What criteria should a suspect meet?

[mariab]

David, you might be interested in reading Tom's essays in Ripper Notes #25 and Examiner 2, which contain introductory but fascinating information on Le Grand.
Debra Arif has extensively researched Le Grand.
In a couple weeks I'm planning on researching the Paris criminal records for the eventual possibility of their containing info on Le Grand. I'll also research Danish diplomats (with help by Fisherman), in an attempt to identify Le Grand's Danish father. Just to be sure of covering ALL possibilities, I have an interest in the family tree of Danish musicologist (and Mozart specialist) Georg Nikolaus von Nissen, whose name sounds similar to the possible real name Le Grand's. Just in case.

[DVV]

Thanks Maria, I'll try my best to up-date myself !
Of course, I very well know the Ripper identity, but I'm smart enough to enjoy alternative theories, still.

Bestest

[Tom_Wescott]

've always had the (vague) feeling that, if the murderer had been suspected by the police, they would have convicted him, or at least, the man would have been in serious trouble.

Yeah, they sent his butt away to prison for 27 years. My essay, as amazing as it is, and it is amazing, was written without the intention of being either sensational or convincing in terms of arguing for him as the Ripper. On the one hand, I regard this now as a mistake, but on the other hand, I can save all the cool talk for my book.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[DVV]

without the intention of being sensational
Tom Wescott

Wise guy.
"Pas la peine d'en faire trop pour se faire remarquer !"

I'm eager to read this. Hurry up.

[mariab]

In my previous post I forgot to mention that Le Grand got arrested and incarcerated for other crimes, while suspected for the Ripper by the SY.
It was totally the correct approach to construct the Examiner 2 article without the intention of presenting Le Grand as a Ripper suspect. Not only strategically, as a first presentation of the criminal that Le Grand was, but also since only part of the (circumstantial) evidence is available yet (as far as I know, no clue what Tom has of late).
It would be cool if I found something in Paris but it depends entirely on
- if Le Grand was ever arrested there
- if the relevant records have survived.
I'm also interested in Parisian records on Ostrog (for pretty obvious reasons).

[DVV]

A nice guy, as it seems.
Not as nice as Fleming, though.

Thanks Maria

[mariab]

Debra Arif and Lynn Cates are currently researching Fleming. Lynn Cates has also located a significant article in a English-speaking St. Petersburg newspaper which possibly links the Okhrana to the Whitechapel murders. Still needs tons of research (also partly to conduct at the Archives Nationales in Paris). If anyone's interested, see the last 2 posts in Lynn's Kaufmann thread.

[DVV]

Debra Arif and Lynn Cates are currently researching Fleming.

How they dare ??
He's mine !!!!!!!!!!!

[mariab]

Is this a joke, or have you been researching Fleming, David? (Apologies for being so ignorant, I'm still in semi-newbie status.)

Quote David:
Of course, I very well know the Ripper identity
Sorry, I missed this post. Would you care to elaborate about your position on this?

[DVV]

Apologies for being so ignorant, I'm still in semi-newbie status.

Haha ! THIS must be the joke !

But, yes, Fleming is mine, he's MY suspect, and I will not share him. Never and ever.
I know everything He did, and my 12 short stories about Him will soon come out in France (which is, I'll grant you that, a remote and ungifted country when it comes to ripperology).

Bestest Maria

[mariab]

It's not a joke and don't be fooled by the misleading high number of my posts, I'm still a newbie in several sub-topics of Ripperology. Especially in Whitechapel geography and maps. (I've got the good maps, courtesy of Rob Clack, but yet no time to really study them. Trying to absorb as much as possible from Rob Clack and Monty/Neil Bell, but too busy right now for a real immersion into the materials.)
Currently I'm working on Berner Street, which fascinates me due to the complexity of the circumstances and the vaste possibilities of researching it, with still completely untapped possibilities for research in Paris (where I live part of the year). I've formulated my own theory, which differs slightly from Tom's (pertaining to the attitude between William Wess and Charles Le Grand in relation to Pipeman's description as presented by Israel Schwartz). Depending on if any findings come out, I imagine it might be possible to convince Tom, although this isn't the first priority on my agenda. ;-) I've started an article which could be completed in late spring, fully depending on the findings (that is, were any findings to occur at all).

Might I inquire if your 12 short stories about Fleming are fully based on fact (as essays) or are slightly fictional (as short stories, inspired by what you know)?
It's sad that Ripperology is quasi non existing in France. Germany at least has 2 luminaries, including one of the architects of casebook. (And I'm aware that I probably just sounded like a Mason right now.)
By the by, I'll also go to Lyon to look up for (eventual) copies of the Mary Kelly photos (owned by Alexandre Lacassagne and his doctoral candidate) for Rob Clack, either in June or July. Whether I'd find anything there is questionable, but I've been researching 2 different institutions related to Lacassagne which I'd like to look inside.
But prior to all this I'm working on a French article on Rossini's Le Comte Ory, for which I've discovered some sensational autograph material in Paris. It's kind on the ‘monumental‘ side, not so much due to its length, but due to the never ending content, as I'm currently trying to squeeze in all my recent findings from Paris into the article. It'd be nice if I managed to wrap it up during this weekend, as it's kinda standing on my neck.
With apologies for the chatty, self-revolving post, David.

[DVV]

Eh bien....seems you're busy and making excellent research, congrats !
As for my book, it won't be an essay, the form and and style will be "fictional" in appearance but I won't distort the facts - except for the mythical "carnets" of Dr Payne (the one who signed Fleming's death certificate) that I will not produce, but allude to - in the same way, if you've read this, as Henry James "Aspern Papers"....
It's 12 different and complementary approaches of JF candidacy, in a certain tone, to make it short.

Say hello if you pass by Provence or Corsica !

[mariab]

It totally depends on if there's anything (left) to be found, really. The research part is my favorite, much more fun than writing the darn papers. (From which the worst part is approaching my desk and the first half hour of writing, after that it kinda floats, more or less.)
Yes, for your book I immediately thought “fictional“, the way you presented the format as 12 stories etc.. I'd like to read it, but probably won't manage before the summer. I've heard about, but not yet read Henry James' Aspern Papers.
Provence and Corsica sound nice, with good smelling plants and Mediterranean food and wine.
Amitiés,
Maria

[harry]

Mariab,
Alexander Pedachenko was supposedly linked to the Ochrana,and in a book I have,was stated to be a suspect favoured by Sir Basil Thomson.Thomson had taken over from Macnaghten so would presumably be in position to access all official information.

[mariab]

To Harry:
I recall your already mentioning this in Lynn Cates' Liz Stride reenactment thread, in the fall. I'm under the impression that Pedachenko was first mentioned as an alleged suspect in 1928, in William LeQueux' Things I know. Is the book you own Donald McCormick's Identity of Jack the Ripper? I haven't yet read any of this lit, so I have no idea about the specifics about Sir Basil Thomson having expressed alleged interest in the Pedachenko character, but I've also heard that Pedachenko might have never existed? No time to look up Pedachenko in The Ultimate right now, but I will soon.
Lynn Cates' recent find in an English speaking St. Petersburg journal pertains to the fact that the Okhrana tried to tie a known Russian anarchist named Nicolai Vassiliev to the Whitechapel murders. Lynn and I want to research Vassiliev's connection to the IWEC. During the weekend I'll be communicating with Lynn, discussing further details. By the by, what we're researching are original sources, not so much the secondary lit. Specifically I'll be researching the William Wess Archive, French spy reports about Whitechapel anarchist activity in the Paris Archives Nationales, and the newspapers.