A Likely Suspect?

[Uncle Jack]

What do people think of Carl Feiganbaum as a likely suspect? I think I would rate him as one of my top 3 and consider Trevor Marriott's case more convincing than most of the others.

[Dan Norder]

Wolf Vanderlinden's article in Ripper Notes #28 effectively shows many of the claims made by Marriott about Feigenbaum to be incorrect. The article also includes the first illustrations of Feigenbaum ever found, detailed information (and a photo) of a prostitute killed in Wisconsin that was inappropriately linked to Feigenbaum, and lots of other good stuff.

[Uncle Jack]

Thanks Dan, I shall read that.

[Trevor Marriott]

Wolf Vanderlinden's article in Ripper Notes #28 effectively shows many of the claims made by Marriott about Feigenbaum to be incorrect. The article also includes the first illustrations of Feigenbaum ever found, detailed information (and a photo) of a prostitute killed in Wisconsin that was inappropriately linked to Feigenbaum, and lots of other good stuff.

Dan
I should point out that you say Wolfs article shows many of my claims to be incorrect as you know from previous correspondence we have had on this issue i do not agree with the content of his article and there are many contentious issues and i would be happy to put the record straight by providing you with an article for inclusion in the next edition of Ripper Notes which should make good reading when it hits your desk having regard to the fact that I belive you and Wolf Vanderlin share the same desk in the Ripper Notes office !

Just one question are you able to sit on the fence on this one ?

[Dan Norder]

Hi Trevor,

Sorry for not replying to this post earlier, I just now saw it.

As you know, I was the one to email you a few months back letting you know about Wolf's article and the new illustrations so you'd be aware of it. I know you were working on a response then, but I haven't heard from you in a while. If it's still coming I look forward to seeing it.

I'm not exactly a fence sitter when it comes to my own beliefs about the case, but I do acknowledge that people are entitled to different views and that new research can update our knowledge at any time. Ripper Notes presents a wide variety of opinions, and the views presented do not have to match those of any of the individual editors... especially considering that the three of us (Wolf, Alan Sharp and myself) certainly have some clear differences of opinion.

[Uncle Jack]

Having read Wolf's article, I admit he does make some interesting points and it convinced me that Feiganbaum was not responsable for some of the 'ripper style' murders but the article is far from proving that Feiganbaum wasn't the Ripper. Personally, I find Trevor's case one of the strongest.

Kind regards,

Adam

[Dan Norder]

Hey Uncle Jack,

What exactly even remains from the Feigenbaum theory that you think makes him sound at all like possibly Jack the Ripper, let alone one of the strongest candidates?

He killed a woman who caught him trying to steal from her. There's no evidence he ever killed anyone else. There's no evidence he was in London at the time of the Ripper murders. If anyone who ever committed a murder anywhere around the world in the late 19th century is a Ripper suspect, that's a lot of people.

[Trevor Marriott]

i would like to answer that there is a wealth of strong circumstantial evidence to suggest Feigenabum as being the strongest suspect to date. that comes from his attorney who stated his enquries put him in Whitechapel at the time of the murders.

He also stated feigenabum told him of his hatred of women and he suffered from what would appear to be psycopathic tendencies.

Feigenbaum had also spent the best part of his life as a merchant seaman working for a german merchant line which had a particular vessel in London on all of the dates bar one of the Whitechapel murders and also on one of the later murders in Whitechapel.

feigenabum used many aliases showig he was cool calculated and cunning. He used a long bladed knife to kill the woman in New York the same type used to kill in London. the same method of killing was also used to the point of decapitation.

Evidence of other simliar Ripper like murders in Germany and The USA all remaining undetected at a time when Feigenbaum was travelling back and forth between The USA and germany.

These are just some of the facts that make him the best suspect to date.

As to Wolfs article in which he has attemtped to discredit my findings. As previousy stated i have studied the article and he has quoted a number of issues which he states are incorrcet. I totally disgaree with those issues and am quite prepared to go on record stating where he is wrong. Hoewever i dont want to get into a slanging match over these issues it is un professional.

At the end of the day it is for everyone to read both sides of the arguments and then make their own decisions as to who is right and who is wrong.

Perhaps Wolf should start to add some positive input into the Feigenabum saga instead of being negative and dismissing him outright as he did several years ago when he started to enquire into feigenbaum but gave up. Perhaps if he had pursued the lines of enquiry i pursued he may well have been standing where i am now with Feigenbaum

[Wolf Vanderlinden]

Anyone who wishes to read an unbiased review of the evidence for and against Feigenbaum can read a slightly edited version of my Ripper Notes article. It can be found in the Suspects section of the Casebook.

Wolf.

[Trevor Marriott]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm unbiased how can it be unbiased if you wrote it

[Wolf Vanderlinden]

Mr. Marriott.

You do yourself a disservice by forgoing constructive debate and reverting to the antics of a spoiled five year old child (again). You have written a book in which you lay out your theory. I have written an article which looks at both sides of this theory, both yours and the original author of said theory. I don’t happen to agree with you but I have no axe to grind, no personal suspect to protect or put forth and I have written with no malice towards yourself. I am afraid that the same can’t be said for you. As I wrote earlier, my unbiased opinions on Carl Feigenbaum, based solely on the evidence, can be read on the Feigenbaum page of the Suspects section here on the Casebook.

Wolf.

[Uncle Jack]

Hi Dan,

I know a lot of the evidence in Trevor's book is circumstancial but so are every other book really. I just find Trevor's evidence a lot more convincing than others. I am not suggesting in anyway that I do think Feigenbaum is Jack the Ripper (I obviously favour my own suspect ) but I do think he provides a good theory, as do many other authors.

Best regards Dan,

Adam

[Moriarty]

The bias/objectivity schism is a false one. It is possible to be biased yet remain objective. Think sports commentary.

[GordonH]

I read Trevor's book and I liked its methodology.

However, where the CF theory goes awry is:

The murder he was convicted of did not seem to have the same method as the ripper murders.

He can not be positively placed in London at the time.

If he was in London and on a ship then it would mean him having to go out from the docks to seek victims in areas that are difficult to navigate in the dark. Yet the murderer seems to get away from one of the murders very easily having been disturbed.

His poor English makes it difficult to underatnd how he could put the women at ease. However, they were all fairly well drunk so maybe.... but then again for Mary Kelly to take him inside might require a lot of trust.

I still feel its a local who was the killer, but Trevor's book is well written and doesnt really jump to too many conclusions compared to others.

[Uncle Jack]

Is there an actual photo of Feigenbaum available or do we just have the artist rendition. If the artist rendition is what he looked like, it kind of rules him as the man seen with some of the victims.