Jack the Ripper and Abraham Lincoln

by Tony McMahon

New evidence confirms an astonishing connection between two of the greatest crimes of the nineteenth century. A celebrity Irish-American doctor, Francis Tumblety, is implicated in both the 1865 assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the 1888 Jack the Ripper killings.
It's incredible to imagine, yet Jack the Ripper could have been involved in the murder of America's greatest President.
This gripping story immerses you in a dangerous world in which Doctor Tumblety thrived.
Despite repeat allegations of murder, manslaughter, and fraud - he escaped the hangman's noose.
Find out how.

Genres: History, Crime, Nonfiction

303 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2024

About the author

Tony McMahon is a TV investigative historian appearing on Discovery, History, ITV, Channel 5, and other networks: https://tony-mcmahon.com/
His latest book is Downfall of the Templars: Guilty of Diabolic Magic? This is the second part of a trilogy of books on the Knights Templar.
He also wrote Jack the Ripper and Abraham Lincoln, published by Troubador - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jack-Ripper-...
Tony co-authored the biography of 1980s pop star, Neville Staple, vocalist in The Specials and Fun Boy Three (publisher: Aurum Press): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Rud...
His biography of the black British boxer Errol Christie was shortlisted for two awards (publisher: Aurum Press): https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Place-Hid...
The Battle for British Islam was co-authored with Dame Sara Khan - an analysis of Islamism in the UK reviewed on CNN, Sky, Channel 4, Sunday Times, etc (publisher: Saqi Books): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Briti...

Reviews

[Angharad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Throughout the book, there is a visible trend: the author's original thoughts and conclusions are supported by sometimes poorly cited ideas, while citations are used to support those secondary ideas and are only tangentially related to the thoughts and conclusions that are given as the meat of each chapter. The bulk of the claims made in this work are therefore unverifiable and impossible to take as serious history. It is admirable that the author seeks to illuminate a different perspective on an established and explore ideas that do have some merit within the historical community, but to present these ideas as unquestioned fact without sufficient primary evidence does the book a grave disservice. While the book is extremely entertaining, it's difficult and sometimes even impossible to fact check or proof relevance of the author's many citations. For instance, Citation 488, to paraphrase, states that a real person was made into a character for a Netflix drama. What, exactly, does that have to do with either Lincoln or Francis Tumblety, other than fluffing up the number of citations? Stating that someone was a character on a TV show is not a source, nor is it compelling information. Abraham Lincoln was a character in Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer, but that is just as irrelevant as one of the many sources within this book. Furthermore, there are exactly 576 citations within the book, and no sources cited page whatsoever.

Additionally, the author seems to have some sort of personal vendetta against what he terms “hetero-historians,” a term which occurs no less than six times across the book, who seem to be out to deny that LGBT people exist and that Lincoln, or any other historical figure mentioned within the book, could possibly be LGBT. The entire chapter about Lincoln's supposed sexuality seems to serve as an “aha! Gotcha!” written to spite these “Hetero-historians”. Lincoln's sexuality is hotly debated academically by people on every side of the fence. Quite simply it's...problematic to have this debate in the first place about a man who lived 159 years ago and would have not even had the word “homosexual” to define himself by. The word "homosexual" was coined in 1868, while Lincoln died in 1865. “Straight washing” happens all the time in the historical fields, and LGBT history gets brushed under the rug to suit bigoted, hateful agendas. However, presenting the author's suspicions as a undeniable fact is where I, an LGBT person myself, take my issue.

In conclusion, the premise of the book is interesting, and no doubt will catch people's attention, but I am somewhat dubious of the veracity of its contents, and would recommend other books on Lincoln or Jack the Ripper over this one.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Self-styled 'Indian Herb Doctor', Francis Tumblety, has long been considered one of the suspect pool of people rumoured to have been Jack the Ripper. This book looks at Tumblety's life in both America & the East End of London, & finds that there is circumstantial evidence that suggests that he may have been involved in both the assassination of Abraham Lincoln & the Ripper killings.

Flamboyant & the consummate hustler, throughout his life Tumblety was in trouble with law for his 'confirmed bachelor' lifestyle (he was gay), yet mostly managed to skate on the charges thanks to his connections to the great & powerful. Despite Tumblety's later denials, one of the conspirators, David Herold, worked for him, & Tumblety had supposedly been seen in the company of John Wilkes Booth. Over twenty years later, Tumblety was known to be in England around the time of the canonical five Ripper murders. Indeed he was thought a possible suspect yet disappeared before he could be properly questioned.

