Aaron Kosminski - Jack The Ripper Prime Suspect?
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- čas přidán 28. 07. 2021
- This is not a video about solving the Jack the Ripper case and providing a sensationalized account of events. Rather, it is an exploration of statements made by three of the Victorian Metropolitan Police’s highest ranking officers that Jack the Ripper was known to them. Two of them claimed that he had been sent to an asylum, and one said that he died there shortly after.
The video reveals what those the three officers - Sir Melville Macnaghten, Sir Robert Anderson and Chief Inspector Donald Sutherland Swanson - wrote about their prime suspect, who, according to Swanson, was a man by the name of Kosminski.
You will be able to peruse the documents in which theory recorded their thoughts and theories on the investigation and about Kosminski.
Although none of them gave his first name, in the 1980s author and researcher, Martin Fido, whilst combing the records to see if he could find an asylum inmate who was admitted around the time of the Jack the Ripper murders, unearthed a man by the name of Aaron Kosminski who was sent to Colney Hatch Asylum in February 1891.
The video reveals the known fact about Aaron Mordke Kosminski, before assessing the case against him, which hangs on the fact that Chief Inspector Swanson named a man named Kosminski.
You will hear the case for and against his guilt, but will be left to draw your own conclusions as to whether the case against him is a strong enough one to make him history’s most infamous murderer - Jack the Ripper.
I would have hated to be a cop in 1880s London. All of the public pressure and sociopolitical friction, none of the scientific tools. What a nightmare.
Very much so. It would have been a thankless task.
Nah you'd count your lucky stars you had a stable job otherwise it's day by day survival and even for their times the London police was simply underfunded.
@@JackTheRipperTours A great video once again. I'd like to see your video regarding the shawl of Eddowes please or a link if you've already done one, thank you once again
And triply in the East End.
Violìn Merchant is that your real name?
If part of the “lighter” side of dude’s official life is the Jack the Ripper murders, I’d be scared to learn the darker side.
I was thiking that too
I believe what he means is "broad sweeps over and pertaining to my career" rather than "these murders ain't shit"
I think much of Anderson's work would now be regarded as secret. We know that he spent years concerned with Sinn Fein.
@@michaelharrington7656 Odd, consider Sinn Fein wasn't formed until 1905; and the IRA until 1916. Might you mean the IRB/Fenians?
What a most excellent presentation. Sober, non-sensationalized and incredibly engaging.
Thank you for your kind words, David.
@@JackTheRipperTours you're welcome!
agree, all the videos in this series are very well done, extremely informative and interesting. The best on this topic on CZcams
Good
@@JackTheRipperTours 0)0 z
Are they just glossing over the part where it says "he died shortly afterwards" Aaron Kosminsky lived until 1919 in that asylum. The guy they're referring to is Nathan Kaminsky who suffered from syphilis, went mad, may have been identified and sent to asylum and died by late 1889.
they do get to it eventually.
The fact that Mcnaughton named Druitt and Ostrog as suspects tells me he didn't have the faintest clue who Jack the Ripper was. Given the sheer amount of criticism the police were receiving, it makes sense that he would claim to know Jack's identity to save some face.
Druit wasn't a suspect - he was an informer.
Ostrog was far too old and there wasn't a shred of evidence against druitt other than he committed suicide shortly after the murders. He left the suicide note and he didn't mention the murders at all.
This is really great content. Thanks for these uploads. Anything you put out about other suspects would be greatly appreciated.
More to come!
Enjoyable, interesting video. How nice to have narrator with such a pleasant voice, who not only tells all, but is not fighting against dreadful loud music.
Thank you, Joy.
…and not rushing like so many others do.
Quite agree
Mr. Jones, well done as always. Your work on this topic is magnificent, and I've just scratched the surface. Having become familiar to a point with the late Mr. Fido's work as well, which you refer to here, it begs the question. Do you plan to report in more detail about Mr. Fido's suggestion about the Kaminski/Cohen figure, who seems to have a record more closely matching the descriptions from Macnaghten's and Swanson's notes re Colney Hatch? I understand that all suspects lack any hard evidence, but that line of inquiry I think deserves airing as well.
Hi Rollin. Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I will be looking at David Cohen in a future video. Hoping to get access to the records to show the documents.
I found your channel recently and every video that I have seen has been very informative and thought provoking.
Thank you for your kind words, John. Pleased you enjoy the channel.
Amazing presentation as always. I always learn so much from your precise detailed work ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much!
Did anyone ever check for people named Abrahams that were incarcerated, died or committed to an asylum shortly after MJ Kelley's death? Maybe the Kosminski in the notes was Aaron's brother or some other relative of his that was still using Abrahams.
That struck me, Richard.
My thoughts exactly, when the discrepancy of the two accounts/dates of Aaron's incarceration into the asylum came up. It seems unlikely that Swanson could make such an error, with the two admittance dates being so far apart, relatively. Perhaps Aaron suffered a hereditary form of insanity, therefore plotting a family tree of Kosminski's living in the Whitechapel area might throw up a few more suspects (his brother for one). After all, how popular is that surname anyway, i cant imagine very. Kosminski's brother's house was perfectly situated, with easy access and escape to and from the crime scenes. Also, if the DNA on the shall is credible, it would probably only indicate an immediate family member, This combined with thorough family tree data may allow the focus of who actually was JTR be narrowed even further.
Or perhaps the Kominski family committed him to the asylum as Abrahams to avoid being connected to him, or possibly to hide him away from the gentile law?
