The Ripper : A Discharged Inmate Of The Asylum

[Lewis C]

An absolutely phenomenonal thread that is well worth reading from top to bottom.

Exceptional work by Jonathan H, just exquisite!

It really shines the light on just how unreliable a source Macnagthen and Sims are.

And if their integrity comes into question, then does that obliterate both Kosminski and Druitt as potential candidates for the Ripper?

It perhaps indicates that the Memorandum written by MacNagthen, isn't really worth the paper it's written on.

It doesn't obliterate Kosminski, because Anderson and Swanson are the main sources pointing toward him, with Mac of secondary importance. However, I do believe that the MM and Mac's other writings are by far the best reason to suspect Druitt. Without Mac, I don't see much of a case against Druitt. What's left besides that he lived in England, was about the right age, and committed suicide about a month after the Kelly murder?

[The Rookie Detective]

It doesn't obliterate Kosminski, because Anderson and Swanson are the main sources pointing toward him, with Mac of secondary importance. However, I do believe that the MM and Mac's other writings are by far the best reason to suspect Druitt. Without Mac, I don't see much of a case against Druitt. What's left besides that he lived in England, was about the right age, and committed suicide about a month after the Kelly murder?

I'd suggest that Swanson's mention of Kosminski is only worth considering based on the fact that MacNagthen had written the same name Kosminski many years earlier.

So if MacNagthen's list is utter rubbish, then Swanson's reference to Kosminski becomes redundant.

By writing "Kosminski" Swanson is aligning himself with both Anderson and MacNagthen; albeit indirectly.

The 3 of them combined are a complete joke, and it's no wonder the likes of Reid were clearly dumbfounded by the claim that the Ripper was known to the police.

Swanson and Anderson were simply attempting to save face and make themselves look like the ones who had cracked the case.

[Lewis C]

I'd suggest that Swanson's mention of Kosminski is only worth considering based on the fact that MacNagthen had written the same name Kosminski many years earlier.

So if MacNagthen's list is utter rubbish, then Swanson's reference to Kosminski becomes redundant.

By writing "Kosminski" Swanson is aligning himself with both Anderson and MacNagthen; albeit indirectly.

The 3 of them combined are a complete joke, and it's no wonder the likes of Reid were clearly dumbfounded by the claim that the Ripper was known to the police.

Swanson and Anderson were simply attempting to save face and make themselves look like the ones who had cracked the case.

What I would say is that without Mac, we then have one mention of Kosminski rather than two. I think Anderson and Swanson were closer to the case than Mac, so we still have what is probably the more significant of the two mentions.