I thought this was a very interesting read, with a lot of information about both the assassination & the Ripper murders that I had not read before. Tumblety has always been a peripheral suspect - mentioned but usually quickly discounted, & yet there are intriguing connections between him & both cases. The most compelling evidence to me is the collection of uteri that Tumblety was inordinately proud of alongside his noted hatred of women, & the two small brass rings which were similar to the ones reportedly removed from the body of Annie Chapman, one of the Ripper's victims. Alas, neither of these proves anything beyond conjecture. There's not a great deal of actual evidence of Tumblety's involvement in either case, but it is a very readable book. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Cameron Publishing & Marketing Ltd, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

[Paula Learmouth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure really what to expect for Jack the Ripper and Abraham Lincoln by Tony McMahon. I have read a few books about Jack the Ripper and I remember read one about Abraham Lincoln at school, but this one was totally different. I have to say I found this book interesting, with things that were new to me. I did like finding out a bit more about Dr. Francis Tumblety, who was a quack and a fake Indian herbalist. Even though he was first suspected of the murders in Whitechapel District, London, another murder happened while he was in New York s they took him off the list of suspects. This book does show evidence that there was a connection to both cases, but there is other evidence that says different. If you like history and past murders, I would recommend giving this book a read

[Jayce Torben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn’t resist this book. I’ve been exploring the Jack the Ripper case for years. This colorful account of Francis Tumblety's connections to the Jack the Ripper case and the assassination of President Lincoln fascinated me. I value the perspective McMahon brought to his work as an Irish LGBT author.

While reading it, I tried to separate the author's methods and dubious conclusions from the entertaining journey into the high life and low life on both continents. We follow Tumblety cruising for men, being arrested for 'vice' and worse crimes, parading on horseback in attention-grabbing military-styled costumes accompanied by a succession of handsome young valets, hawking "Indian herb" 'medicines,' impersonating a doctor, ingratiating himself with powerful men, and using Irish connections and networks of powerful men who shared his enjoyment of other men.

As intriguing as this book is, for me, it fell far short of the promise in the descriptions. I checked the shorter version at online retailers today to make certain.

The author's concepts of proof and evidence differ from mine. The unsupported assertions and conclusions were distracting. Although the book's presentation of Tumblety as Jack the Ripper wasn't convincing, it succeeds on a different level by offering an informal, fluid, free-ranging narrative. It includes lives often cut, obscured, coded, vilified, sanitized, misappropriated, forbidden, and outlawed. I appreciated the author's insights into the meeting places and networks used by men at risk of being stigmatized or arrested.

Tumblety's experiences and the newspaper coverage of his exploits as he sold his bogus remedies from place to place and repeatedly ran afoul of the law are worth reading. There are intriguing connections between Tumblety and the five canonical Ripper murders and to people involved in the Lincoln assassination. For me, by setting aside the book's most inflated claims, the parts that seem to be supported by verifiable facts make the book worthwhile and satisfying.

At his best, McMahon illuminates lives that are often distorted by prejudice. Many writers past and present refer to the five canonical victims of Jack the Ripper as prostitutes. The truth of their lives was more complex than a sex worker label suggests. McMahon humanized the victims and grounded the events in the context of their impoverished circumstances. Likewise, the relationships between the flashy Tumblety and his valets shows the vulnerabilitities of men of different classes, and how they were treated under the law.

Overall, I learned new things, and at times, it was a rollicking journey. Best of all, I’m better able to envision a favorite period of history more fully peopled by people like me. That’s a gift.

Thank you, Troubadour Publishing and NetGalley for the ebook for consideration. These are my opinions.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

In two words - absolutely fascinating!! The book details not only the life and times (or should that be crimes?) of Francis Tumblety, but also those of Abraham Lincoln and his killer John Wilkes Booth, and how they could all have been associated with each other. I learned a lot about Lincoln, including some very surprising facts about his personal life. Tumblety himself was the ultimate showman, an openly gay man in very unforgiving times, who rose from an Irish American impoverished start in life to amass great riches and who excelled in marketing and advertising. These days he would have been one of the top social media celebrity stars of his time and the sheer gall of the man is astounding. The self-styled Indian Herb Doctor was in fact a flamboyant charlatan and highly dangerous individual. He certainly seemed to believe his own hype and so did countless desperate others seeking cures for various medical conditions. He clearly had a much darker side and his ability to dodge prosecution for many crimes, including manslaughter and performing illegal abortions is convincingly explained in the text as the work of a network of both “like-minded men” and the high-ranking individuals whose friendship he courted. Even without the accusations in the Lincoln assassination and Whitechapel slaughter, the reader has to wonder if Tumblety got away with murder or something very close! Certainly both Scotland Yard and the Pinkerton National Detective Agency had their suspicions about the man. His appearance in Victorian London is particularly interesting to this British reader, as is the fact that he was never brought back to England to face charges. Once again it appears someone may have been pulling strings for Tumblety and even his death seems to have produced more intriguing clues as to his crimes.

