Name the Name with a short answer why please :D

[erobitha]

There is a very good reason why provenance is an issue, erobitha, and 'all over the place'.

Whoever the diary's author was, it makes little sense that they would have made an effort to research Maybrick and the ripper murders to get the basic chronology right and make sure he had no hard and fast alibis, but then spend all of two minutes on an unprovable story that the diary came from a former Saddle Pub regular who had since died.

But if Mike Barrett got the diary from a live electrician, whose local was also the Saddle, the provenance was always going to be all over the place, because an electrician taking something without permission from a house he had just been working in couldn't admit as much to Barrett, and would also have insisted that his name be kept out of it. Barrett was left in the dark and had to make something up to explain how he got the diary - enter a conveniently dead drinking pal who couldn't be questioned.

As Mike wasn't up to the job of creating the diary himself, with or without his wife's help, the original author - who remains unidentified - had the job of giving it a provenance at some point prior to March 1992, but was stymied by events outside of their control. Instead of it being found in Maybrick's former home by a later occupant, who'd have had no reason to lie about it, it was found by our light-fingered electrician, who had every reason to lie when selling it on to a man who couldn't lie straight in bed.

Love,

Caz
X

Another example of where you have explained something far better than I ever could, but yes, that is exactly what I meant by provenance being an issue.

Either it is genuine or somebody went to the trouble of research and risk to then leave it under the floorboards of Maybrick’s bedroom. Whoever left it probably was not expecting an enterprising electrician would come across it. I also believe the watch and other items were found as well. What happened to the haul thereafter is the problem with the provenance.

As a suspect to frame, what a lucky pick to whoever did frame him. Maybrick has more circumstantial evidence for being JTR than any other suspects I have seen or read about. Very lucky indeed.

[Wickerman]

The nameless individual loitering outside the Britannia pub (a.k.a. The Bethnal Green man) seen by both Lewis & Kennedy is my No.1 Person of Interest.
I suspect this is the same man seen with Stride at the Bricklayers Arms, and seen by PC Smith, and seen by Packer, and seen in Millers Court by Bowyer.
It's my view he was of the same social class as Druitt, whether this really was Druitt cannot be ruled out yet.

[caz]

I believe James Maybrick was JtR. I believe the scrapbook (which has it's challenges but not killed off 100% in my view) is not the only artifact to consider. There is also the watch. RJ and others have failed to convince me that the aged brass particles in the base of those engravings were done by "an old etching tool". The particles were embedded, not on top loosley of the base, but embedded. The scrapbook may have been compiled by someone looking to support the watch. It may have been done with good intentions originally, but possibly made it worse for the case of Maybrick long-term. The watch on its own may not have been enough, and still isn't. The watch and scrapbook came from the same place in my view. Provenance is an issue, which wee need not go into again here. There is literally hundreds of threads on this on this board. What makes him compelling to me is he lived and worked in close proximity to Whitechapel during his 20's. He would be in and out of the area quickly, and would not have been interviewed in the follow-up investigations. He most likely frequented the local pubs and may have had a familiar face to some of the victims. His job saw him travel to London frequently. He also could fit the killing with his own timetable, as essentially he was his own boss.
One of his office addresses was 46 Lime Street, a two minute walk from Mitre Square. We know he spent time (at the very least and may have even lived with) with Sarah-Ann Robertson who was from the edge of Whitechapel. Her family believed them to be married. His biggest client and friend Gustav Witt had an office just a short stroll from Whitechapel. We know he frequented prostitutes in America. He caught 'malaria' whilst there but could have easily also been syphillis. Doctors were not obliged to put that on the medical record at that tiime - the unified US code of ethics relating to syphillis came later. We know he was narcissistic, he married an 18 year-old when he was in his 40s after being introduced via a mutual friend of her mother's on the boat from America. They married in Piccadilly, London - a place nothing to do with James. He was trying to impress. We know he had a drug problem and was addicted to arsenic and other substances. We know he was a hypochondriac - a typical trait of narcissistic serial killers. We know he matches broadly many of the eye witness reports, including a Daily Telepgraph sketch of the suspect. We know around September 1888 he was suffering with his eyes (Witt letter to Home Office Aug 1889) and witnesses claim the suspect had issues with their eyes, especially those who saw the man with Stride outside the Bricklayer's Arms. We know so many more things about him outside of the scrapbook, that as a psychological profile to me he would fit the bill.

P.S. I don't know what a short answer is

There is a very good reason why provenance is an issue, erobitha, and 'all over the place'.

Whoever the diary's author was, it makes little sense that they would have made an effort to research Maybrick and the ripper murders to get the basic chronology right and make sure he had no hard and fast alibis, but then spend all of two minutes on an unprovable story that the diary came from a former Saddle Pub regular who had since died.

But if Mike Barrett got the diary from a live electrician, whose local was also the Saddle, the provenance was always going to be all over the place, because an electrician taking something without permission from a house he had just been working in couldn't admit as much to Barrett, and would also have insisted that his name be kept out of it. Barrett was left in the dark and had to make something up to explain how he got the diary - enter a conveniently dead drinking pal who couldn't be questioned.

As Mike wasn't up to the job of creating the diary himself, with or without his wife's help, the original author - who remains unidentified - had the job of giving it a provenance at some point prior to March 1992, but was stymied by events outside of their control. Instead of it being found in Maybrick's former home by a later occupant, who'd have had no reason to lie about it, it was found by our light-fingered electrician, who had every reason to lie when selling it on to a man who couldn't lie straight in bed.

Love,

Caz
X

[drstrange169]

Person or persons unknown and likely to stay that way.

[Herlock Sholmes]

I favour Druitt as the best of the named suspects. Why did MacNaghten name such an unlikely suspect on his ‘better than Cutbush’ list if he hadn’t have felt that he had a very good reason to.

[John Wheat]

I believe Bury was the Ripper. There are a number of reasons I believe this.

[erobitha]

I believe James Maybrick was JtR. I believe the scrapbook (which has it's challenges but not killed off 100% in my view) is not the only artifact to consider. There is also the watch. RJ and others have failed to convince me that the aged brass particles in the base of those engravings were done by "an old etching tool". The particles were embedded, not on top loosley of the base, but embedded. The scrapbook may have been compiled by someone looking to support the watch. It may have been done with good intentions originally, but possibly made it worse for the case of Maybrick long-term. The watch on its own may not have been enough, and still isn't. The watch and scrapbook came from the same place in my view. Provenance is an issue, which wee need not go into again here. There is literally hundreds of threads on this on this board. What makes him compelling to me is he lived and worked in close proximity to Whitechapel during his 20's. He would be in and out of the area quickly, and would not have been interviewed in the follow-up investigations. He most likely frequented the local pubs and may have had a familiar face to some of the victims. His job saw him travel to London frequently. He also could fit the killing with his own timetable, as essentially he was his own boss.
One of his office addresses was 46 Lime Street, a two minute walk from Mitre Square. We know he spent time (at the very least and may have even lived with) with Sarah-Ann Robertson who was from the edge of Whitechapel. Her family believed them to be married. His biggest client and friend Gustav Witt had an office just a short stroll from Whitechapel. We know he frequented prostitutes in America. He caught 'malaria' whilst there but could have easily also been syphillis. Doctors were not obliged to put that on the medical record at that tiime - the unified US code of ethics relating to syphillis came later. We know he was narcissistic, he married an 18 year-old when he was in his 40s after being introduced via a mutual friend of her mother's on the boat from America. They married in Piccadilly, London - a place nothing to do with James. He was trying to impress. We know he had a drug problem and was addicted to arsenic and other substances. We know he was a hypochondriac - a typical trait of narcissistic serial killers. We know he matches broadly many of the eye witness reports, including a Daily Telepgraph sketch of the suspect. We know around September 1888 he was suffering with his eyes (Witt letter to Home Office Aug 1889) and witnesses claim the suspect had issues with their eyes, especially those who saw the man with Stride outside the Bricklayer's Arms. We know so many more things about him outside of the scrapbook, that as a psychological profile to me he would fit the bill.