But Aaron was identified as a man, in the commission of killing Elizabeth Stride. Literally red handed.💢👐
@eva I don’t believe it says Aaron. It just says a man with the Last name Kosminski was identified. I could be wrong tho.
Charles Lichmere who said he had come across the body of Victim number 2 on his way to work in the morning. However when another man (Last name PAUL)turned onto the street that Lichmere had been standing over the body. Lichmere heard Paul coming and came out from the darkness and told Paul he had come across the body, Paul got down on the ground, touched the victim's hands that were still warm and placed is hand close to her nose and thought that she was still breathing and not dead. Paul said to Lichmere that they should prop her up to see if she was still alive, but he said "I Shall not touch her". The reason? Lichmere had covered her body where he had stabbed her and did not want to move her body as blood from her slashed neck would be revealed. Paul suggested that he would go find a Policeman and Lichmere went with him. They continued to walk toward where they worked and came across a Policemen. It was Lichmere that spoke to the Policeman, not Paul. He told the Policeman that they had came across a woman's body and a Policeman was on the scene and requested assistance, tbat was a LIE. There was an inquest the following day and Paul said that he and another man had come across the body first, not the Police. That was published in the daily newspapers and the next day Lichmere showed up at the 2nd day of the inquest and testified that he and Paul had come across the body. He gave the police a False name saying his name was Charles Cross. That last name was his step father's last name and was not is real name. One Lie after another. He also said that he had left his house for work at 3:30 AM although where he worked was a 40 minute walk from his house. He would have been late. Paul came across Lichmere standing near the body at approximately 3:45 so Lichmere had time to kill the victim before Paul arrived on the scene.
I used to be highly skeptical of Kosminski as the culprit as it seemed to be convenient. Over the years I've come to regard him as most likely to be the murderer.
@CZcamsisrun bynastyignoranthypocrites 100% agree
Not convinced on this suspect
So sorry about Martin Fido,I could listen to him and Richard all night,their clear,crisp narrations and wit are second to none
Convenient, boring, utterly unspectacular. Very often the case with murderers. It was him.
@@runlarryrun77 I believe it's Kosminski as well. The DNA evidence and the circumstances around it was solid enough.
@@malmstring The DNA evidence is a bit sketchy imo, but I'm pretty sure it was him. It just makes sense.
Thank you , your videos are amazing and i have found out more about the case on you channel, the all the rest put together, 👍🏻👍🏻
Aww, thank you, that is so nice of you.
I’m so sorry for Mr Fido’s passing. May he Rest In Peace knowing he touched many lives.
This is excellently done, I’ve been listening intently and just wondering what secrets there are still hiding in some dusty suitcase somewhere…absolutely fascinating.
He was a sad loss, Deidre.
A very sad loss. I loved Martin Fido's contributions to the Ripper saga. He was a relentless researcher, and I highly recommend his book "The Crimes, Detection, and Death of Jack the Ripper". While it has all the hallmarks of a scholarly text, it is written in an accessible tone. RIP, Martin.
These are the best videos made on the ripper. Always see new information on them and enjoy the presentation.
Glad you like them, Denise.
Great video. I look forward to watching more of your content JTRT! ✌
Thank you.
Another great post Thank you
Very welcome
No mention of Kosminsky's brother who lived in the area and so passes the local knowledge test.
Yes, but he wasn't committed to an asylum and hadn't threatened anyone (as far as we know) with a knife.
@@jeffjeffreym1830 “A prophecy which misread might have been.”
Thank you for a very interesting video!
There was a tv special back in 1988 where the FBI's top criminal profiler,an inspector from Scotland Yard,and a lady that was a judge on the "Queens Council" all came to the same conclusion,it was Kosminski. I saw it back then when I was a kid,but I think it's still on CZcams,it was a few years ago. But yeah I will defer to them.
"On the Queens Council" and it was always suggested i was a certain royal that had medical training, as who ever committed the crimes had medical knowledge of how to do the things he did and which medical instrament to use! Note also the killings stopped after a certain male royal was kept in the palace supposedly locked up there. Jews were often blamed, and they also would pull some one that was poor as no one cared, note he had No medical training The Knife he threatened female relatives with was just that, a knofe, not a scapel, now think about it.
Yes it's still on CZcams in its entirety I watched it yesterday! I'd be inclined to agree
Kosmiski did not have the requisit anatomical and surgical knowledge to be JTR. Every single doctor who looked at the victims, except for one, said the murderer had some degree of anatomical and/or surgical knowledge. The only Dr. who went against this was Dr. Bond, and he never saw victims 1-4, only MJK.
Kosminski was only suspected bc of police bias, he was the type of person who police thought would do this.
What about the supposed DNA?
Actually in 1888 a lot Barber in the east had surgical knowledge . The poor people couldn‘t afford a real Doktor so they went to a barber. They had sharp knifes to cut hair But they also did cut out Other Things and offen had a anatomical backround leared By Them selfs. Today i‘ve visit the JTR Tour in London and that was the Explenation for him as a suspect.
It was Tumplety
Kosminski died in 1919 at the age of 53 right? That makes him 22 at the time of the Whitechapel murders.
And that's a problem. For a start serial killers are typically over 30 as it requires (1) Life experience; (2) a level of clear headed maturity and (3) patience to pull of such horrors. He left behind a single clue only....a torn woman's apron throughout his series. He was always in control of himself and the situation.
Therefore this killer was a smart and calculating person. He was operating in the overcrowded warren of Whitechapel which was massively overpoliced. All of the bodies except the last were discovered within minutes of death with police on the scene minutes after that. There were multiple half awake or sleeping persons within 30 metres of each murder.
