A Moustache Too Big to Hide?

[Marcel Prost]

We all know the reasons why Francis Tumblety is a suspect. He is undoubtedly a truly intriguing character.

But there is the question of him being too young and too tall to match the witnesses' descriptions. And above all, there is his enormous moustache, which no one mentioned.

Is Francis Tumblety's giant moustache enough to rule him out as a suspect? In fact, does anyone know if his moustache was already huge when he lived in London?

The Ripper has to be discreet, and that gigantic moustache stands out like a marching band in a library.

[c.d.]

That's an awfully big moustache! From Naked Gun 2 1/2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2P1H1orxXY

c.d.

[Lewis C]

We all know the reasons why Francis Tumblety is a suspect. He is undoubtedly a truly intriguing character.

But there is the question of him being too young and too tall to match the witnesses' descriptions. And above all, there is his enormous moustache, which no one mentioned.

Is Francis Tumblety's giant moustache enough to rule him out as a suspect? In fact, does anyone know if his moustache was already huge when he lived in London?

The Ripper has to be discreet, and that gigantic moustache stands out like a marching band in a library.

I think you mean too old to match the descriptions, not too young, right? I agree that he's taller than descriptions would lead us to believe. For me, his homosexuality also weakens the case against him.

I wouldn't rule him out based on his moustache. He could have trimmed it when he was in England. I don't think we have a picture of him from that time.

[Abby Normal]

We all know the reasons why Francis Tumblety is a suspect. He is undoubtedly a truly intriguing character.

But there is the question of him being too young and too tall to match the witnesses' descriptions. And above all, there is his enormous moustache, which no one mentioned.

Is Francis Tumblety's giant moustache enough to rule him out as a suspect? In fact, does anyone know if his moustache was already huge when he lived in London?

The Ripper has to be discreet, and that gigantic moustache stands out like a marching band in a library.

im not sure about the stache, but he was a huge man and a loud ostentatious yank. intriguing shady character definitively. but the ripper? probably not.

[Doctored Whatsit]

The moustache could easily be trimmed, but he wouldn't have been able to disguise the fact that he was aged 55, was an enormous man over six feet tall, broad shouldered, presumably with an unmistakeable American accent, and according to the Washington Post, he had a weak effeminate voice. He was homosexual, and I am not sure that makes the determined pursuit and murder of prostitutes very likely.

A man over six feet tall would have been extremely noticeable in 1888 London. He doesn't even nearly match any of the descriptions. BS man was about 5 foot 5 inches, for example.

[Marcel Prost]

I think you mean too old to match the descriptions, not too young, right? I agree that he's taller than descriptions would lead us to believe. For me, his homosexuality also weakens the case against him.

I wouldn't rule him out based on his moustache. He could have trimmed it when he was in England. I don't think we have a picture of him from that time.

You're absolutely right — I meant too old, not too young.

Thanks for catching that.

[Marcel Prost]

That's an awfully big moustache! From Naked Gun 2 1/2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2P1H1orxXY

c.d.

Perfect quote!

[GBinOz]

The moustache could easily be trimmed, but he wouldn't have been able to disguise the fact that he was aged 55, was an enormous man over six feet tall, broad shouldered, presumably with an unmistakeable American accent, and according to the Washington Post, he had a weak effeminate voice. He was homosexual, and I am not sure that makes the determined pursuit and murder of prostitutes very likely.

A man over six feet tall would have been extremely noticeable in 1888 London. He doesn't even nearly match any of the descriptions. BS man was about 5 foot 5 inches, for example.

Agree Doc. "Noticable" was not what the ripper wanted. He would have wanted to have been Mr Nobody Noticed.

[Losmandris]

Plus I think rather big moustaches were quite en-vogue at the time!

[John Wheat]

Too much is made of the witness statements. We don't know who did and didn't see Jack the Ripper. That said I think highly unlikely Tumblety was the Ripper.

[erobitha]

There is reasonable enough evidence (in my view) to rule him out as most likely being incarcerated during the murder of MJK.

[rjpalmer]

There is reasonable enough evidence (in my view) to rule him out as most likely being incarcerated during the murder of MJK.

This was thoroughly debunked by David Barrat whose extensive research proved beyond all reasonable doubt that the tabulated court calendar does not supply enough information to make this determination. He uncovered cases where the details in the calendar were exactly the same as Tumblety's case, but the defendant was out on bail.

But when it comes to "Ripperology," old myths and assumptions die hard.

[Lewis C]

Too much is made of the witness statements. We don't know who did and didn't see Jack the Ripper. That said I think highly unlikely Tumblety was the Ripper.

Hi John,

True, we don't know who did and didn't see the Ripper, but I'm of the view that at least one of the witnesses saw him, we just don't know which one(s). And Tumblety doesn't match ANY of the witness descriptions.