The Elephant Man

[Nschaal]

I think your chain is being yanked Phil.

The evidence, left hand and throat cuts for example, lead away from Merrick.

Its extremely unlikely he was Jack the Ripper.

And some of the 'facts' presented are incorrect.

Monty

Which facts are incorrect? Just because David Lynch made a sympathetic movie about the elephant man doesn't mean that you can rule him out as a suspect.

Here's the thing, no one will ever know the true identity of Jack the Ripper. The murders happened over 120 years ago and it's still a mystery. It might as well have been the elephant man because the concept of a former circus freak with Proteus syndrome killing prostitutes in London is too awesome of an idea to ignore.

Hell it could have been a tag team between Treves and Merrick for all we know. There is little to no evidence on the case to name a "real" murderer. Anyways, does it even matter if a few prostitutes were murdered? It wouldn't be the first time, or the last.

Cinematically Jack the Ripper should be the elephant man, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, or Daniel Day-Lewis. Then Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper have a sword fight on Big Ben ending in a screen death. It would be revealed that Professor Moriarty orchestrated the entire thing, using the Ripper as a middleman for some satanic plot.

[Monty]

Nschall,

Go see where Im from.

Bear in mind the fact I use to work a stones throw from Lee Street, use to play football on the workhouse grounds...the same grounds Merrick worked in, that Ove studied his birth and medical records, that my first article was about Merrick, that Ive been inside the Sari shop and the Gaitey, that Ive met a distant relation, that Ive studied Merrick in almost as much detail as Jack....just bear that in mind when I say Merrick was not Jack the Ripper.

Firstly he was physically incapable.

Throat wounds and mutilations indicate Jack was most likely right handed, the hand that was severly disformed on Merrick.

The obvious fact he would have been spotted and noted if he walked the streets, which is why he rarely did. He certainly never left the hospital on his own.

Still, what do I know. After all, I just watched a film.

Monty

[kensei]

Um... Nschaal, are you even interested in actually studying the real facts of the case and seeing what you can glean from them, or are you fishing for tidbits to write a B-grade straight to video monster movie?

[Mike Covell]

FACT: London Hospital Standing Orders for Night Porters, 1888 (Royal London Hospital Archives document reference LH/A/1/17) states:

' 2. They shall see that the gates and doors of the Hospital are duly secured by 11 p.m.'

' 3. After that hour the Head Night Porter shall register in the night-book the names or particulars of all persons, whether officers, servants, patients, or others, entering or leaving the Hospital,...'

' 3. He (The Night Porter) shall not allow any patient to leave the Hospital without written permission from the House-Governor; nor admit any person contrary to the rules of the Institution'.

I expect you can present here, for the first time ever, a primary source showing that Merrick was allowed to leave, and the signed permission slip allowing him to do so?

[Uncle Jack]

I find Dr Treves a more likel suspect than Joseph Merrick!! How ridiculous this theory is. The poor man could barely move le alone murder women on the streets.

[Hunter]

Hi Nschaal,

Congratulations. You proved that people will argue about anything, even a joke. Your point is well taken. Merrick is just as qualified as 90% of the other so called suspects that are implicated with about as much evidence.

[DVV]

Hi all,

did Merrick play cricket ?

Amitiés,
David

[Monty]

Not arguing Hunter, just setting a few things straight.

And to name an innocent as Jack is far from a joke.

Monty

[Mike Covell]

Hi Nschaal,

Congratulations. You proved that people will argue about anything, even a joke. Your point is well taken. Merrick is just as qualified as 90% of the other so called suspects that are implicated with about as much evidence.

Isn't that the point of a public forum Hunter?

[Hunter]

Hello All,

The point was that it had to be offered "toungue and cheek"- at least that's the way I read it unless the poster has a room next to Kosminski's.

As far as nameing innocents; its done quite often.

P.S.- Welcome to the boards, Nschaal- I think.

[Phil Carter]

Not arguing Hunter, just setting a few things straight.

And to name an innocent as Jack is far from a joke.

Monty

Hello Monty,

Eaxctly.... it isn't the topic for a joke.... and the chain that was yanked pulled a chord. I saw it straight away..that's why I said...one chance. He now has used it up.

best wishes

Phil

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Nschaal!

And welcome aboard on my behalf too!

However, I just cannot help adding one of my bad jokes, sorry;

"I'm not the Ripper, I am a human being!"

And now for something more serious; maybe some people agree with me, that Jack was very common-looking and therefore so hard to recognise by the eye-witnesses!

All the best
Jukka

[HollyDolly]

Could the Ripper have possibly been someone who worked there?
I don't think we will ever know his true identity. But it certainly wasn't Merrick.

[spyglass]

But the elephant man, always wore a hood over his head when out...the perfect disguise and know one would be able to point him out in a identity parade.

[Limehouse]

FACT: Eyewitness reports are notoriously inaccurate and are often discounted by even the most hardened police officers.

Joseph Merrick could have easily used the tunnel system running underneath Whitechapel and the Royal London Hospital to avoid detection. People give Joseph Merrick a pass because of his disability, if anything it gives him more motive than the average person. He was taunted and teased by the majority of the impoverished people of Whitechapel; he took out his rage on drunken prostitutes then killed himself because of the immense guilt he felt. Bullying has a huge effect on people, just look at Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

Also, this isn't a game, you're just jealous I solved one of the greatest murder mysteries of all time.

Once again, an assumption is made that disabled and disfigured people are unable to control their emotions. Listen to yourself Nschaal. Have you ever acutally met a disfigured person? Did they feel the need to stab anyone close by? Believe me, it is true that facially disfigured people face ridicule (rarely) and curiosity (every day) and, although it is very upsetting, they get on with life because they have no option.

This kind of accusation really upsets me. Please think about what you are suggesting and the effect it might have on other people.