The perpetrator not only had intimate local knowledge but also possessed a level of calm audacity not usually found in 22 year olds. Let alone 22 year olds who were totally off their heads.
They did DNA tests on the shaw left behind, and it matched the mitochodrial DNA of Aaron Kosminski 's direct relatives. That doesn't prove guilt, as one of his relatives could have done it as well... but it does push him even further into being the prime suspect.
@@Bubu567 Catherine Eddowes was NOT wearing a shawl the night she was murdered
The eating bread from the gutter is very reminiscent of Jack London's description of homeless people eating dropped produce off the street in 'People Of The Abyss'. His lack of employment and even bathing also suggests homelessness. The auditory hallucinations and his concept of being guided could be indicative of paranoid schizophrenia.
I think Mary Janes Kelly would have to be pretty drunk to take this man back to her house for a song or two.
Good points.
@@JackTheRipperTours Thanks.
I think the idea was his mental illness caused him to eat from the gutter and refuse proper food.
@@eadweard. Is he force-fed in the Asylum?
But the witnesses said the ripper was we ll dressed
"This man became insane due to his many years indulgence in solitary vices."
This is how you know it was the 19th Century.
Always brilliant,and interesting,love these tales x
Glad you like them!
I was wondering if Kosinski’s handwriting was tested against any of the letters sent to authorities.
As mentioned in the video, the letters were all fakes written by a newspaper journalist.
I'm really enjoying these videos in Jack the Ripper. I'd love to know more about Fred Aberline and Leaman Street police. Thanks for the videos
My pleasure. Abberline will be up soon.
Mrs Richards: " I paid for a room with a view!"
Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam."
Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!"
Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window ? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..."
Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!"
Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky."
Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction."
Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment?
How could kosminski be the killer of Mary Kelly if he was so unkept. M Kelly felt at ease with her killer instantly. Enough to let him into her room at a time when the district was on alert with previous murders being publicised?
I hear she was even in bed with a nightgown on. There's a theory that her killer was actually Barnett(her ex).
I’m not convinced Mary Kelly is a JTR victim
Absolutely fascinating. The use of the knife to threaten female relative is interesting. Funny how the attacks ended when one of the suspects was placed in the psychiatric hospital
It is an intriguing case against him.
Usually if a serial killer stops it's 1 of 3 reasons. In prison, in asylum or dead.
Yes, the threatening of the sister with a knife is intriguing. However, he was not committed until 1891. So why no murders between Fall 1888 and 1891? I think approximately 2 1/2 years.
@@cityslick007 I think the reason for 'no murders between 1888 and 1891' was because his family were now keeping him under close watch..until finally, he is committed
Seams to be a bit of shady policing going on too
The thing with Aaron Kosminski is that I often hear people say that, whilst in Colney Hatch, he just did not exhibit the violence you would expect from the Ripper, he was not 'homicidal'. I would argue that is irrelevant as the Ripper's violence was very much aimed at defenceless women, not authorities - and if Aaron is the Ripper his attack on his sister would support that. The Ripper was more likely a bit of a coward, attacking those he saw as weaker than himself, and so Kosminski's behaviour in Colney Hatch and after doesn't really mean anything as to whether he had the capability to be Jack in my view
agreed,he was in a different environment.had no hate against the people in there.would hve come across as a different person, from the manic ripper side of him.
@@manchild3479 " agreed " 😂 yeah okay
For all we know it may have been a butter knife Kosminisky waived at his sister during an argument at the dinner table. Not an uncommon event at meal times, Whitechapel.
A former Police commissioner naming anyone or saying they know the identity of a guilty party really shouldn't be considered reliable, it would be much more impressive if he had written, we didn't have any idea, but we had lots of suspects.
Very much enjoy your videos. I would be interested to know your opinion of the book by John Morris, Jack the Ripper, Hand of a woman. Does it have any creditability do you think?
Your vids Sir are soooo good 👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you.
I think that Aaron Kosminski would be too much disorganised to be the notorious ripper. I am not an expert but I think that Jack the ripper was very organized and scrupulous. You have to imagine that he made his cuts in a total darkness. That time there was not flashlight. Then he was so smart to hide his traces. It is logic that for the police it was pure fortune. Pride of cathegory. Maybe he was not a doctor but for sure he knew what he was doing, where to put his hands; how to manage the prey. In addiction, no scream was heard by the neighbours. It means that everything was calculated. I know that serial killers like that, get excitment in planning their hunts in details.
Then it must have been Tumplety
Superb documentary. No sensationalism. Clear presentation of the facts. Well illustrated.
If I were to make one criticism, it would be that the year 1888 was barely mentioned……..
Thank you for your kind words. Sadly I used up my stock of 1888's in the Then and now video!
This is one of the many reasons I love the Ripper case. Every time they think they have a suspect or the means to ascertain the identity of Saucy Jackie-the shawl and the info in this video-the identity of the killer slips into the Abyss like the real murderer into the dark streets of Whitechapel.
Actually the Ripper case is officially closed, the culprit having been arrested and appropriately dealt with. There is no mystery. The Ripper is a lucrative industry and speculators do not want the truth known.
It's funny, in a weird sense, how one of the Policemen involved in the Ripper case was called Donald Sutherland Swanson. As the actor Donald Sutherland portrayed Robert Lees in Murder by Decree (1979)
Brilliant again. So much research and detail Iv been well into these all week. We will never know conclusively will we and in a way think it’s better that way. While we have to respect the poor victims and thank god for the price of a nights board and lodging be glad that things are much better now socially it remains probably the greatest who done it of all time.
