Fido's Reconsideration of Aaron Kosminski

[Lewis C]

Kosminski can be placed in Whitechapel at the time of the killings and had violent tendencies. These two facts alone make him better than most suspects. The fact that he was also (apparently) seriously considered by police at the time means he has earned his place on the Mount Rushmore of Ripper suspects. Do I think he killed anyone? No. But in the tallest midget contest that is Ripper suspects he stands tall.

Seriously there have been books - PLURAL - written about suspects who cannot even be placed in Whitechapel during the Autumn of Terror. Low standards here.

Hi Damaso,

I believe that we only know of 2 incidents of Aaron Kosminski being violent. One was before his confinement he threatened someone's sister (I think it's unclear whether it was his own) with a knife. In his period of confinement, he once threatened someone with a chair. According to a form in his file in the asylum, he wasn't dangerous to others.

There are other suspects who can be placed in Whitechapel at the time and had at least as much of a tendency toward violence as AK, in most cases more: William Bury, Jacob Levy, George Chapman, David Cohen, Charles le Grand, Thomas Cutbush, Hyam Hyams, Albert Bachert, Oswald Puckridge, and Edward Buckley. As far as whether he's in the Mt. Rushmore of Ripper suspects, if that's understood to mean top 4, I would say maybe. If we're talking top 10, I would agree with that. And yes, there are a lot of weaker suspects that have books written about them.

That list of names above really drives home the kind of place Whitechapel was. No more than one of them could have been the Ripper, but imagine walking through an area where you might encounter all of those people.