What Was JTR Afraid Of?

[Tani]

In terms of being caught, Jack would not have been afraid of DNA evidence, modern geoprofiling, blood analysis or sniffer dogs.

What would he have been avoiding and in fear of from 19th c. police?

[Enigma]

Hi Tani, we can only guess at JtR's state of mind, however, in no particular order I imagine the following may have concerned him.

- caught in flagrante delicto
- identified by a witness who saw him with a victim prior to any of the murders
- observed with incriminating evidence, such as bloodstains or carrying a 'trophy'

Though he was brazen. The chance he took at Hanbury Street at being observed or cornered was outrageous so he evidently exhibited little fear of capture.

What do others think?

Regards, Gazza

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Tani. As Gazza says, his primary fear would have been getting caught in the act, followed by seen by witnesses and identified. It's no mystery my Polly Nichols was killed in Bethnal Green - the police weren't particularly active, whereas the area around George Street/George Yard was crawling with police and vigilantes after Tabram. Hanbury Street was apparently void of police. We'll recall how Davis, Kent, and the other men failed to attract attention for some time by screaming 'Murder!' and 'Police!' It's no surprise the Ripper got away clean. When it was too hot in Whitechapel, he scoped out St. Georges in the East and the City, just over the boundary line. Again, not a coincidence. He was probably not the sharpest tool, but he was no idea. And he was lucky.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Herlock Sholmes]

We might add family and friends perhaps noticing things like changes in behaviour, absence at the times of murder etc (If he had a family of course) Might an element of paranoia crept in? “Why is that bloke staring at me” kind of thing?

[Patrick Differ]

Hi Tani- this is a very interesting question.

In Victorian London it's not clear that a convicted lunatic, released and then caught committing murders would have been hanged. It appears they would not but rather sent back to an Asylum.

if JtR were in fact a previously released or escaped lunatic would they have known this?

it would be hard to imagine not hanging this particular murderer if he had been caught. However if he had been previously convicted would that enable his risk taking?

Great question. What was the law in this case??

[c.d.]

You lost me here. Why would they release a convicted lunatic?

c.d.

[FrankO]

In terms of being caught, Jack would not have been afraid of DNA evidence, modern geoprofiling, blood analysis or sniffer dogs.

What would he have been avoiding and in fear of from 19th c. police?

The way I see it, the only thing he really needed to fear was to get caught red-handed or fleeing the scene. If he managed to (arrive and) get away without attracting attention, then there was nothing much that would get him discovered. Of course, things will also have depended on how he behaved in-between murders.

[Patrick Differ]

Cd..How far back did the Detectives go to check who the lunatics were in Whitechapel/Spitalfields?
Did they go back 6 months, less, more? The Police evidently checked Asylums because they did release lunatics on occasion.

Jacob Levy was released by Sir Henry Matthews. Imagine if the killer was Levy and the Public learned Matthews let him go. Recent releases would seemingly be a no brainer to check. Here again it appears Sir Henry was responsible for releases. His signature.

William Smith was a beat cop from H Division. He is the only Cop who may have seen the killer according to testimony. I'm not sure if there are records from the Seadide Home to determine what officers might have been there. Smith is the likely candidate in my opinion.

Agree..if this really happened it would have been big News. Unless the clock ran out on the real killer and they decided to attach a name to it..Kosminsky? A harmless imbecile.

Who identified the Butcher in the Jewish Butcher Theory?
The City and not Metro? Did this happen after the supposed Seaside home event?

Kelly as an escaped lunatic would give pause but its not the same as actually signing off that they were cured.

Seaside Home- makes sense if it's Smith or someone not recorded and unable to travel. No other reason to drag a Kosminski there.

Another puzzle.