An Accomplice

[clark2710]

Are there Ripper theories that support the Ripper having an accomplice? If so who are the favored pair in things and why?

[Herlock Sholmes]

Prince Eddy and JK Stephen come to mind. I’m pretty sure that Druitt and Stephen have been suggested. Stephen Knight had a trio of accomplices of course. There was also a barking mad theory involving Diemschutz and some Russian and some othe club members.

[Al Bundy's Eyes]

Gull and Netley

[erobitha]

The reality is there were no accomplices. Unless, of course, you count Emma Smith as a victim of JtR. That was most likely a gang's work (which was her own testimony before dying from her injuries). With that much press coverage and intensified police presence, you can be sure somebody somewhere would have said something to someone. I cannot see anything beyond the work of a lone wolf.

[Wickerman]

The reality is there were no accomplices. Unless, of course, you count Emma Smith as a victim of JtR. That was most likely a gang's work (which was her own testimony before dying from her injuries). With that much press coverage and intensified police presence, you can be sure somebody somewhere would have said something to someone. I cannot see anything beyond the work of a lone wolf.

Agreed, though the charge of accomplice does extend to a person knowing of the crimes but keeping quiet, like a family member or close friend.
I'm pretty sure the killer worked alone, so no accomplice on that level, but someone after-the-fact may have been involved.

[rjpalmer]

you can be sure somebody somewhere would have said something to someone.

You'd be surprised what people do not say.

[Ms Diddles]

I'm sure I recall someone on these boards postulating a Maybrick / Tumblety double act.

I think it may have been a "psychic" numpty, so probably best not to dwell on that!

Apologies if I have misremembered and it was actually a legitimate poster.

Still, if so, good luck making that stick!!

[erobitha]

Agreed, though the charge of accomplice does extend to a person knowing of the crimes but keeping quiet, like a family member or close friend.
I'm pretty sure the killer worked alone, so no accomplice on that level, but someone after-the-fact may have been involved.

I agree we can't rule that possibility out. I just think for committing the acts themself, all of the C5 victims evidence points to a lone killer.

[erobitha]

I'm sure I recall someone on these boards postulating a Maybrick / Tumblety double act.

I think it may have been a "psychic" numpty, so probably best not to dwell on that!

Apologies if I have misremembered and it was actually a legitimate poster.

Still, if so, good luck making that stick!!

That doozy definitely wasn't one of mine. Maybe not yet.

[Ms Diddles]

That doozy definitely wasn't one of mine. Maybe not yet.

There's still time......

[Yabs]

I would say there’s a decent chance of two being involved.
In fact, when out and about at night-
it would have been great cover for the killer/s with all the suspicion falling on a lone shadowy figure.
And if you’re actively in it together, then neither would talk.

[Astatine211]

If there was an accomplice, which is unlikely, they probably got cold feet after Tabram and ended up dead.

Although I am still interested if there's any chance Charles Ludwig and Seweryn Klosowski knew each other. Ludwig was arrested just down the road from Klosowski's basement and they were both hairdressers. They were both using the alias Ludwig at the same time in Whitechapel, 1888 and to top it off Dutton's diary alleged Klosowski had a double who was a foreign hairdresser. Maybe that "double" was Charles.

However, there is very little evidence of an accomplice. It's more likely they had someone who hid them in their home or stood watch for them as an abettor or accessory.

[jerryd]

If there was an accomplice, which is unlikely, they probably got cold feet after Tabram and ended up dead.

Although I am still interested if there's any chance Charles Ludwig and Seweryn Klosowski knew each other. Ludwig was arrested just down the road from Klosowski's basement and they were both hairdressers. They were both using the alias Ludwig at the same time in Whitechapel, 1888 and to top it off Dutton's diary alleged Klosowski had a double who was a foreign hairdresser. Maybe that "double" was Charles.

However, there is very little evidence of an accomplice. It's more likely they had someone who hid them in their home or stood watch for them as an abettor or accessory.

Hi Astatine.

The City Police were thinking two men were working in collusion on the night of the double event. A different approach than that of the Met Police.

However, along the lines your thinking here, Charles Preston was a witness that identified Stride. He was a barber living at #32 Flower and Dean. There were two others from that address that identified Stride, One armed Liz (Elizabeth Burns) and John Arundell. One armed Liz was most likely the same woman that Charles Ludwig attacked a few weeks prior. She was told to keep quiet. Charles Arundell, coincidentally, somehow worked his way into the room of Annie Farmer after she was attacked in George Yard in November 1888.

[rjpalmer]

Although I am still interested if there's any chance Charles Ludwig and Seweryn Klosowski knew each other. Ludwig was arrested just down the road from Klosowski's basement and they were both hairdressers. They were both using the alias Ludwig at the same time in Whitechapel, 1888 and to top it off Dutton's diary alleged Klosowski had a double who was a foreign hairdresser. Maybe that "double" was Charles.

Which brings us to another shadowy figure with two names that might be worth scrutinizing: Richard Deacon.

[Fiver]

Prince Eddy and JK Stephen come to mind. I’m pretty sure that Druitt and Stephen have been suggested. Stephen Knight had a trio of accomplices of course. There was also a barking mad theory involving Diemschutz and some Russian and some othe club members.

There's only a few theories I'd rate as barking mad. One is the Lewis Carroll bad anagram theory.

Another is the Royal Conspiracy.
* A groups of alcoholic semi-homeless prostitutes decides to blackmail the British government over something provably false.
* The British government decides this is a major threat to the monarchy.
* They put together a crack team consisting of an elderly recovering stroke victim, a man who wasn't in Britain, and a coachman.
* The crack team decides to murder the would-be blackmailers in a way that turns them from nobodies into household names and makes the government look ineffective.
* And the crack team leaves clues that implicate the Masons.
* The British government is just fine with all this and doesn't see any way it could be done better.
* The blackmail club is too dim to notice or care that the Ripper is only killing members of the blackmail club.
* A year after the last blackmailler is dead, the British government decides the elderly stroke victim is a threat and fake his death.
* The painter spends decades hiding a child from the government and leaving more clues that implicate the Masons. The British government does nothing.
* The coachman, on his own initiative, spend the rest of his life ineptly trying to kill the painter and the child.

That's before we consider that the Royal Conspiracy was an admitted hoax.