Survey/Intro

[Abby Normal]

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)
2. How did you first discover the case?
3. What was the first book(s) that you read on the case?
4. If you had to pick a number what would be your choice as the likeliest number of victims?
5. Of the named suspects which, if any, do you think are the likeliest?
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?
7. If you had the opportunity to question one of the witnesses in the case who would you choose?
8. Is there any important aspect of the case that you’ve changed your mind about of the years?
9. Do you have any pet hates about the case or how we look at it?
10. How likely/unlikely do you think it is that the case will ever be solved?
11. What books would you recommend to someone new to the case?
12. Is there anyone in the case that you feel might be worth closer investigation as a possible suspect?

maryland, usa
I heard about the ripper since i was a kid.
sugden
seven...tabram through mckenzie
hutch, bury, chapman, kelly, koz, (in order. ill stop at my top five)
who were all the ripper victims, not just the fatal attacks
hutch
yes many, too many too account for here, but mainly about who were victims and who are valid suspects.
yes, people with favored suspects who attack others valid suspects. Maybrick diary nonsense ad nauseum.
unlikely, but still possible
sugden
yes many...barnett, flemming, richardson, barnardo, legrand, indian harry, mccarthy, crow, wildbore, francis thompson, donston, puckridge. im sure ive left out a few.
not a named suspect, but Blotchy. he could very well have been the ripper.

[Wickerman]

I don’t know if anyone will respond but I thought I’d give it a go. Twelve questions.[LIST=1][*]Location (country will do but if you want, you could add your country of birth too if you want to)

An hour west of Toronto, Canada, but born & raised near Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.

[*]How did you first discover the case?[*]What was the first book(s) that you read on the case?

Same answer to both questions - I was likely about 15-16, I bought a paperback for my father who had been talking about someone called "Rip" like "Rip van Winkle" or "Jack the Ripper", and I thought this was what he was talking about. He never did read it, the book sat on the shelf for well over a year until one day I was at home sick and being bored I picked up the book to see what it was about.
The book was Donald MacCormick's, The Mystery of Jack the Ripper.

[*]If you had to pick a number what would be your choice as the likeliest number of victims?

5

[*]Of the named suspects which, if any, do you think are the likeliest?

None

[*]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?

To learn the true reason Druitt ended up in the river.

[*]If you had the opportunity to question one of the witnesses in the case who would you choose?

Sarah Lewis

[*]Is there any important aspect of the case that you’ve changed your mind about of the years?

Like a Yo-yo.......Whether Stride was a victim, or not.

[*]Do you have any pet hates about the case or how we look at it?

Probably too many to list, but it all boils down to the abundance of ridiculous suspects.

[*]How likely/unlikely do you think it is that the case will ever be solved?

Unlikely

[*]What books would you recommend to someone new to the case?

Without doubt - The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook by Evans & Skinner, and The Jack the Ripper A-Z, by Paul Begg & others, and a subscription to the British Newspaper Archive, so you can do your own research.

[*]Is there anyone in the case that you feel might be worth closer investigation as a possible suspect?

One unnamed character known variously as, The Britannia-man, or the Bethnal-Green Botherer.

[Abby Normal]

An hour west of Toronto, Canada, but born & raised near Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.


Same answer to both questions - I was likely about 15-16, I bought a paperback for my father who had been talking about someone called "Rip" like "Rip van Winkle" or "Jack the Ripper", and I thought this was what he was talking about. He never did read it, the book sat on the shelf for well over a year until one day I was at home sick and being bored I picked up the book to see what it was about.
The book was Donald MacCormick's, The Mystery of Jack the Ripper.


5


None


To learn the true reason Druitt ended up in the river.


Sarah Lewis


Like a Yo-yo.......Whether Stride was a victim, or not.


Probably too many to list, but it all boils down to the abundance of ridiculous suspects.


Unlikely


Without doubt - The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook by Evans & Skinner, and The Jack the Ripper A-Z, by Paul Begg & others, and a subscription to the British Newspaper Archive, so you can do your own research.


