Replacing Aaron Kosminski with Jacob Levy?

[tanta07]

I just finished reading "Jacob the Ripper," which makes the case for Jacob Levy, and I found that for all the things we tend to use as bullet points to make the case for Aaron Kosminski, could actually be more accurately applied to Levy.

- Kosminski was said to have been institutionalized after the murders and died in an asylum soon thereafter.

That's clearly not true of Kosminski, since he lived on many years after his initial admission into an asylum. However, it DOES fit Levy, who was institutionalized for the final time in 1890 and then died in 1891.

- Kosminski was identified by a witness, a witness to later refused to testify against him.

While everything about the "seaside home identification" is dubious, the whole scenario would make more sense with Levy rather than Kosminski. Especially if the witness used for the identification was Joseph Hyman Levy, who was one of three men who saw a man talking to Catherine Eddowes shortly before her death. Joseph Hyam Levy was Jacob's cousin, so it would be understandable if he was reluctant to identify his own cousin as the infamous murderer.

- The police were monitoring Kosminski's movements.

It's possible the police were monitoring both, but a police note about watching a Jewish butcher who lives in Butcher's Row obviously fits Levy far more accurately than it does Kosminski.

- Kosminski was institutionalized with homicidal tendencies.

People have had a hard time squaring this circle, because the scant records kept on Kosminski paint him more as a nearly-catatonic schizophrenic who would barely get out of bed. Levy's records, on the other hand, mention "violence" rather frequently.


Anyway, I just found it to be food for thought. Can it be that if you just lift out "Aaron Kosminski" in a lot of theories and replace it with "Jacob Levy" that Levy actually fits the mold a lot better?

[The Baron]

Kosminski was the suspect.




The Baron

[Herlock Sholmes]

I just finished reading "Jacob the Ripper," which makes the case for Jacob Levy, and I found that for all the things we tend to use as bullet points to make the case for Aaron Kosminski, could actually be more accurately applied to Levy.

- Kosminski was said to have been institutionalized after the murders and died in an asylum soon thereafter.

That's clearly not true of Kosminski, since he lived on many years after his initial admission into an asylum. However, it DOES fit Levy, who was institutionalized for the final time in 1890 and then died in 1891.

- Kosminski was identified by a witness, a witness to later refused to testify against him.

While everything about the "seaside home identification" is dubious, the whole scenario would make more sense with Levy rather than Kosminski. Especially if the witness used for the identification was Joseph Hyman Levy, who was one of three men who saw a man talking to Catherine Eddowes shortly before her death. Joseph Hyam Levy was Jacob's cousin, so it would be understandable if he was reluctant to identify his own cousin as the infamous murderer.

- The police were monitoring Kosminski's movements.

It's possible the police were monitoring both, but a police note about watching a Jewish butcher who lives in Butcher's Row obviously fits Levy far more accurately than it does Kosminski.

- Kosminski was institutionalized with homicidal tendencies.

People have had a hard time squaring this circle, because the scant records kept on Kosminski paint him more as a nearly-catatonic schizophrenic who would barely get out of bed. Levy's records, on the other hand, mention "violence" rather frequently.


Anyway, I just found it to be food for thought. Can it be that if you just lift out "Aaron Kosminski" in a lot of theories and replace it with "Jacob Levy" that Levy actually fits the mold a lot better?

It’s been a while since I read Jacob The Ripper but Levy is an interesting suspect and, as you say, many of the points fit him better than Kosminski. I think that he’s one of the very few suspects worth pursuing.

[GBinOz]

Levy is an interesting suspect and, as you say, many of the points fit him better than Kosminski. I think that he’s one of the very few suspects worth pursuing.

I agree!

Cheers, George

[tanta07]

Kosminski was the suspect.




The Baron

Since those words were written, we've tried to make Kosminski fit the facts, but he's never quite fit. When taken on their own, Levy fits the facts much better.

I'm just wondering aloud: what if Swanson simply just got the name wrong?

[Columbo]

Levy is very interesting. I think maybe in tandem with Kosminski is more appropriate. I need to reacquaint myself with Levy Koz is still at the top of my list.

[tanta07]

Levy is very interesting. I think maybe in tandem with Kosminski is more appropriate. I need to reacquaint myself with Levy Koz is still at the top of my list.