Thank you, Gareth.
Great narration.
Nathan Kaminski, aka David Cohen, fits a lot of the profile better and the last name could easily have been misspelled at the time. The time line of Kaminski's confinement in a mental institution and death fits all the dates better as well.
No he doesn't lol
Yeah I saw a video that details him, and definitely fits better then this Kosminski it explains the Cohen name change and Kaminski other crimes and death
Yep I agree Kaminski fits better. Kosminski was an imbecile.
In that case, he was only 23 years old, a known schizophrenic babbling in the streets. I really believe that Charles Allen Lechmere is more of a prime suspect than anyone else. After all, he was the only one found standing over a dead body, alone with Polly Nichols for almost 10 minutes.
I agree. Nathan kaminski is vaguely acknowledged in JTR documentaries. I wish I could see a picture of him. I feel like he was jack. Apparently he did January of 1889 in an asylum after he had been found wandering the streets.
This is obviously not the ripper.
Really excellent and thorough documentary. So it is a possibility that the ripper's identity is "unknown" only because there was a police and/or establishment cover up. The perpetrator may in fact have been put into custody after the Kelly murder. But in the effort to avoid social unrest, the ripper's true identity was never allowed to be made public. So it may be the case that the person responsible for the series of Whitechapel murders in 1888 actually was identified and stopped. But the truth was distinctly uncomfortable, so it was decided that keeping such a high profile and shocking case "unsolved" and a "mystery" was a far more palatable outcome for the authorities.
Brilliant points, Steven.
I would add that, as policemen present at the scene reported, the graffiti appeared fresh, and the cut of Eddowes' apron discarded at Goulston Street was placed directly beneath the graffiti. It's not a coincidence, and the graffiti was not unclear or gibberish. It is my speculation that the ripper, like everyone else at the time, was acutely aware that there was social tension and division regarding the Jewish immigrants living in the area. The graffiti was obviously antisemitic - the perpetrator, I believe, deliberately wanted the public to learn of his message, and for them to interpret the message left at Goulston Street to mean that a Jew could carry out such atrocities without being blamed, whereas no-one else would get away with it (for the reason outlined above). Basically, intent on fanning the flames of division, and drawing attention to the overt racism in society. Furthermore, I propose that the writing had originally been intended by the ripper to be left at the scene of Stride's murder, in Dutfield's Yard. The graffiti was intended for the wall of the packed socialist, predominantly Jewish, International Working Men's Educational Club, at the location of Stride's body. Witness James Brown, who was in Berner Street, actually heard Stride tell the ripper, no more than 10 minutes before her body was discovered, "No, not tonight. Some other night". But that wasn't what the ripper wanted to hear. He wanted to carry out his execution, right there and right then, and their struggle was witnessed too. We know that the ripper was interrupted by Louis Diemschutz with his horse and cart. So the ripper had no choice but to abandon his plan, having only cut Stride's neck. Not the abomination of leaving a viciously mutilated corpse, plus accompanying graffiti in a busy area. So less than 45 minutes later, and less than a mile away from Dutfield's Yard, Eddowes became the mutilated corpse, with the evidence linking it to her murder having to be left at a nearby Jewish residence instead, i.e. 108-119 Model Dwellings in Goulston Street (not in Mitre Square). It didn't leave the same impact and blatant meaning there would have been had the ripper's plan A been completed. Hence there is apparently some ambiguity as to the meaning of his graffiti. I say there is no ambiguity. That the ripper's message was clear, and meant exactly what it said: "The Juwes are the men that will not be Blamed for nothing." Chief Inspector Henry Moore and Sir Robert Anderson from Scotland Yard believed that the graffiti was indeed left by the ripper.
@@JackTheRipperTours read Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost. A particular name in it, and the context in which it's mentioned will hit you....
Maybe the other Kosminski was a relative of Aaron, both living in Whitechapel, possibly a brother.
Indeed. That would also explain the DNA match.
Nice music, in your video, what are the names of the tracks?
The first track is Devious Little Smile By Godmode. The second is called North Wind. The third is Serenity by Aakash Gandhi. The next is called Wonderful Piano. The next is Drops of Earth By Aakash Gandhi ( he has a channel on CZcams if you do a search). The next is Awaiting the Moment by Shockwave Sound. And the final two are called Breathe Life and Dream All Night. The ones where I don't give a composer are from the Shutterstock Library. I'm pleased you like he music.
@@JackTheRipperTours Many thanks I didn't realise there so many tracks in the video. Your videos are excellent btw. Fascinating history, as I work near the Whitechapel area, this history and your videos have got me really interested.
Thank you.
I'm sorry to hear of your friend's passing. 🤘
💖Rest in peace Mr. Martin Fido.💖
Thank you.
Fido pursued the case doggedly.
@@eadweard. 🐶🐕...
My other theory and I cannot for the life of me understand why more people don't think the same is that a female prostitute was the killer where is any real concrete evidence to say the murderer was a man I think it was a female prostitute ie tey were so poor it makes perfect logical sense that a prostitute was killer the more tey killed higher probability of work for themselves
Anyone out their who agrees with me I believe more likely to be jackiline the female ripper
Had no idea that Martin Fido had passed. So sorry to hear that . Rest in peace.
Beautifully narrated!!!
Could Cross/Lechmere also have used the alias Kosminski? Could it have been him who ended up at Colney Hatch? Or is the death of Cross documented as being elsewhere?
Cross died aged 71 with no link to Kosminski.
