Why only two threads?

[Amanda Sumner]

Amanda,

I think there was a popular belief that such horrendous crimes could not possibly be work of an Englishman. So if the perpetrator was a foreigner, the most obvious group to suspect in the East End at the time was the Jews. They were mainly recent immigrants, present in significant numbers and were not even Christian!

At a time when many of these immigrants had only recently escaped from the pogroms in Eastern Europe, the measured response of the British police to this wave of anti-Semitic feeling was acknowledged as laudable by the Jewish community.

MrB

You are probably right, MrBarnett. I can't disagree with that. I just thought the timing was curious.

[GUT]

Scotland Yard's official position is that unsolved murder cases are never closed.

[Amanda Sumner]

That's right, so it's odd that the Ripper case was officially closed, isn't it? One has to wonder why the decision was made.

[GUT]

Amanda, do yourself a favour don't believe everything you read, even here on Casebook. You've now quotes the case as being closed in 91, 92 and 94 and can I suspect find quotes supporting all three dates but they cannot all be correct can they?

[Amanda Sumner]

I don't, but the point is that the case was officially closed and not long after Jacob Levy died. Of course, the two might not be connected at all, but it's another little nugget to put on the ever growing list of reasons why Jacob could be our top suspect. Of all the suspects he has ticked just about every box.

[Daisyhall1]

Abberline retires ( early) 8 Feb 1892 and the file was officially closed...seems a bit coincidental.Do they feel they had their man,or he was dead?

[TomTomKent]

Considering that there was daily crime, and murder, that probably involved Jews as much as anyone else, I do find it interesting that the Rabbi felt he had to publicly thank the police in this case. Especially when it was still officially unsolved. Why would he felt the need to do that? Alright I might be jumping the gun a bit, but I do find it curious.

As for the case being closed, I have come across two dates, 1891, and 1894. Jacob Levy died in 1891.

There was an obvious need to thank the police. The same need to wash away graffiti and change the description from "Jewish"'to "Foreign" in reports. People were ready to riot over the killing. The hysteria about "Leather Apron" had reached the point that an anti Semitic back lash was feared and the police took active steps to avoid this.

Levy is a viable identity for the Jewish Suspect, along with Cohen. But only to the same degree as Cohen and the like. Declaring Case Closed is probably not warranted when he is only on equal footing with other suspects. That is not to admonish the evidence against him, only to recognise proof enough to close the case is beyond our grasp.

[Amanda Sumner]

I agree,TomTomKent.

The Jewish and foreign community had much to be grateful for, in as much the efforts made by the police, and those in authority, to avoid a backlash and an escalation of violence that was already apparent in the Eastend.
It was only conjecture on my part that the Rabbi was thanking them for other reasons, namely the discovery of the murderer being Jewish. I just found the incident, at that very time, curious. As far as Jacob's candidacy goes for being JtR, I feel he ticks far more boxes than most of the suspects. Have we got enough to say " case closed "? Not by a long chalk, I agree, but he is certainly worth investigating further.

[Harry D]

I don't think a cover-up is out of the question. The GSG proved that the police were willing to compromise the investigation in order to protect the Jewish community, and that was a piece of graffito not necessarily linked to the Ripper murders. So based on that, one can only wonder how they would respond if it did transpire that the Ripper was a Jew.

I'd disagree that Cohen & Levy are "on equal footing". The information we have on 'David Cohen' is pretty scanty. All we really know is that he was raving lunatic locked away around the time the murders ended and died soon after. Apart from that, he's something of an enigma. We don't know anything about his background, or so much as his real name. In contrast, we have a good deal of info on Jacob Levy, we know he had the crude anatomical skill for the crimes, we know he was sent to asylum TWICE, we know he died of syphilis, we know he was prowling the streets at night, we know how tall he was, we know he lived in the area all his life, we know his mother died shortly before the murders began, and we can connect him to one of the witnesses (and a shifty one at that).

[Amanda Sumner]

I don't think a cover-up is out of the question. The GSG proved that the police were willing to compromise the investigation in order to protect the Jewish community, and that was a piece of graffito not necessarily linked to the Ripper murders. So based on that, one can only wonder how they would respond if it did transpire that the Ripper was a Jew.

I'd disagree that Cohen & Levy are "on equal footing". The information we have on 'David Cohen' is pretty scanty. All we really know is that he was raving lunatic locked away around the time the murders ended and died soon after. Apart from that, he's something of an enigma. We don't know anything about his background, or so much as his real name. In contrast, we have a good deal of info on Jacob Levy, we know he had the crude anatomical skill for the crimes, we know he was sent to asylum TWICE, we know he died of syphilis, we know he was prowling the streets at night, we know how tall he was, we know he lived in the area all his life, we know his mother died shortly before the murders began, and we can connect him to one of the witnesses (and a shifty one at that).

You forgot to mention his brother in the Wentworth building. There had to be a reason why he stopped there. Whether it was Jacob or not, it could have been that he was aware that there were washing facilities in the basement, a fact that has been put forward but not proven yet, I think.
I would love to see a full plan of that building, I wonder if one exists?

[Harry D]

Show me a better Ripper suspect than Jacob Levy and I'll show you Jack the Ripper.

[SirJohnFalstaff]

I am in agreement with you, Sam.

I also don't believe the theory of the Ripper's mind completely imploding after the murder series. Whoever he was, the Ripper was a sociopath and I doubt the murders ever even made a scratch at his conscience. I think he was just "fine" afterwards.

I read somewhere that the treatment for his syphillis was mercury.

Mercury is something the body doesn't eliminate. It usually stays in your system and then accumulate somewhere in the brain and will create severe damage to the central nervous system. These people weren't "stealthy".

But, it's still a possibility. One thing I am convinced is Jack was an extremely lucky guy (I mean not in an envious way, but in a way that random stuff played in his favor)

[John Wheat]

Show me a better Ripper suspect than Jacob Levy and I'll show you Jack the Ripper.

To Harry

What makes Jacob Levy such a great suspect?

Cheers John

[Harry D]

To Harry

What makes Jacob Levy such a great suspect?

Cheers John

Hello John,

Let us list the ways:

- Local butcher. Had the anatomical knowledge for the murders.
- Grew up at the heart of the murder sites and would've known the area.
- He was sent to asylum in August 1890.
- His wife claimed that he prowled the streets at all hours and that he feels he will "do violence to someone" if not restrained.
- Witnessed his brother's suicide at a young age - possible trauma? Told his wife that his brother cut his own throat, when he actually hung himself. Why the lie?
- His mother died in June 1888 - possible trigger?
- He died from complications with syphilis - possible motive against prostitutes?
- Joseph Levy (witness at the Eddowes inquest) was his cousin, which might explain Joseph's suspicious behaviour.
- He was sent to Stone asylum. Robert Anderson's wife said that the Ripper was sent to an asylum "near Stone".
- Was possibly the Butcher's Row suspect.

A lot of circumstantial evidence, sure, but as far as Ripper suspects go there's a much stronger case for Levy than anyone else, in my opinion.

[John Wheat]

A lot of circumstantial evidence, sure, but as far as Ripper suspects go there's a much stronger case for Levy than anyone else, in my opinion.

Hi Harry

Thanks for the detailed reply. There's a lot of circumstantial evidence for several Ripper suspects. However Levy is one of the stronger suspects and not what a would consider one of the silly suspects e.g. Sickert, VanGough etc.

Cheers John