Proof of Innocence?

[Kattrup]

There are lines of enquiry that can be pursued about the start time but suffice it to say - firstly the players had to get there, which I think precludes too early a start

Gee, that’s funny. There was a condescending post earlier in this thread claiming that it was irrelevant when Druitt arrived at Blandford.

Whether or not Druitt travelled to Blandford that morning is irrelevant. It is what he could have done afterwards which is if significant.

Now you realize that an early game leaves Druitt in the picture, so quickly his arrival time becomes a line of inquiry D:

[R. J. Palmer]

If it's of any use, there's a summary of Charles' Druitt's life, qualifications and career in this published 1908 genealogical work I linked to a couple of years ago, plus the rest of the family of course, including MJD.
Charles is at the bottom of this page and his entry continues over the page:
https://archive.org/details/b2488381...2&view=theater

Thank you, I missed this the first go-round! You're a star.

In other matters---considering the low-score of the game in Blandford, is it possible that the festivities were rained out?

I've been checking to see what the weather was up to --but have been thwarted by the lack of parochial papers in Dorset. The one in Blandford was a weekly.

I did see this reference to a local tennis match held on September 4th. The statement about "a season of continual rain" was rather suggestive, but I've found nothing describing August 30th.

There was also a Farquharson hanging about in Blandford that week. Any relation?

[Christer Holmgren]

Yes. That is what I am saying, and that is all I am saying. So as you agree that it is correct, thankfully there is no need to discuss this further,

Of course I am not saying, as you seem to suggest, that because Druitt committed suicide he was more likely than not to be a serial killer. That would be absurd, and I really can't imagine how anyone could think I was saying that.

The only point you made was that Druitts suicide was a point in favour of guilt on his behalf. I thought that it needed to be put into context, least people would hang on the - as you put it - absurd idea of Druitt as a likely serial killer.

I´m glad we worked that out.

[Caroline Brown]

Hi Caz,

Thats a good point. I always hear alarm bells when claims are made like “well this man was x so he should have done y.” Statistics have their uses of course but we all know how complex an individual mind is and especially one as disturbed as our killer so I think we should be wary of pigeonholing. We have information from interviews with serial murderers of course but how many refused to be interviewed? How can we be certain that they were always truthful when interviewed? We can come up with any number of ‘what if’s’ of course but ‘what if’ he was the kind of killer who believed that prostitutes were ‘expendable’ or that he’d been doing society a favour and what if he began to feel that he was less and less able to control himself and he feared that he might end up killing a woman that he saw as an ‘innocent’ victim (as The Yorkshire Ripper detectives labelled the victims that weren’t prostitutes.) Who knows what strange thoughts might pass through or entrench themselves in any killers mind?

Cheers, Michael.

Serial killers, like anyone else, are susceptible to the multiple external influences of the world around them and the times they are living in, which are bound to affect their own inner monologue and the way they see themselves. I can't say I'm surprised to learn that a larger percentage of serial killers commit suicide than in the general population, because they must surely be aware that there is something very wrong with the way they are wired compared with everyone else around them, despite any outward signs of bravado and coolness. It must be a constant battle for some to keep up appearances and pretend to be like anyone who does not harbour violent thoughts and fantasies which they may be compelled to act out in secret.

I see it as an addiction at the extreme end of a sliding scale, and would also expect more suicides among those with any addiction that goes beyond what their society would consider either normal or acceptable.

Love,

Caz
X

[Christer Holmgren]

We all have our opinions and others will differ with mine of course but Joanna’s excellent find hasn’t changed my opinion on the possibility that Druitt might have been guilty one iota. If disproving evidence surfaced I’d say fine, that’s one suspect to scratch from the list. I wouldn’t be saddened or disappointed and I certainly wouldn’t be angry. I have no investment in defending Druitt at any cost. I get labelled a Druittist which doesn’t bother me but all that I’ve ever said is that a) I find him an interesting suspect that’s often too easily dismissed imo, and b) that I favour him of the named suspects, but of the named suspects I have little time for any others apart from Kosminski and Bury.

Joannas find has not made me change my mind either when it comes to the possibility that Druitt was the Ripper. I could not conclusively rule him out before, and I cannot conclusively rule him out now.
On the other hand, I thought that he was a very bad suspect before and I think that he is an even worse one now.

I take your point on not being a Druittist (good on you!), but I disagree that people would rule him out on insufficient grounds. I consider the grounds eminent myself. Again, that does not mean that I do not welcome an interest in Druitt as well as in any other person from the era. Every little bit counts.

[Chris Phillips]

The only point you made was that Druitts suicide was a point in favour of guilt on his behalf. I thought that it needed to be put into context, least people would hang on the - as you put it - absurd idea of Druitt as a likely serial killer.

I´m glad we worked that out.

I was quite precise in what I said:
"suicides are roughly 50 times more likely to be serial murderers than the general population"

I have a weakness - I get very impatient when people misrepresent what I have said. What I said was a simple expression of statistical fact - based on the figures you had quoted yourself.

[Christer Holmgren]

Cheers, Michael.

Serial killers, like anyone else, are susceptible to the multiple external influences of the world around them and the times they are living in, which are bound to affect their own inner monologue and the way they see themselves. I can't say I'm surprised to learn that a larger percentage of serial killers commit suicide than in the general population, because they must surely be aware that there is something very wrong with the way they are wired compared with everyone else around them, despite any outward signs of bravado and coolness. It must be a constant battle for some to keep up appearances and pretend to be like anyone who does not harbour violent thoughts and fantasies which they may be compelled to act out in secret.

