Jack the Ripper at Last? The Southwark Poisoner

[HelenaWojtczak]

After a long absence from Casebook whilst I dedicated myself to continuing research into George Chapman/Seweryn Klosowski I am back to make an announcement!

The book is being republished in a completely new, enlarged, revised edition and with a new subtitle.

Jack the Ripper at Last? George Chapman, The Southwark Poisoner.

It has 20 additional pages, comprising mainly his family history and childhood in Poland, something nobody has ever discovered before.

There is also new material on Petrikovsky the translator and some new images.

The book will be published on 7th April, the 113th anniversary of his hanging, with a new ISBN of 9781904109310 and priced at £14.99.



Best wishes

Helena Wojtczak

[HelenaWojtczak]

Just published 2 days ago and available on Amazon via Createspace ~ the new, revised, enlarged edition of JACK THE RIPPER AT LAST?

It contains 20 more pages than the previous editions, loads of brand new info about his family and childhood, never before researched or published... more images never before published, and biographical info on the mysterious translator Petrikovsky.

Here is the link to Amazon.com (the USA site)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1904109314?keywords=jack%20the%20ripper%20at%20last&qid=1457869276&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

And the British site:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1904109314?keywords=jack%20the%20ripper%20atlast&qid=1457869647&ref_=sr_1_sc_2&sr=8-2-spell

A few people have asked me for SIGNED copies. If you want your copy signed you will have to buy the book from me direct, via my website. I am expecting delivery of the first batch from the printers in 2 weeks time, but you can order already, here:

http://www.hastingspress.co.uk/chapman.html

Helena

[HelenaWojtczak]

Just an update ...

The third, enlarged, revised edition is currently en route from the printer in Poland and is due here Friday - two weeks ahead of schedule!


Taking orders on this page (linked below) for signed copies hot off the press!

http://www.hastingspress.co.uk/chapman.html

[GUT]

This is one I'm looking forward to.

[HelenaWojtczak]

Update: have received the printed books and am taking orders now.

[HelenaWojtczak]

Paul Begg review

Paul Begg's review of my book, published in the Rip today, is very complimentary. He also mentions it in the introduction to the review section.
=========================

[Introduction] "There are some books, though, that you should read and have on you shelf, whether it’s a real shelf or one on your ebook reader. One such book is unquestionably the third edition of Helena Wojtczak’s excellent Jack the Ripper At Last?, a very detailed examination of the life and crimes of sometime Jack the Ripper suspect Sewern Klosowski/George Chapman."

[Review]

"Let’s be honest, most Ripper books are instantly forgettable, but every now and then a book comes along that you know will be regarded by every serious researcher as the definitive title for years to come. Jack the Ripper At Last? was one of them. It was originally published in 2013 and this revised and enlarged third edition contains enough worthwhile new material to make it a necessary purchase even if you already have one of the earlier editions. I should make it clear, however, that this isn’t really a Ripper book, despite the title - which, incidentally, I was credited in the first edition with having suggested, which I thought I had, but apparently it was Keith Skinner. Ah, well. Anyway, this isn’t so much a Ripper book as a biography of the life and crimes of Seweryn Klosowski, otherwise known as George Chapman.

He was born in Poland in December 1865 and came to London in the late 1880s, where he worked as a hairdresser. He took up with a succession of women, Mary Spink, Bessie Taylor and Maud Marsh, none of whom lived very long afterwards. Suspicions were aroused after the death of Marsh and the police began an investigation which led to Chapman’s arrest and untimately to his execution at Wandsworth prison on 19 March 1903.