I think he died en 1923 and lived a normal life apparently
The thing that has always intrigued me is that murder and so much damage to the body was done in so short a time (10 minutes in one case, from sighting suspect and murder victim to discovery of the corpse). I'm no expert and obviously don't make a habit of murder and mutilation, but I would have thought it would take several minutes to A: strangle a person to death and and another substantial period of time to B: inflict all that ghastly mutilation.
Very interesting, well made and presented video. Thanks!
You have to take into account that the attacks were done with anger the human body is fragile
Strangulation can take less than 2 minutes. (I watch far too many true crime & forensics documentaries).
"May have come face to face with Jack the Ripper." The fascinating thing is that dozens of people in the East End came face to face with Jack the Ripper during those months and didn't know it.
My understanding is that Kosminski was very unlikely to have been strong enough to subdue the killed women.
Wish that the exact movements of Lechemere and the other witness after leaving the body were more clear. As it seems as though wounds on her body appeared after they left the scene, agreeing to alert an officer. Why would they agree to do so if they were together? It seems possible Chas. Cross/Lechemere could have circled back to quickly slit her throat and trundled off and it was when just rounding the corner he espied the Bobby approaching, thereby being able to state to the other officer that a constable was already at the scene. Something he could not have known had he progressed beyond that street according to the timing as reported. ??
Why did Swanson think he died soon when he lived til 1919? 'Self abuse' and 'solitary vices' are the same thing, though. I wonder if the full file box pictured is still in existence, namely the files. It is a shame a lot of the files were destroyed in a fire.
It is such a pity, Melinda.
Any handwriting available from Kosminsky?
Not yet!
If we consider how much time is passed by those murders, we can name all this 'til-today endless case with a great name: A STUDY IN TIME (honoring the stories A STUDY IN RED, A STUDY IN BLACK and the movie A STUDY IN TERROR).
P.S.: I'm sorry for the passing of Mr. FIdo, one of the best Ripperologist i have read and heard about... may he can rest in peace.
It's videos like this is the reason I don't bother with TV anymore.
Thank you, Richard, very kind of you.
I second that Richard...look at all the comments in this section. So many people interested in this intriguing case, asking questions, feeding off each others comments and thoughts. There is no interaction like this off watching TV.
Another excellent upload sir! I recall hearing Fido discuss his amazing research into the Colny Hatch asylum, only come across Nathan Kaminski after he'd published his book. Being that Swanson write his marginalia some 20 years after his involvement in the case, is it possible he was thinking of another polish Jew called Kaminski only to middle up the names in his head?
Thank you once again for this brilliant account of Kosminski!
Thank you, Nick.
I think the Kosminski both Anderson and Swanson refer to as "the suspect who was identified" and who is also mentioned by Macnaghten is by far the best JTR suspect we have. I doubt however it is Aaron. I assume it is very possible the man was admitted under another name and/or that his file was held back and is now probably lost due to the delicate nature of his crimes.
Good points, Clay.
Exactly my thoughts. Kosminski is our best bet, but not Aaron.
The late great Martin Fido who found the name in the Colney Hatch register wasn't convinced about Aaron either. He doesn't look the type (rather a paranoid schizophrenic than a homicidal maniac) and died much too late (24th march 1919) to be the Kosminski mentioned by Swanson and the 2 other high ranking officers.
Fido believed it to be David Cohen, also admitted to Colney Hatch, who matches the profile so much better and died within the year. Fido assumed the names of Cohen and Kosminski got mixed up due to both of them being Polish Jews committed to Colney Hatch. But I always thought that the name David Cohen could very well be an alias for any Polish Jew. Think of John Smith, Jean Martin or Claus Muller for an Englishman, Frenchman or German. Good luck researching such a name or finding the right person.
I don't know if Cohen was the man referred to, it could be, but I bet there was a file on the Kosminski in Colney Hatch and assuming Scotland Yard kept a keen interest it was sent to them after his death (around end 1899, early 1900) and got lost together with his whole dossier.
Plot twist...It was aarons brother who was tha ripper.
OK. We'll I can definitely clear Westcott and Hort. It's a great connection Gail. Thanks.
Please do!
The shawl really bothers me. I cannot see any woman accepting the shawl of a murdered woman which was covered in blood! It is a ridiculous story.
I very much agree with you that the idea of a wife of a policeman accepting a blood soaked shawl from a grisly murder scene is absurd.. however , the claim is, the policeman sneaked the shawl away from the scene due to its quality,,, then, attempted to present to his wife..she declined it, and so it was kept in a cupboard for decades...Its worth watching the dna story about the shawl because you come away thinking 'how could the dna of victim and suspect possibly be staged/planted on the shawl..despite the casual manner the evidence was treated with'...I look forward to watching this upcoming video on the shawl dna evidence, as I was left in no doubt as to who the maniac was.
Maybe it was a very nice shawl???
For it to have been him his sanity must have deteriorated very quickly. Jack the Ripper was a man who could put women at ease. That is evident in the Mary Kelly case. An utter lunatic eating from the gutter he most certainly would have NOT been.
Psychopaths are known for their ability to be charming and socially manipulative. Ted Bundy was a prime example of this type of killer, so I don't think that Kosminski can be excluded based on that as the primary reason. In short, just cause you are a crazy psychopath doesn't mean you can't be charming.
Yeah it doesn't add up to Kosminski. Back then the police assumed such depraved repeat killers must be raving lunatics. Now we know otherwise.
I don't think that eating food from the gutter would necessarily indicate lunacy at that time in history. I understand that it was not unusual for people to fight over rotten fruit, etc, because they were hungry.
