Why only two threads?

[Amanda Sumner]

I agree,TomTomKent.

The Jewish and foreign community had much to be grateful for, in as much the efforts made by the police, and those in authority, to avoid a backlash and an escalation of violence that was already apparent in the Eastend.
It was only conjecture on my part that the Rabbi was thanking them for other reasons, namely the discovery of the murderer being Jewish. I just found the incident, at that very time, curious. As far as Jacob's candidacy goes for being JtR, I feel he ticks far more boxes than most of the suspects. Have we got enough to say " case closed "? Not by a long chalk, I agree, but he is certainly worth investigating further.

[TomTomKent]

Considering that there was daily crime, and murder, that probably involved Jews as much as anyone else, I do find it interesting that the Rabbi felt he had to publicly thank the police in this case. Especially when it was still officially unsolved. Why would he felt the need to do that? Alright I might be jumping the gun a bit, but I do find it curious.

As for the case being closed, I have come across two dates, 1891, and 1894. Jacob Levy died in 1891.

There was an obvious need to thank the police. The same need to wash away graffiti and change the description from "Jewish"'to "Foreign" in reports. People were ready to riot over the killing. The hysteria about "Leather Apron" had reached the point that an anti Semitic back lash was feared and the police took active steps to avoid this.

Levy is a viable identity for the Jewish Suspect, along with Cohen. But only to the same degree as Cohen and the like. Declaring Case Closed is probably not warranted when he is only on equal footing with other suspects. That is not to admonish the evidence against him, only to recognise proof enough to close the case is beyond our grasp.

[Daisyhall1]

Abberline retires ( early) 8 Feb 1892 and the file was officially closed...seems a bit coincidental.Do they feel they had their man,or he was dead?

[Amanda Sumner]

I don't, but the point is that the case was officially closed and not long after Jacob Levy died. Of course, the two might not be connected at all, but it's another little nugget to put on the ever growing list of reasons why Jacob could be our top suspect. Of all the suspects he has ticked just about every box.

[GUT]

Amanda, do yourself a favour don't believe everything you read, even here on Casebook. You've now quotes the case as being closed in 91, 92 and 94 and can I suspect find quotes supporting all three dates but they cannot all be correct can they?

[Amanda Sumner]

That's right, so it's odd that the Ripper case was officially closed, isn't it? One has to wonder why the decision was made.

[GUT]

Scotland Yard's official position is that unsolved murder cases are never closed.

[Amanda Sumner]

Amanda,

I think there was a popular belief that such horrendous crimes could not possibly be work of an Englishman. So if the perpetrator was a foreigner, the most obvious group to suspect in the East End at the time was the Jews. They were mainly recent immigrants, present in significant numbers and were not even Christian!

At a time when many of these immigrants had only recently escaped from the pogroms in Eastern Europe, the measured response of the British police to this wave of anti-Semitic feeling was acknowledged as laudable by the Jewish community.

MrB

You are probably right, MrBarnett. I can't disagree with that. I just thought the timing was curious.

[Amanda Sumner]

Well Chapman was hanged in 1903 and Abberline says "We've got the Ripper", doesn't sound too closed to me. As far as I have been able to ascertain the file was still officially open upto at least the early 30's, indeed having spoken to a number of London Police I am of the opinion [and I may be corrected here] that it was never officially closed, and it was after this that things are believed to have started disappearing.

I found another date:
"In the past ten years more evidence has been recovered, new information garnered through the young criminal sciences, and serious research conducted on the mystery of Jack the Ripper than at any other time since the case was officially closed in 1892"

http://www.casebook.org/intro.html

It's not stopped intense interest ever since, of course, but it was officially closed.....

[MrBarnett]

Amanda,

I think there was a popular belief that such horrendous crimes could not possibly be work of an Englishman. So if the perpetrator was a foreigner, the most obvious group to suspect in the East End at the time was the Jews. They were mainly recent immigrants, present in significant numbers and were not even Christian!

At a time when many of these immigrants had only recently escaped from the pogroms in Eastern Europe, the measured response of the British police to this wave of anti-Semitic feeling was acknowledged as laudable by the Jewish community.

MrB

[GUT]

Well Chapman was hanged in 1903 and Abberline says "We've got the Ripper", doesn't sound too closed to me. As far as I have been able to ascertain the file was still officially open upto at least the early 30's, indeed having spoken to a number of London Police I am of the opinion [and I may be corrected here] that it was never officially closed, and it was after this that things are believed to have started disappearing.

[Amanda Sumner]

What! Just because the Rabbi says thanks for being sensitive over the anti Semitic rubbish going around a Jew was involved?

And when do you think the case was closed if it was so early?

Considering that there was daily crime, and murder, that probably involved Jews as much as anyone else, I do find it interesting that the Rabbi felt he had to publicly thank the police in this case. Especially when it was still officially unsolved. Why would he felt the need to do that? Alright I might be jumping the gun a bit, but I do find it curious.

As for the case being closed, I have come across two dates, 1891, and 1894. Jacob Levy died in 1891.

[GUT]

Oddly, the Jewish rabbi apparently publicly thanked the police for their sensitive (?) handling of the case which does suggest to me that a Jew was probably involved. Jacob is undoubtedly the strongest contender we have, either him or one of his kin. Joseph did, after all, have other cousins in the vicinity. Isaac being one of them.
I don't think the local bobbies were aware of who he was but it would not surprise me if it was known higher up the ranks. It is odd that the case was closed as early as it was when in effect was still an unsolved murder inquiry. Would be nice to find that one bit of evidence that irrefutably links Jacob to the murders.

What! Just because the Rabbi says thanks for being sensitive over the anti Semitic rubbish going around a Jew was involved?

And when do you think the case was closed if it was so early?

[Amanda Sumner]

Oddly, the Jewish rabbi apparently publicly thanked the police for their sensitive (?) handling of the case which does suggest to me that a Jew was probably involved. Jacob is undoubtedly the strongest contender we have, either him or one of his kin. Joseph did, after all, have other cousins in the vicinity. Isaac being one of them.
I don't think the local bobbies were aware of who he was but it would not surprise me if it was known higher up the ranks. It is odd that the case was closed as early as it was when in effect was still an unsolved murder inquiry. Would be nice to find that one bit of evidence that irrefutably links Jacob to the murders.

[Daisyhall1]

I agree Harry.
I think the police were at best shambolic in this investigation and at worst would not want a Jewish serial killer on their hands.The graffiti evidence on the Jewish dwellings was erased before evidence could be gathered.Isaac Levy lived adjacent to the grafitti building- makes you wonder if Jacob was seeking sanctuary there or fled to nearby Middlesex St.The enquiry was done and dusted in no time- there seemed a reluctance to get to the truth or worse still were the suspicions buried until the suspect was incarcerated- and then CASE CLOSED !