Fred Abberline A.K.A. Jack the Ripper

[JTRSickert]

HAs anyone ever considered the possibility that Inspector Abberline himself was Jack? Sounds silly, I know but it seems to me that although we don't have any confirmed photographs of the man, the sketches of his likeness and composites sort of resemble the man described as the possible Ripper by the witnesses who may have gotten a glimpse of the killer. Aside from that, the man had an intimate knowledge of Whitechapel and it's locals, since he was there for 14 years. So, he would know all the routes and escape passages to avoid being detected. And, what better way to cast suspicion off yourself than by being th lead detective in charge of the on-the-ground manhunt for...yourself.

[amarti9]

Hmmm.

Yes and No. Yes because he would fall into the JTR is a policeman theory. I happened to push that theory above all others. However I focus more on a patrolman rather than an inspector.

No, because wasnt Aberline a well known and recognised figure back then? Wouldnt it be hard for him to pull this off when the papers and people around the area knew who he was? In other words wouldnt it be like Brad Pitt or a famous soccer player committing murder? People would easily recognize the guy. I could be wrong.

He does fall in the category of the policeman theory but he would be too well known and recognizeable for people not to know it was him with Liz Stride or any of the other canon 5.

[ChrisGeorge]

HAs anyone ever considered the possibility that Inspector Abberline himself was Jack? Sounds silly, I know but it seems to me that although we don't have any confirmed photographs of the man, the sketches of his likeness and composites sort of resemble the man described as the possible Ripper by the witnesses who may have gotten a glimpse of the killer. Aside from that, the man had an intimate knowledge of Whitechapel and it's locals, since he was there for 14 years. So, he would know all the routes and escape passages to avoid being detected. And, what better way to cast suspicion off yourself than by being th lead detective in charge of the on-the-ground manhunt for...yourself.

Only if he was smoking dope like Johnny Depp as Abberline in the Hughes Brothers' From Hell from 2001. Though I don't think that depiction of Fred was anything like the real Chief Inspector Frederick George Abberline... nor probably Michael Caine's portrayal of the Scotland Yard man as a drunk in 1988's Jack the Ripper.

Chris

[Tom_Wescott]

Chris, please do not paint Abberline as a common dope field. You know as well as I do that Abberline only smoked absynthe to hone his psychic abilities. It was a terrible burden to bear, but he felt it his obligation. Plus, it no doubt helped put up with that Godley, always at his side spitting Shakespeare.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[The Grave Maurice]

The theory does have a certain appeal. Simply because he was so well known locally, the victims would trust him. And Abberline was known to wander around the area late at night, wasn't he, so even if a beat cop ran into him, his presence wouldn't seem suspicious. Unfortunately, this is the sort of theory that makes a good plot but bad history.

[belinda]

You don't smoke Absinthe you drink it.

[DVV]

Abberline-the-Ripper would never have trusted Hutchinson-the-Witness.

Amitiés,
David

[robhouse]

Tom,

There is absolutely no factual evidence that Abberline was an absinthe smoker. The fact is, he main-lined an admixture of chloral hydrate and physostigma with Arthur Conan-Doyle.

Rob H

[c.d.]

Abberline certainly could have been the Ripper, no doubt about. A white male, living in the area at the time. Yep, it could have been him. Of course, it could also have been any of the men under him or any of his superiors. It also might have been any of the customers who frequented the place where he got his morning coffee or any of the customers who frequented the pub where he stopped for his pint in the evening. Of course, it could have been...well, I think you get the point.

The problem is that there is no evidence against him other than a desire to have a plot like an old Charlie Chan movie where the killer turns out to be the chief of police.

c.d.

[DVV]

You don't smoke Absinthe you drink it.

I personally drink cocaine and sniff haschisch.
I appreciate acid under my eyelid, too.

[Archaic]

Chris, please do not paint Abberline as a common dope field. You know as well as I do that Abberline only smoked absynthe to hone his psychic abilities.

Just out of curiosity, Tom, have you ever smoked The Green Fairy??


Man, that is hardcore!

Best regards, Archaic

[DVV]

Man, that is hardcore!

Don't tempt me !

Amitiés,
David

[Archaic]

Don't tempt me !

Amitiés,
David

Bonjour, David. Ça va?

Oscar Wilde once said "I can resist anything but temptation."

Au revoir, Archaic

[Tom_Wescott]

You don't smoke Absinthe you drink it.

No wonder my papers won't hold up!

Just out of curiosity, Tom, have you ever smoked The Green Fairy??

Yes, but I didn't inhail.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Archaic]

Good answer!! Tom, you will go far in this world.

Best regards, Archaic