The author has obviously done extensive research into these men and many other texts are referenced giving much insight and historical detail. This is not a work of fiction formed from an avid imagination but a soundly put together argument for a very intriguing possibility. Although I had read several accounts about Jack The Ripper and knew of Tumblety as one of the prime suspects, I merely thought of him as the quack doctor who fled back to America and had no idea as to the extent of his unscrupulous existence. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this very well written and excellently narrated book and I learned a lot. No smoke without fire? Read the book and make up your own mind!

[Sudipta Nandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A streak of lavender ran through him: he had spots soft as May violets….. "

Even without the knowledge of Lavender reference, anyone can identify a romantic cum encrypted trait in the above sentence. Guess what? That is exactly what it is.

Well, I am not here to spoil anything but review a very well organized presented dataset combining a timeline, relevant sociocultural traits and a set of criminal psychologies.

I discovered a lot about that time period ( pre and post murder of Lincoln). His hush hush affairs

and data on his affection for same sex. And then comes Tumblety. What a master criminal this one was! I mean the assaults, medical frauds, manslaughter to the disturbing female organ collection offer quite a layered character.

I love the way the book divided its chapters. It offers a chronological data flow on clandestine networks, alleged love triangle, women hating males and complex crimes. Apart from Tumblety, Booth is also an unique character. Tumblety's anagram developing style and Indian herb network reminds me of Doyle's immortal character.

However, I think Tumblety's wife story is not true. Rather it sounds like a feverish imagination of a woman hater psychopath. Contextually, Booth's paranormal interest, death box melodrama, a rose to Tad Lincoln attract interest of the readers. Madam Restell and Bram Storker connections are unforgettable. However, ripper case had many criminal in question and Tumblety is not strongly proven to be the one.

However, that female organ collection and brass rings beg to differ. Then again, he might have a difficult character and found somewhere that collection during his herb doctor career. The mystery still remains and that is what makes the book more intriguing.

So, readers who are interested in classic unsolved canonical murders must go through this one.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Juliet Bookliterati · Rating 4 out of 5]

have to admit that I had never heard the name Frances Tumblety before reading this book, but after reading this book I feel he would be a great character for a biopic film. Tumblety was a showman, a quack doctor who rode into town in a flashy suit and hat offereing to cure the citizens ails. His over the top personality got him into the salons of high society, including into the cirlce of Abraham Lincoln. He did have a predilection for young men who he employed as valets, and this is how he became friends with John Wilkes Booth, also a celebrity at this time as an actor. This association had him arrested as part of Booth’s group who murdered Abraham Lincoln. Nearly thirty years later he finds himself in London, trying to ply his trade as a medic, just at the start of the Ripper Murders.

Tony McMahon’s writing is detailed and rich in historical detail which I loved. Even if you take the Ripper element out this is a fascinating and intriguing read about a charasmatic and extraordinary man, not all in a good way. I liked the context of the period, the political, cultural, and scientific beliefs of the time which helped anchor the characters and their actions. I really enjoyed reading about the build up to the assassination of Abrahan Lincoln and his association with Booth. The chapters were perfectly balance with backgroung context and then how that applied to Tumblety.

I really enjoyed reading Jack the Ripper and Abraham Lincoln, it was intriguing, compelling and utterly addictive. Frances Tumblety is quite the character, a man who claimed he was a medic, conned himelf into high society and had a ego large enough to write his autobiography. Was he Jack the Ripper?, maybe, he had the skills opportunity and was around Whitechapell at the time, but I suggest you read the book and read the evidence to decide for yourself.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating read which identifies an individual who was a suspect in both the Jack The Ripper murders in 1888 and also part of the group who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. I had heard of the named suspect, so called Doctor Francis Tumblety, before in connection with Jack the Ripper but some of the facts, not always verifiable, were completely new to me and quite shocking. Well written this was an absorbing book which I read over a few days.

Briefly, Tumblety was an Irish American who was openly gay and amassed a fortune as a self-styled Indian Herb Doctor. His lifestyle was extravagant and he comes across as a misogynistic man who made some extremely unpleasant life choices. His political connections or blackmail seem to be the only reason he escaped prison on a number of occasions, in both the USA and UK.

