Apr 10
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All purpose thread for those Ripperologists and ‘civilians” alike who may need quick answers to any question they may have regarding Stephenson in any period or aspect of his life. Feel free to make requests. Thank you. |
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All purpose thread for those Ripperologists and ‘civilians” alike who may need quick answers to any question they may have regarding Stephenson in any period or aspect of his life. Feel free to make requests. Thank you. |
April 20th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Does the 1896 letter to “Borderland”, that O’Donnell mentions coming from a correspondent in India who claimed to have shown Mr. Jacob the Borderland article and had it verified, confirm Donston’s story of meeting Mr. Jacob in India? Has the letter been traced?
April 20th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Dear LBL:
Thats a good question.
You are referring to Mr “Jacob of Simla”, whatever that designation or location ( Simla ) is.
At this point in time, I do not believe that there is any proof other than a subsequent article which appeared in the same magazine, Borderland, in 1897 by Jacob which “confirms” what Stephenson claimed about his trip to India in 1878.
Until I or Mike Covell can get their hands on the actual article to read it in its entirety, I think that the best we can say is that its quite likely to be in the same fictional vein that Stephenson’s stories were as well.
Of course, there’s no proof that Stephenson ever left the British Isles to go to India or anywhere else after 1860 and the Italian Excursion.
Good question and please keep ‘em coming !
April 20th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Footnote to the above:
That is assuming that Stephenson DID go to Italy in 1860 and that subsequent to this assumed participation, that he ever left the Isles again is unverifiable. Thank you.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:58 pm
The Ipswitch Prostitute killer spent his youth in Siam and Singapore. But he’s from Norfolk. Not Yorkshire!sq
Doesn’t John Haigh, a Yorkshire man of the Plymouth Bretheren who killed 6 in London, suggest Donston is, was, and always will be a credible JtR suspect?
April 21st, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Dear Outsider:
Stephenson, by virtue of being in a hospital ward which prevented any nocturnal perambulations on the streets of the East End, eliminates him from suspect candidacy.
Had the concept of Stephenson “faking” his claim, which Mr.Harris posited without an iota of proof, never been brought up, the entire fabric of his candidacy would have never materialized.
But don’t feel bad. I gave the concept of faked neurasthenia a “chance” before the Ward issue was settled.
Takes all kinds, Outsider ! : )
Thanks for the question.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Don’t feel bad yourself. Davies or Currie, I myself never for a second thought Stephenson snuck out of the Hospital. Should I have if he was in Davies?
If there is room for discussion about something other than “did he personally do it or did he not”, what mitigates against the possible involvement of others OR that Harris and Edwards actually moved the case forward after 110+ years, without even looking at the modern record which shows two Plymouth Brethren in the serial killer ranks in Southern England, one officially and one unofficially, the latter being an Irish doctor.
The French pick candidates like Melville MacNaughten. Where are men like him in the record of serial murders?
If you’re trying to keep Donston in people’s consciousnesses, I’m okay with that.
Takes all kinds, like “atheists” who talk about God all the time.
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:18 am
Dear Outsider:
Of course, I’d like to “help” keep RDS in people’s minds if they are interested in Ripperology at all.
Its possible that somewhere..in the future…something which someone has found regarding RDS might lead into another area of the case, such as someone else, a legitimate suspect or detail, heretofore unheard of.
Harris certainly provided the best overall ( false or factual ) picture of Stephenson. He himself calls Stephenson the biggest fantasist in all of Case history.
By all means, elaborate on your Plymouth Brethren ideas if you wish. Thats what this section is for and again, thank you for helping out here.
April 29th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Hi Mr. Howard,
Robert Ford of Canada here! Ha ha!
I don’t have a Plymouth Bretheren theory but they started in Plymouth, Devon, among other places, and my Mrs. Buki household, which seems to give people fits of unresponsiveness, has an architect in it from Exeter, Devon, thereby giving Mary Jane Kelly a possible Devon connection for what it’s worth.
I was also wondering who was the alleged shared publisher between Sickert and Donston. Why?
Because Emily Bucke was working for Oxford Publishers in 1901 which adds credibility to the Sickert story of Stephen Knight and the BBC.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
For Mike,
I just reviewed the Yorkshire Ripper case after uncovering the Ipswitch Killers “overseas” background. Sutcliffe was a local boy born and bred in West Yorkshire where the killings occurred. He was a local and a copycat.
He was the wrong bloodtype.
Perhaps you could address this “local theory” here and show me how Ivor Edwards wasn’t right, if the Yorkshire case has anything to say about it, to defy convention when it comes to local theory and Jack the Ripper. He trashes it from page one.