The suicide of Leather Apron? - a 1970 letter

[Chris Scott]

The letter below was published in Life magazine, the issue dated 4 December 1970. This was just a few weeks after the allegations regarding Clarence in the wake of Stowell's article. This issue of Life had three letters regarding the Whitechapel murders, but the one below I found interesting.
This alleges various things about Leather Apron and quotes from a description of him. The letter also alleges he was a Polish Jew and hanged himself after a short period in police custody

Chris


LIFE Magazine
4 December 1970

Sirs,
You erred in referring to "Leather Apron" as a term by which the Ripper was also known. "Leather Apron" was a peddler who was arrested the morning after one of the brutal murders. His cart and horse had been observed near the alley where the body of "Black Mary" Kelly was found. The suspect, a Polish Jew, was described as "dark complexioned, with a shock of unruly hair, and an excitable manner." He must, indeed, have been "excitable" for after being detained by the Metropolitan Police for several days he went home and hanged himself from a rafter.
EUGENE FALLON
Florence, S.C.

[Phil Carter]

Hello Chris,

Could this correspondant be mixing up Deimshitz with the last murder?...sounds like it--- haven't heard of any other horses and carts... especially as it says "near the alley where..."

Umm, that rules out Nichols, Chapman, (Stride), and Kelly. The only C5 victim even FOUND near an alley was Eddowes, but not IN one. Unless he again refers to Castle Alley?..not a C5 victim, and not a "Black Mary" Kelly either.

best wishes

Phil

[richardnunweek]

Hello Chris,
Fascinating find, 'Unruly hair', which takes me straight to the Nathan Shrine story. he mentioned he could see hair on both sides of Strides attackers head. and horse and cart near Millers court as well.
Case closed... if only it were that easy.
Regards Richard.

[Chris Scott]

Hi guys
I agree it is tempting to see in this farrago of confusion some garbled reference to Diemschitz. There is not only the reference to "Leather Apron" having a horse and cart but also the description of him as a "peddler" which could also be applied to Diemshitz and his selling of cheap jewellery.
The reference to the cart being seen near the "alley" where Kelly was found I can make no sense of - the most likely origin, in my opinion, is a much garbled reference back to the finding of Stride and the "alley" is in fact Dutfield's Yard.
The reference to Leather Apron as a Polish Jew is interesting. If this is a much corrupted version of Diemshitz's role in events, his name - in its many variants such as Diemschutz - suggest that he may have been in orgin a German Jew rather than Polish, but this is of course unproven.
The source of the quoted description of Leather Apron, I do not know. I do not recognise it as a direct quote from any of the press sources.
The most striking assertion - that Leather Apron hanged himself after a few days in police custody - is again, to me, of completely unknown origin.
Chris S

[Sam Flynn]

A digression...

If this is a much corrupted version of Diemshitz's role in events, his name - in its many variants such as Diemschutz - suggest that he may have been in orgin a German Jew rather than Polish

Oddly enough, Chris, I found a - what's the collective term? - a "whoopsy" of Dimshitzes from Russia, the fate of whom is chronicled at Yad Vashem. Mainly from Ukraine or Belarus, the transliteration of their Cyrillic names approximates to "Dymschitz".

Very few "Dymschitzes" were from what was (even in 1888) Germany or Poland. Even those who were transported form Germany (Stuttgart) were in fact born in Wilno, Latvia - that, at least, was technically "Polish" at the time - but these "Polish" Dymschitzes constitute less than 10% of the 96 listed at Yad Vashem.

I now return you to the "Leather Apron" thread

[richardnunweek]

Hi Chris,
The reference Alley, could infact mean the pasage leading into millers court, at least that is the way I interpreted it.
It is the police custody matter after the kelly murder that is important, if this was the case, then this peddler must have have come to light pretty quickly, one must wonder why?
Again the term 'Unruly hair; would this be a reference to his head, or body?
if the former surely this would give credence to a certain alleged witness in Berner street, one Nathan Shine, who is quoted as seeing the attacker of Stride with hair on 'both sides of his head'.
Would this be the result of long hair? one wonders.
Intresting suspect to learn more about, if indeed possible.
Regards Richard.