Correct. It was Tumblety, not Kosminski.
Prostitutes seek money not charm. They really aren't particularly careful.
I really doubt it was Aaron Kosminski, he had schizophrenia by all accounts and as we know violent behaviour is comparatively rare amongst suffers. Most delusions lead to self-harm more than outward displays of violence. In fact, Studies show the odds of someone with schizophrenia killing a stranger were 1 in 14 million let alone 5. Indeed the "self-abuse" notated on his file may be exactly what it says it is and not a "euphemism" for something else as people have espoused which would be in keeping with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
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Aaron also lived as mentioned till 1919 which is not "shortly afterwards" but I think the most telling thing is he was always shabby in appearance and a slight man. When he died he was only 44kgs. Jack killed his victims by strangling them, and he did so quickly which requires a level of strength I just don't believe Aaron Kosminski had from all descriptions of him.
I take it there was no mention of a prime suspect from any of the police working directly on the case. It seems so odd to me that they had no proof of any particular suspect but the senior officers their suspect named through information that no one has yet identified.
Some of them did, but named different prime suspects!
How can a violent slayer of women be a passive prisoner in a lunatic asylum? Because his rage was against women and in the asylum he was surrounded by men. Also, deteriorating mental health may have made him more withdrawn. What serial killer was a raging hellcat in prison? David Berkowitz (self-confessed Son of Sam) became a "born again Christian" and assists with religious services in prison. Do we ask ourselves if he was really a killer or if it was another Berkowitz?
Very well said.
Agree
An extremely interesting, well-presented, well-balanced and informative video. Although it does not conclusively provide a definite answer to whom the Ripper was, it rules out all the sensational and idiotic theories and conspiracies that have been circulating ever since, and in that sense provides a highly satisfactory solution.
Thank you for your kind words.
This guy did it. Peter Ustinov hosted a special in 1987, with 5 panelists who all picked Aaron Kosminski. 😮
Yup
At school I knew a pupil whose surname was spelt Kownacki which was pronounced Kavanaski.
This could be similar to the Kosminski/Kaminski confusion?
Some letters are silent or pronounced differently
Great summary. Even if the Kosminski they identified was Marin Fido's Aaron Kosminski, my view is that Anderson's/Swanson's assertions need to be treated with caution. It's understandable that they'd want to think it was solved in private, it but I'd expect corroboration from other police sources on a case this big. But there is very little. Abberline, Smith, Warren never agreed, and even McNaughton thought Druitt was a more likely suspect than Kosminski. It's more likely this was simply the most plausible theory Anderson & Swanson encountered, though it was never enough to bring charges, let lone secure a conviction. Nonetheless, Kosminski is a stronger suspect than most.
Yes, there are so many contradictions.
The prostitute with her own room would have let a crazy homeless guy into her room? Also this maniac had skill to cut so precisely?
I think it was Kosminski I also think there was a second man with him, two men being involved would explain why the murderer was never caught as one would keep lookout and people thought it was a lone maniac stalking the streets so two men walking down the street chatting would have been far less suspicious and could have walked right past police and vigilance committee members, I think Aaron here was the lookout taken in by a far more sinister character and on the night of the double murders didn't the witness say there were two men at the first murder scene? One called something out and another one came around the corner? And there have been a fair few cases in history where two sick people carry out serial killings. Bittaker/Norris, Bianchi/Buono, Lake/Ng, the Wests and many more.
There's absolutely no evidence that two men were working together.
but he was not medically trained! and it was always a fact that who ever did the crimes had medical training and knew the use of medical implements which were used! and in those days they picked on the Jews, if they needed a scape goat they would do so, says he identified him but would not testify, that does not matter, as he identified the man that could have been used in a court, also rumoured that it was a royal and of course a royal that had medical training was, said to have been locked up in the palace, coincidence?
@@th8257 IF Kosminski was Jack then there actually is evidence that there could indeed have been two men. The witness who saw Kosminski attacking Stride (not killing her) had another man with him, the same man chased away the witness, who refused to testify against Kosminski, due to being jewish himself.
It's an interesting theory but realistically doubtful. The trick is to not be caught. Relying on a partner to not talk is too risky
I've watched countless programs, all interesting and all suggest possible credible suspects and I believed them, until the next program and YT vids. May first suspect was Thomas Cutbush, then Francis Tumbelty.. I'd like to think that one day we'll all know his identity.
Great video, sir.
I'll be doing Cutbush and Tumbelty soon. Personally, I think Cutbush get overlooked to much. Pleased you liked the video.
@@JackTheRipperTours oh great! The thing with Cutbush was..... I'll say no more, I might spoil your video. 🙊
Lechmere.
Question: Did Scotland Yard ever make inquiries in foreign countries about similar crimes in their jurisdictions?
They did, Mike, and the newspapers also reported on them.
@@JackTheRipperTours Oh really? Thanks for the info👍. Do you know if there is a CZcams video that covers that?
There was I believe a Jack The Ripper style killing in New York City in 1890 I think?
That involved the mutilation of a woman in New York's Lower East Side, It's been cited by some people who believe that American suspect Dr Francis Tumblety was the Ripper, although some people also feel that it could have been nothing more than a copycat killing.
"Solitary vices"? is that drug use? Or was he stroking his pole?
I would incline towards the latter!
Could you do an analysis on Charles Allen Lechmere? I watched a Smithsonian video that was extremely convincing on Lechmere being the killer.
I'm planning one on him Daniel.
@@JackTheRipperTours thank you!
