn, I mustn't derail Stride with off topic posts, but here's a quick anecdote I remember (not sure whether it's apocryphal) :

Wittgenstein was present when Russell and Moore were arguing a point of philosophy. Suddenly Russell broke off from the philosophy and said, "You don't like me, do you, Moore?" Moore thought for a moment and said, "No." And then they continued their discussion as if nothing had happened, leaving Wittgenstein scratching his head.

Russell had probably nicked one of his babe's Robert! [like Lady Ottoline Morrell-Private Eye's Lady Utterly Immoral]

[Robert]

Lynn, I mustn't derail Stride with off topic posts, but here's a quick anecdote I remember (not sure whether it's apocryphal) :

Wittgenstein was present when Russell and Moore were arguing a point of philosophy. Suddenly Russell broke off from the philosophy and said, "You don't like me, do you, Moore?" Moore thought for a moment and said, "No." And then they continued their discussion as if nothing had happened, leaving Wittgenstein scratching his head.

[Wickerman]

It is possible that pipeman left the pub, then walked across the street where he then stopped to light his pipe.

Left the doorway you mean?
Apparently Morris Eagle had said that the Beershop on the corner closed about 9 o'clock.
I think if you are prepared to accept this man came from the Nelson doorway (per Star) you have to accept that he also carried a knife.

If the Star are going to go to the trouble of inventing a new location for Pipeman, and placing a murder weapon in his hands, why would this modified story not also present him as the murderer? - but he's not!, so, what was the point of inventing him?

Regards, Jon S.

[lynn cates]

good humour

Hello Robert. Thanks.

Come to think of it, one need not add humour to philosophy--it IS humour.

Cheers.
LC

[Robert]

Lynn, I think that there was another Pythonish philosopher sketch (apart from the football match and the song) and that was by Eric Idle in his Rutland Weekend Television series. I can't remember too much about it, but I think it was "insult a philosopher" and there was something to do with calling Nietzsche a short-sighted little git.

Also on you tube there's a funny sketch with Jonathan Miller and Alan Bennett as two Oxbridge dons. There's some funny stuff too in Miller's version of "Whistle And I'll Come To You," and Tom Stoppard has some good stuff in "Professional Foul."

[lynn cates]

Immanuel Kant was a real . . .

Hello Robert.

"I think David was an admirer of Hegel."

Oh, do behave or I'll sentence you to sing the philosopher's drinking song.

Cheers.
LC

[Robert]

One of my favourite Radka posts ran something like : "Have a very happy birthday, Stephen. PS, your tax return is due."

[Natalie Severn]

Hoorah for Harry (sighed Stride from the other side) heading us back to Berner and not a moment too soon.

One aside though if I may - I do wish people who were not around when David Radka trod the boards would think before talking as though they knew what he was about, especially when they use his name to insult the living. Although he and I disagreed about almost everything to do with the case itself, I found him a kind, gentle and funny man, and we could always rib each other without causing the least offence.

I always wondered if he knew exactly what he was writing when he signed off one of his long theoretical posts with a rather dyslexic:

'Viola!'

It entered our vernacular at home and we use it to this day, which is an immortality of sorts.

But music to most ripperological ears he wasn't.

QED would have been so much more boring and forgettable. And David was neither.

Love,

Caz
X

Thanks Caz.I was thinking exactly the same.David was never boring and I enjoyed his humour and generosity.Although I did not agree with him that the ripper had used a tailor's symbols when inserting cuts on Catherine Eddowes's eyelids, it has led me to wonder whether the ripper was making such tiny nicks to 'close' her eyes so she couldn't see either him or what else he was doing! And if so was he mentally ill in the way Kosminski was and did he know her?
No such fine cuts were observed in Elizabeth Stride's murder but that may simply be because he was disturbed.
Anyway,David was fun and like you I always enjoyed reading his posts.
Besides,David was very chivalrous and always used to tell you and me how much he enjoyed our posts!
Cheers Caz,
Norma

[Tom_Wescott]

A thousand apologies, but perhaps you should have made yourself a bit clearer, as not only Neil assumed you were talking about the London Job, but so did I and several others did as well. And the last posts on this years London Job were only on Monday so it was very easy to assume you were talking about us. Unless there is another group who walk the London Streets I don't know about.

Rob

I can see now why Monty and you thought that (and others, after they were TOLD I was talking about them), but I was using the same purple prose phrase I've used dozens of times, such as in Berner Street Mystery part 2 where I 'walked down Berner Street', or refer to Monty as being in Mitre Square, and regularly as Ripperologists walking the London or East End Streets. In fact, I intended to write East End but it came out London. Not sure that would have made a difference in your interpretation, though. In any event, I had not visited any threads with that information and that can be verified by admin. I can assure you that if I have a particular beef with you, you will hear it from me. I don't communicate with Phillip or John or Mark, so please pass on that i meant no ill will towards them.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott