Favorite suspect/s?

[HelenaWojtczak]

Just to be clear I have not yet read Helena's book. It is on my to do list. So I can't really provide an explanation as to why she dismisses Chapman as a suspect but apparently those who have read the book concur with her conclusions.

c.d.

Hello CD,

Thank you for your interest in my work.

I didn't -- and haven't -- dismissed Chapman as a Ripper suspect. What I did was carried out a very intensive research project about him, with absolutely no preconceptions or foregone conclusions. When the investigation, which took me about three years, was complete, I wrote up and published my findings and my assessment and analysis of those findings.

My secret personal bias was, naturally, towards Chapman being Jack. That way I could make pots of cash from the book, like others who have lately written books about their pet suspect. However, like all honest historians I found myself unable to suppress or manipulate my findings for personal financial gain. I had to publish what I found, without trying to twist it either for or against Chapman as a Ripper suspect.

Ultimately, I lay the true facts before the reader, dispel all the myths (of which there are many!) and offer a balanced assessment and analysis, but it's still up to the reader to decide whether he's completely out of the running or still a contender.

I still have about 25 copies of the enlarged and updated 3rd edition (pub 2016) and would be thrilled to despatch you a personally signed copy if you paypal me £14.99 to hastings.press@gmail.com

Many thanks Sam Flynn for your kind words. I know it takes a lot to win your praise, especially on this subject, and I am most flattered.

Helena Wojtczak
BSc Hons FRHistS

[Abby Normal]

Hello CD,

Thank you for your interest in my work.

I didn't -- and haven't -- dismissed Chapman as a Ripper suspect. What I did was carried out a very intensive research project about him, with absolutely no preconceptions or foregone conclusions. When the investigation, which took me about three years, was complete, I wrote up and published my findings and my assessment and analysis of those findings.

My secret personal bias was, naturally, towards Chapman being Jack. That way I could make pots of cash from the book, like others who have lately written books about their pet suspect. However, like all honest historians I found myself unable to suppress or manipulate my findings for personal financial gain. I had to publish what I found, without trying to twist it either for or against Chapman as a Ripper suspect.

Ultimately, I lay the true facts before the reader, dispel all the myths (of which there are many!) and offer a balanced assessment and analysis, but it's still up to the reader to decide whether he's completely out of the running or still a contender.

I still have about 25 copies of the enlarged and updated 3rd edition (pub 2016) and would be thrilled to despatch you a personally signed copy if you paypal me £14.99 to hastings.press@gmail.com

Many thanks Sam Flynn for your kind words. I know it takes a lot to win your praise, especially on this subject, and I am most flattered.

Helena Wojtczak
BSc Hons FRHistS

Hi Helena
I'm going to get your book soon-Ive heard its one of the best "suspect" books around.

Chapman has always been in my top tier of valid suspects. But one of the main things for me against him, and its kind of a subtle point but important IMHO, is that he would have had a very thick accent in the fall of 88 correct?
Yet none of the witnesses who heard the man seen with victims speak note an accent. Long, Schwartz, marshall, etc.

wouldn't he have a thick accent that stuck out like a sore thumb?

[HelenaWojtczak]

Hi Helena
I'm going to get your book soon-Ive heard its one of the best "suspect" books around.

Chapman has always been in my top tier of valid suspects. But one of the main things for me against him, and its kind of a subtle point but important IMHO, is that he would have had a very thick accent in the fall of 88 correct?
Yet none of the witnesses who heard the man seen with victims speak note an accent. Long, Schwartz, marshall, etc.

wouldn't he have a thick accent that stuck out like a sore thumb?

Hello 'Abby'

I'm lucky to have had my own father as an example of this. He emigrated to England when he was exactly the same age as Chapman - 22 and, like him, came from ordinary folk not the educated intelligentsia class. My father had a thick Polish accent. Even when he had lived here for 20-30 years, some of my schoolfriends could not even make out what he was saying.

Helena x

[HelenaWojtczak]

Reviews of my book, many of them written by Casebook members, can be seen here:

http://www.hastingspress.co.uk/chapmanrev.html

May I just say to anyone who wishes to buy my book, please buy it direct from me, and not via Amazon etc as they take 50% of my cover price and what I end up with barely covers the cost of printing. And if you buy from me, I can sign and dedicate the book to you personally, so we all "win".

(For readers in the USA, postage is £13 airmail and about half that surface.)

Best regards to all

Helena

[Sam Flynn]

Many thanks Sam Flynn for your kind words. I know it takes a lot to win your praise, especially on this subject, and I am most flattered.

Well-deserved, Helena. I'm flattered by your thanks!

[Spider]

Anyway, back on topic!

Favourite suspect:

James Maybrick 99.9%

How popular will I be? 😂

[c.d.]

Hello Helena,

My apologies if I misrepresented any of the findings from your book.

c.d.

[Mayerling]

Anyway, back on topic!

Favourite suspect:

James Maybrick 99.9%

How popular will I be? 😂

Probably not too popular, but it really doesn't matter about popularity. It is what you believe. If you feel strongly about Maybrick (and you claim you do) than you work on proving it.

[Wickerman]

wouldn't he have a thick accent that stuck out like a sore thumb?

Hi Abby.

In a quarter of London with more than its share of immigrants from all over Europe, a strong accent may have been more common than we might think.

My concern with Chapman, and Kozminski alike, is their age. In 1888 both were far too young for this type of crime, in my opinion.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby.

In a quarter of London with more than its share of immigrants from all over Europe, a strong accent may have been more common than we might think.

My concern with Chapman, and Kozminski alike, is their age. In 1888 both were far too young for this type of crime, in my opinion.

Hey wicky!
Were you been?

[HelenaWojtczak]

Hello Helena,

My apologies if I misrepresented any of the findings from your book.

c.d.

Oh gosh, no, CD -- no apology needed. Chapman is still a viable suspect, my purpose wasn't to push or to dismiss him as a suspect, but to present the true facts about him in one book that Ripper researchers can trust, because much of what has previously been written about him (in chapters of Ripper books, in magazines and online) is nonsense.

Helena

[Spider]

Already have. Watch this space ��

[Wickerman]

Hey wicky!
Were you been?

Ah, I've been spending a lot of time on few ancient history forums.
Are you keeping well?

I didn't contribute to this thread, in part because I have no name for my 'suspect', or more accurately - my Person of Interest.

[Abby Normal]

Ah, I've been spending a lot of time on few ancient history forums.
Are you keeping well?

I didn't contribute to this thread, in part because I have no name for my 'suspect', or more accurately - my Person of Interest.

yes thanks.
don't be a stranger.

[Busy Beaver]

I've been mulling over the suspects list for a while and only WH Bury and George Hutchison (British) stand out as being worth further investigation at this point in time in terms of being able to see a good photo of both of them.
I still believe that the Ripper was local and not necessary a true local - but that he lived and worked in the Whitechapel area and was British (English/Scottish/Irish/Welsh). I do not think he was Jewish or American.