One unnamed character known variously as, The Britannia-man, or the Bethnal-Green Botherer.

yeah! the BGB botherer, other than the other unamed Blotchy, very intriguing. of course id say peaked cap man (the man seen by marshall, schwartz and lawende and company the night of the double event) but he was undoubtedly the ripper and could also have been the BGB and possibly blotchy any way.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Cheers Abby and Wick.

Wick I’ve been meaning to have another look at stuff concerning the BGB. Any chance of posting a link to some further info as I can’t rely on memory.

[Abby Normal]

Cheers Abby and Wick.

Wick I’ve been meaning to have another look at stuff concerning the BGB. Any chance of posting a link to some further info as I can’t rely on memory.

yes. i second that. ive always been highly intrigued by this guy.

[Doctored Whatsit]

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)
2. How did you first discover the case?
3. What was the first book(s) that you read on the case?
4. If you had to pick a number what would be your choice as the likeliest number of victims?
5. Of the named suspects which, if any, do you think are the likeliest?
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?
7. If you had the opportunity to question one of the witnesses in the case who would you choose?
8. Is there any important aspect of the case that you’ve changed your mind about of the years?
9. Do you have any pet hates about the case or how we look at it?
10. How likely/unlikely do you think it is that the case will ever be solved?
11. What books would you recommend to someone new to the case?
12. Is there anyone in the case that you feel might be worth closer investigation as a possible suspect?

1. South Wales, all my life.
2. I seem to always have been vaguely aware of JtR - magazines, radio, tv, general chat.
3. A magazine article encouraged me to search for more info, and as a result I foolishly bought a copy of Bruce Robinson's "They All Love Jack", because it was on sale at a giveaway price. It was so bad that I had to get a proper one - Paul Begg's "The Facts".
4. Nichols, Chapman and Eddowes. Possibly plus Stride and/or Kelly. No others.
5. None.
6. I would ask Swanson to explain his marginalia to me.
7. Maxwell - she says she actually spoke to Kelly, they were apparently on first name terms, she can be pretty sure of the time, and she made her statement on the same day. A second witness backs up the story of Kelly being about that morning. That ought to make Maxwell the best witness in the case by a country mile, and yet we are supposed to reject her as mistaken and believe others. How could she be so wrong? ...if she was ....
8. The number of victims.
9. Those with a theory and who then ignore or reject as wrong, any contrary evidence.
10. Very unlikely.
11. The A - Z and the Ultimate Source Book.
12. No. I think JtR was probably an unknown back street butcher/slaughterer, but I am happy to listen to alternatives.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Cheers Doc. You started with Robinson and yet you appear quite sane.

[Doctored Whatsit]

Cheers Doc. You started with Robinson and yet you appear quite sane.

Thank you!

Can I suggest an additional question, please? Is there any aspect of the case that you find particularly puzzling?

In my case it would be - why were the police holding up the opening of Kelly's room to await the bloodhounds? The room would be full of Kelly's scent, and that of blood etc, and would only have JtR's identifiable scent if he left a coat or some other item of clothing, and they could be sure it was his, which was never going to be likely.

Incidentally, I always think the bloodhounds should have been called Fido and Begg....

[Fiver]

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)
2. How did you first discover the case?
3. What was the first book(s) that you read on the case?
4. If you had to pick a number what would be your choice as the likeliest number of victims?
5. Of the named suspects which, if any, do you think are the likeliest?
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?
7. If you had the opportunity to question one of the witnesses in the case who would you choose?
8. Is there any important aspect of the case that you’ve changed your mind about of the years?
9. Do you have any pet hates about the case or how we look at it?
10. How likely/unlikely do you think it is that the case will ever be solved?
11. What books would you recommend to someone new to the case?
12. Is there anyone in the case that you feel might be worth closer investigation as a possible suspect?

