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In my opinion the likeliest to have seen the ripper are Elizabeth Long, Joseph Lawende (with Levy and Harris), Isreal Schwartz and George Hutchinson.
Elizabeth Long - “…brown deer-stalker hat, and she thought he had on a dark coat, but was not quite certain of that. She could not say what the age of the man was, but he looked to be over 40, and appeared to be a little taller than deceased. He appeared to be a foreigner, and had a 'shabby genteel' appearance.”
Joseph Lawende - “… age 30, height 5 ft. 7 or 8 in., complexion fair, moustache fair, medium build; dress, pepper-and-salt colour loose jacket, grey cloth cap with peak of same material, reddish neckerchief tied in knot; appearance of a sailor.”
Israel Schwartz - “…age about 30, height 5 ft. 5 in., complexion fair, hair dark, small brown moustache, full face, broad shouldered; dress, dark jacket & trousers, black cap with peak.”
George Hutchinson - “…about 34 or 35. height 5ft6 complexion pale, dark eyes and eye lashes [“dark” – deleted] slight moustache, curled up each end, and hair dark, very surley looking dress long dark coat, collar and cuffs trimmed astracan. and a dark jacket under. light waistcoat dark trousers dark felt hat turned down in the middle. button boots and gaiters with white buttons. wore a very thick gold chain white linen collar. black tie with horse shoe pin. respectable appearance walked very sharp. Jewish appearance.”
Age - 30 to 40
Height - 5’5” to 5’8”
Complexion- Fair to pale in the three descriptions where it’s mentioned.
Ok so far
Moustache - (mentioned in three only) fair(L) or small brown(S) or slight and curled(H)
At a push (making an allowance for observation although Hutch’s ‘curled’ raises an eyebrow imo)
Build - (mentioned in three) medium, broad shouldered.
Unless Schwartz’ man had shoulders like Sonny Liston they maybe this isn’t as big a difference as we might assume?
Hat - brown deerstalker(Lo) grey cloth with peak(La) black cap with peak(S) dark felt, turned down in the middle(H)
Hutchinson’s is clearly a different kind of hat. Brown deerstalker and grey cloth might be mistaken in a certain light and at distance. A black cap brings doubts though.
Clothes - possible dark coat, shabby genteel(Lo) loose pepper and salt jacket(La) long astrakhan, dark jacket, light waistcoat, dark trousers(H) dark jacket and trousers(S)
Long and Hutch and Schwartz/Lawende were on different days of course but we still have a problem with Lawende’s ‘pepper and salt’ against Schwartz dark jacket.
The rest of Hutchinson’s description gives us a very ‘stand out’ looking man. But we can add a little
at him giving Kelly a red handkerchief while Lawende has his man wearing a reddish neckerchief.
Given how unreliable witnesses can be I don’t think that we can conclude anything particularly useful from the descriptions.
Elizabeth Long - “…brown deer-stalker hat, and she thought he had on a dark coat, but was not quite certain of that. She could not say what the age of the man was, but he looked to be over 40, and appeared to be a little taller than deceased. He appeared to be a foreigner, and had a 'shabby genteel' appearance.”
Joseph Lawende - “… age 30, height 5 ft. 7 or 8 in., complexion fair, moustache fair, medium build; dress, pepper-and-salt colour loose jacket, grey cloth cap with peak of same material, reddish neckerchief tied in knot; appearance of a sailor.”
Israel Schwartz - “…age about 30, height 5 ft. 5 in., complexion fair, hair dark, small brown moustache, full face, broad shouldered; dress, dark jacket & trousers, black cap with peak.”
George Hutchinson - “…about 34 or 35. height 5ft6 complexion pale, dark eyes and eye lashes [“dark” – deleted] slight moustache, curled up each end, and hair dark, very surley looking dress long dark coat, collar and cuffs trimmed astracan. and a dark jacket under. light waistcoat dark trousers dark felt hat turned down in the middle. button boots and gaiters with white buttons. wore a very thick gold chain white linen collar. black tie with horse shoe pin. respectable appearance walked very sharp. Jewish appearance.”
Age - 30 to 40
Height - 5’5” to 5’8”
Complexion- Fair to pale in the three descriptions where it’s mentioned.
Ok so far
Moustache - (mentioned in three only) fair(L) or small brown(S) or slight and curled(H)
At a push (making an allowance for observation although Hutch’s ‘curled’ raises an eyebrow imo)
Build - (mentioned in three) medium, broad shouldered.
Unless Schwartz’ man had shoulders like Sonny Liston they maybe this isn’t as big a difference as we might assume?
Hat - brown deerstalker(Lo) grey cloth with peak(La) black cap with peak(S) dark felt, turned down in the middle(H)
Hutchinson’s is clearly a different kind of hat. Brown deerstalker and grey cloth might be mistaken in a certain light and at distance. A black cap brings doubts though.
Clothes - possible dark coat, shabby genteel(Lo) loose pepper and salt jacket(La) long astrakhan, dark jacket, light waistcoat, dark trousers(H) dark jacket and trousers(S)
Long and Hutch and Schwartz/Lawende were on different days of course but we still have a problem with Lawende’s ‘pepper and salt’ against Schwartz dark jacket.
The rest of Hutchinson’s description gives us a very ‘stand out’ looking man. But we can add a little
at him giving Kelly a red handkerchief while Lawende has his man wearing a reddish neckerchief.Given how unreliable witnesses can be I don’t think that we can conclude anything particularly useful from the descriptions.
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