Comments & Critics

Want to comment on one of the articles presented on 'Ripper Writing'? Here's the place to vent, critique, bubble or squeak.

Constructive comments and opinions are welcome from guests to the site.

It was good to read Scott Nelson's article on Abberline. Over the years, Abberline has endured as one of the more identifiable police figures in the Ripper case.

A famous quote that was attributed to Abberline had come about during an interview conducted by Nigel Morland. Abberline supposedly said, "(The Ripper) wasn't a butcher, yid or foreign skipper...you'd have to look for him not at the bottom of London society at the time but a long way up."

Back in Dec 2005, I received a private e-mail from a well-known Ripper researcher. I was given the advice to disregard the things that Nigel Morland claimed Abberline had said. I still have that e-mail, and its words were, "...there is absolutely no doubt that (Morland) made that statement up for Spiering's book Prince Jack. Abberline never said such thing."

I wish we'd see more articles on Abberline such as the one presented by Scott Nelson.

Excellent piece of work, Joe, very readable indeed.
Just one small devil in the detail.
You say early on that the the NY detectives were joined by a Scotland Yard detective in keeping tabs on Tumblety, and you do give references for this, but I seem to remember the sources you quote as calling him an 'English' detective rather than a SY detective?
Which, if I'm right, does mean he could have been a 'private' detective in the employ of Pinkerton.
I'd be interested in seeing the original quote where Scotland Yard is mentioned in connection with this detective.

Hello to The Wolf,

Thanks for going over my article. Yes, over the years I've tried to make my texts more readable. But sometimes that can be difficult because I often cover a lot of ground when I write. I think the insertion of more photos has made my articles a bit more easier on the eyes, so to say. Jane Coram has helped me out a great deal with this.

The Trenton Times and The New York World both reported on Dec 4, 1888 that there was an English detective and not specifically a Scotland Yard detective who was making a spectacle of himself outside Mrs. McNamara's building. It was wrong for me to automatically assume that he was a Scotland Yard detective. As you have mentioned, there is a possibility that he might have been a private English detective.

If you take a look at Ripper Notes (Oct 2005), you will see the article On the Trail of Tumblety? There it was written:

"(Tumblety) checked into an East Tenth Street lodging house under the watchful eyes of two of Inspector Thomas Byrnes' best men and a mysterious detective said to have come all the way from Scotland Yard."

You may want to get in touch with the author of that article and find out what he used as a reference to substantiate the ending of that sentence. This might be of some help.

I would like to thank the Jack the Ripper Writers web site for presenting my article in a four-part segment. I couldn't be more pleased with the way it turned out.

If anybody plans on passing through New York City, I know of a library over there. It is a storage center of private material concerning Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper, The New York World. The year 1888 is encompassed in that material.

I've never viewed the paperwork that this library has in storage. If you plan on taking a trip to Manhattan, let me know and I'll get you inside that library.

The New York City library that Joe referred to was recently looked into. Three letters have been stored there that seemed interesting enough to be reviewed. All three letters were sent to Joseph Pulitzer. They came from Sir Thomas Hall Caine, T.P. O'Connor, and Sir Henry Irving.

Congratulations to Mike Hawley for getting another book published.  This one is a fictional Jack the Ripper story, and I bet it is a sequel to his other book The Ripper's Hellbroth.

Nice going, Mike.  I hope you have success with this book too.

Congratulations Mike.  I like the cover of your new book, Jack's Lantern.  I spotted it on your website:

http://www.searchingfortruthwithabrokenflashlight.com/Home_Page.php

Thanks Joe and John! Interestingly, this one is about the folklore of the Jack o' Lantern, as opposed to Jack the Ripper. Eventually, Jack the Ripper will be rearing his ugly head, again, but our hero's got some other business to first attend too!

Mike

I just finished Jack's Lantern.  Mike has a lot to be proud of.
 
When reading it, you first should go to the final page and look at the 'about the author' section.  Check out the personal credentials that Mike brings to the table.  His military, educational, and martial arts background covers a wide range of accomplishments and Mike uses this acquired knowledge to superb use while writing Jack's Lantern.
 
I admit that the title threw me off at first, and I mistakenly thought this was going to be a fictional Ripper book.  It turned out to be a well-researched and suspenseful story that will make you look at Halloween quite differently now.
 
A few characters who appeared in Mike's book The Ripper's Hellbroth return to key roles in Jack's Lantern.  Both books would make quite a double-feature movie at your local theater.  
 
Now that Jack's Lantern is published, the author can finally take his family on a big summer vacation.  Have a safe trip, Mike!

Thanks Joe! I had no idea the publisher put the 'about the author' section. How cool! Our hero just might have to deal with Jack the Ripper again, but not next adventure!

Sincerely,
Mike