Now, why, you ask, is it so important to Cornwell that Martha Tabram be one of the Ripper's victims? Chronology. You see, Sickert's mentor (the painter, James Abbott McNeill Whistler--yes, that Whistler) was getting married in a few days. Cornwell needs for us to believe that it was Whistler's marriage that sent Sickert over the edge into murder. Why? Well, I'll have to tell you that in the next installment because now I need to go do some other work.
But if you'd like to do some reading in the meantime, here are a couple of links to Stephen P. Ryder's amazing Casebook website:
Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Victims
Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Walter Sickert
(Oh, and yes, I did read the Casebook's primer to Cornwell's accusations... nearly a year ago, and it's brilliant. What I'm writing now, though, is based strictly upon my own examination of Cornwell's text).
Article comments