Anderson in NY Times, March 20, 1910

[robhouse]

"On 14th February 1891 why would Chief Inspector Donald Swanson have embarked upon an investigation into the possibility that James Sadler was ‘Jack the Ripper’ in the sure and certain knowledge that just seven days earlier ‘Jack the Ripper’ had been locked up in Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum?"

I would guess it is because Swanson was not entirely convinced that Kozminski was the Ripper. He may have thought he was a good suspect, but the fact that they could not prove it must have left ample room for doubt, conjecture etc.

Natalie,

I think it is relevant to point out that in the marginalia Swanson wrote "known to Scotland Yard head officers of CID", underlining "head". It has been suggested that this sentence referred to Anderson's comment about the "Jack the Ripper letter." But it seems at least as likely, if not more so, that it instead referred to the previous sentence... the one which was underlined and highlighted by Swanson (with a vertical line). The sentence about "subordinate officers of the department" and not violating the unwritten rule of the service. In other words, I think Swanson may have underlined this phrase, and then added the remark about "head officers" in the next available space.

If this conjecture is correct, then it seems to imply that the whole Kozminski affair may have been a secret, known only to certain "head officials" at CID. In other words, it is entirely possible that "Abberline, Dew, Reid and others such as Godley" did not know much of anything about Kozminski, or at least not the details. The same might go for Smith.

RH

[DVV]

Hi Simon,

and 4 years later they tried to identify Grainger.

Amitiés,
David

[Simon Wood]

Hi David,

Thank you. I'd forgotten about Grainger.

Honestly, have you ever heard more nonsense than the "Kosminski was the Ripper" argument?

Regards,

Simon

[DVV]

Hi again Simon,

I'll read Rob's book with pleasure and curiosity.
I'm sure it will be more convincing than Anderson complete works (reliés pleine peau).

In the meantime, I'll continue to find Grainger a stronger suspect than Kosminski.

Amitiés,
David

[Scott Nelson]

...have you ever heard more nonsense than the "Kosminski was the Ripper" argument?

But nobody here is arguing that Kosminski was the Ripper, at least as far as I can see.

[Stephen Thomas]

On 14th February 1891 why would Chief Inspector Donald Swanson have embarked upon an investigation into the possibility that James Sadler was ‘Jack the Ripper’ in the sure and certain knowledge that just seven days earlier ‘Jack the Ripper’ had been locked up in Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum?

Going through the motions?

[Simon Wood]

Going through the motions? Quite possibly, Stephen, but to what end?

[Natalie Severn]

Rob,
I could accept that Dew,Reid and Godley may not have been in on Anderson"s secret which he said was a " definitely ascertainable fact"--"-well known" among the police he said.But for the head of the City of London Police,Major Smith to be kept in the dark and by the look of things the Assistant Commissioner ,Macnaghten ,that all seems highly unlikely,Rob,
Best
Norma

[jason_c]

Going through the motions? Quite possibly, Stephen, but to what end?

Swanson was amibiguous on wether he believed Kosminski to be the Ripper. He only stated that Kosminski was "the suspect."

Catching and more importantly convicting Sadler(The Ripper) would have enhanced Swanson's career no end.

[Stephen Thomas]

I think it is relevant to point out that in the marginalia Swanson wrote "known to Scotland Yard head officers of CID", underlining "head". It has been suggested that this sentence referred to Anderson's comment about the "Jack the Ripper letter." But it seems at least as likely, if not more so, that it instead referred to the previous sentence... the one which was underlined and highlighted by Swanson (with a vertical line). The sentence about "subordinate officers of the department" and not violating the unwritten rule of the service. In other words, I think Swanson may have underlined this phrase, and then added the remark about "head officers" in the next available space.

If this conjecture is correct, then it seems to imply that the whole Kozminski affair may have been a secret, known only to certain "head officials" at CID. In other words, it is entirely possible that "Abberline, Dew, Reid and others such as Godley" did not know much of anything about Kozminski, or at least not the details. The same might go for Smith.

Hi Rob

You may well be completely right but on the other hand you may well be completely wrong. I'm sure that you're right about 'head officials' knowing what's what about the closure of the case but who names Kosminski except for MM in his strange document discovered 70 odd years later and the author of the later additions to the Swanson Marginalia that appeared 100 years later?

Nobody.

[Stephen Thomas]

Honestly, have you ever heard more nonsense than the "Kosminski was the Ripper" argument?

Tell it like it is Simon, baby.

[Simon Wood]

I try, Stephen. I try.

[Cap'n Jack]

'Honestly, have you ever heard more nonsense than the "Kosminski was the Ripper" argument?'

Indeed I have, Simon, in that some claim Tumblety was the Ripper.
But it all sort of comes down to the documents that have been produced to emphasis the case for Kosminski and Tumblety, doesn't it?
Normally the horse bolts before the stable door is closed, but in these curious cases we have the horse stabled and the door bolted, and then the blasted creation walks through the wall... and we are left staring at a dried turd on stable floor.

[Natalie Severn]

.......have no fear, Cap"n will be getting a good coating from Debs shortly over this!

[Tom_Wescott]

But it all sort of comes down to the documents that have been produced to emphasis the case for Kosminski and Tumblety, doesn't it?

Hey, I got my horse in that race now.

Normally the horse bolts before the stable door is closed, but in these curious cases we have the horse stabled and the door bolted, and then the blasted creation walks through the wall...

And shies to the left when it comes upon the dead body of AP's theory.

Let's all vote Ostrog and rock the establishment.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott