Proof of Innocence?

[Edward Stow]

Gary... by unfortunates I mean rough sleepers.

[Chris Phillips]

This obviously wasn't first class cricket.

Obviously. The question is whether, if that was the universal rule at the higher levels, anyone can find any indication that it was different at other levels.

In any case, I doubt this is really a crucial point, but if anyone is judging on the basis of the number of overs, it's obviously worth bearing in mind.

I think the crucial point is when the game would have started, and whether they would have waited for the shops to shut before starting. If they did that, and the shops didn't shut till 4pm, based on RJ's timetables the length of the match would be irrelevant. If they didn't do that, then it's difficult to see this giving Druitt an alibi in the strict sense. Though for me, the simple fact that he can be placed in Dorset both the day before and the day after the murder is important enough.

[Edward Stow]

I suspect the match started after 4 o'clock and was an event to coincide with the shops closing.
But we shall see.
More investigation is also needed into the weather that day.
There are two local undigitised papers the local museum told me about which I may take a trip to the British Library to look at.

[Phil Kellingley]

Given the date in question here's a possibility. Druitt would have has no reason to be in London, or even in Blackheath, because it was school holiday time. Could he have holidayed at the family home for some days before/after these 3 days. His mother was incarcerated on 5th July. Would it not have been natural for him to go home and provide care/company for his sister. That seems an entirely reasonable possibilty - far more so than going up to London specifically to commit a murder between 2 cricket matches.

[Michael Banks]

Gary... by unfortunates I mean rough sleepers.

Why rough sleepers?

We we’re checking this over on casebook and we must have looked at 100 examples at random and every single example of ‘unfortunate’ meant prostitute..

[Michael Banks]

Given the date in question here's a possibility. Druitt would have has no reason to be in London, or even in Blackheath, because it was school holiday time. Could he have holidayed at the family home for some days before/after these 3 days. His mother was incarcerated on 5th July. Would it not have been natural for him to go home and provide care/company for his sister. That seems an entirely reasonable possibilty - far more so than going up to London specifically to commit a murder between 2 cricket matches.

It is entirely reasonable. It’s also entirely possible. And there may be evidence of this somewhere but until then it shouldn’t be assumed.

[Michael Banks]

I have been assuming, as I think most people have, that a "half-holiday" meant the shops closed at lunchtime. Evidently that wasn't at all what it meant in Blandford in the 1880s.

Early closing had been decided at a public meeting in the Town Hall in April 1883, when it was resolved, subject to consultation, that the shops should close at 4pm from May to September, as reported by the Blandford and Wimborne Telegraph, 27 April 1883:



Interestingly the early-closing meeting had been preceded by a meeting held, also in the Town Hall, to found the cricket team. Both meetings were convened by the same two men, W. E. Brennand and E. O. Richards, who were joint secretaries of the Recreation Ground Committee. Both were elected to the committee of the new club. From the same newspaper, on the same page:



Evidently the same early-closing arrangement - closure at 4pm - continued beyond the year 1888. Blandford Weekly News, 8 May 1889:

I wonder why no one has responded to this Chris?

[Edward Stow]

Mr Banks
that was also satire

[Phil Kellingley]

how many serial killers met a victim in an area where they had no direct connection:

Interesting that is your point of view in regard to Charles Allen Cross but isn't, to all appearances, your view in regard to Montague John Druitt. Could you explain why?

[Phil Kellingley]

It is entirely reasonable. It’s also entirely possible. And there may be evidence of this somewhere but until then it shouldn’t be assumed.

I didn't assume it - I pointed it out as a likely possibility. Taking a day visit to London to commit a murder is an unlikely possibility but seems to be assumed solely by those who think Druitt was the killer.

[Gary Barnett]

I wonder why no one has responded to this Chris?

I hadn’t responded because I hadn’t seen it until now.

A very interesting find, Chris.

[Gary Barnett]

Mr Banks
that was also satire

Thanks, Hallie!

[Gary Barnett]

Chris’s discovery is very interesting. Why might Mr Brennand of the Recreation Ground Committee have been asked his opinion on early closing? I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest it had to do with the implications early closing would have on usage of the Ground.

Perhaps he told them, ‘If you push it forward to 4.00 o’clock, we could then start our cricket matches just after breakfast and get them over and done with before the masses get off work.’

(Mr Stow doesn’t have a monopoly on satire)

[Michael Banks]

Interesting that is your point of view in regard to Charles Allen Cross but isn't, to all appearances, your view in regard to Montague John Druitt. Could you explain why?

Could you explain why you’ve resorted to a bit of Rubenholdian editing of my quote?

3. And, as you believe that he met her elsewhere we might add, how many serial killers met a victim in an area where they had no direct connection but then bought her to a spot that they did have a connection to, to kill and mutilate her.

My point wasn’t simply about where the murderer picked up his victim but why he would pick one up at a location that he had no connection to and then take her to a location that he did have a connection to, to killer

[Michael Banks]

I hadn’t responded because I hadn’t seen it until now.

A very interesting find, Chris.

As you’ll probably have guessed Gary, my comment wasn’t aimed at you