Kosminski vs Charles Cross

[Tom_Wescott]

If it was down to just these two options who would be the best bet for the Ripper. More importantly WHY?

(Can be Aaron or Anderson's suspect if you prefer.)

Aaron Kosminski is a documented human, whereas 'Anderson's suspect' is more or less a blank slate or phantom construct. So, sticking with just Aaron Kosminski versus Lechmere, the obvious best suspect is Lechmere because there's a coherent argument behind him as a suspect which you are free to either accept or dispute. I've yet to see a cogent argument for Aaron K. as the Ripper. It tends to usually just fall back on 'Well, Anderson and Swanson said so,' which holds no water with me. I'm regularly assured that there are lots of new Kosminski finds and yet nothing ever seems to get published. I hold the right to change my opinion if and when something more solid putting Aaron into frame comes about.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Geddy2112]

I've yet to see a cogent argument for Aaron K. as the Ripper. It tends to usually just fall back on 'Well, Anderson and Swanson said so,' which holds no water with me.

That is kind of my point.... no one seems have put any meat on the bones so to speak.

[caz]

Perhaps it's an unrealistic expectation on my part, but if there had been any reliable evidence against any of the usual suspects back when the case was still lukewarm, or at least not stone cold, I'd like to think the details could - and would - have been reliably documented somewhere, with accurate information about the suspect's name, home and work situation, and what brought him to police attention and kept him dangling there indefinitely with no resolution.

If all the apparent mistakes and failures made in respect of a particular suspect's personal details have to be excused somehow to keep him in the frame today, whether it's put down to simple human error during a tough investigation, or even a deliberate fact-altering exercise to keep awkward truths hidden, it's all highly unsatisfactory and smacks to me of nobody really knowing anything for certain - and the ripper never being identified as a potential suspect.

I don't blame the police for not finding the ripper, as it would have been nigh on impossible in those days without him making a fatal error. I also tend to think that the killer was not among any of the suspects or persons of interest who were cleared by the police at the time.

Love,

Caz
X