Questions about Klosowski

[HelenaWojtczak]

Having read on this forum that there is no proof as to when Klosowski arrived in the UK I was startled to read at

http://what-when-how.com/jack-the-ripper/the-suspects-jack-the-ripper-part-2/

"Born in Poland, he arrived in England in June 1887 and took employment as a hairdresser’s assistant in a shop at 70 West India Dock Road."

I was also surprised to read that

"he married Lucy Baderski of Waltham-stow"

... when of course she was Polish. Then the writer claims:

"Lucy was dismayed when, within a few weeks of the wedding, a woman turned up who had traveled to England from Poland. She had two young children in tow and claimed to be legally married to Klosowski, who, however, soon sent her packing."

There is no contact for the writer. Where did s/he get this information? Is it true about the woman with kids from Poland? Doesn't seem to be anything on here about this. Anyone help please?

Helena (yes my name is Polish!)

[Wolf Vanderlinden]

Hi Helena.

"Born in Poland, he arrived in England in June 1887 and took employment as a hairdresser’s assistant in a shop at 70 West India Dock Road."

There is no proof as to when Klosowski arrived in London. The date “June, 1887,” appears in The Jack the Ripper A-Z and apparently comes from Arthur Fowler Neil’s book Man-Hunters of Scotland Yard (Doubleday, 1932). As Neil was a Scotland Yard detective who worked on the Borough Poisoning Case, the case which sent Klosowski to the gallows, some believe that this makes it correct. However, Neil’s book is full of inaccuracies (he gets Kloswoski’s name wrong, calling him “Kloskovski” throughout) and some of it is downright fiction.

More importantly, during his trial in 1903 the closest the Solicitor General, armed with all the facts obtained by Scotland Yard from their investigation into Klosowski’s movements, could come to the date Klosowski arrived in London was to state that it was “about 1888.” Also, Ethel Radin, the wife of Klosowski’s employer when he first arrived in London, later stated (1930) that in August of 1888 he was new to London and very homesick.

"Lucy was dismayed when, within a few weeks of the wedding, a woman turned up who had traveled to England from Poland. She had two young children in tow and claimed to be legally married to Klosowski, who, however, soon sent her packing."

This story comes from H. L. Adams' book The Trial of George Chapman (William Hodge & Company, 1930) and Adams has confused the testimony of Klosowski’s second “wife,” Annie Chapman. The incident occurred in 1894, not “within weeks of the wedding,” the dismayed woman was Annie and the Polish wife was Lucy Baderski who arrived with her two children. All five of them lived together “for some weeks” until Annie couldn’t stand it any longer and left.

Wolf.

[HelenaWojtczak]

Thanks for replying and settling some things, Wolf.

"Neil’s book is full of inaccuracies (he gets Kloswoski’s name wrong, calling him “Kloskovski” throughout)"

I'm stunned. To get the person's name wrong is such a fundamental error it's unforgiveable.

"Adams has confused the testimony of Klosowski’s second “wife,” Annie Chapman. The incident occurred in 1894, not “within weeks of the wedding,” the dismayed woman was Annie and the Polish wife was Lucy Baderski who arrived with her two children. All five of them lived together “for some weeks” until Annie couldn’t stand it any longer and left."

Thanks for clearing that up. So, she didn't arrive "from Poland" at all!

[HelenaWojtczak]

Wolf: "The Polish wife was Lucy Baderski who arrived with her two children. All five of them lived together “for some weeks” until Annie couldn’t stand it any longer and left."

Er, just spotted a problem. Lucy didn't have two children at the same time. Her first child died in 1891 and the second one wasn't born till 1892.