How is Kosminski the Ripper or No?

[clark2710]

Ok, shawl aside, and shawl included, what's the case for Kosminski for and not being the Ripper; can we do a pro's and con's here? For instance, Prince Albert, if I recall, wasn't even in the country at the time of some of the murders ++correct if I'm remembering wrong++...

[Astatine211]

Neither Macnaghten or Anderson, the two biggest cheerleaders of him being the Ripper, got their facts about him correct, most of it was wrong. Abberline stated there's no evidence whatsoever to suggest he was JtR and Sir Henry Smith and Edmund Reid both outright publicly attacked Anderson for saying Kosminski was the Ripper.

Asylum records show Kosminski was harmless and most likely terrified of other people. He was probably suicidal as he had a record of self halm. The only two instances of violent behaviour was throwing a chair at a warden and threatening the person who was trying to have him admitted to the asylum with a knife. Either his sister or a friend. This was almost certainly due to being terrified of being sent to the asylum.

Kosminski was either case of mistaken identity, with Nathan Kaminsky / David Cohen the actual person the police were meaning, or a convenient scapegoat to blame for the Ripper murders.

I truly believe Macnaghten was the worst thing to happen to this case and has greatly slowed down progress in both the contemporary and modern investigation.

[Astatine211]

Also the shawl is a load of BS. It was never mentioned in any police report or list of belongings. They let two supposed descendants of Eddowes handle the shawl extensively before the DNA testing and suprise, suprise a DNA match is made. That fact alone invalidates it.

[Ms Diddles]

Hi Clark,

I would recommend Rob House's book "JTR and the Case for Scotland Yards Prime Suspect".

I was really impressed with this book.

It makes the case for Koz as Ripper, but also discusses the evidence which contradicts this.

It's a while since I read it, but I remember thinking it was quite even-handed and avoided a lot of the cherry-picking and shoe-horning that one sometimes sees in suspect books.

I'm hoping that this link will work.........

Jack the Ripper and the Case for Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect eBook: House, Robert, Hazelwood, Roy, Hazelwood, Roy: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

[Abby Normal]

Hi Clark,

I would recommend Rob House's book "JTR and the Case for Scotland Yards Prime Suspect".

I was really impressed with this book.

It makes the case for Koz as Ripper, but also discusses the evidence which contradicts this.

It's a while since I read it, but I remember thinking it was quite even-handed and avoided a lot of the cherry-picking and shoe-horning that one sometimes sees in suspect books.

I'm hoping that this link will work.........

Jack the Ripper and the Case for Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect eBook: House, Robert, Hazelwood, Roy, Hazelwood, Roy: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

i second that! not only a great ripper book but IMHO one of the best "suspect" books. I never really considered Koz until i read his book. now i do great read.

[Ms Diddles]

i second that! not only a great ripper book but IMHO one of the best "suspect" books. I never really considered Koz until i read his book. now i do great read.

I think Rob House should pay us both a fee!

We often seem to be extolling the virtues of his book on here!

[Scott Nelson]

I haven't read it yet. I'm still waiting for my complimentary copy.

[Sunny Delight]

I always saw Kosminski as the local nutter/weirdo who stereotypically would have fitted to a degree what the Police thought they were looking for. Deranged and threatening towards women(his sister), lived locally, Jewish and someone whose family may have tried to protect him. I don't believe he was the Ripper. Nothing has been produced to implicate him. He falls into the Colin Stagg type category to me. The Ripper was someone else in my opinion.

[Pcdunn]

Neither Macnaghten or Anderson, the two biggest cheerleaders of him being the Ripper, got their facts about him correct, most of it was wrong. Abberline stated there's no evidence whatsoever to suggest he was JtR and Sir Henry Smith and Edmund Reid both outright publicly attacked Anderson for saying Kosminski was the Ripper.

Asylum records show Kosminski was harmless and most likely terrified of other people. He was probably suicidal as he had a record of self halm. The only two instances of violent behaviour was throwing a chair at a warden and threatening the person who was trying to have him admitted to the asylum with a knife. Either his sister or a friend. This was almost certainly due to being terrified of being sent to the asylum.

Kosminski was either case of mistaken identity, with Nathan Kaminsky / David Cohen the actual person the police were meaning, or a convenient scapegoat to blame for the Ripper murders.

I truly believe Macnaghten was the worst thing to happen to this case and has greatly slowed down progress in both the contemporary and modern investigation.

I've read he threatened his sister, and this was used as showing Kosminski had a "history of violence against women" by those who put him forward.
I think he was definitely mentally ill, but was not the Ripper, merely a convenient fall guy for the cops to use.