Robert Mann

[Morgana LeFay]

What do you think? What do we know of him, other than the police files?

[Tom_Wescott]

We all pretty much agree he had to be Jack the Ripper. Some will tell you that MJ Trow just concocted the theory to sell a book and documentary, but they're just jealous. The evidence speaks for itself.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Lechmere]

He was a sprightly 53 year old inmate of sound mind who had a secret escape tunnel out of the Workhouse that he used when he wanted to go ripping.

[The Grave Maurice]

Some will tell you that MJ Trow just concocted the theory to sell a book and documentary....

That's odd: I used exactly those words last weekend at Drexel when a small group of JtR enthusiasts were discussing Trow's theory.
Anyway, Tom, I'm not sure that people always know when you are speaking with your tongue firmly in your cheek. Maybe you should use one of those smilie things.

[K-453]

I think he did not strip the bodies because of necrophilia, but because he had no idea of police work and just followed his routine.

[Lechmere]

Wait a minute - what motivated him to choose that job?

[K-453]

@ Lechmere: The fellows who ran the workhouse?

[Lechmere]

He was a very lucky Mann – he could have been an oakum picker with no fringe benefits.

[ChrisGeorge]

We all pretty much agree he had to be Jack the Ripper. Some will tell you that MJ Trow just concocted the theory to sell a book and documentary, but they're just jealous. The evidence speaks for itself.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

That's odd: I used exactly those words last weekend at Drexel when a small group of JtR enthusiasts were discussing Trow's theory.
Anyway, Tom, I'm not sure that people always know when you are speaking with your tongue firmly in your cheek. Maybe you should use one of those smilie things.

Hi all

In teaching the three-night course on the Ripper that I have just concluded at Baltimore's Roland Park Country School, I began to be even more impressed at the myriad of suspects and theories that have been suggested over the last 123 years in the Ripper case. I took Mei Trow's book to show the class on the last night.

I view Trow's theory that Robert Mann, the mortuary assistant, was the killer as being very unlikely, a nonstarter, as has been remarked. Still, his idea that Mann could have been the killer fits right into the soup of different concepts of who the Ripper could have been that have been suggested and that range from the ridiculous/ludicrous to the plausible.

Best regards

Chris

[Abby Normal]

he is in my top 100 for sure!

[ChrisGeorge]

he is in my top 100 for sure!

Well, at least he was in the right area at the right time, which is more than can be said for a number of the suspects that have been suggested!

Chris

[Morgana LeFay]

I thought "great! he fits the bill!"... till I heard the words "workhouse" and "53 years old"

[Lechmere]

Sorry for spoiling it

[Morgana LeFay]

the documentary itself spoiled it, I know he's not a very plausible suspect. I just wanted to know where did they got the info about his life and trying to be polite just in case someone believe he's worthwhile suspect.

[Lechmere]

For the first time I watched the Trow documentary the other night about Mann and I am amazed that any TV company would make such a film. There were even basic inaccuracies about the case.
He stated as a fact that Nichols wanted to go inside Brown’s Stable yard for her liason. He said Cross and Paul were porters and that they saw that her throat was cut. He said that Paul pulling the dress down covered up the wounds to the abdomen…
These inaccuracies were reeled off in about two minutes.
The actor playing Mann looked in his mid thirties – whereas it is clear that Mann was an old 53.
The consequences of life in a workhouse for an inmate was not discussed – that they effectively gave up their freedom – the freedom to roam the streets late at night for a start.