P.S. I don't know what a short answer is

[Astatine211]

If we know their name, I personally feel it is most likely one of these:

George Chapman (Severin Klosowski) - regardless of the MO debate, GC was a sadistic serial killer who lived in the centre of the murders, arriving and leaving Whitechapel coinciding with the start and end of the murders. However, a recently released, very well researched book Jack the Ripper at Last? The Mysterious Murders of George Chapman by Helena Wojtczak makes a very compelling case on why GC is not JtR.

Frederick Bailey Deeming - likewise a complete monster who is a serial killer with an MO much more similar to JtR and is also shown to be very intelligent. If there was undeniable proof he was in Whitechapel during the murders then the case would likely be solved. However there is a good possibility he was in prison during the murders, however debate remains. The alias he most likely used for the Ripper killings was Harry Lawson. One of the leads I'm currently investigating might result in some brand new information in regards to Deeming as a suspect.

Francis Tumblety - to many things don't add up to do with Tumblety, his suspicious behaviour and strange media statements don't help show his innocence. That being said I personally doubt he was the Ripper, however there are too questions to discount him as a serious suspect.

William Henry Bury - I don't really have an opinion on Bury as a suspect. When I was first looking at the case I thought he was the most likely candidate, however now I personally think it's unlikely he was JtR. However there are a lot of people who have him as their main POI and I do agree there are definitely links between him and the Ripper such as the graffiti in his house that makes him suspicious.

James Kelly - Probably the suspect with most remarkable story. If he was JtR it wouldn't surprise me if his total victim count is over 100. A very interesting suspect even if they aren't the Ripper. Like Deeming, if there was undeniable proof he was in Whitechapel at the time of the murders, the case would probably be considered solved. If you want to know more I recommend reading the very well researched book which has stood the test of time amazingly, The Secret of Prisoner 1167 by James Tully. Alongside documenting the story of James Kelly, who to put it in perspective is one of only three succesful escapees of Broadmoor Asylum ever, also gives a good general overview of the Ripper case.

Thomas Haynes Cutbush - the implications if THC was Jack the Ripper are huge. It would most likely point towards a large scale cover-up amongst police. Mainly to protect the reputation of the MET from links being made between THC and Charles Cutbush a Superintendent who was most likely insane. The irony would be that despite the contemporary police believing Charles was Thomas's uncle, recent research has shown there was no relation. If you are interested in THC as a suspect I recommend the very well researched book Jack the Myth by A.P Wolf.

Charles Cross (Charles Lechmere) - Charles Lechmere has to be considered as a Ripper suspect from everything we know about him. If he had died or been imprisoned or sent to an asylum in the early 1890s the case would likely be considered solved, especially if it was for murder. My biggest problem with Lechmere is that he would've just stopped killing, something I don't think JtR would've done. For more info on Lechmere and the case for him as JtR, I highly recommend the very recently released and very well researched book Cutting Point: Solving the Jack the Ripper and the Thames Torso Murders by Christer Holmgren, who regularly posts on the forum as Fisherman.

Francis Spurzheim Craig - FSC status as suspect depends on a DNA test. If the DNA test result is negative FSC is definitely not JtR, if the DNA test result is positive, FSC could be considered the most likely suspect. The problem is for this DNA test to be done, Mary Jane Kelly body would need to be exhumed. The church where she is thought to be said no. This means the DNA test is likely to ever be done. For that reason FSC entire chance of having any connection to the case remains a big ?. For more on this I recommed Wynne Weston-Davies book The Real Mary Kelly a very well researched book which brilliantly explores the life the MJK.

Joseph Barnett - I don't consider him as a suspect but I just want to know why an envelope that belonged to Barnett was found in the courtyard of Hanbury Street after the murder of Annie Chapman???

[DJA]

Henry Gawen Sutton was being blackmailed as a homosexual by the five women.

[clark2710]

Who is YOUR Ripper suspect of choice as to whom the likely suspect is to being the killer?