1) Denver, but grew up in Minneapolis.
2) Star Trek Episode, Wolf in the Fold.
3) Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld series,
4) Six - CR plus Tabram. Would accept 3 to 7. Nichols, Chapman, and Eddowes definite. Kelly, Tabram, Stride probable. Mackenzie possible.
5) UN Owen. David Cohen. James Hardiman.
6) What are the names of everyone killed by the Ripper murderer. This should answer who Mary Kelly really was, answer the TorsoRipper theory, and exonerate or condemn several of the suspects.
7) George Abberline. I'd pick his brain on all suspects that were investigated and why they were rejected. I'd also pick his brains about the witnesses = were they investigated, how accurate and truthful did he think they were, etc. If I can't count Abberline as a witness, then definitely Dr Phillips as the one who knew the most about the medical aspects of the case.
8) I went with the C5, but am less certain now.
9) People who don't let facts get in the way of a theory. Any author claiming to have definitely solved the case.
10) Wildly unlikely the case will ever be solved.
11) Any that provide general information about events and people, instead of selling a final solution.
12) George Capel Scudamore Lechmere.

My favored suspects I would rate as poor. I don't think there are any good suspects and most named suspects fall between lousy and ridiculous.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Thank you!

Can I suggest an additional question, please? Is there any aspect of the case that you find particularly puzzling?

In my case it would be - why were the police holding up the opening of Kelly's room to await the bloodhounds? The room would be full of Kelly's scent, and that of blood etc, and would only have JtR's identifiable scent if he left a coat or some other item of clothing, and they could be sure it was his, which was never going to be likely.

Incidentally, I always think the bloodhounds should have been called Fido and Begg....

There are a few questions I could have added. I could have made it up to 20 but sadly it’s too late to add them now.

I’d have called the bloodhound’s Holmes and Watson (or maybe Sholmes and Whatsit)

[Herlock Sholmes]

1) Denver, but grew up in Minneapolis.
2) Star Trek Episode, Wolf in the Fold.
3) Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld series,
4) Six - CR plus Tabram. Would accept 3 to 7. Nichols, Chapman, and Eddowes definite. Kelly, Tabram, Stride probable. Mackenzie possible.
5) UN Owen. David Cohen. James Hardiman.
6) What are the names of everyone killed by the Ripper murderer. This should answer who Mary Kelly really was, answer the TorsoRipper theory, and exonerate or condemn several of the suspects.
7) George Abberline. I'd pick his brain on all suspects that were investigated and why they were rejected. I'd also pick his brains about the witnesses = were they investigated, how accurate and truthful did he think they were, etc. If I can't count Abberline as a witness, then definitely Dr Phillips as the one who knew the most about the medical aspects of the case.
8) I went with the C5, but am less certain now.
9) People who don't let facts get in the way of a theory. Any author claiming to have definitely solved the case.
10) Wildly unlikely the case will ever be solved.
11) Any that provide general information about events and people, instead of selling a final solution.
12) George Capel Scudamore Lechmere.

My favored suspects I would rate as poor. I don't think there are any good suspects and most named suspects fall between lousy and ridiculous.

Cheers Fiver, for some inexplicable reason I thought you were English (based on zero evidence I have to add). Then again, when I first joined for six months or so I assumed that Sam Flynn was a woman (I don’t know why) until Abby said something like “Gareth’s a woman?”

[Abby Normal]

Cheers Fiver, for some inexplicable reason I thought you were English (based on zero evidence I have to add). Then again, when I first joined for six months or so I assumed that Sam Flynn was a woman (I don’t know why) until Abby said something like “Gareth’s a woman?”

lol. ironically im mistaken on here for female all the time.

[Herlock Sholmes]

lol. ironically im mistaken on here for female all the time.

I don’t know why Abigail.

[Abby Normal]

I don’t know why Abigail.

lol. actually short for abnormal or Abner. hehehe

[Lewis C]

Thank you!

Can I suggest an additional question, please? Is there any aspect of the case that you find particularly puzzling?

In my case it would be - why were the police holding up the opening of Kelly's room to await the bloodhounds? The room would be full of Kelly's scent, and that of blood etc, and would only have JtR's identifiable scent if he left a coat or some other item of clothing, and they could be sure it was his, which was never going to be likely.

Incidentally, I always think the bloodhounds should have been called Fido and Begg....

Hi Doc,

I'll answer that one. I find it puzzling that in the 2 best known cases of policemen naming a suspect - Anderson/Swanson and Macnaughten - they get so many things wrong about their leading suspect.