The Courier [Scotland], 1st October 2018—
Nevill Swanson, the great grandson of the late Scotland Yard officer Donald Sutherland Swanson, said the culprit was identified by his ancestor as being Aaron Kosminski – a Polish Jew who was committed to a London asylum where he subsequently died.
“To summarise, he solved it and identified the culprit but could not proceed through the refusal of an eye witness to testify against a fellow Jew.
“He therefore contrived to have Kosminski committed to an asylum where he eventually died.”
Mr Swanson said part of the code by which his great grandfather lived was to not disclose anything about his professional life. As a result he kept what he knew to himself.
“The family knew he had identified the killer but he would not divulge the identity,” said Mr Swanson.
“This knowledge came out many years later when my father revealed the so-called “Swanson Marginalia” which gave the name Kosminski.
“This was and is a disappointment to many as there is a thriving “Ripperology” industry!”
Others, however, have disputed the evidence.
*Mr Swanson said a biography called “Swanson – The Life & Times of a Victorian Detective” is to be published later this year.
Nevill Swanson, the great grandson of the late Scotland Yard officer Donald Sutherland Swanson, said the culprit was identified by his ancestor as being Aaron Kosminski – a Polish Jew who was committed to a London asylum where he subsequently died.
“To summarise, he solved it and identified the culprit but could not proceed through the refusal of an eye witness to testify against a fellow Jew.
“He therefore contrived to have Kosminski committed to an asylum where he eventually died.”
Mr Swanson said part of the code by which his great grandfather lived was to not disclose anything about his professional life. As a result he kept what he knew to himself.
“The family knew he had identified the killer but he would not divulge the identity,” said Mr Swanson.
“This knowledge came out many years later when my father revealed the so-called “Swanson Marginalia” which gave the name Kosminski.
“This was and is a disappointment to many as there is a thriving “Ripperology” industry!”
Others, however, have disputed the evidence.
*Mr Swanson said a biography called “Swanson – The Life & Times of a Victorian Detective” is to be published later this year.
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