Name your top 3 suspects with top 3 reasons why you think so...

[SaraCarter33]

i won't put up the top three suspects and reasons until i have read up on all of them on here. i want to be accurate and be believeable in my reasons.

[lynn cates]

lacunae

Hello Jonathan. That's a very astute assessment of their motivation. So much is ambiguous.

If only we knew all the "private information" and "many circs." It's a pity that Sir RA never named names and that Sir MLM destroyed his evidence. Even worse that we don't understand the nature of Monro's "hot potato." If these lacunae were filled in, we might have 3 very strong suspects.

Cheers.
LC

[mklhawley]

1. Montague John Druitt

a) Druitt was an embarrassing too-late-suspect, being dead for over two years, and yet he was the first and only choice of the Deputy Head of CID and later Assistant Commissioner: Sir Melville Macnaghten. He was a top police administrator whose reputation was in no way hostage to the Whitechapel mystery, and thus with nothing to prove about 'Jack'. Yet he 'canonised' the five victims, with Kelly not Coles as the last one, and propagated [a disguised] Druitt's guilt via literary cronies.

b) We would not expect Macnaghten, an Anglican Gentile and a Gentleman, possessed of a jaunty temperament which sees the best in his fellow bourgeiosie, to accuse a fellow Anglican Gentile gentleman -- and yet he did. Thus he is a very strong source because he goes against the expected bias, which would be to dismiss Druitt as a suspect -- to get him off.

c) The conventional wisdom, that Macanghten did not know what he was talking about in regards to Druitt [eg. the Drowned Not-a-Doctor], is strongly countered by the identification of the 'West of England MP' in 2008. For the first time the sympathetic obituaries on Druitt, devoid of connection to the Ripper mystery, could be linked to Macnaghten's 1894 Report, and 1898 rewrite, via a loose-lipped Tory MP whom [fellow Tory] Macnaghten would priotect from a Liberal Govt. with the discreet appellation: 'private information'. The MP, Henry Farquharson, a Druitt near-neighbour [and the family worked in tory politics] would have to have provided accurate bio. information about Montie Druitt which Macnaghten was very careful about disseminating -- and disguising.

2. Dr Francis Tumblety

a) Retired Chief Inspector J. G. Littlechild still thought the American Quack was a likely suspect in 1913, strongly suggesting that this was the original chief suspect -- and that he had never been cleared. Littlechild was a top cop whose reputation was also not hostage to the Whitechapel Mystery. Thus he also had nothing whatsoever to prove, and yet he initiated the reply to George Sims, to make it clear to the latter -- as politely as possible to his social superior -- that the famous criminologist's 'Dr D' was a deflection fantasy.

b) Tumblety admitted to an American reporter in 1889, in an extraordinary primary source [and an extraordinarily funny one] that he was, indeed, in Whitechapel at the time of the murders, and that he had been arrested as a murder suspect -- though he claimed that the motive was crude extortion. Despite a busy social life he never claimed the obvious; any kind of an alibi for a single murder.

c) Sir Melville Macnaghten was determined that the Edwardian public, via Major Griffiths and Sims, knew that Scotland Yard had identified the Ripper as a deviant doctor, one who had 'permanantly' slipped through their fingers at the last moment in 1888. This mythical profile seems to fit Tumblety as much as Druitt, which is the very point about which Littlechild is trying to alert Sims. Macnaghten was ruthlessly exploiting a minor suspect, Druitt, to conceal a much more important contemporaneous suspect, Tumblety.

3. Aaron Kosminski

a) The head of CID at the time of the murders, Sir Robert Anderson, claimed that the Ripper's identity was known; a local, poor, Polish Jew, but that his being 'safely caged' in an asylum forever protected him from answering for his crimes. After all, the English were not the French, what with the latter's Napoleonic, police-state powers. Anderson was there, Macnaghten was not, and Littlechild was in Special Branch. Anderson came under tremendous political and public pressure and yet he, a devout Anglican with theological respect for Judiasm, never buckled and rushed to judgement, to throw some innocent wretch [Pizer, Sadler, Grainger] to the wolves.

