Ripper Confidential by Tom Wescott (2017)

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

Diemschutz being Stride's killer is as farfetched as Lechmere being Nichols' killer.

In real life, innocent people really do find murder victims.

In crime fiction and books about the Whitechapel murders, it's a different story.

[Scott Nelson]

...or Jacob Issenschmid killed Nichols and Chapman.

[Lewis C]

Hi Tom. I'm in the process of reading Ripper Confidential, and I'm finding it an interesting and usually convincing book that is causing me to consider things about the case that I hadn't previously considered.

Last night, I read part of the book that considered the question of who might have killed Stride if JtR didn't. (Like you, I think that Stride was a JtR victim.) I didn't read the whole section, so I might have missed it, but I don't think that you discussed the possibility of Louis Diemshutz as her killer. If so, is this because you believe he's less likely to be her killer than any of the other people you discussed?

I don't have any one person that I consider the clear top suspect, but rather there are several men that I think are all viable suspects. So for me, another possibility is that one of my suspects was JtR, and another killed Stride. For example, maybe Jacob Levy was JtR, but George Chapman killed Stride. Or maybe George Hutchinson was JtR, but William Bury killed Stride. I think I remember seeing a dissertation on this web site that argues that Francis Tumblety was JtR, but Aaron Kosminski killed Stride.

Again, all of this is if JtR didn't kill Stride, but I think that he probably did.

[Tom_Wescott]

None of your books are "typical", Tom. That's what makes them such interesting reads.

Thanks, Gareth. That means a lot coming from you.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Tom_Wescott]

Why, thank you for that, Mr. Barnett.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[MrBarnett]

I must admit I thought I detected a shadowy Grand-like figure behind the Tabram murder and the 'framing' of Pizer in TBHM: someone who read the Times, carried a swordstick and could write an anonymous letter in decent English to the press. Someone of a higher social class than that brute Daniel Sullivan. I thought Tom even gave him a name: Shadow Man.

Was my imagination playing tricks on me?

Tom's work is always 'typically Tom', and none the worse for that. Most of the other Ripper suspect/theory books I have bought in recent years warrant only one read and are then consigned to the bookshelf to gather dust. Tom's books are always worth a second, third, fourth... read. They can easily be recognised when they are on the shelf by their plume of day-glo post-it notes.

I wish him every success with his forthcoming Grand book.

[Sam Flynn]

None of your books are "typical", Tom. That's what makes them such interesting reads.

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Tom.

I've read both your books and find both of them to be thoroughly entertaining, and most of all exciting and engaging in terms of research and potential avenues opened for further discussion.

Top quality stuff and look forward to your third book on Charles Le Grand, which although a "person of interest" especially in the Stride Case, at the moment I don't share your view in regarding him as an out-and-out suspect for the whole series of murders.

Hi Sleuth, many thanks both for reading my books and for saying what you did about them. I'm not sure I personally view Le Grand as a suspect in the Ripper murders, but at least one copper at the time did and he knew more than we would have. I do agree he's a very viable suspect in the Stride murder, maybe Eddowes as well. My Le Grand book will not be a typical suspect book.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Sleuth1888]

Hi Tom.

I've read both your books and find both of them to be thoroughly entertaining, and most of all exciting and engaging in terms of research and potential avenues opened for further discussion.

Top quality stuff and look forward to your third book on Charles Le Grand, which although a "person of interest" especially in the Stride Case, at the moment I don't share your view in regarding him as an out-and-out suspect for the whole series of murders.

[Tom_Wescott]

If you find Martin's observation very reasonable, Tom, does that mean you wish to revise your statement, which you made in your book, that Mallows must not have been far from the London Hospital when she sustained her injury "or else she likely would have bled to death"?

And do you think that the London Hospital at about 3am on a Thurday night/Friday morning in August 1888 would have been "a madhouse"?

I remain open to all possibilities.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[David Orsam]

Very reasonable observation on your part, if I may say so

If you find Martin's observation very reasonable, Tom, does that mean you wish to revise your statement, which you made in your book, that Mallows must not have been far from the London Hospital when she sustained her injury "or else she likely would have bled to death"?

And do you think that the London Hospital at about 3am on a Thurday night/Friday morning in August 1888 would have been "a madhouse"?

[Tom_Wescott]

I ordered it from Amazon a couple of months ago and they lost it, so reimbused me. Just got my new copy, started reading it this weekend. Gripping and logical, as interesting as the Bank Holiday Murders. Much to ponder on and analyse. What is always interesting about Tom 's work is the framework he creates, rather than seeing the murders in isolation.

Miss Marple

Thank you, Miss Marple! That truly means a lot.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Tom_Wescott]

Hugely enjoyable read. The first half is beautifully written but mea culpa, I got all turned around at Berner street and the will flagged.

I know that chapter is a bit boring, but the stuff after it is the best in the book. If nothing else, read the Mortimer chapter and Schwartz chapter.

I'm not inclined to dismiss Millous/Millows, Mallows. There was no evidence of huge gouts of arterial spray in Brady street, suggestive of an initially manageable injury which however wouldn't stop bleeding and required hospitalization.
Friday at a city hospital? Probably a madhouse.
17 days in hospital suggests infection or complications after surgery, it also may explain the lack of police and press interest, we are post Chapman and there were no doubt dozens of ripper stories.
I take away from it a woman may have been attacked and survived, and for me Millous/Nicholls Stride/Eddowes show a similarity in terms of compulsion.
Well played Tom. I commend the book to anyone, although a grounding may help. Above all else it's tremendous fun.

Very reasonable observation on your part, if I may say so.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Tom_Wescott]

Hey Tom, don't know if you've blocked this thread out lol, but I just finished your book.

I really liked it.

1. I think you have finally won me over to JtR using robbery as a rouse, I have fought it for years, but I think it makes sense. Bundy used the pretence of being injured, Jack used the pretence of robbery.
2. That being the case do you think that is why Liz Stride did not appear to struggle? Basically hole a knife to her throat and said lie down, and he shoved her down with her basically frozen?
3. How would someone learn such a strangle hold in Victorian East End? Army? A gang? That would be interesting to follow up on.

If you can remember I am a big Berner Street nut myself and I agree with most of what you day about Berner street. I think yes, we have to centre our witness testimony around Fanny Mortimer. However I can't agree with you on Schwartz.

If you take out his testimony, all the other witness testimonies fits so neatly. Instead of getting tangled up, the wisest course is to choose the path with the least resistance. Take Schwartz out, everything becomes wonderfully simple.

There were lots of people giving false testimony during these crimes, Schwartz just got further than most - someone was bound to.

Even if you want to squeeze Schwartz in, according to Schwartz there was a shout of "Lipski" (a negative racial term) and 3 "Quiet" screams from Liz in a Victorian terraced housing in a narrow street. Obviously there is no such housing in the good old US of A, but such housing gives a lot of echoing (depending on the width of the street). I have lived in such housing.

The echos would have carried even greater in Dutfield's yard as well!

Yet despite the echos and the racial epithet (which would have garnered attention) , no-one else close in the vicinity heard a single thing - and that is what is most damning about Schwartz's testimony in my mind.

Hi Garza, great to hear from you and thank you for the very kind words. I haven't blocked any threads, just don't visit sites like I used to. As for Schwartz, BS Man said it to him, so we shouldn't suppose he yelled it out. The only people nearby who might have heard him were the people in the club and they were playing music and singing. Also, Lipski is an actual Jewish surname, so if someone DID hear it, they might have registered it as a call to a fellow, since they were all, in fact, Jewish. It's not strange at all that no one recalled hearing it. It's also possible someone did hear it but kept it to themselves. Many preferred not to get involved with police matters.

Weighing this against the support in timing Schwartz receives from Mortimer and in the Pipeman/Overcoat Man with Brown, I'd say this evidence far outweighs someone not hearing a single word called out at a volume that may not have been that loud.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[miss marple]

I ordered it from Amazon a couple of months ago and they lost it, so reimbused me. Just got my new copy, started reading it this weekend. Gripping and logical, as interesting as the Bank Holiday Murders. Much to ponder on and analyse. What is always interesting about Tom 's work is the framework he creates, rather than seeing the murders in isolation.

Miss Marple