Jack The Ripper: The New Evidence

[Big Jon]

Next you'll be saying I'd get a graphologist too. What do you think my name is? Vic Reeves?

[Mike Covell]

.....Deeming,.....and all the other also rans are accounted for at some point in time. Mann never was.

Hi Howard, do you have a source for Deeming's whereabouts in 1888 at the time of the murders?

Some theorists have presented “facts” that Deeming was in Africa in 1888, and therefore could not have committed the murders. One source [1] states that a man calling himself Lawson visited Johannesburg with a man named Keays, from Australia, with a view to digging for gold. It was also revealed that Keays was not murdered, but the official recorded verdict for his death was fever. The dates are also erroneous, with Keays dying in a Johannesburg hospital on May 16th 1889 and not in 1888 as previously thought. Further investigations revealed that the man Lawson was actually a man named Lareen and not the man now known as Deeming [2] and a another source, in the same article, names the man as Larson. [3] It was also written that Deeming had been involved with the murder of two men in February 1888 in Johannesburg, however, the Randt Detectives, who followed up the original case, do not believe that Deeming had anything to do with the murders. [4] Whilst other sources name the detective in charge as Brant and not Randt. [5]

References
1 Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times, Saturday, April 9th,1892
2 Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Sunday, April 10th, 1892
3 Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Sunday, April 10th, 1892 Reuters is the third source.
4 Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Sunday, April 10th, 1892
5 Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times, Saturday, April 9th,1892

[Colin Roberts]

... would it not have been possible to simply discard of it and/or put other clothes on top of them once outside the confines of the Infirmary?

A keen observation, Adam!

I suppose the Whitechapel Union Infirmary's mortuary would have been just the place, from which to procure the odd article of discarded clothing.

But, Mr. Trow's 'theory' is still faced with the overall dilemma of Robert Mann's probable confinement, to the grounds of the infirmary.

Ostrog, Cream, Deeming, Stephenson, and all the other also rans are accounted for at some point in time. Mann never was.

However, Mann didn't need to be accounted for since he had never been a suspect, unlike all four of the previously mentioned people. He still isn't unless you include every single man in the East End who could walk.

This is precisely why Mr. Trow has chosen to engage in an embarrassingly fallacious attempt to narrow the 'field', so to speak:

Robert Mann – 'the non-starter'

by Mei Trow

Ripperologist 113

"There were an estimated 450,000 people living in the area in 1888. All the evidence points to the killer being local and being a man. That takes us down to 225,000. Interracial killing by sexual sadistic killers — such as black killing white and vice versa — is extremely rare. Since none of Jack's victims was Jewish, it is unlikely that Jack was a Jew. We know that the population of Whitechapel and Spitalfields was 90 per cent Jewish in 1888. We are therefore reduced to 22,500 non-Jewish males. Of these, an unknown percentage would be children or too old to commit physical crimes such as these. A reasonable assumption would take this number down to around 10,000; huge, of course, but not impossible for a modern police force to eliminate with the use of computers and house to house enquiries.

Once we have our 10,000 we can start to look for known names and search for profiles. …"

Mr. Trow estimates that "Whitechapel and Spitalfields" was inhabited, in 1888, by some 202,500 Jewish males; even though the region that formally constituted 'Whitechapel', or perhaps "Whitechapel and Spitalfields", throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century, was populated by just 74,462 persons, in accordance with the Census of England & Wales, 1891; and, even though the region that, in all likelihood, colloquially constituted 'Whitechapel', or perhaps "Whitechapel and Spitalfields", throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century, was populated by just 121,990 persons, in accordance with the same.

Yet, Mr. Trow also estimates that the "area" (presumably, in this instance, the Parliamentary Borough of Tower Hamlets) was inhabited, in 1888, by some 405,000 Jewish persons; even though my estimates (in accordance with immigration data, in the Census of England & Wales, 1891) would suggest that the region was populated by no more than 66,000 Jewish persons, in 1888?

God, only, knows what Mr. Trow has somehow managed to contrive!

Mr. Trow's 'calculations' and process of elimination remind me of a scene from an old black-and-white film, "Stand Up and Cheer", I believe, in which Stepin Fetchit was trying to pass himself off as an American Indian, to the satisfaction of a suspiciously inquisitive policeman:

Fetchit, Disguised as Indian: "I got one fo'th Cherokee, two fo'ths Seminole, fo' fif's Hiawatha, ..."

Policeman: "Wait a minute; Hiawatha was a woman!"

