On New Years’ Eve 1888, a body was found floating in the Thames at Chiswick. A channel known historically by locals as “the quiet river”. Upon inquisition into the finding, it was said that the body had been in the river for a month. Maybe more. Five days after the body was discovered, the Acton, Chiswick, and Turnham Green Gazette reported on the inquest into the person found in the river and featured the testimony of the subject’s brother. It read in part:
“The deceased was 31 as of his last birthday. He was a barrister-at-law, and an assistant master in a school at Blackheath. The witness heard from a friend on the 11th of December that the deceased had not been heard of at his chambers for more than a week. The witness then went to London to make inquiries, and at Blackheath he found that the deceased had got into serious trouble at the school, and had subsequently been dismissed. That was on the 30th of December. The witness had the deceased's personal effects searched where he resided, and found a paper addressed to him. The Coroner read the letter, which was to this effect: - "Since Friday I felt I was going to be like mother, and the best thing for me was to die." The witness, continuing, said “the deceased had never made any attempt on his life before. His mother became insane in July last. He had no other relative.”
The jury at the inquest into his death duly returned a verdict of suicide by drowning "whilst of unsound mind."
We’ve come a long way, and now I believe we’ve reached the end.
Welcome back to Vanished. Tonight we put who I believe to be the man responsible for the Autumn of Terror on trial. Our investigation ends here with witnesses, evidence and experts for the Crown VS. Montague John Druitt.
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Judge role read by Brian Hastie of the Double Density podcast
Exit script read by Jaden McKell of Straight Up Enigmas
Music by Dane Gerous Schmidt
"Satisfied" performed by Amber Farndon
Album Art Illustration 50399190 © Alancotton | Dreamstime.com
Vanished is a ChrisEvan Films Production
Vanished is part of the Straight Up Strange Podcast Network
John Hainsworth appears courtesy of Regnery History
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SHOW NOTES & FURTHER READING
Montague John Druitt @ Wikipedia
George Robert Sims @ Wikipedia
Henry Richard Farquharson @ Wikipedia
John Moylan @ Wikipedia
Basil Thomson @ Wikipedia
Melville Macnaghten @ Wikipedia
Mcnaghten's Favoured Suspect @ jack-the-ripper.org
Montague John Druitt @ Casebook
Montague John Druitt @ Jack the Ripper Tour
The Macnaghten Memoranda @ Casebook
The Macnaghten Memoranda Original Document @ Casebook Courtesy ofThomas Schachner