b) Anderson was backed in his opinion by the operational head of the Whietchapel murders, Donald Swanson, who scribbled some notes in his copy of his former chief's memoirs. In a notation which never had to satisfy anybody but himself, Swanson backed up 100% Anderson's claim that there was a positive identification which collapsed, and that the suspect's name was 'Kosminski'.

c) Historian Martin Fido in 1987 found the records of an inmate, Aaron Kosminski, who in some key details matches 'Kosminski' in the Macnaghten Report and the Swanson Marginalia. Moreover the timing of Kosminski's incarceration dovetails with a clueless police chasing Tom Sadler, in early 1891, for being the Ripper. By implication, once the police let Salder go, and Swanson and Anderson examined information about Aaron Kosminski, they were certain that this local madman was almost certainly the fiend. The lack of a surviving file, and even the lack of anybody remembering his first name, makes sense because he was already beyond the law's reach being already permanently incarcerated [Macnaghten was an anti-anti-Semite, and could not face the fiend being anything other than 'one of us' which was far less politically explosive].

What he said. They deserve to be re-read.

Sincerely,

Mike

[RealTyche]

I have difficulty agreeing with any of the 'canonical' suspects simply because the evidence against them is far too flimsy. I categorize Kosminski and Druitt along with Ostrog as veritably ruled out entirely because all the evidence points away from them being the murderer.

As for Tumblety, he simply does not fit the descriptions of any of the men seen with the victims. Especially the man with Annie Chapman, whom was beyond a doubt her killer. If we take it that Chapman was indeed a victim of the Whitechapel Murderer than the man seen with her, whom was 'only a little taller' than she and had dark hair, could not have been the over six feet tall red-headed Tumblety and thus he ceases to be a credible suspect.

James Kelly should not be considered a viable suspect. As I noted in an earlier post on the subject he was insane; the Ripper clearly was not. His syphilis would not have allowed him the strength and manual dexterity the Whitechapel murderer had; he was in America during the Francis Cole slaying, and he did not possess the anatomical knowledge the killer displayed. Further, there is no rational explanation for waiting five years after contracting his VD to begin revenge killing prostitutes.

The only suspect I have found in the case so far that is intriguing is Severin Klosowski, aka George Chapman. He lived in Whitechapel during the time of the murderers, he had both surgical and anatomical knowledge, he was a proven misogynist, and he would later kill his wives with poison. Most importantly, he matches to a tee the description of the man seen with Mary Jane Kelly by George Hutchinson and Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline-a virtual encyclopedia of the case-considered no other suspects but this man as the Whitechapel murderer. Chapman remains, to me, a most definite could be.

[mklhawley]

Red-headed Tumblety? He admitted he wore a hat and clothes (as to not bring attention to himself), while wandering in the dark Whitechapel district at the time of the murders. Red hair is a non-issue and so it his height. Scotland Yard certainly considered tall Tumblety a serious suspect.

[Trevor Marriott]

Red-headed Tumblety? He admitted he wore a hat and clothes (as to not bring attention to himself), while wandering in the dark Whitechapel district at the time of the murders. Red hair is a non-issue and so it his height. Scotland Yard certainly considered tall Tumblety a serious suspect.

And where in the official records is that documented ?

[mklhawley]

And where in the official records is that documented ?

Hi Trevor,

From the exact same source that Tom Wescott used for his impressive article, Exonerating Michael Kidney, A Fresh Look as some old Myths. Evaluating ALL of the available evidence.

Do you honestly expect Scotland Yard to be touting Tumblety as a suspect and officially recording it for public record when they let him slip through their grip? How embarrassing. Recall the newspaper article reprinted by Chris Scott where U.S. officials in a dozen cities critiqued Scotland Yard’s dismal efforts in finding JTR. Public embarrassment was the last thing they wanted, and besides, if they kept it quiet and if Dr. T truly was JTR, then he may slip up in the states. For Scotland Yard not to have official records OPEN TO THE PUBLIC seems quite plausible. The New York City inspector even stated, he knew Tumblety was arriving one week prior to him arriving in New York. Who told him? There could only be one source, English authorities.

