Possible suspect for nomination

[Coerulescent]

I am new to the Forum process, although I posted in the Games and Diversions area as far back as 2001 (before I even owned a PC). I hope that my admitted unfamiliarity with this form of communication does not suggest a lack of seriousness about the Whitechapel murders.

That said, I am offering, in good faith, a nomination that, to the best of my knowledge, has not been considered before: Prince Rudolf of Austria. He was, evidently, a misogynist; who required his mistress to speak with a British accent and to wear British fashions. He had means (the wealth to travel and, presumably, the deviousness to travel incognito); motive (his rage toward women); and opportunity provided by the means. His suicide in January, 1889, after murdering is mistress, would account for an end to the murders (assuming, as I do, the Canonical Five as a closed set).

Again, I raise this nomination in good faith, primarily to find out if he has been hitherto considered as a suspect. While I have never been particularly interested in suspects, preferring to concentrate my efforts more on Mary Kelly, a brief reading of Rudolf's biographical facts, in 2013, led to one of those "a-ha" moments in which he just seemed like a perfect suspect for such heinous crimes.

[GUT]

G'day Coerulescent

Can we place him in London during the autumn of terror.

[GUT]

You refer to his murdering his Mistress but wasn't it more a suicide pact?

[MayBea]

Hello and welcome, Coerulescent.

Funny enough, Prince Rudolph came up last month on the Maybrick boards. I thought he was Mayerling's 'wildcard' candidate for a "Ripper Diary" hoax, picking someone who died in 1889 like James.

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=8792&page=5

[MayBea]

While I have never been particularly interested in suspects, preferring to concentrate my efforts more on Mary Kelly, a brief reading of Rudolf's biographical facts, in 2013, led to one of those "a-ha" moments in which he just seemed like a perfect suspect for such heinous crimes.

It's good you're concentrating on Mary Kelly. She is definitely the key and will lead to the correct suspect and/or the correct suspect will lead to her.

Interesting though that Prince Rudolf's mistress went by Mary instead of her real name Marie, the reverse of Mary Kelly.

[pinkmoon]

Don't want to pour cold water on this but wouldn't an Austrian Prince sort of stand out in such an upmarket area like Whitechapel in fact I think the locals would be fighting over who would be the first to rob him unless he had his bodyguards with him.

[MayBea]

Targeting him would be like targeting a tourist in an area dependent on tourism. Would it not?

A Jewish man, for one, would fear repercussions from other Jews as well as from
Gentiles, and they were more than half the population.

Then again, he could have gone slumming.

P.S. I don't think Rudolf has previously been suggested as Jack the Ripper but Jack the Ripper has been suggested as his 'assassin' to replace him with Ferdinand and start the War.

http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.c...dit&oldid=7000

[Natasha]

Hi Coerulescent,

It's worth pointing out, that if someone of higher status was the killer, than I think he would be conscious of the fact that he would stand out if dressed in all his finery. So it would only make sense to blend in with the crowd and dress like them.

This potential suspect sounds interesting.

As Gut said though, can he be placed in London around the time of the murders?

[pinkmoon]

Hi Coerulescent,

It's worth pointing out, that if someone of higher status was the killer, than I think he would be conscious of the fact that he would stand out if dressed in all his finery. So it would only make sense to blend in with the crowd and dress like them.

This potential suspect sounds interesting.

As Gut said though, can he be placed in London around the time of the murders?

Placed in London would be a good start and any possible connection to the murders would be better still.

[MayBea]

C seems like someone really interested in the subject because he, at least, wants to make it interesting.

His thinking also brings up another question:

Why is the case unsolved? Lack of evidence? An unfamiliar type of crime? Or does it touch the upper echelons?

If the latter, then someone who might be in the history books who died in 1889 is a good bet.

[Coerulescent]

Sorry for my long delay in replying. I am not aware of any hard fact documenting his presence in London in Autumn, 1888. But then again, being Royalty and somewhat devious (he apparently got away with quite a bit of physical abuse of women in his own country), I am sure he could have arranged his visits anonymously and incognito. And therefore, he might have appeared as just one more tourist visiting the great city, although tourism would not have been his main interest.

I suppose I am only wondering if, given his known interests and perversions, if it is plausible (if one allows for undocumented visits) that he might have killed the canonical five.

Of course, like many, I really would like to find out that Mary Kelly escaped; thus the theory posted in my poem, Whitechapel Woman (in the games and diversions section) provides an avenue of escape for her, which I would find far more preferable than a Rudolf the Ripper connection.

[John Wheat]

Sorry for my long delay in replying. I am not aware of any hard fact documenting his presence in London in Autumn, 1888. But then again, being Royalty and somewhat devious (he apparently got away with quite a bit of physical abuse of women in his own country), I am sure he could have arranged his visits anonymously and incognito. And therefore, he might have appeared as just one more tourist visiting the great city, although tourism would not have been his main interest.

I suppose I am only wondering if, given his known interests and perversions, if it is plausible (if one allows for undocumented visits) that he might have killed the canonical five.

Of course, like many, I really would like to find out that Mary Kelly escaped; thus the theory posted in my poem, Whitechapel Woman (in the games and diversions section) provides an avenue of escape for her, which I would find far more preferable than a Rudolf the Ripper connection.

You're suspect is far from a perfect fit. There is a far better suspect out there namely William Henry Bury.