The Littlechild Letter
8, The Chase
Clapham Common S.W.,
23rd September 1913
Dear Sir,
I was pleased to receive your letter which I shall put away
in 'good company' to read again, perhaps some day when old
age overtakes me and when to revive memories of the past may
be a solace.
Knowing the great interest you take in all matters criminal,
and abnormal, I am just going to inflict one more letter on
you on the 'Ripper' subject. Letters as a rule are only a
nuisance when they call for a reply but this does not need
one. I will try and be brief.
I never heard of a Dr D. in connection with the Whitechapel
murders but amongst the suspects, and to my mind a very
likely one, was a Dr. T. (which sounds much like D.) He was
an American quack named Tumblety and was at one time a
frequent visitor to London and on these occasions constantly
brought under the notice of police, there being a large
dossier concerning him at Scotland Yard. Although a
'Sycopathia Sexualis' subject he was not known as a 'Sadist'
(which the murderer unquestionably was) but his feelings
toward women were remarkable and bitter in the extreme, a
fact on record. Tumblety was arrested at the time of the
murders in connection with unnatural offences and charged at
Marlborough Street, remanded on bail, jumped his bail, and
got away to Boulogne. He shortly left Boulogne and was never
heard of afterwards. It was believed he committed suicide
but certain it is that from this time the 'Ripper' murders
came to an end.
With regard to the term 'Jack the Ripper' it was generally
believed at the Yard that Tom Bullen of the Central News was
the originator, but it is probable Moore, who was his chief,
was the inventor. It was a smart piece of journalistic work.
No journalist of my time got such privileges from Scotland
Yard as Bullen. Mr James Munro when Assistant Commissioner,
and afterwards Commissioner, relied on his integrity. Poor
Bullen occasionally took too much to drink, and I fail to see
how he could help it knocking about so many hours and seeking
favours from so many people to procure copy. One night when
Bullen had taken a 'few too many' he got early information of
the death of Prince Bismarck and instead of going to the
office to report it sent a laconic telegram 'Bloody Bismarck
is dead'. On this I believe Mr Charles Moore fired him out.
It is very strange how those given to 'Contrary sexual
instinct' and 'degenerates' are given to cruelty, even Wilde
used to like to be punched about. It may interest you if I
give you an example of this cruelty in the case of the man
Harry Thaw and this is authentic as I have the boy's
statement. Thaw was staying at the Carlton Hotel and one day
laid out a lot of sovereigns on his dressing table, then rang
for a call boy on pretence of sending out a telegram. He
made some excuse and went out of the room and left the boy
there and watched through the chink of the door. The
unfortunate boy was tempted and took a sovereign from the
pile and Thaw returning to the room charged him with
stealing. The boy confessed when Thaw asked whether he
should send for the police or whether he should punish him
himself. The boy scared to death consented to take his
punishment from Thaw who then made him undress, strapped him
to the foot of the bedstead, and thrashed him with a cane,
drawing blood. He then made the boy get into a bath in which
he placed a quantity of salt. It seems incredible that such
a thing could take place in any hotel but it is a fact. This
was in 1906.
Now pardon me -- it is finished. Except that I knew Major
Griffiths for many years. He probably got his information
from Anderson who only 'thought he knew'.
Faithfully yours,
J. G. Littlechild
George R. Sims Esq.,
12, Clarence Terrace,
Regents Park N. W.
