How Brown
09-15-2008, 06:56 PM
Author Debbie McDonald has mentioned on another thread that Druitt worked mostly at nights....and essentially wasn't a teacher in the daytime hours,as most of us had probably considered him to be along with the fledgling legal career he had begun.
The "Druitt" thing has gone from him being a "doctor" in 1894...to a failed barrister later on ...and now this revelation...that of Druitt as an afterhours "nanny".
I had about a 2000 word post that I had to set aside until later on this issue because I think there's some very serious issues about the ability of Druitt to even leave Blackheath, if what,and I have no reason to dispute Debbie's statement, she says is accurate.
How in the world could Druitt even think to leave the school at night if he was the only man staying on the premises with the boys?
Did he take a pay cut just to live with the boys and yet not teach them as a regular daytime teacher does? He must have,if he had no "teaching" responsibilities and only the "Night Watcher" status...as some "nanny" would.
WHY would he prefer to live among boys ? Can't this man get a place of his own in London permanently? Evidently, his legal career was taking off and he did have some money to his name. Taking a pay cut is understandable for diminished duties, but the travel back and forth to Blackheath makes no sense since its for a job with definitely less duties and probably less money than his early days ( beginning in 1880-1881) at the school. It may also mean that he accepts the role of night watcher just to BE with the boys at night. Who hangs around at a place if their best interests financially lie elsewhere at his age ?
Anyone else...where's Stan Russo ? This has been really bothering me all day today...besides my bum shoulder...Druitt is like what Stephenson used to be to me: Gum under one's shoe. You know the gum is unedible, its no good, no one will ever buy it, yet it remains and takes effort to extricate it from one's shoe.
Here's what Debbie said before and its pregnant with possibilities...
""Interesting. Did you know, by the way, that he mostly 'worked' in the nights. I guess that is how he fitted everything in with his law stuff. He was the only staff member not to have other accommodation in the area and staying at the chambers was not really acceptable at that time (researched!). Valentine and the other teacher both had houses of their own in the neighbourhood (checked on the census) but Druitt had nowhere. so he stayed on his own (probably had matrons etc) but the only main man at night at the premises. Have done the research and it is in my book 'The Prince, His Tutor and the Ripper' as you probably know."
The "Druitt" thing has gone from him being a "doctor" in 1894...to a failed barrister later on ...and now this revelation...that of Druitt as an afterhours "nanny".
I had about a 2000 word post that I had to set aside until later on this issue because I think there's some very serious issues about the ability of Druitt to even leave Blackheath, if what,and I have no reason to dispute Debbie's statement, she says is accurate.
How in the world could Druitt even think to leave the school at night if he was the only man staying on the premises with the boys?
Did he take a pay cut just to live with the boys and yet not teach them as a regular daytime teacher does? He must have,if he had no "teaching" responsibilities and only the "Night Watcher" status...as some "nanny" would.
WHY would he prefer to live among boys ? Can't this man get a place of his own in London permanently? Evidently, his legal career was taking off and he did have some money to his name. Taking a pay cut is understandable for diminished duties, but the travel back and forth to Blackheath makes no sense since its for a job with definitely less duties and probably less money than his early days ( beginning in 1880-1881) at the school. It may also mean that he accepts the role of night watcher just to BE with the boys at night. Who hangs around at a place if their best interests financially lie elsewhere at his age ?
Anyone else...where's Stan Russo ? This has been really bothering me all day today...besides my bum shoulder...Druitt is like what Stephenson used to be to me: Gum under one's shoe. You know the gum is unedible, its no good, no one will ever buy it, yet it remains and takes effort to extricate it from one's shoe.
Here's what Debbie said before and its pregnant with possibilities...
""Interesting. Did you know, by the way, that he mostly 'worked' in the nights. I guess that is how he fitted everything in with his law stuff. He was the only staff member not to have other accommodation in the area and staying at the chambers was not really acceptable at that time (researched!). Valentine and the other teacher both had houses of their own in the neighbourhood (checked on the census) but Druitt had nowhere. so he stayed on his own (probably had matrons etc) but the only main man at night at the premises. Have done the research and it is in my book 'The Prince, His Tutor and the Ripper' as you probably know."