The Robert D’Onston Stephenson Story

Other individuals have believed or theorized that Stephenson may have been the Ripper as well, predating Mr. Harris and Edwards. We will begin with the man who predates them all.

The first individual who history records as believing in either Stephenson’s “guilt” in the Whitechapel Murders was an unemployed ironmongery salesman named George Marsh. Further biographical material will appear on the blog in the future.  Marsh lived at 24 Pratt Street,Camden Town.

 Marsh & Stephenson became acquainted sometime in early December 1888…after Stephenson was discharged on December 7th, 1888 from the London Hospital after his 134 day stay.

  Marsh stated in a deposition made  to Inspector Thomas Roots, of Scotland Yard, on December 24th, 1888, that the two met at the Prince Albert Public House in Upper St. Martins Lane and met two or three times per week up until Marsh presented his perception of Stephenson to Roots.

Marsh apparently took Stephenson’s diatribe on the Whitechapel Murders seriously. 

Marsh has been unjustly called a “dupe” by both Mr. Harris and Edwards, since it is or was their belief that Stephenson ’set” Marsh up in order to  have Marsh go to Scotland Yard where both theorists claim Stephenson knew that Roots would be at Scotland Yard and that Roots would be the recipient of the story Marsh would deliver  in order to cast suspicion on Stephenson, which, by Stephenson’s appearance two days later, would be immediately dispelled, since Roots did know Stephenson from a period of time that Roots declared as about 20 years prior in the December 26th,1888 report he prepared as a summation of the two men’s separate appearances at Scotland Yard,known as The Roots Report among the Ripperological community.

Nothing is known about the report that Roots wrote up about Marsh’s visit two days before on the 24th, which technically, if not necessarily followed up on by Scotland Yard, made Stephenson a suspect for 48 hours or less.

 A careful perusal of the Roots Report clearly shows that neither Roots or any other police official took Marsh’s initial statement seriously. Roots had every opportunity to write down any suspicion he or The Yard had about Stephenson on this document, but there is not one iota of suspicion cast upon Stephenson whatsoever.

Marsh, as mentioned, was not a dupe, but perhaps a man convinced of at least the possibility that Stephenson wrote letters either anonymously to the police or to other individuals similar to the Ripper letters which were en vogue at the time. Marsh brought handwriting samples of Stephenson’s which are discussed in the deposition he delivered as well as a good description of Stephenson’s physical appearance, address and  some bits of biographical information, some of which were probably embellishments of deeds stated by Stephenson.

Stephenson’s career as a “viable suspect” probably never got off the ground, even in the brief 48 hour period he was known to at least Inspector Roots.

As of December 26th,1888, Stephenson’s status as a suspect in the murders in the East End ceased to exist in the eyes of Scotland Yard and for all practical purposes, everywhere else.

As mentioned, more information and required editing of this particular section will follow. I intend to transcribe the Roots Report, Marsh’s deposition, Stephenson’s letter to Scotland Yard and other data in the near future.

According to the premises found in the written works of Melvin Harris ( first in 1988 ) and Ivor Edwards ( in 2002 ), Stephenson’s original complaint ( neurasthenia ) which caused him to go to the London Hospital on July 26th, 1888 was untrue and concealed the true nature of Stephenson’s journey from Brighton to London, which, according to these two authors, was to commit the subsequent murders which comprised the Whitechapel Murders…..yet for different motivations.

Harris felt Stephenson, by virtue of several instances in the fabric of Stephenson’s life pointed towards Stephenson being a sexual serial killer.

Edwards, on the other hand, maintains that Stephenson was not a sexual serial killer, but that the murders were committed for purposes of “black magic”.

More to come.