Poll - Was Aaron Kosminski the Ripper?

[Uncle Jack]

Just thought I would start a poll to see how Aaron's candicy as the Ripper stands at the moment.

Feel free to give comments.

[Christine1932]

No, he was innocent to those crimes.

[Esther Wilson]

I personally don't think he was involved.

Esther

[robhouse]

Where's the maybe button?

Rob H

[Mascara & Paranoia]

I think we can safely say he wasn't the Ripper. The majority of info on his behaviour at the time and after the canonical murders points away from that being the case if anything.

Interesting fella though.

[The Grave Maurice]

Oh, I like this one. Kosminski always looms large in the TV polls and also with one or two of our more astute commentators. Personally, I can't see him as a likely candidate although, like Rob, I wish there were a "maybe" category. In the absence of that, I'll vote "no".

[quasar]

Kosminski, or Cohen, - was not it a definately ascertained fact at the time? Ha Ha. Love that phrase anyway, I use it socially now. The only thing I think definate about Kosminkski is he was a bit of a tosser.Almost certainly not the ripper. Thanks Q.

[jason_c]

I cannot say he is the Ripper. Certainly the best suspect to date.

[Ryan_Miller]

He was a very interesting man, but I'm not going to bet my lunch money on him being the Ripper.

[The Good Michael]

No, it was Erin Krapelski. She stole more than hearts when she wore that poodle skirt and sweater.

Mike

[Dugudeia Murdstone]

Uh

There are better candidates!

[lauren_ox]

I said no, but ive been reading about him.
He could be, but im not sure.

Kosminski does meet some of the criteria in the general profile of JTR.
He may have lived close to the sites of the murders. Each victim was murdered within a mile of Goulston Street, and a family with the surname Kosminski supposedly lived near Goulston Street.
Written comments by former Assistant Commissioner Sir Robert Anderson and former Chief Inspector Donald Swanson claimed that the Ripper had been identified by the "only person who had a good view of the murderer". Swanson said that this man was "Kosminski", adding that he had been watched at his brother's home in Whitechapel by the police.

[jsantos]

Maybe, but i think... No.

[vol_cat]

Kosminski

If someone were to want to read up on Kosminski what would be the best book to start? Any suggestions would be great.

[Jonathan H]

In terms of historical methodology Aaron Kosminski is one of the three leading Super-suspects to be the Ripper -- and arguably the best.

Despite him not being a contemporaneous suspect, despite being an inactive murderer for over two years, despite a myth building around his memory that he was identified by a treacherous witness, and despite other senior policemen preferring alternate suspects -- Kosminski lived in the area, he was mad, sexually dysfunctional, generically resembles the best witness description, was believed by HIS OWN FAMILY to be the Fiend, and was the candidate of compelling certainty to the head of Scotland Yard, at the time of the murders, and the operational head of the same case.

It is often claimed on these boards that there are weaknesses to Kosminski as the Ripper. I agree, but it is often accepted as fact that these weaknesses were unknown to the top cops. That's a theory not a fact.

Anderson and Swanson may have been very aware in the 1890's why they might have liked not to 'adopt' Kosminski -- yet they did anyway. These policemen, who were there, may have weighed up the evidence and believed that the strength of the case against Kosminski dwarfed its deficiencies.