Would we have suspected Maxwell?

[Fisherman]

Hello Christer.

"But the fact of the matter is that the police never solved the Ripper case, and such a thing will potentially be due to their not having asked the right man the right question. And if pointing to this is to collapse Ripperology, then let it collapse, I say - the sooner, the better."

Get your pith helmet, boy.

Cheers.
LC

Think a thick skullbone will safeguard me, Lynn - but thanks anyway.

The best,
Fisherman

[Lechmere]

I don’t know why there is this accusation that ‘Ripperology’ is collapsing in on itself because the actions and antecedents of various people involved in the case are being looked at anew to see if any could or should be viewed with suspicion.

I don’t favour Hutchinson’s candidacy because I think he was closely looked at by the police, he lived in a building that had a curfew, he went too far in giving press interviews an making himself known as being involved in the case (were he going under a false ID) and I don’t think he was Lewis’s wide-awake man. And I think he almost certainly was Toppy.
But having said all that he is a better candidate than most and a valid person to make a suspect and discuss.

I don’t find any merit in Cadosch’s suspect status (which has been tentatively proposed) or Richardson’s but it is sensible that they should be vigorously looked at with fresh eyes.

It is often said that the eventual culprit, if ever discovered, would probably have been found to have been involved in the case. That is because that is the way these things tend to go down in the real world.
Also it is a more sensible starting point to look at people named in the case as having actually been there, rather than say a random person who we do not know was anywhere near and of the crime scenes, but who may have been a killer for example (or an artist or poet).

The police in their investigation were hindered by two things that we are not.
Firstly a greater understanding (admittedly largely absent on these boards) of what type of person might become a serial killer.
Secondly much greater knowledge of who lived where and when and their family backgrounds – due to computerised records.
This allows us to look at certain people involved in the case – not all – with a fresh set of eyes.
I would personally not give that much credence to a suspect who was effectively cleared at the time as the police were not total dummies.

Regarding Mrs Maxwell, if she were a man then yes I would guess we would be looking at her now in a more quizative manner. Would the police then? Probably not if ‘he’ was respectable.
In a case such as this it is inevitable that the potential suspect status of men and women are regarded differently. And that has nothing to do with women being the ‘fairer’ sex.
As for the timing of Maxwell’s sighting – as others have sad we cannot really be sure about Kelly’s time of death and there is a chance that she was accurate in her statement.

[richardnunweek]

Hi Lynn,
I was suggesting [ tongue-in-cheek] that the reason she may have stated she saw Kelly in daylight hours, would be to give someone she knew a alibi.
If the person she suspected had a watertight alibi for that period , which was not evident during the night.
I realize that this is far fetched, but it does seem rather odd that a letter was penned 14, Dorset street, and sent exactly one week prior to the murder, that location being directly opposite , its almost yells out to us, that someone responsible had either a past connection to that property,or resided in it, and had a knowledge of who his next victim was to be.
And who should live there , none other then one of the most talked about witnesses in the whole of the case, and one whose evidence was in complete contrast to the medical reports.
Regards Richard.

[lynn cates]

loan

Hello Edward.

"And I think he almost certainly was Toppy."

Hope Christer is willing to loan that pith helmet. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

Here you go.

Hello Richard. Thanks.

You spoke of those who HAD lived at #14 Dorset. Very well. Probably less than useful, but here is #14 from 1881.

Cheers.
LC

14 Dorset Cohen Isaac 36 head England finisher
14 Dorset Cohen Becky 36 wife England (NA)
14 Dorset Cohen Rachael 17 daughter England boot finisher
14 Dorset Cohen Abraham 5 son England (NA)
14 Dorset Milmsky Mary 37 head England tailoress
14 Dorset Milmsky John 18 son England tailor
14 Dorset Milmsky Jonah 14 son England school
14 Dorset Milmsky Sarah 10 daughter England school
14 Dorset Rogers Isaac A 40 head London cab driver
14 Dorset Rogers Mary 38 wife London (NA)
14 Dorset Rogers Priscilla 17 daughter London NK
14 Dorset Rogers Leah 16 daughter London NK
14 Dorset Rogers Rebecca 14 daughter London (NA)
14 Dorset Rogers Hannah 12 daughter London (NA)
14 Dorset Rogers Betsy 11 daughter London (NA)
14 Dorset Rogers Fanny 10 daughter London (NA)
14 Dorset Rogers Juliet 4 daughter London (NA)
14 Dorset Rogers Sarah 3 daughter London (NA)
14 Dorset Rogers Jessie 2 daughter London (NA)
14 Dorset Rogers Clara 6m daughter London (NA)
14 Dorset Rogers Mary A 15 sister (NA) (NA)
14 Dorset Leach Alfred 48 head Essex staioner (sic)
14 Dorset Leach Eliza 38 wife London (NA)
14 Dorset Leach Alfred 16 son London apprentice
14 Dorset Leach Frederick 11 son London school
14 Dorset Milmsky Miriam 30 (NA) London button hole maker
14 Dorset Milmsky Abraham 10 (NA) London school
14 Dorset Milmsky Arnier 6 (NA) London school
14 Dorset Milmsky Layurus 4 (NA) London school
14 Dorset Milmsky Samuel 2 (NA) London (NA)
14 Dorset Milton Richard 40 head London warehouse unemployed
14 Dorset Milton Emily 38 wife London warehouse unemployed
14 Dorset Deering Frederick 26 lodger London tinman unemployed

[Lechmere]

Did anyone tell those Cohens and Milmskys that they shouldn't have been living in Dorset Street?

[Sally]

14 Dorset Deering Frederick 26 lodger London tinman unemployed

For a moment there, I misread that entry. Should've gone to SpecSavers...

[lynn cates]

Deeming

Hello Sally. Thanks.

I'm deeming you had someone else in mind? (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[Cogidubnus]

Well at least we know that the cab drivers surname was in no way a misnomer...

All the best

Dave

[lynn cates]

cute

Hello Dave. Cute.

Cheers.
LC

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Lynn

Now how did I know....

All the best

Dave

[Damaso Marte]

I certainly think that, of the witnesses-turned-suspects, Lechmere is the most plausible, and I have defended both Fisherman and the latter-day Lechmere from what I view as unfair attacks on their views and the work they've done.

Certainly more plausible than Maybrick, Druitt, Ostrog, Tumblety. Less plausible than Kosminski or Koslowski. Not that I think the killer is anyone whose name is mentioned in this or any other post on this forum.

[Wickerman]

I certainly think that, of the witnesses-turned-suspects, Lechmere is the most plausible, and I have defended both Fisherman and the latter-day Lechmere from what I view as unfair attacks on their views and the work they've done.

Certainly more plausible than Maybrick, Druitt, Ostrog, Tumblety. Less plausible than Kosminski or Koslowski. Not that I think the killer is anyone whose name is mentioned in this or any other post on this forum.

I could see anyone listing Druitt with Tumblety & Kozminski, as they were all named suspects by police officials after-the-fact.
But why list Druitt with Maybrick & Ostrog?

The less said about Maybricks candidacy the better, and Ostrog was not even in the country at the time - or perhaps you were not aware of this?

[dirtyd22no]

Feel sorry for Mr Isaac Rogers (#14 Dorset), 10 daughters... What are the odds of that happening?

[dirtyd22no]

I would personally not give that much credence to a suspect who was effectively cleared at the time as the police were not total dummies.

I'm not saying the police were 'dummies', but as late as the 1970's Peter Sutcliffe was interviewed 9 times by police who were swamped with information. Not saying JTR was ever interviewed that many times but a very good chance that whoever committed these murders was at some stage questioned/spoken to by police...