Favorite suspect/s?

[Herlock Sholmes]

My money would definitely be on Fred Bloggs, a Stepney market trader. Before I get people thinking that I’ve discovered a new suspect of course I mean that it’s more than likely that he hasn’t been named yet and he’s unlikely ever to be. It’s not impossible though.

Of the named suspects I’d favour Druitt (mainly because there’s an air of mystery surrounding him which has interested me since I first became interested in JTR) but also because he was mentioned at the time (or just after) and fits my personal ‘type’ for the killer.

Kosminski or some variant of the insane Polish (or other nationality) Jew (for no particular religious reason.)

Or Bury. An actually knife murderer who was around at the time and ‘of interest.’

I don’t think that Jack killed for any other reasons than either a hatred of women/prostitutes, a sexual urge to kill and mutilate women/prostitutes, a desire to repeatedly ‘kill’ a hated figure from his life or a belief that he had some king of ‘mission’ (possibly religious) to kill prostitutes.

I agree that he was probably either a local or someone with knowledge of the area (I might even favour the latter as a local might have easily been recognised near to the scene. One of my main objections to Barnett or Hutchinson for example although i dont totally discount either.)

I go for the Canonical five but accept the possibilty of Tabram and (much less so) Mackenzie. Also the possibility of Stride being a no.

I slightly favour the graffito being written by Jack but wouldn’t bet on it.

I think that with the known unreliability of visual identification I don’t think that we can lend too much weight to descriptions of ‘Jack.’

I don’t believe in conspiracies but........ I accept the ‘possibility’ that the police might have been convinced to keep the killers name hidden because of family ‘connections.’ (Druitt?)

I’m unsure on the question of medical knowledge but favour at least some anatomical knowledge.

I don’t think that Jack and The Torso Killer we’re one and the same but I could be wrong.

I don’t think that Jack wrote letters but if he wrote any I’d favour the ‘From Hell’ just because of the kidney.

.....

And all that will probably change tomorrow

[richardnunweek]

Hi
In my opinion the killer was known to Mary Kelly, and may well have been the person McCarthy said called on Millers court to see her, and was turned away by the landlord .
Pure hearsay, but as this murder had all the hallmarks of the others, it is most likely he was The Ripper.
Regards Richard,

[Abby Normal]

Hi
In my opinion the killer was known to Mary Kelly, and may well have been the person McCarthy said called on Millers court to see her, and was turned away by the landlord .
Pure hearsay, but as this murder had all the hallmarks of the others, it is most likely he was The Ripper.
Regards Richard,

Hi Richard
Long time no hear! I agree that Mary most likely knew her killer. who is this person that was turned away? please elaborate.

[andy1867]

Druitt was always my favourite, not because I thought he was Jack, but because of the cricket.
I listened to a rippercast episode citing his "Form had dropped off" during the ripper months...but checked cricinfo and found it wasn't too shabby..
He took a 5 for in a game against Bournemouth and was joint highest bat...albeit in a small total..
and took a 3 for against the Christopherson brothers as they were bowled out for 90 odd...his actual figures I could not find...but it was going to be at least 3 for 30 or 40
Would love to know what his form was like before...it "Dropped off"

[John Wheat]

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.

Yep Bury is a at the top of the suspect list as far as I'm concerned. George Hutchinson less so. But I would still place him at number 2.

[richardnunweek]

Hi Abby.
The tale comes from Fiona Kendal , great granddaughter of McCarthy, she was on the boards for a limited time many years ago now.
She claimed that shortly before Kelly was murdered , a man called at the court, and enquired about her, stating that she had something of his, and he wanted it back.
He apparently was adamant he wanted to see her, and because of this the landlord removed him in what was described as 'In true McCarthy fashion''.
Fiona claims that her great grandfather, knew who the Killer was, and his motive, this was shared down through generations, and Fiona herself knew.
Despite many of the boards enquiring more, she left, and refused to answer any questions.
This was because of the ''Put up , or shut up'' , response ..
Regards Richard.

