Jack the Ripper: Case Study
By Vickie BrittonLesson 6: A look at Pat Cornwell's book: Portrait of a Killer and Suspect Walter Sickert
Was Sickert the Ripper? - A Wealth of Contradictions
Sickert was never a suspect at the time of the Ripper murders. Yet Pat Cornwell's book Portrait of a Killer is not the first time Walter Sickert's name has been associated with the Jack the Ripper case although he did not become a candidate for the Ripper until the 1960's.
Highly confusing is the fact that Sickert's involvement in the Ripper case was previously mentioned in a totally different way. In some accounts of the Royal Conspiracy, it is a reluctant Sickert who either knows about and is sworn to secrecy, or, depending upon the story's version, is himself called upon to do the murders.
In this account, put forth by his alleged illegitimate son Joseph, his father felt much guilt. But in this account Sickert was no stalker working alone but part of a large conspiracy to silence four women to prevent a revolution and keep them from exposing Prince Eddie's secret marriage and a Catholic heir to the throne.
Are the paintings really an indication he was Jack the Ripper? Some of these similarities between the Ripper crimes and Sickert's paintings appear fairly general. Others are more startling. Sickert did paint, among his other works, scenes of violence and murder, and it appears he intentionally based some on the Ripper murders.
It is not certain whether he was actually involved in the crimes or became obsessed with them after renting a place where the Ripper had been rumored to have once lived. The positioning of certain victims in his paintings appear to match the positioning of the victims in the Ripper murders.
Though some believe the paintings contain a series of clues pointing to his guilt, there is always the possibility that the similarities between Sickert's paintings and the Ripper crimes are an uncanny coincidence.
It is also possible that Sickert viewed mortuary photos of the victims and either deliberately or subconsciously derived his artistic interpretation from them. These photos were published prior to his paintings, so it is very likely he could have seen them. Copies of the Mary Kelly photo and Eddowes mortuary photo were published in France in 1899, way earlier than his paintings. He could have used them as a basis for his paintings.
The idea has also been suggested that Sickert may have known the identity of Jack the Ripper, maybe even have been acquainted with him. Sickert did appear, at the very least, to be obsessed by the Ripper case, but then so was half of London. It is likely he had inside knowledge, but that doesn't prove him to be the killer.
Clues in the Ripper letters that Sickert may have been Jack the Ripper:
Some of the Ripper letters are signed, Mr. Nemo. This was Walter Sickert's stage name. However, this was a common phrase at the time, one used by many, and meant the same as signing a letter "anonymous". There is also the possibility that Sickert wrote some of the Ripper letters but didn't commit the crimes.
The words "ha ha" are frequently found in the Ripper letters. Pat Cornwell believes this to be a "peculiarly American laugh". She suggests it is possible Walter Sickert was mimicking his ex role model James Whistler's annoying laugh.
This fits in with Cornwell's theory that Whistler's marriage may have set Sickert off on a jealous killing spree because he was unable himself to have a normal relationship with a woman himself.
Other experts call this a big assumption. Francis Tumblety was also American, so the letters could have been written by him. And the British have also been known to go "ha ha." The phrase also occurs in the Maybrick Diary.
Was Sickert able to have children?
By some accounts, the daughter of Annie Crook married Sickert and gave birth to their son Joseph, who later took the Sickert name. Cornwell makes no mention of Joseph Sickert in her book. Joseph said his father was fascinated by the Ripper murders. But was he his son? How was Sickert able to marry three times and bear an illegitimate son if he was impotent? Why would Joseph lie about being his son? Not having children is hardly proof one is a killer. His brothers never had children and none of them grew up to be murderers.
The Red Handkerchief
It was said that Sickert often kept a red handkerchief with him when he painted to stimulate his memory. It was believed the last man seen with victim Mary Kelly gave her a red handkerchief before her murder. However, it was 1917 before Sickert started to use a handkerchief in connection with his painting, and whether this peculiarity of his had anything to do with the Ripper crimes remains unknown.
The Camden Town Murder
While Sickert lived in Camden Town in 1907, a young prostitute who went by the name of Phyllis Dimmock was found with her throat slit. This crime bore a vague resemblance to the Ripper crimes. It occurred 19 years after the original crimes and Sickert was never a suspect. A man whom the woman knew personally was convicted of the crime. Sickert, however, drew inspiration from that crime scene for his paintings of murdered prostitutes.
Where was Sickert at the time of the Ripper murders?
This may be the most important question of all. Sickert was believed have left London for France on August 4th. No sources place him in London after that time. The first Ripper murder took place on August 31st. Sickert family correspondence places Sickert in France between August and October of 1888.
A single letter written by Sickert from France exists, but it has no envelope or postcard so the actual date it was written cannot be determined. A letter sent by a French painter described a visit with Sickert on Septermber 16th, so he must have been in France at that time.
Sickert also painted local scenes of the Dieppe area. Some believe he could have commuted from France to England by ferry to commit the murders. Though this is possible, there is no evidence that he did.
Sources & Sugggested Reading:
Jack the Ripper: Portrait of a Killer-- Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell
Patricia Cornwell and Walter Sickert: A Primer by Stephen P. Ryder
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