More pictures of James Kelly?

[Ryan_Miller]

I have been reading "The Real Jack the Ripper: The Secret of Prisoner 1167" and although he had a very interesting and mysterious life I do not believe he was in fact the Ripper. However, I was wondering if there are any additional pictures of James Kelly anywhere, other than the small one that is a close up of his face. Obviously there are, since the cover of the book has his mug shot. But where can i find this image or others... or do others even exist?

[Roy Corduroy]

I don't know of other pictures of Kelly, but I found this modern shot of the facility.

[Chris George]

Hello Roy

The bloodstains add a certain verisimitude to the piece.

Chris

[The Good Michael]

Verisimitude? Is that a different spelling of verisimilitude?

Mike

[Ryan_Miller]

Yes the blood stains do add to what ever spelling of the word you choose

[mostfoul]

That place looks pretty creepy

[Roy Corduroy]

Sarah Brider, wife and murder victim of James Kelly, was employed on Bunhill Row.


Blitz 1940


1890 factory clock

[Roy Corduroy]

Broadmoor 1885

[rain]

I have been reading "The Real Jack the Ripper: The Secret of Prisoner 1167" and although he had a very interesting and mysterious life I do not believe he was in fact the Ripper. However, I was wondering if there are any additional pictures of James Kelly anywhere, other than the small one that is a close up of his face. Obviously there are, since the cover of the book has his mug shot. But where can i find this image or others... or do others even exist?

scroll down and you will see a picture of James Kelly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_proposed_Jack_the_Ripper_suspects

[Ryan_Miller]

I've read the same book and really enjoyed it... The picture I'm trying to find is the picture on the cover though. The picture on the wikipedia page seems to be the only one I can find anywhere else.

[Ryan_Miller]

Roy, I wanted to thank you for posting the other pictures. Thats interesting to see these incredible Broadmoor artifacts. Its history and its inhabitants both are really striking marks on the pages of history.

[kensei]

That place looks pretty creepy

Indeed. And James Kelly escaped from it? Even if he wasn't Jack the Ripper he must still have been a force to be reckoned with.

[Ryan_Miller]

I second that thought kensei. I'm pretty sure that Kelly wasn't the Ripper, but regardless, the man is extremely interesting. His life was full of twists and turns. He escaped, tried to turn himself in, escaped again, tried to turn himself in again, escaped again, no one knows where he was for a period of time, and then he shows up at the Gates of Broadmoor to turn himself in. The whole life of James Kelly is well worth everyone's time. He is one of my favorite suspects to read about (though i still highly doubt it was he who was the ripper) but it seems that most people overlook him. I would really like to see one of Kelly's threads go for more than 5 comments.

[Roy Corduroy]

Hi Ryan,

What makes you think he wasn't the Ripper?

Roy

[Ryan_Miller]

I think mostly I find it hard to rationalize that we know of the Ripper. I know that isn't what you're probably looking for in a response, but I try to check my false hopes at the door. I convince myself that they couldn't catch him from 1888 to 1892, so and althought we know things now that they may not have, they too know a great deal more than what we know now.

Of the suspects listed on the site, I favor James Kelly in some ways.

He stabbed his wife, Sarah Brider, in the throat.
He got a venereal disease from prostitutes which seemed to be his undoing.
He had fits where his head is overtaken with intense pains.
He is certified as insane and his hanging is commuted to the Asylum
He was clever enough to create a key to escape Broadmoor 23 January 1888
We believe that he was in London soon after this
No further details of his whereabouts are known until Nov. - Dec.

It's funny that he coincidentally doesn't give any description or hints to where he was during the whole of the Murders. Granted the MJK murder was in November he doesn't specify early or late november so I seem to think he is on his way to France in late November, early December.

Furthermore, he attempted to turn himself in several times and the authorities never showed. Eventually in the late 1920's he shows up at the gate of Broadmoor deaf and in poor shape. I seem to think that his dislike for prostitutes, method of attacking his wife, cunning escape, disappearance during the time of the murder, intense mood swings and the diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia all make him an extremely plausible suspect.

But to restate the opening, I find it hard to allow myself to think that we have as much a grasp on this as we like to think. Please let me know what you think and if I'm playing the pessimistic side, because i'd love to hear otherwise. I hope all is well and best wishes!