Deconstructing Jack by Simon Wood

[David Orsam]

Now, Simon, having lured you out into the open, how about an answer to my question in the first part of my #153 (of which you only responded to the second part):

Pigott committed suicide didn't he? Do you know of [any] reason at all so suggest otherwise?

Ignored again I see.

Are you scared of the question, Simon?

Or have you finally appreciated that the idea that Pigott was murdered is utter horsefeathers?

[David Orsam]

You fooled me again.

Well, Simon, seeing as you actually, unbelievably, posted a drawing in this thread without any explanation whatsoever (having cropped the caption so you didn't even explain what the drawing was) but, at the same time, apparently hoped to make some "killer point" (if you'll excuse the pun) about that drawing - a point which you subsequently made in half-hearted fashion, but have now quietly dropped - it would not surprise me in the least if you were fooled by another drawing.

That's the point. They are drawings, not photographs. You can't make sensible forensic points based on them.

[Simon Wood]

Hi David

You fooled me again.

Regards,

Simon

[David Orsam]

Now, Simon, having lured you out into the open, how about an answer to my question in the first part of my #153 (of which you only responded to the second part):

Pigott committed suicide didn't he? Do you know of [any] reason at all so suggest otherwise?

[David Orsam]

Hi David,

Even I know Pigott didn't stick a revolver up his nose.

Also that there was nobody else with Pigott in the room at the fatal moment.

Or was there?

Ah, I thought you might get confused.

It's not a photograph Simon!!!

[Simon Wood]

Hi David,

Even I know Pigott didn't stick a revolver up his nose.

Also that there was nobody else with Pigott in the room at the fatal moment.

Or was there?

Regards,

Simon

[David Orsam]

Bearing in mind Simon Wood's penchant for obtaining his information about what happened in 1889 from drawings, no doubt this will resolve any lingering doubt in his mind as to what happened to Richard Pigott.

[David Orsam]

This extract from a report in the Dublin Weekly Nation of 9 March 1889 may be the most accurate account of Pigott's suicide (possibly more so than the Spanish newspaper I quoted from earlier in this thread). As usual, the report states that the Spanish inspector knocked on Pigott's hotel room door and asked him to accompany him, then:

"Pigott, without any sign of emotion, put on his overcoat, took his hat and umbrella, and left his room and went as far as the stairs with the inspector and the interpreter. Then he quickly retraced his steps to the bedroom, calling to the interpreter that he was going for his cards. The others did not follow him into the bedroom and actually waited for him in the corridor outside. Pigott went into the alcove of his room, took a revolver from the small leather bag he had brought with him and shot himself dead. He must have fired the shot into his mouth, as it shattered the skull and upper part of the mouth. ...The judge's first step was to send for a doctor, who declared the death of Pigott had been immediate, the bullet having traversed the brain."

So there we see in full a perfect answer to Simon's observation that different newspapers say different things. If the above account is correct then Pigott first went to collect his hat AND coat (and umbrella) - thus disarming the inspector into thinking he was leaving the hotel with him - before going back to collect his cards. This no doubt explains the differing versions of what Pigott was returning to collect. It was basically all of them - his hat, coat and cards - but at different times. A very straightforward misunderstanding.

Also interesting in the above report is that the investigating judge immediately sent for a doctor who confirmed that Pigott died from a bullet through the brain. I honestly don't know how anyone can doubt it.

[David Orsam]

I can, incidentally, confirm that the officer who accompanied Inspector Quinn to Madrid, said in Simon's book to be 'Sergeant Richard Owen', but in press reports described as 'Sergeant Richard Lowe', was, in fact, Constable Richard Lowe.

I have amended part 3 of my Quadrilogy accordingly.

[Sam Flynn]

Surely the damage described would make it virtually impossible to assess the brains size when it was intact?

If they still had a reasonably intact skull, and/or were able to roughly reassemble it, they could have estimated the size of the brain.

[David Orsam]

I wonder about the contrasting information in the above 2 sections from your quote. Surely the damage described would make it virtually impossible to assess the brains size when it was intact?

Why do you say that?

[Michael W Richards]

The officers from Scotland-yard having fully identified the body, a post-mortem examination was held, and it is stated that Pigott’s brain was found to be abnormally large. The remains were buried with the clothes, in the Roman Catholic Cemetery."[/I]...


[B]The damage done by the projectile was terrible. It is already known how Pigott committed suicide: the bullet penetrated the upper part of the palatine veil, destroying the base of the skull, and consequently the [maxillary] apophysis, the cerebellum to its anterior part and in one of its two lobes, and finally, the occipital or posterior lobes of the brain, having its exit hole through the same occipital vertex, further fracturing the two parietals.

I wonder about the contrasting information in the above 2 sections from your quote. Surely the damage described would make it virtually impossible to assess the brains size when it was intact?

[David Orsam]

Yes I did. I assume he was the hotel interpreter.

Actually, no it wasn't. Having re-run the translation from the Spanish I can now see that Moyermann must have been the name used by Pigott when he registered at the Hotel de Embajadores, at least according to the Spanish press. The British Ambassador understood he was using the name Roland Ponsonby (because this was the name Pigott had used in a telegram to a representative of the Times) and this was the information given to the police officer who went to arrest him. Presumably Pigott was the only mysterious "Englishman" staying at the hotel - and matched the description provided by the British - so the police officer was given the man's room number. This explains the part of the report I posted from La Epoca in #127:

"Apprised of this, Deputy Inspector Visier appeared at five-thirty at the said Hotel and asked for Sir Roland; although the name was different, the address that Mr. Visier had obtained coincided with that of the foreign guest in room number 3."

[David Orsam]

Surely you encountered him whilst busily translating the Spanish newspapers.

Yes I did. I assume he was the hotel interpreter.

[Simon Wood]

Hi David,

Surely you encountered him whilst busily translating the Spanish newspapers.

Regards,

Simon