You're right to have moved him up ur susp list as he did on mine. The more you get to know about him, the more susp it gets. There is a photograph of him, which i'm sure you've seen, but probably not many consder the fact that regardless whether it was him or not, you're still staring at a man who was involved in the whole thing. It's chilling
Lechmere found Polly Nichols lying in the street. He notified Paul. He had no knife and was not covered in blood. The knife was not found anywhere near the site. I do not see how Lechmere could have been the killer. Kosminski was a paranoid schizophrenic, known to be violent. After he was committed to the lunatic asylum, the killing stopped.
Brilliant thank you xx
You’re welcome 😊
Seconded.
You can't really find much if any actual photos of Kosminski online if you google his name, mostly just a few possible sketches and pictures of other Ripper suspects with his name on them, although there are one or two possible ones out there if you do a really extensive search.
You just have to decide for yourself if they might be legitimate or not.
Fantastic video,genius amount of research ,so I guess the enigma of ,Jack the ripper,,lives on....
Thank you, Anthony, very kind of you.
In Jack London's book People of the Abyss in 1901 it was illegal to sleep on the streets at night. The police would move people on. Was this the case in 1888
Yes, Graham. Homeless were moved on.
Can any suspects be gleaned from the Colney Hatch records? Someone with an admission date near the stated one along with a death date? Perhaps the person went in under a different name. How many individuals are we talking about? It doesn't seem likely given that Kosminski was still living when the annotations were done.
Kosminski was put in Colney Hatch asylum in 1891 not 1889. So what was he doing the during the 3 years between 1888 and 1891?
I've just discovered this channel, and I'd like to begin by saying this channel is superb.
In regards to the staff at the various institutes where Mr Kosminski was being housed, I'd like to add that I know of a similar case, where the perpetrator of equally heinous crimes, is also being held in a mental facility, (Broadmoor) and the staff say he is as meek as a mouse, and hasn't shown any violent tendencies in all the many years he's been there. Which goes against everything we know about him.
This man is Robert Napper. He committed very similar crimes, and in my opinion worse than them of JTR.
His crimes very much mirror those of JTR. A sexual deviant who used extreme violence to completely dominate and destroy his victims. His slaying of Samantha Bisset is very similar to the Mary J Kelly murder. He even took a piece of her stomach.
My point is, Robert Napper is a very similar type to JTR, and the staff where he is housed do not have a problem with him, or feel threatened by him in any way.
That's very kind of you, Mr. Anderson. Thanks for all the info, that is really interesting.
Seems to me the most likely scenario is he went to the asylum under a different name. Would there be a way to list deaths that year (matching the "died shortly afterwards) and see if their original name was actually Kosminski.
Mr. Fido did this. He suggests that Kosminski was confused with a man called Cohen who he put forward as a more convincing suspect than any other- evidently violent and who died shortly after his incarnation.
@@wengchiang9216 Didn't know this but certainly seems interesting...
funny thing is there was an article saying that they found kosminski's dna on the one real letter from the ripper
Not saying your wrong there could very well be an article claiming that but there would be no DNA to test after 100 years when that technology became available. That letter was handled by way too many people.
I think the unknown witness was the pipe smoker as he was never formally identified and probably had a really good view of the killer where as Israel Schwartz might not have had the best view
This was a most illuminating account of the case, presented in excellent manner. Well done, sir.
Martin Fido gave perhaps the best explanation as to why Aaron Kosminski was confused with JTR in his video from 2011:
czcams.com/video/WFTLEq3BZb8/video.html
Am saddened to hear of Mr. Fido's passing. He was indeed one of - if not the - greatest Jack The Ripper researchers ever. May he rest in peace.
i think it was charles lechemere aka charles cross at one of the murders he is seen standing over the body by another man before acting very strange to the point that the other man thought he was going to attack him and his routes to work fit all the murder scenes and even route to his mothers house
Lechmere wasn't standing over the body, but in the middle of the road, and fellow witness Robert Paul's testimony is quite clear about this. Both Lechmere and Paul walked across to the opposite pavement *together* to investigate what turned out to be the body of Polly Nichols. The Lechmere theorists (and the documentary) have repeatedly twisted the evidence to make Lechmere's behaviour seem more sinister, and their flimsy case against him is riddled with distortions and rampant speculation dressed as "fact".
@@ftumschk I tend to agree, except that there was some testimony which suggested that the potential Ripper had fair hair, a beard and side-whiskers -- just like Lechmere did -- and that he was of a stocky build similar to Lechmere’s. Lechmere would have been aged 32 at the time of the crimes, so that also corroborates other witness reports about the likely age range. That said, most witness reports state that the likely culprit was dark-haired and moustachioed only, so I still don’t think it was him.
More cool-hand Luke and less a babbling lunatic. The killer was most likely someone not under suspicion, but certainly interviewed by police along with others on the street during the murders.
Charles lechmere
It is a pleasure to hear a mastery of the English language, this narrator is peachy keen!
Blaming Kosminski is just a classic case of we dont know who it is so we will just blame the local nutter. Its what happened to Barry George too.
Good point.
Copper mentality, we have no suspect so we will make one up to look good
Well he was identified by a witness apparently.
@@gowdsake7103 Make one up but never prosecute him - and never even mention his name until your memoirs. Perhaps not a very sensible theory.
To be fair, no one will ever know exactly who it was, so speculating it was Kosminski is just a part of the fun of guessing who it was. It is more than likely none of the classic suspects, and probably someone no one has ever heard of.
