Survey/Intro

[Lewis C]

I don’t know if anyone will respond but I thought I’d give it a go. Twelve questions.

1. Location (country will do but if you want, you could add your country of birth too if you want to)
   United States (Indiana)
2. How did you first discover the case?
   My 1st exposure was when I was about 11, a chapter about JtR in a kids book, I think called Strange But True. The chapter gave Prince Albert Victor as a possible suspect, without mentioning any others, but also without saying that it was definitely him. Next was an episode from the original Star Trek series in which JtR was a non-humanoid life form that came aboard The Enterprise in the body of a human. When I was in high school, The Book of Lists came out, with lists of possible victims and possible suspects.
3. What was the first book(s) that you read on the case?
   The above-mentioned Strange But True, but that was just a chapter. I generally don't read books from cover to cover; I read parts of books that interest me at the moment.
4. If you had to pick a number what would be your choice as the likeliest number of victims?
   7 or 8. The C5 plus Tabram plus 1 or 2 wildcards.
5. Of the named suspects which, if any, do you think are the likeliest?
   Here's my current top 9: 1. Bury, 2. Chapman, 3. Levy, 4. Hutchinson, 5. LeGrande, 6. Cohen, 7. Kelly, 8. Kosminski, 9. Deeming. I'm constantly adjusting this list though. There are about 12 others that I think are longshots but definitely possible. And yes, Druitt is one of those.
6. This has been asked on another thread but….if you could be given the answer to one particular aspect of the case (not who did it) what would you choose?
   I'll go with my later question from that thread: Which of the witnesses that we think might have seen JtR just before a murder actually did see him?
7. If you had the opportunity to question one of the witnesses in the case who would you choose?
   That's a toughie, but I guess Schwartz. I'll likely have a different answer to this a month from now.
8. Is there any important aspect of the case that you’ve changed your mind about of the years?
   I sometimes will lean slightly one way on an issue and later lean slightly the other way. I now lean slightly toward McKenzie not being a JtR victim and the later TOD for Chapman, but I used to lean the other way on both.
9. Do you have any pet hates about the case or how we look at it?
   In a discussion of any issue, I don't like extreme bias or intellectual dishonesty. Slight bias is almost inevitable, so I can live with that.
10. How likely/unlikely do you think it is that the case will ever be solved?
    Unlikely, but not impossible.
11. What books would you recommend to someone new to the case?
    I actually did this recently. Someone I know was interested in reading a book about the case, so I recommended Jack the Ripper The Facts by Paul Begg. I figured it should be a general survey of the case, and Begg's book is probably the most recent first rate general survey.
12. Is there anyone in the case that you feel might be worth closer investigation as a possible suspect?
    Maybe the person most worthy of a closer investigation is someone that I wouldn't have thought of, maybe even never heard of. I don't know enough about the available unexplored source material to know what suspects have the greatest potential for us to be able to learn more about them.

Hi Herlock,

See responses above.

[Al Bundy's Eyes]

I ain't telling you nuthin' and you can't make me!

[FrankO]

Stuttgart. Even though I have not lived there since 1991, I am a proud Maultaschen-fresser to this day.

Thanks, Svensson. I didn't know there was a North Holland in Germany too. I'm from North Holland in The Netherlands. Oh well, it's never too late to learn something new...

[S.Brett]

...a very suspicious character.

Indeed, Michael...

[Svensson]

Little side-track, but...

Where are you at in my old home province, Svensson?

Stuttgart. Even though I have not lived there since 1991, I am a proud Maultaschen-fresser to this day.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Well yeah, but we could embrace the cultural stereotype and play on hieland coos instead!

[Ms Diddles]

Apparently a polo team has 4 players. Do they have horses in Scotland?

Well yeah, but we could embrace the cultural stereotype and play on hieland coos instead!

[Herlock Sholmes]

Yeah, Barn is here and I think we have Fantomas too.

So, as far as I'm aware the Glasgow contingent stands at four.

One more and we could start a five a side team!

Apparently a polo team has 4 players. Do they have horses in Scotland?