Fetchit, Disguised as Indian: "I can't help it; I got fo' fif's of hu!"

I know the Ripper could also have been a horse slaughterer etc but a mortuary attendant is an occupation that definitely fits the bill

Confinement!

Confinement!

Confinement!

...

That is the issue; and until Mr. Trow is able to address that issue, the glass will remain empty.

But, in any case, I seriously doubt that Robert Mann was anything more than a pseudo 'attendant' of a pseudo 'mortuary': i.e. the keeper of the keys to a shed that functioned as a 'dead house'; who might have occasionally rendered some form of assistance to a physician that was conducting a post-mortem examination therein.

[Paul Kearney A.K.A. NEMO]

Hi Colin

Does the confinement pertain only to Robert Mann and those of his status?

I know it's total speculation and an obvious conclusion but the jars of organs, the desire to emulate the surgeons, the familiarity with knives, blood and gore etc would make any mortuary attendant a "person of interest" when the exceptional circumstances of the Ripper killings are considered

Who normally attended at a mortuary?

[Colin Roberts]

Does the confinement pertain only to Robert Mann and those of his status?

Robert Mann was not an employee of the Whitechapel Poor Law Union!

He was not a member of the Union Infirmary staff!

He was a nearly life-long ward of the Whitechapel Poor Law Union: i.e. he was a nearly life-long 'Pauper Inmate' of the Union Infirmary.

He was, technically (so I would assume), a 'Pauper Inmate' of the Whitechapel Union Workhouse, South Grove, Hamlet of Mile End Old Town; that resided in the Whitechapel Union Infirmary, Baker's Row, Hamlet of Mile End New Town: Presumably, so that he could fulfill the responsibility of being the 'keeper' of the infirmary's mortuary.

As such, he was, in all likelihood, confined to the infirmary; except, of course, on those occasions, when he was sent to the mortuary, on what was presumably an 'as needed' basis.

In other words: I seriously doubt that he 'clocked-in', so to speak, at the beginning of each day; only to then 'wait around', for bodies to start arriving.

I know it's total speculation and an obvious conclusion but the jars of organs, the desire to emulate the surgeons, the familiarity with knives, blood and gore etc would make any mortuary attendant a "person of interest" when the exceptional circumstances of the Ripper killings are considered

Who normally attended at a mortuary?

I will address this, later today, Nemo.

[Paul Kearney A.K.A. NEMO]

Thanks very much for that Colin - that's very informative

So there's not even a circumstantial case against Mann?

[Colin Roberts]

I know it's total speculation and an obvious conclusion but the jars of organs, the desire to emulate the surgeons, the familiarity with knives, blood and gore etc would make any mortuary attendant a "person of interest" when the exceptional circumstances of the Ripper killings are considered

Who normally attended at a mortuary?

I will address this, later today, Nemo.

Thanks very much for that Colin - that's very informative

So there's not even a circumstantial case against Mann?

"... the jars of organs, the desire to emulate the surgeons, the familiarity with knives, blood and gore etc would make any mortuary attendant a "person of interest" ..."

Mr. Trow has depicted Robert Mann as having been a fully fledged 'mortuary attendant'.

Robert Mann was nothing of the sort! He was the 'keeper' of a make-shift infirmary 'dead house'. Period!

---------

Each constituency, of the Metropolitan Board of Works, was responsible for owning, operating, and maintaining a public mortuary, in accordance with the Metropolis Management Act, 1855.

The Whitechapel District of the Metropolitan Board of Works, however, ...


Whitechapel District of the Metropolitan Board of Works - 1888 (Click Image, to Enlarge in flickr)
Underlying Aerial Imagery: Copyright Google Earth, 2007
Overlying Plots, Labels and Color-Shadings: Copyright Colin C. Roberts, 2010

Whitechapel District of the Metropolitan Board of Works
- The Liberty of Norton Folgate (Green): 1,449
- The Old Artillery Ground (Aqua): 2,138
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields (Blue): 22,859
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town (Orange): 11,303
- The Parish of Holy Trinity ('Minories') (Yellow): 301
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (Red): 32,284
----- {Portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965: 32,284}
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London (Orange): 933
----- {The Liberty of the Tower: n/a}
----- {The Precinct of Old Tower Without: 65}
----- {The Tower: 868}
- The Precinct of St. Katharine (Blue): 182
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (Green): 2,971
----- {Portion within the County of Middlesex, -1889; the County of London, 1889-1965: 2,971}

- Total Population (Census of England & Wales, 1891): 74,420

... did not have a public mortuary, during the autumn of 1888.

