The Murder of Elizabeth Stride

[Supe]

Chris George is quite right that at one point David Radka took the non de plume "Saddam," but he also adopted the name of the cartoon character "Bullwinkle," revealing a playful side and later, after some Allied successes in Iraq, he took on a patriotic name that I forget.

Yet, the many names only revealed the many facets to Mr. Radka. Perhaps no one was more critical of his posts than I was, yet we also enjoyed each other in the chat room as we discussed baseball and David's greatest passion--fishing.

And, vitriolic as his posts often were, he had a way of softening most of them with good humor. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that he was quite ill for many years, life slowly and knowingly ebbing away, which may account for some of his grouchiness.

Whatever, there is, I think, an even-handed obituary of David in Ripperologist 77 (March 2007) accompanied by a brief, but incisive, explication of the "A?R" theory by Chris George.

Don.

[Tom_Wescott]

A few observations

AP WOLF

Ripperana magazine once published that he was a female Canadian mountain-climber, or something to that effect. None of which was true, but it's funny they thought it was.

TJI/TRACY

Where it's unsettling to watch most people fight on the boards, it's rather adorable to see her claws come out.

THE NELSON BEERHOUSE

If only one source has it listed as 29 Fairclough and half a dozen as 46 Berner, then wouldn't it be safe to suppose the former was in error?

MONTY AND ROB

They have not yet replied to my posts. Considering they're accusing me of slandering not only themselves but at least three or four other people, I would think a reconsideration of my offending post and a thoughtful reply would be in order. Phillip Hutchinson used me as a source in both his talks and his book to qualify his photo as that as Dutfield Yard. The final paragraph of his book gives my thoughts on the identity of the girl in the photo. And yet Monty/Rob want to suggest I'd belittle and dismiss him? Hell, I think the guy is a genius! I was informed that you boys were in London this weekend, and that this is why Monty assumed I was speaking of this particular crowd. Apparently, I was supposed to know this, although I'm not sure how. I'm hardly ever online, and when I visit the Casebook or forums it's primarily for Stride related threads. If there's some thread where you post your agenda, you're welcome to ask Spry if I visited and read that thread.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Rob Clack]

THE NELSON BEERHOUSE

If only one source has it listed as 29 Fairclough and half a dozen as 46 Berner, then wouldn't it be safe to suppose the former was in error?

It's not technically an error. And if the address 29 Fairclough Street pops up again then at least we know what it was referring to.

MONTY AND ROB

They have not yet replied to my posts. Considering they're accusing me of slandering not only themselves but at least three or four other people, I would think a reconsideration of my offending post and a thoughtful reply would be in order. Phillip Hutchinson used me as a source in both his talks and his book to qualify his photo as that as Dutfield Yard. The final paragraph of his book gives my thoughts on the identity of the girl in the photo. And yet Monty/Rob want to suggest I'd belittle and dismiss him? Hell, I think the guy is a genius! I was informed that you boys were in London this weekend, and that this is why Monty assumed I was speaking of this particular crowd. Apparently, I was supposed to know this, although I'm not sure how. I'm hardly ever online, and when I visit the Casebook or forums it's primarily for Stride related threads. If there's some thread where you post your agenda, you're welcome to ask Spry if I visited and read that thread.

Yours truly,

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

[harry]

Now for something new.Doesn't matter what side of the street Pipeman was on,and I have always favoured the yard side same as Tom,it doesn't advance or diminish his ability to approach Stride,supposing that it might have been him that killed her.

[tji]

Hi Tom

TJI/TRACY

Where it's unsettling to watch most people fight on the boards, it's rather adorable to see her claws come out.

Aaaw thank you

But make the most of it lol, it's not very often I get pissed off, normally takes a lot for me to spit my dummy out...

Teej

[robhouse]

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

(In any case I agree, it is not all that important where exactly he was, and we certainly can not know for sure.)
RH

[caz]

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

[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

[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

[Robert]

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

[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]

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]

good humour

Hello Robert. Thanks.

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

Cheers.
LC

[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.

[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.