As far as I can see there is no actual concrete evidence to prove that Tumblety was guilty in either instance of the two main crimes discussed in this book. Perhaps it was just pure coincidence that he was connected with at least three members of the group involved in the Lincoln murder and that it is, in the book, alleged that Lincoln, Tumblety and Booth were involved in sexual behaviour. However, it is also clear that he was certainly guilty of a number of other crimes for which he was never appropriately punished. He swindled and blackmailed any number of people but I’m not convinced about the Jack the Ripper allegations. It is an enjoyable and interesting read and brought to light, for me, a lot of information I’ve never been aware of before. Thought provoking.

3.5⭐️

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit to not being the biggest history buff - but give me the history of a serial killer and I'm all in!
Now, having said that, I also haven't really read too many true crime novels (I so need more hours in my day!)

This one intrigued me so much though, purely because we focus on two of the most famous men in history.
Moreso, we take a look at the possible links between the two!

Apparently, Dr Francis Tumblety was implicated in the Jack The Ripper cases, questioned and even arrested at one point.
Having heard lots about the Ripper murders - I'd never heard of Tumblety and it was so interesting taking a look into his life (and crimes), through this book.

We also study the life of Abraham Lincoln and focus on the time of his assassination - which covers his personal life and the possible links between his murderer, John Wilkes Booth and Tumblety.

This was such a fascinating read and although much of the information was new to me, it was clear that the author has spent a long time researching and presenting his theories. All of which are sound and come with reference to many other texts and sources.

This was such a great read that has really got my mind whirring - I've even already ordered another book about Jack The Ripper.

If you love true crime - than I'd definitely recommend this book as it's so interesting.and so well written that even a novice like me became completely immersed from start to finish!!

[Fatguyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Jack the Ripper and Abraham Lincoln, we follow the life of Francis Tumblety who has long been a suspect of being Jack the Ripper. But this book also details the life of Abraham Lincoln and his killer, John Wilkes Booth, and also goes into detail about how they may have been associated with each other.

I found this to be a fascinating read as I didn't know much about Francis Tumblety previously. I knew a decent amount about Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth from documentaries and other books, but this book greatly expanded on what I already knew and I found it to be incredibly interesting.

It's quite clear as you read along that the author has done extensive research into this topic as the attention to detail is astonishing, amd the many references to other texts are very useful if you'd like to continue reading up on the subject.

I found this to be a very readable book and I flew through this in two sittings.

4 stars from me.

[Georgina Candy]

This really intrigued me when I read the synopsis, how can one man be involved in 2 of the biggest crimes in the 19th century? How was he connected to both, and was he the only one?

There is lots of background about Tumblety and his association with both Lincoln and Booth, and how he came to be in London at the time of the most notorious murders ever. A huge amount of the early part of the book tells us about his life and how he made his fortunes, what kind of man he was and the type of life and career he had in America.

This book is written well, in a way that doesn’t overload you with information all at once but spreads it out in a much easier format to follow. A lot of other books are referenced throughout if you’d like further reading about Tumblety or the two crimes involved.

No rating as non-fiction

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quack doctor Francis Tumblety was implicated in two of the most infamous crimes of the nineteenth century: President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, and the Jack the Ripper murders. This book uncovers the evidence, revealing his connection to both tragedies.

This is a fascinating and well-researched biography of Tumblety. There’s precious little in the way of evidence connecting him to the crimes, even though he was suspected in both.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Dana Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
I’m still processing what I just read-which was a lot-but my initial response is that the title might have been a little misleading. I feel like this was less about a connection between Jack the Ripper and Abraham Lincoln, and more the author’s contention that they were both gay men, while sharing how in that day and age, being gay in itself was criminal. As someone who counts themselves as a firm ally, that came across as rather disturbing.

[Annarella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 upped to 4
It's an entertaining read and it kept me hooked. i'm a born sceptik so I was tempted to check the conclusion.
I had fun even if I don't agree with the author
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Wendy Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book In exchange for an honest review..

What a fascinating story with interesting insights especially about Lincoln and his killer and the connection with Jack the Ripper. Recommended.

[Dave Chats Games · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give Jack The Ripper and Abraham Lincoln a good score of 4 ⭐ an interesting look into a story that you may have thought you already knew but this will definitely change your outlook. I enjoyed the writing style of Tony McMahon and can’t wait to see more. A definite recommendation from me.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review has been done but blocked!!!! ????? why its a review about this book