A very British psychopath

[ianincleveland]

One i think is a psycopath is George Smith the so called "brides in the bath" killer.Theft,fraud,bigamy and murder.He never showed an ounce of remorse for anything he did either.

[apricot]

not so sure about that as though he claimed to be from a noble family,he had no criminal record or history of violence but he murdered 4 prostitutes in 4 days and then tried to kill 2 more after.His mistake was to leave his gas mask behind with his service number in it which is how he was identified.

I would have said he was temporarily insane more than anything else though what set him off we will never know

Hi Iain,

But sometimes people have no criminal record simply because they haven't been caught!

KR Angie

[FrankO]

Sorry for what is probably a disappointing reply.

Hi Angie,

I wouldn't call your reply disappointing, even though I indeed hoped to hear something new about Gordon Cummins. It's a pity that we don't, because his a very interesting (though disturbing) case as it is so similar to the Ripper's.

What, to me, doesn't particularly point towards a fully-fledged psychopath is that he killed and attacked so many women in so little time. And especially the attacks in which he was disturbed and left his gas mask and belt, point to an impulsive killer rather than a cool and collected psychopath. On the other hand, he was able to become a leading aircraftman in the Royal Air Force without apparently giving any hint of being mentally unstable or whatever. Whatever it was, it seems that the blackout drew out something monstrous within him that he hadn't shown before, or at least, not to the point that he was caught.

Again, it would have been interesting to know more about the type of man who was inclined and able to commit such herrendous murders.

All the best,
Frank

[FrankO]

I think the character Tom has been writing about,Le Grand, is a clear candidate too and almost certainly Tumblety.The old definition was "a plausible rogue' -such as confidence tricksters and the like. A key feature of their everyday affairs is the trail of chaos they leave behind --- bounced cheques,stolen passports,disrupted work patterns, broken relationships,run ins with the law---and numerous addresses making it difficult to track them down.

Couldn't agree more with you there, Nats.

All the best,
Frank

[Scorpio]

Hello everyone, and thanks for the interest in my thread. I must say that i do not consider Tumblety to be a psychopath and would categorise him, along with D'onston and Ostrog, as a somewhat feckless eccentric. Pyschopaths are not necessarily murderous, but they are destructive. Is there any evidence that Tumblety harmed anyone, either directly or indirectly?. I do not think pedalling snake oil, or innocuous Victorian pornography really qualifies.
Scorpio

[Scorpio]

Does anyone believe the story of legendary Scots cannibal Alexander Bean and his clan to posses any truth?. The things that the Newgate calender has to say about Bean seem to fit the psychopathic personality so well that i feel that there is some truth here. Because of boredom and indolence, Bean was unable to live a conventional lifestyle, and chose a predatory one instead that included theft and murder on an epic scale. The cannibalistic element stemmed not from psychosis, but sheer laziness and indifference to other humans ( imagine being so callous and boneidle that you would kill someone and eat them rather than provide some other source of nourishment ). But the Bean Clans depredations in western Scotland over a period of years must have left a sizeable dent in a limited local population, so why does no corroboratory evidence survive. No record of there crimes, and equally shocking punishment when caught, was officially made, as far as we know. The myth cannot be sure in which century it all took place.

[miss marple]

H.h Holmes

H.H Holmes seems to fit the pattern of psychopath perfectly. He has much in common with Haigh and Geo Smith. He murdered in cold blood for profit or to remove inconvienience. He showed no remorse or empathy with his victims. He was arrogant, considered himself above the law, had a capacity for planning and organisation.He was a fluent liar, who constantly sort to justify himself and a plausible charm that could seduce women. He was also a fraudster, conman and thief who lacked any humanity.
Miss Marple