Can we definitively conclude that Alice McKenzie was not killed by the Ripper?

[Fiver]

Actually its just the truth. The National DefenseGovernments covering up directors and Central Intelligence men had recorded payments to Double Spies and informants from the "enemy" ranks. Some of the most Senior men assigned to the Ripper cases had personally overseen operations and operatives that were from "terrorist" groups.

Governments using informants and agents provocateurs is real world. Governments covering up a serial killer within a terrorist organization is the plot of a particularly bad thriller.

How do you think Gen Millen gets mentioned as a possible Ripper suspect?

Poor research? Francis Frederick Millen is one of the few people we can prove could not have been the Ripper.

The New York Tribune shows that on the evening of September 24, 1888, F F Millen gave a speech to the 3rd Assembly District Harrison and Morton Workman's Association at Muger's Hall. Even the fastest ship in the world couldn't have gotten Millen to London in time to murder Stride and Eddowes. The New York Tribune also shows that on the evening of November 14, 1888, F F Millen was at a Republican victory dinner at Delmonicos. Even the fastest ship in the world couldn't have gotten Millen from London after the murder of Kelly in time to attend that dinner.

[Fiver]

As has been mentioned numerous times in the case of Kosminski, evidence wasn't suppressed - it just wasn't sufficient to justify an arrest, especially after the witness backed down. Kosminski was never imprisoned.

If the police had any evidence that Kosminski was the Ripper, they had no reason to keep that information from the public.

[Scott Nelson]

Yes they would have, if that evidence was insufficient and the family threatened to sue.

[Michael W Richards]

Governments using informants and agents provocateurs is real world. Governments covering up a serial killer within a terrorist organization is the plot of a particularly bad thriller.



Poor research? Francis Frederick Millen is one of the few people we can prove could not have been the Ripper.

The New York Tribune shows that on the evening of September 24, 1888, F F Millen gave a speech to the 3rd Assembly District Harrison and Morton Workman's Association at Muger's Hall. Even the fastest ship in the world couldn't have gotten Millen to London in time to murder Stride and Eddowes. The New York Tribune also shows that on the evening of November 14, 1888, F F Millen was at a Republican victory dinner at Delmonicos. Even the fastest ship in the world couldn't have gotten Millen from London after the murder of Kelly in time to attend that dinner.

Great info on Millen there Fiver. I wasnt implying that Millen himself was thought to be the killer though, Generals orchestrate, soldiers do the dirty work. His name did come up in a correspondence the year following the Ripper murders as someone considered as having something to do with the murders. As for Poor research, there are great examples in the MM, with no reluctance to name specific people. I wonder if Ostrog got a hold of a police document like the MM, is that suggestion of his culpability in the MM libel? He was in jail at the time, could he had sued if that document became public? Just wondering.

On the point that Scott is making, I could see them having an investigation suppressed if it was potentially libellous and without sufficient proof. But if the theory is insufficiently proven by the known evidence, then there is a likely chance that they were wrong suspecting him. Or, as a senior man suggested, if the police in London had equal powers that other forces had abroad to hold people indeterminate amounts of time maybe they could have eked out a confession eventually.

I suppose the issue is really whether we think they actually solved it, or knew who did it, knew the man responsible, and I guess at best we can say it would seem some had their theories but none were provable in court.