From Mitre Square to Goulston Street - Some thoughts.

[Tom_Wescott]

Yes.

I did mean Aaron.

If Swanson had someone else in mind, then either he had a different first name, in which case there is no record of such a person at Colney Hatch, or Swanson got his name wrong - in which case, one wonders what else he may have got wrong.

Have you read Adam Wood's book, Swanson? Fortunately, I'm not the only one who thinks the Anderson/Swanson 'Kosminski' might be someone with more meat on them than Aaron. That's why I consider 'Kosminski' and Aaron as two different arguments, until they're proved to be one and the same. Too many discrepancies. I must admit my biggest problem with Aaron is his age. 23? When I look at the Ripper crimes, I do not see the hand of a 23 year-old.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

As I have pointed out previously, there is no record of a Polish Jewish serial killer anywhere.

Even if we accept this as an absolute certainty, what conclusions can we draw from it? Does it mean that no Polish Jew is physically capable of being a serial killer in that it would somehow violate the laws of physics like traveling faster than the speed of light?

And even if there is no record of it, could it have happened without the killer being caught and therefore unknown?

c.d.

It means it is possible, but very unlikely.

It is rather like suggesting, as has been suggested, that B.S., a broad-shouldered, stout, semi-drunk, who was assaulting a prostitute on a Saturday night, and shouting an anti-Jewish insult at a man of Jewish appearance passing by, was actually a thin Polish Jew, who was not known ever to have associated with prostitutes, nor ever to have been drunk, and who quite possibly - as suggested by a document recently published here - had been to synagogue a few hours earlier.

I have to ask why someone would find a suggestion like that credible.

[Darryl Kenyon]

As I have pointed out previously, there is no record of a Polish Jewish serial killer anywhere.

.

Severin Klosowski [ George Chapman ], was born in Nagornak Poland. He studied Yiddish . He murdered three women what we know of.

[c.d.]

As I have pointed out previously, there is no record of a Polish Jewish serial killer anywhere.

Even if we accept this as an absolute certainty, what conclusions can we draw from it? Does it mean that no Polish Jew is physically capable of being a serial killer in that it would somehow violate the laws of physics like traveling faster than the speed of light?

And even if there is no record of it, could it have happened without the killer being caught and therefore unknown?

c.d.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Does anyone know if Polish Jews are any less disposed to murder than Jews of other nationality?

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

Hi PI,

Given that Kosminski grew up in Poland, we've no idea what environment he was exposed to, or what if any criminal record he may have had.

I agree that the case against him is non existent based on what we do know.

As I have pointed out previously, there is no record of a Polish Jewish serial killer anywhere.

There is no record of criminality among his relations.

The argument that there may have been incriminating evidence against him which may have been lost is not credible.

The 'many circs', which are so often cited as evidence against him - if there were any - constitute nothing more than circumstantial evidence.

Whatever they may have been, they are not mentioned by Anderson or Swanson, but again we are told that they must have known something.

There is no evidence that Kosminski was known to the police before his incarceration and there is evidence that he was not.

I suggest that if all the lost documents could be read, there would be nothing incriminating in them about him, and that if he had been accused at the time, he would, like Piser, have been able to produce cast-iron alibis.

And I would say the same about Druitt and Lechmere.

[Al Bundy's Eyes]

As I am sure Trevor Marriott will confirm, Napper's background is typical of that of serial killers - he came from a dysfunctional and violent home

There is nothing similar in Kosminski's case.

It was well-known that violent homes were almost unheard of in the Jewish community in Whitechapel.



The whole case against him is non-existent.

Hi PI,

Given that Kosminski grew up in Poland, we've no idea what environment he was exposed to, or what if any criminal record he may have had.

I agree that the case against him is non existent based on what we do know.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Is it an absolute fact that all killers have been ‘in trouble’ before being revealed as a killer or is this a convenient generalisation?