I reckon the person who did it could be identified by finding someone who carried on with his crimes in another country, because serial killers very rarely commit suicide unless they are caught and they don't usually stop killing people either, but then again we will never know.
excellent report. i just listened to an interview talking about all three of these men which was so incoherent, that i came away suspecting they were picked cause they were all foreigners and Jewish. there were absolutely no facts. as a juror i would have had to say not guilty!!
but this video is so well researched , factual, and thought out that i can come away thinking as you do and being Jewish really doesn’t come to the fore.
if, i think it’s Aaron, was mentally disturbed (sounds like schizophrenia), how could he have possibly been coherent enough and able to carry out such decisive murders? the other K. person seems more likely, but as you say, there’s no evidence and his being guilty can be said of all the other suspects.
thank you very much and have a great day :) 🌷🌱
one thing - how could these two possibly know how to remove a uterus with such precision?!
Excellent.
Great video will you be doing other suspects like joe Barnett?
That's the plan!
@@JackTheRipperTours that’s great because I do think Barnett needs a video
@@JackTheRipperTours 💯 had be Barnett over kill !!!!
Plus Martin fido said other wise said was Nathan kosminski !
I am almost sure that the Kosminski they were talking about was not Aaron and that whoever he was, it was JTR
As soon as I learned of Kosminski, I felt he was JTR. It's all circumstantial, of course. This was a very good video. Thank you very much. Condolences for the loss of your friend.
I believe more on the police depatment theory, that jack the ripper was propably was a police or a commisioner, my point is that the perpetrator was from the depatment.
Reason:
1. He knew where to zig zag through the police route after the double mudrer which are near to each other
2. People from the department will highly likely knew body anatomy
The body anatomy is a key in my opinion, cause no normal person could done such surgery with no experience or proffesionalism
@@adriancua777 why did he stop?
@@adriancua777 Stupid theory....
Interesting subject and info. I guess though, if it was Kosminski, how would he have had the medical knowledge and ability to do what 'Jack' did to his victims.
What “ medical knowledge” was this ? Anybody with the inclination , strength and a knife could have done this .
When I was a younger man so long ago, stories about JTR’s murders would say that police suspected it was a doctor or someone with medical training based on the way the bodies had been cut. I don’t know if those claims were accurate; I just remember hearing them.
It does seem strange that a homeless and mentally ill young man with little care for personal hygiene would be so careful about not leaving evidence behind.
I once read up about England & hair dressers or barbers 💈🇬🇧 at that timeframe period was educated in some medical field training & Aaron Kosmiskey had that training & the murders mysteriously & abrubtly had stopped after he was incarserated at the mental asylum & also the lead police commissioner was in record also not just the 3 men Mentioned here that he suspected Aaron Kosmiskey as well so he indeed is a prime suspect with strong reasons to believe so & however this video was a great one & it is true that not enough of the paper work or records were salvaged unfortunately & so it comes down to common sense & reasoning & logic & that is conclusive as this video so Welly put that it is a shame! But I'll always be convinced it was indeed Aaron Kosmiskey unless someone has far better proof, evidence, & witnesses that. That of the Polish Jew Aaron Kosmiskey
True he didn't just savagely and randomly mutilate them; he dissected them, removed their uteri (which in a non-pregnant state is pretty small) and a kidney and did it in darkness. In fact, that's virtually impossible without at least a lamp. I'm a doctor, retired family M.D, and I couldn't do it in a matter of minutes without great lighting. Especially in a woman who'd never given birth, a uterus is no bigger than a thumb, buried deep inside the pelvis. That's some pretty detailed anatomical knowledge, and kind of specialized. I don't think butchers are trained to recognize reproductive structures. Barbers probably less so, though they did have some basic knowledge. Every strong suspect seems to have a dead end to them, which doesn't add up. Kosminsky being dirty and disheveled goes against the descriptions of a fairly well dressed and groomed man. Though if he was employed as a hairdresser, he must have cleaned up nice at least sometimes.
This is why its such a fascinating case - endless discussion points. Great video.
A great presentation of Jack the Ripper it goes into great detail.❤😊
Thank you kindly
I am a firm believer that Kosminski was JTR, although I do not claim to have any more evidence than anyone else. John Douglas, a former leader in the FBI’s profiling staff, worked up a published profile of JTR and determined that the most likely culprit was Kosminski.
... even though he did not match the description of the wanted man?
So much for the FBI!
I think one thing can be said strongly and that's that the police, at least the higher ups, had a strong feeling they knew who JTR was. That identification seems to have put a stop to the murders, since JTR knew he'd been caught.
Less strongly, but I think still relatively strong, we can say it was Aaron Kosminsky. In order for this to be true, obviously some explanations regarding inconsistencies in the officers' testimonies and Kosminskys life need to be dealt with. But I think they can be chalked up to misremembering or misunderstanding, especially when the suspect is no longer in white chapel. Also the strength of the rest of the case makes biting that bullet easier.
Still, we may never know. I'm no expert on JTR, but Kosminsky seems like a really good candidate and I'm fine with thinking it's most likely him.
Well, that's fine if you're fine with thinking Kosminski was the murderer.
It's just a good thing we're not back in 1889 and you a juror about to decide whether he should hang.
Before you go off to arrive at your verdict, you may as well know that Kosminski was too young, too thin, and too inept to have been the murderer.
He was 23, emaciated, behaved very abnormally, eating food from the gutter, and didn't even speak English, whereas the suspect was about 30, of normal build, behaved normally, and knew English, leaving an inscription accusing the Jews of being responsible for the murders.
If i want solid information on jack the ripper I know to come to this channel.
Thanks for saying so, Cathy.