Posted on 09/08/2008 7:05:43 AM PDT by BGHater
THE Jack the Ripper industry got a boost on the 120th anniversary of his first acknowledged murder.
The great-grandson of the police chief in charge of the 1888 Whitechapel Murders arrived at the Ripper exhibition at the Museum in Docklands in East Londonjust before the 120th anniversary of the murder Mary Ann Nichols, a prostitute known as Polly, believed by many to be his first victim.
He arrived with evidence from his Victorian ancestor revealing the Rippers true identity.
Jack the Ripper was never caught and his identity has remained a mystery for 120 years, feeding a whole industry that has evolved worldwide with Ripperologists keen to tell us who he really was.
One of the strong theories re-emerged this week was when Nevill Swanson, great-grandson of Chief Inspector Donald Swanson, turned up at the museum in Canary Wharf to see the exhibition before it closes in November.
My great-grandfather knew who Jack the Ripper was, Nevill told the East London Advertiser.
He solved the casebut police couldnt prosecute because the only witness who could identify the killer in a court of law wouldnt testify.
Donald Swanson scribbled who he knew to be Jack the Ripper in the margin of a copy of the memoirs of Sir Robert Anderson, Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner at the time of the Whitechapel Murders, in a chapter that just referred to the main suspect, but not by name.
The suspect was Kosminsky, Swanson pencilled in.
Aaron Kosminsky was a Polish immigrant living in Whitechapel who had been identified by another Polish emigre, who then refused to take the witness stand.
The police knew the case would collapse in court, Swansons great-grandson added.
He knew Kosminsky would get away with itso he had him committed to an asylum instead.
There were no more murders after that.
It was Nevills father who uncovered the margin notes from the family possessions when Nevills great auntdaughter of Chief Inspector Swansondied in 1978. The book with the margin notes was left to Nevills father.
But the story got buried for several years after he sold the rights to the News of the World in a deal worth £1,000, Nevill remembers. For some reason, the notes were never published.
It wasnt until 2001some 113 years after the Whitechapel Murdersthat the Kosminsky theory finally emerged.
My father died in 2001 and the book with the margin notes came down to me, Nevill added. I knew the significance of the notes and have since loaned the book to Scotland Yards Black Museum.
It is a strong and compelling theorybut would spoil the Ripper Industry if even this was not challenged by rival theories over the Rippers identity.
The marginalia was probably added some time after 1910, and Anderson wouldnt have known anything that Swanson hadnt told him, a reader has informed us.
Martin Fido was the person who identified Kosminsky by going through asylum records.
This week, the Australians bowled their own theory to stump the Ripperology world with a claim that it wasnt Kosminsky at allbut an immigrant named Walter Thomas Porriott who is now buried in a cemetery in Brisbane.
The Brisbane Times claims that Porriott, another suspect on Scotland Yards list, was the real Jack the Ripper.
Porriott was living at Limehouse in East London at the time, just two miles from Whitechapel. He was a convicted killer, a conman, bigamist and quack doctor known to hate prostitutes, the paper insists.
The murders ended as soon as Porriott emigrated in 1888. He died in Brisbane in 1952, some 62 years later.
But theres more... Members of the renowned Whitechapel Societydedicated to research into East Londons Victorian and Edwardian society and the 1888 Whitechapel Murdershold a 21st century public investigation at the Museum in Docklands this Saturday (September 6), where the most comprehensive Ripper exhibition ever has been staged all summer.
They are promising fresh photographic evidence when the investigation begins at 3pm.
Three authors are putting their theories to the public, Trevor Marriott, Bill Beadle (the societys chairman) and Frogg Moody.
Ripperologists, of course, are a determined breed, determined to keep the fires of the industry burning with different theoriesand doubtless will continue to keep them burning for the next 120 years.
” Group Captain, the planes are not gonna be recalled. My attack orders have been issued, and the orders stand. “
No, apparently you aren't up on current events ;)
This finding on Jack The Ripper will show that he is a long lost relative of Sarah Palin thus proving that the McCain Campaign did not vet her properly and thus showing she is not ready to be Vice President.
< snort >
Was it my FReeper b-day? Wow, how time flies!
Believe it or not I’ve never seen Dr. Strangelove, though I am a big Peter Sellers fan.
Yeah, the Colts turned in a weak performance on both sides of the ball Sunday. I was actually more surprised at the poor defense we fielded than the offense. Where the heck was the defensive line that’s been kicking butt and taking names for the last two or three years?
Nonetheless, it is only one game. I withhold judgment for 5 or 6 more games.
Very sad about Tom Brady. He and Peyton Manning are friends, and Tom is the leader of a very worthy opponent.
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