[Herlock Sholmes]

Can actual evidence be provided that “violent homes were almost unheard of in the Jewish Community in Whitechapel?” Was a study done or is that just an opinion?

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

He is a poor suspect based on what we know. However much evidence is missing and what we know about Aaron Kosminski in 1888 is negligible. I would state though that an apt comparison may be Robert Napper. He had a similar post murder mutilation fixation as the Ripper. In a mental hospital now he also seemingly had similar delusions as Kosminski. He has been said to believe an IRA letter bomb blew off his hand- however the hand grew back. He had delusions of being guided by higher powers and that he was an MI5 spy. Kosminski also had these type of delusions based on what we know. Something to think about maybe??????

As I am sure Trevor Marriott will confirm, Napper's background is typical of that of serial killers - he came from a dysfunctional and violent home, had a criminal record at age 20, and was suspected of having committed a rape at 23.

There is nothing similar in Kosminski's case.

It was well-known that violent homes were almost unheard of in the Jewish community in Whitechapel.

There is no evidence that Kosminski was in trouble for anything more serious than walking a dog without a muzzle.

There is no evidence even that he was ever of interest to the police prior to his incarceration.

The whole case against him is non-existent.

[Sunny Delight]

When you write 'Kosminski' I assume you're referring to Aaron? That's fair, then, since many writers accept Aaron as Anderson's suspect. But I'm not one of them. Aaron is a bad Ripper suspect, so I'd like to think that Anderson and Swanson had someone better in mind.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

He is a poor suspect based on what we know. However much evidence is missing and what we know about Aaron Kosminski in 1888 is negligible. I would state though that an apt comparison may be Robert Napper. He had a similar post murder mutilation fixation as the Ripper. In a mental hospital now he also seemingly had similar delusions as Kosminski. He has been said to believe an IRA letter bomb blew off his hand- however the hand grew back. He had delusions of being guided by higher powers and that he was an MI5 spy. Kosminski also had these type of delusions based on what we know. Something to think about maybe??????

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

We may wonder just how many Jewish businesses, Residences and Synagogues there were between Mitre Sq. & Goulston St.

He was obviously returning to base and relative safety.

He decided to leave the apron piece somewhere as far away from the scene of the murder and as close to home as possible.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

Doesn't that shoot down your argument?
Without the apron, there's no connection to the murder, so you are saying if Jews in general heard of some graffiti accusing the Jews of something (nothing specific being stated), they risk a riot?

I wrote:

Some police officers wanted the graffito to remain in place until it could be photographed, with the apron piece presumably having been removed.

Yet Warren and Arnold were adamant that even in the absence of the bloodstained apron piece, to have left the writing in place would have risked a pogrom.

What are the chances, then, of the Jewish population allowing such a message to be left at the entrance to their homes during the autumn of terror?


I think my argument is perfectly coherent.

In that atmosphere, there was a danger of a pogrom.

It seemed close to happening soon after the previous night of murder three weeks before.

The police on the spot considered it too risky to let the graffito see daylight.

Why would Jewish people have taken a more tolerant view?

[Wickerman]

The murderer was not seeking credit.

His sole purpose was to blame the Jews for the murders.

That is why he cut the apron in two, carried it such a long distance, and left a message blaming the Jews practically pointing to the apron piece, which had bloodstains from the latest victim.

We may wonder just how many Jewish businesses, Residences and Synagogues there were between Mitre Sq. & Goulston St.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

When you write 'Kosminski' I assume you're referring to Aaron? That's fair, then, since many writers accept Aaron as Anderson's suspect. But I'm not one of them. Aaron is a bad Ripper suspect, so I'd like to think that Anderson and Swanson had someone better in mind.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

Yes.

I did mean Aaron.

If Swanson had someone else in mind, then either he had a different first name, in which case there is no record of such a person at Colney Hatch, or Swanson got his name wrong - in which case, one wonders what else he may have got wrong.