Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Who Was Jack The Ripper?

Since Lee Harvey Oswald, gets his own thread, let's delve a bit deeper into history and conspiracy theories, shall we?

I actually believe it may have been Impressionist painter Walter Sickert. Some pretty good evidence was dug up by Patricia Cornwell.

Anybody who wants more information on Jack should check out casebook.org .

A warning, though: some of the photos and drawings are extremely gruesome. Don't go exploring if you have children or co-workers wandering around.

I second Arachne's recommendation; casebook.org is a compelling and in-depth look at all facets of the case, from the victims to the detectives to suspects and various theories.

Though, I want to add to Arachne's warning: Don't visit it late at night, either, not if you want to sleep afterwards!

This poll didn't get a lot of play (though I thank whoever it was who extended the deadline; I believe I had it closing sometime during the blackout).

Only five people voted, and the results are below: the suspect's name, followed by a brief description and the votes cast:


Prince Eddy, Queen Victoria's grandson and alleged sufferer of syphillis 0% (0)

Sir William Gull, Royal Physician, as part of the Royal Conspiracy coverup 20% (1)

George Chapman, barber turned wife poisoner 0% (0)

Aaron Kosminski, nutcase and future asylum resident 0% (0)

Montague John Druitt, school master and suicide victim 0% (0)

"Jane The Ripper," mad midwife 0% (0)

Charles Dickens, writer whose hateful nature is revealed by anagrams of his work 20% (1)

Another well-known suspect 40% (2)

Somebody entirely unknown 20% (1)

You made that mistake too, huh? I had to take a pill to sleep after seeing some of the photos in the victims section.

For what it's worth, my vote goes to Francis Tumblety. He had the means (he was an abortionist), the motive (hated women in general and prostitutes in particular), and the opportunity (he was in London and quite possibly right in Whitechapel.) On top of that, the police actually suspected him at the time.

Francis Thompson is an interesting possibility, too, but the case against him seems a little too perfect. Almost fictional.

Tumblety is a good choice, Arachne -- and one who doesn't get a lot of attention, for some reason.

Whenever I see a TV special on JTR, the suspect usually favored is Kosminski. He does seem to fit the bill: He was insane, reportedly attacked his sister with a knife and was eventually committed to an asylum, where he died 30 years later. Since no photos of him exist, he's often represented by a drawing of a desheveled figure with wild hair and a hat that obscures his face.

Supposedly, one of the witnesses (Israel Schwartz, I believe) refused to testify against Kosminski because he couldn't implicate a fellow Jew. Some of the detectives and police officials certainly thought Kosminski was their man.

The evidence is convincing, to me, but not conclusive. Like Thompson, Kosminski makes almost too perfect a suspect.

That's why I voted for someone completely unknown.

Jack T. Ripper? Wasn't he that guy who had to pretend he was gay so he could live with his two pretty roomates, Jan and Chrissy?

See, I probably would have gotten more votes if I'd included Jack Tripper, as well as Hengist (Star Trek) and Sebastian (Babylon 5).

Or maybe not.

I would have voted for Hengist.

One of my favorite comics stories involving Jack the Ripper is the Jack meets Dracula miniseries from the 80s, I think... I don't remember which company published it... possibly the same press that produced ElfQuest? Marc Hempel, maybe? Anyway, nice art and very entertaining.

Whoever he was though, Jackie Chan's sister beat him up but good. It must be true, it was in Shanghai Knights...!

Did anybody else see "From Hell"? It was a very good film, full of minutiae for Ripperologists.

Great mini. It was called Blood of the Innocent and was published by WaRP. 4 issues, 1986 I think.

Love From Hell. Just wish I could find all the books by Alan Moore so I could read them and compare. But since the movie was a Johnny Depp it was bound to be a favorite of mine anyway.

My biggest complaint about the movie was the fate of Frederick Abberline ...

(spoiler space for those who haven't seen the movie)
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... who did not die in an opium den after the murders, but who lived to a ripe old age until 1929. I also thought the "bait and switch" of Mary Kelly's murder was wonderfully convenient, but I guess I'm a critic at heart. I love to complain about fiction.

What I really liked was its authenticity in regards to the victims, the crime settings, and the overall milieu. The murdered women were prostitutes who had no other means of support. The movie vividly portrays that. In one scene, they are sleeping sitting up on a bench in a flop house (or whatever it was called), propped up by a rope. Then they go from that to getting roughed up by one of the various extortion gangs. What a life.

I came across a collection of Moore's "From Hell" and nearly bought it but didn't. His writing sometimes is an acquired taste.