Instead, it relied on the willingness of the Whitechapel Poor Law Union, to avail its Infirmary 'dead house', when circumstances necessitated that a decedent be provided such accommodation.

This 'dead house' was nothing more than a shed that was designed to accommodate decedents from the Whitechapel Union Infirmary and Whitechapel Union Workhouse, that were awaiting burial. It was by no means, an actual mortuary; in as much as it was not designed to 'play host', so to speak, to actual post-mortem examinations. And, it was surely not some sort of half-ass pathology laboratory, with samples of human organs on display, in glass jars.

Accordingly; the 'keeper' of this 'dead house' was by no means, an actual mortuary attendant. He was little more, I'm sure, than the keeper of the keys: One who was dispatched, only when needed, to transport decedents from the Union Infirmary, receive decedents from the Union Workhouse, undress and bathe decedents, etc ...

A case in point:

When Mann and Hatfield failed to heed specific instructions, to not undress the body of Polly Nichols, in the absence of a police constable or physician; they were both kept outside the 'dead house', as two nurses from the Union Infirmary, attended the Chapman post-mortem examination.

Robert Mann was not a fully fledged mortuary attendant! Period!

He was a pauper inmate of the Whitechapel Union Infirmary, who was given a little bit of responsibility: Apparently, more than he could handle.

"So there's not even a circumstantial case against Mann?"

I wouldn't think so, Nemo.

[Adam Went]

Mike:

According to the info sheet on Deeming's cell in Melbourne, he was supposed to be in South Africa in 1888.....that should be pretty accurate, eh?

Colin:

Some excellent and interesting info!

Cheers,
Adam.

[Paul Kearney A.K.A. NEMO]

Many thanks for the info Colin - much appreciated

[Mike Covell]

Mike:

According to the info sheet on Deeming's cell in Melbourne, he was supposed to be in South Africa in 1888.....that should be pretty accurate, eh?
Cheers,
Adam.

Hi Adam, according to the info at Scotland Yard's Black Museum the death mask of Deeming was that of Jack the Ripper. I am not saying it was true, I am interested in where the myth started that he was in Africa in the Autumn of 1888, when the policeman in charge of the murder and fraud cases in Africa stated that Deeming was not their man.

[Howard Brown]

Mike:

To answer your question, no sir...I don't have that information you asked for.

[Mike Covell]

Thanks Howard.

[Colin Roberts]

"... the jars of organs, the desire to emulate the surgeons, the familiarity with knives, blood and gore etc would make any mortuary attendant a "person of interest" ..."

Mr. Trow has depicted Robert Mann as having been a fully fledged 'mortuary attendant'.

Robert Mann was nothing of the sort! He was the 'keeper' of a make-shift infirmary 'dead house'. Period!

...

This 'dead house' was nothing more than a shed that was designed to accommodate decedents from the Whitechapel Union Infirmary and Whitechapel Union Workhouse, that were awaiting burial. It was by no means, an actual mortuary; in as much as it was not designed to 'play host', so to speak, to actual post-mortem examinations. And, it was surely not some sort of half-ass pathology laboratory, with samples of human organs on display, in glass jars.

Accordingly; the 'keeper' of this 'dead house' was by no means, an actual mortuary attendant. He was little more, I'm sure, than the keeper of the keys: One who was dispatched, only when needed, to transport decedents from the Union Infirmary, receive decedents from the Union Workhouse, undress and bathe decedents, etc ...

A case in point:

When Mann and Hatfield failed to heed specific instructions, to not undress the body of Polly Nichols, in the absence of a police constable or physician; they were both kept outside the 'dead house', as two nurses from the Union Infirmary, attended the Chapman post-mortem examination.

Robert Mann was not a fully fledged mortuary attendant! Period!

He was a pauper inmate of the Whitechapel Union Infirmary, who was given a little bit of responsibility: Apparently, more than he could handle.

"For many years within the memory of persons now living parochial dead-houses were alone provided in the metropolis ... . ... Inasmuch, however, as these wretched dead-houses were most unhealthy, ill-lighted, badly ventilated, and very repulsive receptacles, looked after by incompetent paupers, and generally associated with pauperism, …"

"... looked after by incompetent paupers, ..."

I believe we are all familiar with one such 'incompetent pauper', whose likely semi-imbecilic character prevented him from ever being able to exist outside the 'guardianship' of the Whitechapel Poor Law Union.

A Mortuary Attendant?

In other words; a fully-fledged morticians' assistant?

My Ass!

............