The BIG Poll

[Herlock Sholmes]

1 Anderson’s suspect (Aaron Kozminski, "Kosminski", David Cohen, "Leather Apron")
2 Sagar’s suspect (Butchers Row suspect)
3 Cox’s suspect
4 "Pipeman"
5 Jacob Levy
6 Thomas Cutbush
7 Robert Donston Stephenson

Cheers SB

[Lewis C]

Interesting suggestion, Lewis, especially noting that you regard your "suspects" as more like "persons of interest".

My problem is that I can't help seeing JtR as not just a cold blooded killer, which others do, but as one who knew exactly what he was doing, as if he had done it many times before. He was highly skilled with a very sharp knife 6-8 inches or longer - that is a fairly rare talent. That, coupled with the fact the he used the m. o. of an experienced slaughterer with the throat slitting and the clear understanding of how to do it while avoiding getting blood on his person, plus the speed at which he worked, the fact that he seemed to know where various organs were, and how to remove them, convinces me that he had a fair amount of experience as a butcher/slaughterer. This, to my way of thinking, rules out almost all of the usual suspects!

I don't know enough at the moment about potential suspects with this level of expertise to make a list, but I am thinking about it! There actually were a significant number of men in the East End or thereabouts with this experience, and we know only a little about very few of them.

Sorry, but I am not helping this thread, which except for my comments, is actually very interesting.

No problem Doc, I think your explanation makes perfect sense.

[Georgeb]

Hi Herlock. Been thinking about this all day, I'm retired, and as stated above its easier to name a type rather than a person. That being said I will go with

1. The Anderson suspect
2. Bury
3. Druitt my first suspect from the softly softly documentary
4. Broad shoulders
5. Pipeman.

I still think it we ever find out we may all be going "who"

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi Herlock. Been thinking about this all day, I'm retired, and as stated above its easier to name a type rather than a person. That being said I will go with

1. The Anderson suspect
2. Bury
3. Druitt my first suspect from the softly softly documentary
4. Broad shoulders
5. Pipeman.

I still think it we ever find out we may all be going "who"

Hello George,

I tend to agree with you. If I was somehow forced to bet my house on a suspect and I could include someone previously unnamed person that’s where I’d go. All that I can say for certain George is “it wasn’t me.”

I know what you mean when you call it the Softly, Softly documentary. It was called Jack the Ripper and featured Barlow And Watt, from Softly, Softly and Z Cars, starting Frank Windsor and Stratford Johns. I’ll have to give than another watch soon as I haven’t seen it for years. I have it on DVD.

Cheers for voting.

[GBinOz]

Sorry, but I genuinely don't have a real suspect! Nothing that I have seen steers me with any confidence towards truly suspecting any single individual. I recognise possibilities, persons of interest certainly, but no convincing suspect. If the truth ever does come out, I think it may well be someone we've never heard about.

Same here Doc. Well said.