I see it as an addiction at the extreme end of a sliding scale, and would also expect more suicides among those with any addiction that goes beyond what their society would consider either normal or acceptable.

Love,

Caz
X

The serial killers who are registered as suicide errands seem all to have committed suicide when jailed or in the process of getting jailed. It therefore seems relevant to suggest that their suicides were linked to this fact. I posted the contents of a suicide nore in an earlier post that supports this very suggestion.

The pertinent question is whether or not sexual serial killers, not least the psychopathich 90+ per cent of them, are in any way more likely than others to commit suicide. That remains a hard question to answer, but I feel pretty convinced that they will be totally unlikely to kill themselves as long as they stay uncaught.

[Christer Holmgren]

I was quite precise in what I said:
"suicides are roughly 50 times more likely to be serial murderers than the general population"

I have a weakness - I get very impatient when people misrepresent what I have said. What I said was a simple expression of statistical fact - based on the figures you had quoted yourself.

I know what you said, and I have not misrepresented it. It was based on those numbers that you said that Druitts suicide was a point of guilt on his behalf. Which was what I said.

Which makes your claim of misrepresentation a misrepresentation of my statement and intentions.

But never mind. By now we should both be aware what applies and what does not.

[Caroline Brown]

Joannas find has not made me change my mind either when it comes to the possibility that Druitt was the Ripper. I could not conclusively rule him out before, and I cannot conclusively rule him out now.

That is good to know, Christer, because it implies you are not certain about Lechmere's guilt, or that in itself would rule out Druitt as far as you were concerned.

Love,

Caz
X

[Christer Holmgren]

That is good to know, Christer, because it implies you are not certain about Lechmere's guilt, or that in itself would rule out Druitt as far as you were concerned.

Love,

Caz
X

Yes, I always left a 0,0001 per cent chance that it was somebody else, so that people cannot accuse me of shutting doors. If it pleases you, I could not be more chuffed.

[Chris Phillips]

I know what you said, and I have not misrepresented it. It was based on those numbers that you said that Druitts suicide was a point of guilt on his behalf. Which was what I said.

I didn't say that, and I don't even know what "a point of guilt on his behalf" means. These may be partly linguistic difficulties, but I was talking about statistics and I took the trouble to define quite precisely what I meant. It really doesn't help to rephrase it into something whose meaning isn't clear, especially if you seem to be disputing it. But apparently you weren't, so ultimately no harm was done.

[Steve Blomer]

Here is johns FB post


I don't think Druitt was JtR, however, as has been discussed, whether it would have been feasible for him to travel back to London in time would, to a certain extent, depend on the timings of the cricket match. Here's an article I about the early years of cricket in the late nineteenth century: http://www.hinckleypastpresent.org/batsofwillow03.html The relevant quote is: "In those days there were no fixed number of overs, rather the game had a set length of play, usually from 2.30 in the afternoon until 7.30 at night."

[Christer Holmgren]

I didn't say that, and I don't even know what "a point of guilt on his behalf" means. These may be partly linguistic difficulties, but I was talking about statistics and I took the trouble to define quite precisely what I meant. It really doesn't help to rephrase it into something whose meaning isn't clear, especially if you seem to be disputing it. But apparently you weren't, so ultimately no harm was done.

Thank you for that. Let´s use this precious moment of consensus to bail out together on a good note!

[R. J. Palmer]

There was also a Farquharson hanging about in Blandford that week. Any relation?

It looks to me like Eric Farquharson, playing tennis in Blandford that very week, is the cousin of Henry Farquarson, MP, who is said to have implicated Druitt, "the son of a surgeon."

The Farquharson tribe are situated in Blandford--where Druitt supposedly gained his alibi that week.

Isn't that a bit interesting?

For the sake of argument, why can't it be possible that Druitt's erratic behavior this very week (coupled with an unexpected trip to London) was what started the suspicions against him in the first place?

Everyone is assuming the best---that this cricket schedule lets Druitt off the hook, but the tables could be radically turned if it was ever discovered that Druitt DID "absent himself from his people" on August 31st.


EDIT: I looked at it incorrectly. Eric is a cousin, not a brother. Eric's father John James Farquharson Jr. is the brother of Henry Farquharson, Sr., who was the MP's father.

[Gary Barnett]

It looks to me like Eric Farquharson, playing tennis in Blandford that very week, is the younger brother of Henry Farquarson, MP, who is said to have implicated Druitt, "the son of a surgeon."

The Farquharson tribe are situated in Blandford--where Druitt supposedly gained his alibi that week.

Isn't that a bit interesting?

For the sake of argument, why can't it be possible that Druitt's erratic behavior this very week (coupled with an unexpected trip to London) was what started the suspicions against him in the first place?

Everyone is assuming the best---that this cricket schedule lets Druitt off the hook, but the tables could be radically turned if it was ever discovered that Druitt DID "absent himself from his people" on August 31st.

It is very interesting, R. J.

I’m not sure how you come to the conclusion in your last paragraph though. ‘Everybody’ is assuming the best - that the cricket schedule lets Druitt off the hook - really?