Sincerely,

Mike

[lemonjelly]

1) Charles Le Grand. A known abuser of prostitutes with homicidal tendencies, skilled in the use of a knife, walking the streets of Whitechapel in silent shoes, was in the neighborhood of Berner Street at the time of Stride's murder, produced false witness testimony to throw the police off track, was thought to be the Ripper by inspectors and people who knew him. About 100 other reasons.

Where can I read up more on this character?

[Stephen Thomas]

Hi LJ

Try this

http://www.jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=9369

[Adam Went]

Jacob Levy is definitely a suspect worthy of further investigation, I've seen and read quite a bit about him just recently. It's almost criminal that poor M.J. Druitt should even be on the list at all....STILL. I genuinely feel sorry for the man.

As for Tumblety, despite his height and whatever colour his hair might have been, plus the fact that he was an extrovert and surely wouldn't have been able to keep his activities in Autumn 1888 to himself if he was responsible (given he lived for a further 15 years), he was also about 25 years too old, based on the major witness descriptions.....

That all being said, I'm still very much a Klosowski-ite....put simply, he is the most likely out of the field of suspects we have right now.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Trevor Marriott]

Hi Trevor,

From the exact same source that Tom Wescott used for his impressive article, Exonerating Michael Kidney, A Fresh Look as some old Myths. Evaluating ALL of the available evidence.

Do you honestly expect Scotland Yard to be touting Tumblety as a suspect and officially recording it for public record when they let him slip through their grip? How embarrassing. Recall the newspaper article reprinted by Chris Scott where U.S. officials in a dozen cities critiqued Scotland Yard’s dismal efforts in finding JTR. Public embarrassment was the last thing they wanted, and besides, if they kept it quiet and if Dr. T truly was JTR, then he may slip up in the states. For Scotland Yard not to have official records OPEN TO THE PUBLIC seems quite plausible. The New York City inspector even stated, he knew Tumblety was arriving one week prior to him arriving in New York. Who told him? There could only be one source, English authorities.


Sincerely,

Mike

Anything Mr Wescott writes or says has to be taken with a pinch of salt

I think you will find that it is common practice for the police to record details of suspects when investigating murders it is an important part of the investigation. The reason why Tumblety was never recorded was probably because he was never a suspect

Newspaper reports are not evidence of fact, usually hearsay !

[belinda]

1.Cohen

2.Mr X

3.Mr Y

He was a local.He knew the area very well and he was lucky.

[Limehouse]

1) Charles Le Grand. A known abuser of prostitutes with homicidal tendencies, skilled in the use of a knife, walking the streets of Whitechapel in silent shoes, was in the neighborhood of Berner Street at the time of Stride's murder, produced false witness testimony to throw the police off track, was thought to be the Ripper by inspectors and people who knew him. About 100 other reasons.

Tom Wescott

I know I shouldn't be, given the topic, but I am always slightly amused by the term 'homocidal tendencies' which I have seen many times in relation to suspects (indeed, even in the famous 'notes' I believe).

What exactly does this mean? A tendency to commit homocide? So, why is he roaming the streets? Or does it mean that, given the chance, he would commit homocide? Of does it just mean he was a bit angry sometimes and had a habit of shouting at people who annoyed him? Does it belong in the same catory as he became insane due to many years indulgence in solitary vices?

[Simon Wood]

Hi Limehouse,

Alternatively, perhaps Le Grand only abused prostitutes who had homicidal tendencies.

Regards,

Simon

[Radical Joe]

Jacob Levy is definitely a suspect worthy of further investigation, I've seen and read quite a bit about him just recently. It's almost criminal that poor M.J. Druitt should even be on the list at all....STILL. I genuinely feel sorry for the man.

As for Tumblety, despite his height and whatever colour his hair might have been, plus the fact that he was an extrovert and surely wouldn't have been able to keep his activities in Autumn 1888 to himself if he was responsible (given he lived for a further 15 years), he was also about 25 years too old, based on the major witness descriptions.....

That all being said, I'm still very much a Klosowski-ite....put simply, he is the most likely out of the field of suspects we have right now.

Cheers,
Adam.

Agreed. It's also a bit odd that Lewis Carroll (among others) merits an entry in the 'Suspects' sub-forum, while Levy is lumped in with 'other suspects' on here.