Meet the Richardsons

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

Echo, Sunday 16th September 1888.



Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

Leather Apron

Hello Simon. Nice find.

There were many reports about Leather Apron and a good many agreed in their descriptions. This one sounds not unlike the Fiddymont sighting.

Cheers.
LC

[Adam Went]

Yes, thanks for that, Simon. Interesting also that Mrs. Richardson was concerned about the reputation of the house....hmm...

Cheers,
Adam.

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

In Richard Patterson's book citing poet Francis Thompson as the "Ripper" he mentioned that Mrs Richardson's religious meetings at 29 Hanbury Street were of a Millenarist nature.

As Anderson and Monro were also of this religious persuasion my ears naturally pricked up, and so I contacted Mr Patterson for clarification.

Unfortunately, however, he was unable to tell me how he had come by this information, and I therefore feel we can safely leave this tantalising detail out of any equations.

Regarding the Echo report, it's interesting that John Richardson's encounter with the "rough, demented-looking fellow" many local women thought was the "real Leather Apron" took place just a couple of days after John Piser had been vindicated at the Chapman inquest.

Regards,

Simon

[Roy Corduroy]

In Richard Patterson's book citing poet Francis Thompson as the "Ripper" he mentioned that Mrs Richardson's religious meetings at 29 Hanbury Street were of a Millenarist nature.

As Anderson and Monro were also of this religious persuasion my ears naturally pricked up, and so I contacted Mr Patterson for clarification.

Unfortunately, however, he was unable to tell me how he had come by this information, and I therefore feel we can safely leave this tantalising detail out of any equations.

Good morning Simon,

This is the author who began his book by writing "St Marys Catholic Church gave Whitechapel its name." Which is incorrect, it is not a catholic church. Snce his theory has religous overtones, the "sanctuary" bit and all, I sort of wondered - how could he get such a basic fact wrong? In any case, thank you for contacting him.

Regarding the Echo report, it's interesting that John Richardson's encounter with the "rough, demented-looking fellow" many local women thought was the "real Leather Apron" took place just a couple of days after John Piser had been vindicated at the Chapman inquest.

That was an interesting part. Well after all, Piser was cleared. There seemed to be "another" Leather Apron about. The real one.

Thanks again,

Roy

[lynn cates]

Leather Apron

Hello Simon and Roy. I would suggest that "Leather Apron" as a nickname be viewed like "Cookie' or "Barbeque" as a nickname for a ship's cook. It was likely a bit more common than we imagine and likely applied to at least a few of the inhabitants of Whitechapel.

He probably wore his leather apron on at least some of his forays from home. I am especially interested in his behaviour and his demented looking eyes.

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

I have to be careful here just in case anyone plays the "crazed conspiracist" card on me, but I think you'll agree there is more about the Whitechapel murders that defies logic rather than reinforcing it.

A case in point is the Leather Apron story first aired in the New York Times and subsequently taken up by the Star [Harry Jackson Wells Dam worked for both newspapers].

We are led to believe that HJWD conjured this story out of thin air to boost circulation. How is it, then, that a great number of details in his mythical Leather Apron story actually matched those of John Piser?

The HJWD myth tells us that the sub-human Leather Apron was a slippermaker.

John Pizer was a shoemaker.

The HJWD myth tells us that Leather Apron was Jewish.

John Pizer was Jewish.

The HJWD myth tells us that Leather Apron was as well known in the West End of London as he was in Whitechapel.

John Pizer had also lived in a lodging house in Peter Street [Soho], Westminster.

The HJWD myth tells us that Leather Apron was five feet four or five inches in height.

John Pizer was of medium height.

What are the chances of HJWD getting such a string of coincidental details right?

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

conflation

Hello Simon. Is it at all possible that the residents of Whitechapel (and subsequently the myth) were conflating 2 or more persons under the same rubric?

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

Is it also possible that, somehow, HJWD wrote his Leather Apron story with John Piser specifically in mind?

If so, then this deserves our closest attention.

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

Pizer

Hello Simon. Are you suggesting, perhaps, that the article was written (which included many facts about Pizer), but which was influenced by a real lunatic who stalked about Whitechapel?

Now THAT I can easily buy into. If not for the black hair (a rather obvious reference to Pizer) I can think of one lunatic who matches the description by Richardson's reporter, who definitely made the rounds of Whitechapel.

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

I am suggesting that perhaps the articles (which included many facts about Pizer), were written to create the notion of a lunatic who stalked Whitechapel. Odd, don't you think, that for such a potentially mad and dangerous knife-wielding character, allegedly known and feared by many of the local harlotry, that there was not a sniff of him in the newspapers at any time before HJWD's story?

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

JI

Hello Simon. I see what you mean. Of course, sometimes, locals keep things local.

I have often wondered why the police were not watching Jacob Isenschmid, given he had been wandering about for a month or two. I guess, in a way, they did since he was found over on the Caledonian road and remanded. Perhaps he was regarded as a harmless lunatic by the police? But, I daresay, at least one or two of the stories attributed to Leather Apron, were a conflation with Isenschmidt.

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

You're quite right. Lots of people throughout the WM fancied themselves having had a close encounter with the mythical phantom menace. Leather Apron eventually morphed into Jack the Ripper and the whole shebang became a self-perpetuating myth. It's hard to understand the police strategy in all of this. They appeared to be working on the principle that if they arrested enough people one of them must turn out to be the killer.

Interesting, too, that H Divison and Scotland Yard could boast well in excess of 40 Inspectors, yet from the files and newspaper reports we can only account for the activities of a mere handful.

I've often wondered what the rest of them were doing throughout the WM. Obviously something more important.

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

moonlighting

Hello Simon.

"I've often wondered what the rest of them were doing throughout the WM. Obviously something more important."

Well, there is a suggestion, reported by Butterworth, that some may have been moonlighting for Pyotr Rachcovsky after he went to London in the summer of 1888 to open up an Okhrana branch office with Wladyslav Milewski.

Of course, there is also that letter from Rachcovsky implicating Melville of SB. Melville, however, denied it.

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

Now you're talking.

It sure beats all that Kosminski musta dun it cuz Robert 'only the truth drips from my lips' Anderson said so.

That particular train has left the station.

Regards,

Simon