[Graham]

Hi Richard,

from what I can gather the music-hall artiste you refer to was Maire Kendall and was married into the McCarthy family via a musician called Stephen McCarthy who was the son of music-hall performer John McCarthy. I have a very, very vague memory of reading somewhere that the McCarthy who owned Miller's Court had some kind of show-business background. Maire was the grandmother of film actress Kay Kendall. So far I've not found a Fiona Kendall. Do you have any more information on this subject?

I have an even vaguer memory of this being discussed here ages ago, probably on the pre-crash boards. Fascinating, though.

Graham

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi Richard,

from what I can gather the music-hall artiste you refer to was Maire Kendall and was married into the McCarthy family via a musician called Stephen McCarthy who was the son of music-hall performer John McCarthy. I have a very, very vague memory of reading somewhere that the McCarthy who owned Miller's Court had some kind of show-business background. Maire was the grandmother of film actress Kay Kendall. So far I've not found a Fiona Kendall. Do you have any more information on this subject?

I have an even vaguer memory of this being discussed here ages ago, probably on the pre-crash boards. Fascinating, though.

Graham

Just found this Graham. Apparently there was actually a framed photograph of McCarthy. I can’t recall if this has appeared in any books though?

http://www.casebook.org/witnesses/w/John_McCarthy.html

[Herlock Sholmes]

I’ve recently been listening to a few Ripper podcasts and on one of them, I can’t recall which, it was mentioned that there existed a photograph of Martha Tabram alive. Is this true and if so where is it?

[Graham]

Thanks for that, HS. I can only suggest that Fiona Kendall was a direct descendant of Marie Kendall (sorry, I used the Irish spelling Maire in my last post!).

I guess that the chances are very much that John McCarthy did at some point set eyes on Mary Kelly's murderer. I do recall reading (not on these boards) the Canadian theory that he was actually the Ripper, but it didn't sit with me. All very interesting, though.

Graham

[Busy Beaver]

Richard, are we saying that the man who killed MJK is not Jack? Or did this killer, kill the first four/five victims to frighten MJK? And then to really get in her face, have someone read all about what was going on from the stories in the press and the man to do that was none other than Joe Barnett.

[richardnunweek]

Hi. Busy Beaver,
i am only using hearsay from a relation of Kelly's landlord, in which it is claimed he knew the identity of her killer, and therefore as her death has all the hallmarks of the Ripper, he knew Jack.
Pure hearsay that McCarthy frightened away someone pestering Mary Kelly. Pure speculation that this person killed MJK, and pure speculation that her landlord knew who the killer was , and his motive.
Pure speculation that Joe Barnett fits in with all this also , and very unlikely in my opinion he had anything to do with her death.[ albeit I did have reservations at one time].
Fiona Kendall who submitted this hearsay to Casebook , also refers to her grandfathers account of Mary Jane Kelly, being a fine looking woman , with distinctive hair., also her great grandmother parcelling up the dead woman's clothing and sending them to a reluctant brother who was in the army, and was concerned with this scandal affecting his army prospects. Also Fiona's grandfather saw a passport belonging to the dead woman..
All hearsay , along with speculation, but is a account from someone whose family had major connections to the case.
Regards Richard.

[Graham]

Passports bearing a photo of the holder were not introduced until 1915. Not that this really matters......

Graham

[DirectorDave]

If I had to pick a "named" suspect it would be Kosminski, not Aaron Kosminski or at least not "Fido's" Kosminski.

Considering one of the only clues (Even if it was nothing to do with the Ripper) was removed for fear of attacks on Jewish people. If Kosminski (or any other of Jewish extraction) was considered by the police to "be him" then it's reasonable to suspect it would have been covered-up. If dead or mad what would be the point anyway? They were hardly to know that 120-odd years later people would be still dissecting this case through cyberspace.

There are some unfortunate examples of police covering up crimes for the sake of "diversity" in modern times.

The scaling down of the investigation after the Kelly murder, I think the police suspected that it would be the last.


My "favourite" suspects however that I am interested in are Tumblety and Druitt, both of whom I think are not the Ripper.

[Busy Beaver]

Thanks for that Richard.
BB.