Trying to make sense of the Swanson Marginalia

[Darryl Kenyon]

Hi Darryl,

If Anderson and Swanson though that Kosminski was their man, and that Kosminski knew he had been identified, they prejudiced their contention by having Lawende look at Sadler, who he didn't identify, and Grainger, who he did identify.

Cheers, George

Hi George

With the case never being officially closed I believe the police had to explore other options. In the Suzy Lamplugh case the police are convinced that John Cannan is the murderer. Even without sufficient evidence to prosecute the police still in 2002 named him as their only suspect . Yet in 2008 they still investigated the serial killer Steven Wrights movements at the time of Suzy's disappearance before eliminating him.
You could argue this is similar to Kosminski and Grainger . Certain police believe that Kosminski was their man but he was never prosecuted . Then a man comes along who stabs a woman in the district were the murders occur making him a viable person of interest before eliminating him.
The Grainger ID has always nagged at me a little. It was only reported in one paper and if it was a positive ID you would think charges may have followed ? Just a thought.
Regarding Kosminski I still feel that over the years , past 1895 and beyond Swanson, and as a knock on Anderson's stance on him hardened to the point of , if only, regarding the ID, we would have got him .

Regards Darryl

[Scott Nelson]

The Grainger ID has always nagged at me a little. It was only reported in one paper and if it was a positive ID you would think charges may have followed ? Just a thought.

I think this newspaper report of the Grainger ID was fed to a single journalist to fend off further witness inquiries.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

If Anderson and Swanson though that Kosminski was their man...

... they would have been able to cite incriminating evidence against him, would have been able to agree on the place in which he was identified, and would have been able to agree on when he was incarcerated.

Anderson stated that the identification took place when the suspect was already incarcerated; Swanson stated that he was living with his relatives.

Anderson had the incarceration taking place no later than early 1889, yet Swanson - if he meant 'the Seaside Home' in Hove, knew when it opened, was including the McKenzie murder when he wrote about 'no other murder of this kind', and knew when Kosminski was certified - had it taking place in February 1891.

That is a difference of about two years.

There would have had to be incriminating evidence against Kosminski for him to have become a suspect.

The fact that Anderson has him in an asylum itself suggests there was none, because otherwise the identification would surely have taken place before the suspect's incarceration.

The fact that Macnaghten knew only of circumstantial evidence again suggests there was no incriminating evidence.

Anderson and Swanson had every right to their smug self-satisfaction.

They both got away with condemning a man in the absence of any incriminating evidence.

[Scott Nelson]

Kosminski was "confined", not incarcerated. There being no trial because no known crime was committed.

[Wickerman]

"Confine" and "Incarcerate" are synonyms.

[Fiver]

Anderson and Swanson had every right to their smug self-satisfaction.

They both got away with condemning a man in the absence of any incriminating evidence.

A Ripperology tradition that continues to this day.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

If Anderson and Swanson though that Kosminski was their man, and that Kosminski knew he had been identified, they prejudiced their contention by having Lawende look at Sadler, who he didn't identify, and Grainger, who he did identify.

If I may alter slightly the point you make: if Anderson was right that the murderer had to be a Polish Jew and both he and Swanson were right that a Polish Jew was positively identified as the murderer, and that the witness too was Jewish, then why did the police subsequently ask a Polish Jewish witness to identify, in turn, two non-Jewish suspects?

[Scott Nelson]

"Confine" and "Incarcerate" are synonyms.

Not concerning whether a crime has been committed or not.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

Not concerning whether a crime has been committed or not.

I do not think your latest comment makes sense, but in answer to the point you made previously: both confinement and incarceration can be used to refer to the detention of inmates of lunatic asylums as well as of prisons.

[Scott Nelson]

Incarceration: prisons
Confinement: lunatic asylums

A crime has to be committed before going to prison. Kosminski committed no known crime.

[Scott Nelson]

...in connection with the Whitechapel Murders.