Israel Schwartz, Pipeman - Francis Thompson

[jerryd]

Hi JerryD,

Interesting info!

What continually confuses me is that surely Smith was telling us about interesting traits that he recognised in his suspect. He was not saying that he had proof or even good evidence that these traits were possessed by JtR. He didn't have proof, or even strong evidence that JtR was an ex-medical student and not a fully trained doctor, surgeon or slaughterman. He didn't have proof or even strong evidence that JtR lived in a particular street or area, or was personally involved in coin trickery, or had been in an asylum etc. The traits are only those of his suspect. So trying to identify a suspect using these traits as a guide is not positively going to lead us to the Ripper, and case closed.

Hi DW.

Major Henry Smith's search for this suspect all began in a report by Sir Charles Warren to the Home Office dated 19, September 1888:

"A man called Puckeridge was released from an asylum on 4 August. He was educated as a Surgeon - has threatened to rip people up with a long knife. He is being looked for but cannot be found as yet."
[Evans and Skinner, Ultimate Sourcebook, p. 132] Thank you Chris for this.

Warren was searching for this suspect but had not found him. We know it was after the second murder (19th September, 1888 dated report from Warren), we know his name was Puckeridge, we know he was released from an Asylum on 4, August and we know he was educated as a surgeon (or so Warren states anyway).

From here Smith follows up on Warren's suspect and finds Puckeridge living on Rupert Street, so he sent two men to shadow him. This is all documented in the reports Chris found stating how they followed Puckeridge through Haymarket and ended at a coffee house in Rupert Street. Puckeridge proves an alibi beyond a shadow of doubt.

Now compare those actual facts to the memoir of Sir Henry Smith in 1910.

"After the second crime I sent word to Sir Charles Warren that I had discovered a man very likely to be the man wanted. He certainly had all the qualifications requisite. He had been a medical student; he had been in a lunatic asylum; he spent all his time with women of loose character, whom he bilked by giving them polished farthings instead of sovereigns, two of these farthings having been found in the pocket of the murdered woman. Sir Charles failed to find him. I thought he was likely to be in Rupert Street, Haymarket. I sent up two men, and there he was; but, polished farthings and all, he proved an alibi without the shadow of doubt."

So, to state once again, this is not Smith's blueprint description of whom he thinks Jack the Ripper is. This is a description of his follow up of Sir Charles Warrens search for Puckeridge. Which ended in a failure to find him. Just as Smith states in his memoir, "Sir Charles failed to find him" cross referenced in Warren's report " he is being looked for but cannot be found as of yet."

"He certainly had all the qualifications requisite."- All the qualifications of Warren's suspect, who was Oswald Puckeridge.