His connection wih the Ripper case is largely due to the Inspector Abberline. The police had apparently entertained suspicions that Klosowski might be the Ripper when they learned that he had lodged in George Yard, and as a consequence of this getting into the newspapers, the Pall Mall Gazette sent a journalist to get the opinion of Abberline, who said that he’d entertained suspicions since reading the opening remarks by the Attorney General as Klosowski’s trial. In recent decades this has elevated Klosowski to the top ranks of Ripper suspects, but Ms. Wojtczak is in no doubt that Chapman wasn’t Jack. In view of the enormous research she has undertaken, and, more importantly, the quality of her research, that’s an expert opinion with which one would disagree at one’s peril. Most authorities seem satisfied that a knife-wielding street killer like Jack the Ripper would not completely change his modus operandi*and begin poisoning, so why did a very experienced policeman like Abberline think otherwise? That’s just one of the small mysteries surrounding this subject.

At the risk of being repetitious, Helena Wojtcak’s book is without question the primary source for the story of Seweryn Klosowski/George Chapman and this third edition adds a lot of new material. Polish parish records are gradually being digitised and being made available online and Wojtczak has gone through these and come up with new information about Chapman’s family, in particular the discovery of an older sister and several half-brothers and half-sisters from Klosowski’s father’s second marriage. Helena has also managed to expand our knowledge of the family’s movements in Poland and transcribe reports from Warsaw newspapers to see how the Chapman case was reported in his homeland.

Helena Wojtcak has been in contact with the descendants of Klosowski’s Polish wife, Lucy Baderski, and learned about the emigration of the family. There’s also a photograph of Lucy’s sister-in-law, Mary.

One think I’m not keen on is Helena Wojtcak’s criticism of other authors for not taking onboard all the corrected information she has provided in earlier editions. She writes, “There seems no end in sight to authors repeating the old myths about Chapman, despite my considerable work in carefully debunking them one by one…”, and then goes on to rap Jan Bondeson and Richard Patterson over the knuckles for making a few minor errors, in Patterson’s case for repeating canards such as Chapman having qualified as a surgeon and mispelling his name as ’Severin’. I’m sure Helena is simply expressing her frustration at seeing this sort of error being repeated, but there’s a danger of it not always coming across like that. There is, however, considerable value in her demonstration of the ways writers like H.L. Adam and more recently Richard Michael Gordon have elaborated and exaggerated material. There’s a difference between repeating canards and inventing material!

The book is well-illustrated, with several new ones for this edition, including Chapman’s marriage certificate, the birth certificate of his son, William, and photographs of his daughter Cecilia and sister-in-law Mary Baderski. There are also several new images of Chapman himself and various witnesses taken from provincial newspapers.

This is a terrific biography of Seweryn Klosowski/George Chapman and extremely well illustrated. I understand when there isn’t too much money about, a book can be a luxury and with so many new books to choose from it can be difficult to invest in a new edition of one you have already read, but this one is worth it. If this isn’t a well-thumbed book on your shelf, it should be."

[GUT]

Hard not to be complimentary

[HelenaWojtczak]

Very kind of you to say so!

[Elamarna]

Dear Helena,

I purchased the kindle edition early last year. and was very impressed.

Having read Mr B's review yesterday I have ordered the updated version from Amazon this morning.
Can I say this is one of the best suspect books ever written, along with that of Rob House.
To be fair one should also mention Jonathan's book on Druitt, and Mike's recent Tumblety book.
However your book is really an anti-Suspect book, and to me is the stand out book in that group.

all the best

Steve

[HelenaWojtczak]

Jolly nice of you to say so.

Researching and writing (and repeatedly rewriting or editing) the book was a massive, time-consuming painstaking and difficult task, and it's really heartwarming to read that it's been appreciated.

An "anti-suspect" book... not heard that before, so thanks for that!

If you've only read the Kindle edition you are in for a big treat - over 100 illustrations!

(PS may I ask, please, that people use the link to my website (below) to order the book, as Amazon keeps 50% of the book's price, leaving me with barely enough to cover the production costs. Thank you muchly!)

Helena

[HelenaWojtczak]

Thanks Steve (below) for leaving that very nice review on Amazon.

Five stars!

Thank you!

Helena

[Elamarna]

Dear Helena,

it was my pleasure, and no more than you deserve.

wishing you every success

Steve