Yes, there's plenty of reasons to still like Kosminski as a suspect. Rob House's book does an excellent job of explaining exactly why; much better than I could ever do.

Still, there's always been nagging inconsistencies with Koz; he was that puzzle piece that just doesn't quite fit the empty space. I had a lightbulb moment when reading Jacob the Ripper; basically all of the factoids used to condemn Koz work much better if you simply replace Koz with Jacob Levy. I'm left with the notion that Kosminski was still a strong suspect, but many of the factoids assigned to him (Seaside Home identification, death in an asylum, surveillance on Butcher's Row) were actually factoids for a different strong suspect, Jacob Levy.

[Fogelpa]

a different strong suspect, Jacob Levy.

I did read Tracy`s book on Jacob Levy,but i can`t recall if Jacob Levy was ever mentioned as a suspect in any of the surviving suspect files?

[tanta07]

I did read Tracy`s book on Jacob Levy,but i can`t recall if Jacob Levy was ever mentioned as a suspect in any of the surviving suspect files?

I don't belive Levy was ever mentioned by name, no. It was mentioned that the police were monitoring a Jewish butcher in Butcher's Row, which would of course put Levy squarely in the crosshairs. He also had relatives who lived yards away from where the Goulston St Graffito and Kate's apron piece were found.

[Harry D]

I don't belive Levy was ever mentioned by name, no. It was mentioned that the police were monitoring a Jewish butcher in Butcher's Row, which would of course put Levy squarely in the crosshairs. He also had relatives who lived yards away from where the Goulston St Graffito and Kate's apron piece were found.

I'm given to understand that Joseph Levy, the witness in the Eddowes murder who was described as hiding something, was also his relation.

[Herlock Sholmes]

The suggestion that the witness wouldn’t give evidence against a fellow Jew is an intriguing (and controversial at the time) one. It’s a weighty accusation to make against someone. Might it have been that there was an element of doubt and the fact that the subject was a relation caused the witness to refuse to go the whole hog. Might this have ended up as Mac’s suggestion that the killers own family believed him to have been guilty?

[tanta07]

The suggestion that the witness wouldn’t give evidence against a fellow Jew is an intriguing (and controversial at the time) one. It’s a weighty accusation to make against someone. Might it have been that there was an element of doubt and the fact that the subject was a relation caused the witness to refuse to go the whole hog. Might this have ended up as Mac’s suggestion that the killers own family believed him to have been guilty?

Yes, excellent point. Those two loose ends do tie together nicely.

[tanta07]

I'm given to understand that Joseph Levy, the witness in the Eddowes murder who was described as hiding something, was also his relation.

Yes, Joseph Hyam Levy was a witness who saw a man talking to Catherine Eddowes right before her dearh. He was also Jacob Levy's cousin.

I know if the police presented me with my own cousin to identify as the world's greatest monster, I would be reluctant to confirm the identification, especially if there was the slightest shadow of a doubt in my mind who I saw. And his initial witness statement was very vague about the male, only giving a general height for the man.

The "Seaside home witness refused to give testimony" story makes a lot more sense if the witness is Joseph Levy and the suspect is Jacob Levy.

[Columbo]

Yes, Joseph Hyam Levy was a witness who saw a man talking to Catherine Eddowes right before her dearh. He was also Jacob Levy's cousin.

I know if the police presented me with my own cousin to identify as the world's greatest monster, I would be reluctant to confirm the identification, especially if there was the slightest shadow of a doubt in my mind who I saw. And his initial witness statement was very vague about the male, only giving a general height for the man.

The "Seaside home witness refused to give testimony" story makes a lot more sense if the witness is Joseph Levy and the suspect is Jacob Levy.

do we have definitive proof of this? I've heard it mentioned but not as a definitive statement of truth.

[Columbo]

The biggest contribution to House' book is that he goes into great detail explaining the illness Koz probably suffered from and how it could have been controlled in the early stages, so that he could function normally during the murder timeline. That's the things Fido and Sudgen missed. They saw his asylum records but those didn't reflect how he was in autumn 1888. Levy of course may have been psychotic at the time but we know so little about him right now it's a hard choice to replace Koz with him.