[Herlock Sholmes]

1. I live in (Western) Germany, born and grown up in Eastern Germany (near the Polish border)
2. Think Iīve watched some TV reports as a child/youth, it is possible that I also have read an article in a (East German) magazine during that period
3. Das Tagebuch von Jack the Ripper (James Maybrick)
4. 7 victims
5. "Kosminski", Cohen and Levy
6. The Seaside Home- identification, when did it take place?
7. The PC near Mitre Square
8. I am always open-minded. Today I am not convinced that Schwartz (nor Lawende) was the Seaside Home- witness
9. Misplaced ambition I donīt like
10. Who knows...
11. All the books that I have read
12. Steven Blomer. No one knows how old he is. He knows too much.

Karsten

Thanks Karsten. I’ve met Steve…..a very suspicious character.

[FrankO]

born in Germany, lived in SW London (-ish) for 30 years, currently residing in North Holland.

Little side-track, but...

Where are you at in my old home province, Svensson?

[S.Brett]

1. I live in (Western) Germany, born and grown up in Eastern Germany (near the Polish border)
2. Think Iīve watched some TV reports as a child/youth, it is possible that I also have read an article in a (East German) magazine during that period
3. Das Tagebuch von Jack the Ripper (James Maybrick)
4. 7 victims
5. "Kosminski", Cohen and Levy
6. The Seaside Home- identification, when did it take place?
7. The PC near Mitre Square
8. I am always open-minded. Today I am not convinced that Schwartz (nor Lawende) was the Seaside Home- witness
9. Misplaced ambition I donīt like
10. Who knows...
11. All the books that I have read
12. Steven Blomer. No one knows how old he is. He knows too much.

Karsten

[Ms Diddles]

Thanks Ms D. Good answers. So we have 2 in Glasgow. Isn’t Barn in Glasgow too? How many do you need for a coven of ripperologists?

Yeah, Barn is here and I think we have Fantomas too.

So, as far as I'm aware the Glasgow contingent stands at four.

One more and we could start a five a side team!

[Herlock Sholmes]

They have been pretty much done to death!

A closer look at some of the members of the vigilance committee could be interesting, as there's a possibility Jack would be among their number.

Thanks Ms D. Good answers. So we have 2 in Glasgow. Isn’t Barn in Glasgow too? How many do you need for a coven of ripperologists?

[Ms Diddles]

I don’t know if anyone will respond but I thought I’d give it a go. Twelve questions.

1. Location (country will do but if you want, you could add your country of birth too if you want to)
   
   Born in Yorkshire, but have lived in Glasgow for the last 30 years.
2. How did you first discover the case?
   
   I kind of became aware of it as a child with all the centenary hoo-hah and the Michael Caine film.
3. What was the first book(s) that you read on the case?
   
   Patricia Cornwell
4. If you had to pick a number what would be your choice as the likeliest number of victims?
   
   Hmmm! I swither on Tabram, Stride and Mackenzie, but am pretty definite on Nichols, Chapman, Eddowes and Kelly, so it varies between 4 and 7.
5. Of the named suspects which, if any, do you think are the likeliest?
   
   I'm with you on Bury, Druitt and Koz as the most likely of the named suspects, but there aren't many I rule out completely. I have a long suspect list, but actually think it was probably Mr Unknown.
6. This has been asked on another thread but….if you could be given the answer to one particular aspect of the case (not who did it) what would you choose?
   
   Did Caroline Maxwell really see MJK?
7. If you had the opportunity to question one of the witnesses in the case who would you choose?
   
   Maxwell as above. Second choice Hutch.
8. Is there any important aspect of the case that you’ve changed your mind about of the years?
   
   Oh, as a child I was definitely sucked into the idea of the mysterious top-hatted toff lurking in the thick fog. As stated I now think he was just some wee unknown nobody with a nasty streak.
9. Do you have any pet hates about the case or how we look at it?
   
   I find it strange when people talk in definites when we actually know so little about the case.
   
   There's nothing wrong with speculating!
10. How likely/unlikely do you think it is that the case will ever be solved?
    
    For it to be conclusively solved to everyone's satisfaction, zero.
    
    For something new to be uncovered which tips the balance in favour of a particular suspect enough for most of us to agree that they are odds on favourite, slim but not impossible.
11. What books would you recommend to someone new to the case?
    
    Sugden, Rumbelow, Begg.
12. Is there anyone in the case that you feel might be worth closer investigation as a possible suspect?

They have been pretty much done to death!

A closer look at some of the members of the vigilance committee could be interesting, as there's a possibility Jack would be among their number.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Cheers Svensson.