Can George Chapmam reform himself to being a calculating poisoner seven years later?.

[Sam Flynn]

For me, Klosowski hadn't been in Whitechapel long enough to know the ins and outs of the area, which was a big part of why the Ripper never got caught, as he knew where he could flee too.

Quite so, BB. The nearest we can place him most of the Ripper murders is Cable Street, well south of the epicentre of the crimes, and it's likely he'd only been resident there for a handful of months before the murders. It's even possible that he didn't move into the area until the Ripper series was already underway.

[MrBarnett]

The idea that the Ripper must have had an intimate knowledge of every corner of the East End from Bucks Row to Mitre Square and from Berners Street to Hanbury Street belongs in the same bin as the top hat and cloak.

[Sam Flynn]

The idea that the Ripper must have had an intimate knowledge of every corner of the East End from Bucks Row to Mitre Square and from Berners Street to Hanbury Street belongs in the same bin as the top hat and cloak.

Nobody's saying that he'd need to have intimate knowledge of every nook and cranny, but someone who did what the Ripper did surely needed to be familiar with, and comfortable in, his surroundings.

[John G]

All of the C5 murders took place in a remarkably small geographical area. It therefore seems obvious that JtR felt comfortable in this locality, and was not prepared to venture out to the wider London area, inferring that he lived in the same small geographical area.

[MrBarnett]

I disagree. Whoever did that sort of thing surely had to be comfortable in his surroundings.

Gareth,

Naughty, naughty. Did I say or even imply that the Ripper was 'uncomfortable' in the East End?

No, I was responding to the suggestion that in order to have escaped detection he must have known the 'ins and outs' of a vast area.

Let's see now, having exited 29, Hanbury Street, what does someone with knowledge of the ins and outs do that someone with just a general knowledge of the area might not? Turn left or right are the only two options. Then, reaching the next junction, it's left or right again. Once you've done that a few times you are a sufficient distance from the murder site to avoid suspicion when the screams of 'murder!' begin.

Gary

[MrBarnett]

Nobody's saying that he'd need to have intimate knowledge of every nook and cranny, but someone who did what the Ripper did surely needed to be familiar with, and comfortable in, his surroundings.

Gareth,

Are nooks and crannies the same thing as ins and outs? If they are, then I'm sorry to inform you that you actually agree with my point.

It had to happen one day.��

Gary

[Batman]

Kozminski was 'new' also. Has this ever been a barrier to Kozminski being a suspect? How about all the foreigner suspects? Even outside of London, let alone England? It isn't specific to Chapman, is it?

All in all, this is a much better reason for why Chapman couldn't be JtR than the myth serial killers can't change their signature or even pause one for a while as they go off and commit other crimes.

So rule Chapman out on regional awareness grounds and a whole slew of other suspects go with him.

[Sam Flynn]

Naughty, naughty. Did I say or even imply that the Ripper was 'uncomfortable' in the East End?

No, I was responding to the suggestion that in order to have escaped detection he must have known the 'ins and outs' of a vast area.

I realised that, and reworded my post within a minute or two. (see above)

So, not so much "naughty naughty", but "fastee typee" - it's just that you read my original post before I corrected it.

[packers stem]

The idea that the Ripper must have had an intimate knowledge of every corner of the East End from Bucks Row to Mitre Square and from Berners Street to Hanbury Street belongs in the same bin as the top hat and cloak.

Quite
I've only been there a few times and can happily find my way around .
None of the C5 were found down little cobbled alleyways

[Sam Flynn]

Kozminski was 'new' also. Has this ever been a barrier to Kozminski being a suspect? How about all the foreigner suspects? Even outside of London, let alone England?

As far as I'm concerned, the same applies to Kozminski as to Klosowski, or any other suspect who'd only been in London for months rather than years, for that matter.

[MrBarnett]

I realised that, and reworded my post within a minute or two. (see above)

So, not so much "naughty naughty", but "fastee typee" - it's just that you read my original post before I corrected it.

But once you add in the nooks and crannies concept, you are effevtively agreeing with the point I made. So it's a double naughty naughty.

How often have any of us had a short break in a town or city of similar dimensions to the Ripper's killing area? And how quickly can you get your head around its geography by getting to know the main streets, landmarks and, say, the river? If you have a reasonable sense of direction it's quite easy to become comfortable on a strange city in a very short time.

Gary

[Sam Flynn]

Quite
I've only been there a few times and can happily find my way around .
None of the C5 were found down little cobbled alleyways

Did you commit any evisceration murders in the open air, remove any organs and scuttle away to safety amid an increased police presence? A tourist's stroll around modern-day Whitechapel (far less of a rat's maze than it was in 1888, BTW) cannot be compared to what JTR was up to.

[Batman]

As far as I'm concerned, the same applies to Kozminski as to Klosowski, or any other suspect who'd only been in London for months rather than years, for that matter.

Why would someone there for years murder in Mitre Sq., knowing that not just one, but two bobbies were on the beat going around it and that he had basically cornered himself in a square?

[MrBarnett]

Quite
I've only been there a few times and can happily find my way around .
None of the C5 were found down little cobbled alleyways

My point exactly PS.

[Sam Flynn]

So it's a double naughty naughty.

You know, if there's one thing I've always hated, it's being wrongly accused of some sort of wilful malfaisance when such was not the case. Pisses me off no end, especially when you could so easily have made your points without the "naughty naughties" added. There's no need to make things personal.