Ripper Confidential by Tom Wescott (2017)

[Tom_Wescott]

This is great news, please keep us updated on when these podcasts take place.

As far as your book goes, there's something about your writing style that makes it easy to read and hard to put down. I was thinking about this last night as I read. Maybe it's because your book is broken up more into essay form than one long narrative. Whatever the reason, don't lose this style as it's very refreshing after reading so many that I have to will myself to finish.

Dane, I'm delighted you like the format of Ripper Confidential. I doubt I'll use this format again in a Ripper book, though never say never. My next book will be in a different format than the previous two though. My reasoning for it this time was simple - I wanted to write only about the particular areas of the case that most interest me, without having to feel obligated to shorten the length of them in order to bring in all the other stuff that most of my readers would already know anyways.

Just some interesting tidbits that I mused over while reading:

4 murders, 2 buildings next to each other, 9 months. After reading this over and over it finally clicked that this sounded similar to me from another series of murders I'm interested in: The Jeff Davis 8. These were a group of women all murdered over the course of a couple years, all lived in the same town, all were either friends with each other or at least knew each other, the most likely suspect knew them all and had a reason for specifically killing them (still unsolved), there's a tale of police corruption or possible involvement. Basically it just drove home the point that maybe there was a reason these 4 were specifically targeted by Jack. Could have been as simple as he knew they would be easy pickings.

The Jeff Davis 8 case sounds familiar to me, but what you describe is so intriguing I'm going to have to look it up and reacquaint myself with it.

Your description of the events as they happened in Bucks Row finally cleared it up for me. Especially in regards to the carmen and Mizen and the "lie". Very well done though I'm sure some will argue this point to death and say you've got it wrong.

LOL. You think?

Polly Nichols as a potential police informant. I found this brief point as a, hmm, that would be interesting. Of course we can't speak in definitives but that would make 2 of the murdered people that were rumored to potentially be police informants right?

Still so interesting is this case even after all these years. Anyway, excuse my rambling. Thank you again Tom.

Regarding Polly being a police informant, I'm sure some will say that I think she was an informant simply because I mention it as a possibility in my book. I don't. But it is a possibility. I think Pearly Poll and other people in similar circumstances who pop up here and there were police informants, so why not one or more of the victims?

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Dane_F]

I couldn't agree more!!!! Having just finished part 1 can't wait start reading part 2.

Yes indeed.

The introduction of Margret Millous is the most captivating piece of JTR research I've read since Tom did it in his previous book with Pearly Poll. The implications of what it would mean, if what Tom suggests is true, are astounding.

[The Station Cat]

This is great news, please keep us updated on when these podcasts take place.

As far as your book goes, there's something about your writing style that makes it easy to read and hard to put down. I was thinking about this last night as I read. Maybe it's because your book is broken up more into essay form than one long narrative. Whatever the reason, don't lose this style as it's very refreshing after reading so many that I have to will myself to finish.

I couldn't agree more!!!! Having just finished part 1 can't wait start reading part 2.

[Dane_F]

Dane! Great to see you. You're not late to anything. I'm pretty sure the case ain't getting any colder. I haven't yet done any podcasts but I've got a bunch coming up. I'm hoping for two episodes of Rippercast and MAYBE another with a debate between myself and Ed Stow, if enough people are interested in hearing it. Aside from that there'll be a bunch of others I'll post about as they happen. I GREATLY appreciate you reading the book and taking the time to post about it.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

This is great news, please keep us updated on when these podcasts take place.

As far as your book goes, there's something about your writing style that makes it easy to read and hard to put down. I was thinking about this last night as I read. Maybe it's because your book is broken up more into essay form than one long narrative. Whatever the reason, don't lose this style as it's very refreshing after reading so many that I have to will myself to finish.


Just some interesting tidbits that I mused over while reading:

4 murders, 2 buildings next to each other, 9 months. After reading this over and over it finally clicked that this sounded similar to me from another series of murders I'm interested in: The Jeff Davis 8. These were a group of women all murdered over the course of a couple years, all lived in the same town, all were either friends with each other or at least knew each other, the most likely suspect knew them all and had a reason for specifically killing them (still unsolved), there's a tale of police corruption or possible involvement. Basically it just drove home the point that maybe there was a reason these 4 were specifically targeted by Jack. Could have been as simple as he knew they would be easy pickings.

Your description of the events as they happened in Bucks Row finally cleared it up for me. Especially in regards to the carmen and Mizen and the "lie". Very well done though I'm sure some will argue this point to death and say you've got it wrong.

Polly Nichols as a potential police informant. I found this brief point as a, hmm, that would be interesting. Of course we can't speak in definitives but that would make 2 of the murdered people that were rumored to potentially be police informants right?

Still so interesting is this case even after all these years. Anyway, excuse my rambling. Thank you again Tom.

[Tom_Wescott]

I´ve known you to invest too much in the thinking of the anonymous poster who told you that you had wrath coming your way from my side, making you react by calling Edward my master.
Otherwise, no - you normally stand on your own two feet, right or wrong.

No, I just didn't know you read this thread, so I was talking some s**t about you. Let it go. People like to say a certain researcher does all my work for me. You think that bothers me? It's cute! And what's this 'right or wrong' business? What's this obsession everyone has with me having to be wrong? Is it the end of the world or something if you're wrong? Is that why everyone plays it so damn safe? If I could say one thing to Ripperology it's stop taking yourself so seriously and have fun with it. When it's not boring it IS fun you know.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Fisherman]

When have you known me to invest too much in anyone's thinking? Aside from Debs, of course.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

I´ve known you to invest too much in the thinking of the anonymous poster who told you that you had wrath coming your way from my side, making you react by calling Edward my master.
Otherwise, no - you normally stand on your own two feet, right or wrong.

[Tom_Wescott]

I am decidedly late to this, I realize, but after anxiously awaiting Tom's book for so long I am now thoroughly enjoying it.

Thank you Tom. As always your style is one that causes me to think harder on subjects and question things that I assumed were settled. Really, that is the greatest accomplishment someone can have.

Might I ask, have you done any press for this book or interviews or anything? I quite enjoyed listening to the podcasts and interviews that came out around the time of The Bank Holiday Murders release.

Dane! Great to see you. You're not late to anything. I'm pretty sure the case ain't getting any colder. I haven't yet done any podcasts but I've got a bunch coming up. I'm hoping for two episodes of Rippercast and MAYBE another with a debate between myself and Ed Stow, if enough people are interested in hearing it. Aside from that there'll be a bunch of others I'll post about as they happen. I GREATLY appreciate you reading the book and taking the time to post about it.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Dane_F]

I am decidedly late to this, I realize, but after anxiously awaiting Tom's book for so long I am now thoroughly enjoying it.

Thank you Tom. As always your style is one that causes me to think harder on subjects and question things that I assumed were settled. Really, that is the greatest accomplishment someone can have.

Might I ask, have you done any press for this book or interviews or anything? I quite enjoyed listening to the podcasts and interviews that came out around the time of The Bank Holiday Murders release.

[GUT]

Hi Tom,

It's good to see that you're weathering the death of a thousand cuts.

Ripperology really is a poisonous, dog-eat-dog, decidedly no-win competition.

Regards,

Simon

Never, it's all light and kindness in ripperland

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Tom,

It's good to see that you're weathering the death of a thousand cuts.

Ripperology really is a poisonous, dog-eat-dog, decidedly no-win competition.

Regards,

Simon

No-win? What's that?

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Simon Wood]

Hi Tom,

It's good to see that you're weathering the death of a thousand cuts.

Ripperology really is a poisonous, dog-eat-dog, decidedly no-win competition.

Regards,

Simon

[Tom_Wescott]

As I have not read your book, I shall have to deprive you of wrath and praise alike.
The suggestion that there would be wrath from my side would probably have come from one of the posters who dislike the Lechmere theory to the kind of degree that has their judgment tapering off in such respects. I would not invest too much in their thinking, but in the end, that is of course your call, not mine.

When have you known me to invest too much in anyone's thinking? Aside from Debs, of course.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Fisherman]

You're right, that was uncalled for. I think I was reacting to the suggestion from someone else that I had your 'wrath' coming. Got plenty of that already.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

As I have not read your book, I shall have to deprive you of wrath and praise alike.
The suggestion that there would be wrath from my side would probably have come from one of the posters who dislike the Lechmere theory to the kind of degree that has their judgment tapering off in such respects. I would not invest too much in their thinking, but in the end, that is of course your call, not mine.

[Tom_Wescott]

If you already know that, then how come you are trying to belittle me by calling Edward my "master"? Is it part of your effort to be on friendly terms with everybody?
Just being curious here, Tom.

You're right, that was uncalled for. I think I was reacting to the suggestion from someone else that I had your 'wrath' coming. Got plenty of that already.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Tom_Wescott]

Hello Tom, got the book, halfway through it.

I really like your hypothesis how Elizabeth Stride got blood on her right hand.

This said, I have two things to say so far:

1- If Stride had indeed some handicap with her legs, it would be very interesting to search this deeper. None of her friends mentioned anything about it, none of the witness mentioned it; Schwartz and the policeman being the only one that saw her while she was not walking. I think it could be an interesting point validating/invalidating witness accounts. Of course, if she didn't, we're back to square one.

2- You mention that Bachert (I guess even I cannot spell his name properly) mentioned he was part of the Vigilance Committee before it was even implemented. This said, it remind me of something I research with my limited means: in Sugden book (page 19 and 345), he mention the St Jude's Vigilance Committee being formed after Tabram's murder and being in place as late as 1889 when they decided to give up. Maybe a better researcher than I could find something there.

Back to reading for me...

Hi John, thanks for reading and sharing. There has been a fair amount of research done about the St. Jude's VC. Neil Bell and Trevor Bond come to mind. And I'm sure others. I have some stuff about them though it's been years since I looked at it.

As for Stride, although the name 'Long Liz' is probably a play upon 'Long Stride', that might too be a reference to the way she walked. The doctor found the deformity in her leg during autopsy so I hardly think the lack of friends mentioning it negates it. However, it probably played no part in her death. But it might have made her fall easier and so should be kept in mind when considering what Schwartz saw with BS Man. It might also have prevented her from running.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott