Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Yet another supsect has been named as what an author believes is the identity of Jack the Ripper. Charles van Onselen, a criminal history biographer of South Africa's book, "The Fox and the Flies: The World of Joseph Silver, Racketeer and Psychopath", was published in April. In the last chapter, he discusses the case for Joseph Silver. Silver is described as a man who "terrorized" women in Johannesburg. I don't know when. I don't know how. And I don't know how Mr. van Onselen ties Silver to the Ripper murders. For an unsolved case that had no solid clues to enable police to arrest anybody, there sure are a lot of suspects a century later.

Ain't THAT the truth! But it sure is fascinating.

I read about that at this link
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070502/ap_ ... the_ripper

He sure looks scary enough.

There is a Ripper Convention coming up this fall in the UK
http://www.ripperconference.co.uk/

Wouldn't it be funny if each suspect killed one victim? They'd have to stop at five, tho. Oh, geez. I hope someone doesn't do a book on that idea...

Actually, it has never been concluded that the Ripper only killed five women. There were some murders both before and after the first and last which may well have been the Ripper. There could be as many as 11, but the press and notoriety focused on those particular 5. It took some time for the pattern and method to be noticed and linked together as being the probable work of a single killer. I do believe the figure is higher.

The crime novelist Patricia Cornwell wrote a book in 2002 called Portrait Of A Killer/Jack The Ripper Case Closed. I read & have to say it was convincing. She use modern forensic knowledge of how to identify & trace different things. If you haven't read it I don't want to spoil the book. But it is worth the read.

Yes- it was an all-nighter for me, with Victorian artist Walter Sickert Cornwell's prime suspect. She makes a darn good case.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story ... 13,00.html

I agree, Shelley, that Patricia Cornwell makes a good case. She is a very demanding historian, I believe, and she researches deeply.

This new suspect... wow... he does sound like a good fit. What a creepy looking man... a pimp from Poland who moved around the world... had a child born in Whitecastle... a known hater of women. I wonder if more will be revealed.

*sigh*...... I can't believe I wrote Whitecastle--- a hamburger joint. I meant Whitechapel. Sheeesh.

*sigh*...... I can't believe I wrote Whitecastle--- a hamburger joint. I meant Whitechapel. Sheeesh.

Hi Terrie, I just read your post about the new suspect. Where can I either see the picture of him or get the information on him? I haven't heard about him at all.

There was a program on TV Wednesday night about modern day forensic procedures and crime scene tactics being applied to the Ripper case. It was really fascinating, and exciting when they were given a victim's shawl to test for DNA evidence. Nothing could be gained from it, sadly/ A composite photo was made with the computer imaging identikit based on all the descriptions, and a probable place where the Ripper lived based on when he was seen, where the victims were killed, and how fast he could disappear into the crowd. Great stuff-I hope they show this again.. The young woman heading up the investigations was Scotland Yard's top criminal profiler. Donald Rumpole was her guide through Whitechapel.

I followed Shelley's link...*points up*....

Hi Terrie, I don't understand what you mean by "points up" If it's the link above through Yahoo it has expired. I read about the man from Johannasburg. But you said something about a Polish pimp.

Oh dear --- I didn't know the link had expired. I hate when that happens!
That link did go to an article about this man (Joseph Silver) with a creepy photo of him. He was a pimp, and apparently quite a hater of women.

The Discovery Channel website has a photo:
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/05/0 ... 0502150030

Fox news has a close up --- this is one creepy guy!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,269614,00.html

The link I posted about Walter Sickert, the Cornwell suspect -link above, has not expired. She has spend millions getting his DNA- Sickert was an artist and actually painted a work called Jack The Ripper's Bedroom. The most fascinating thing is that some of his notepaper has an identical watermark to some of the Ripper's notes to the poilce.

I have the Cornwell book and must say it made me very suspicious of Sickert. Even if he wasn't the Ripper, he was one sick man. I especially despise the way he manipulated his wives and friends! Setting up dinner parties and not showing up himself, crashing others parties, using them for money, his extreme arrogance and pettiness---- what a pain he must have been to be near.

Hi Shelley, I was trying to get the article from the link that you posted on May 2nd. That's the one that expired.Can you remember what that one was about? Thanks

terrie @ Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:21 am wrote:I have the Cornwell book and must say it made me very suspicious of Sickert. Even if he wasn't the Ripper, he was one sick man. I especially despise the way he manipulated his wives and friends! Setting up dinner parties and not showing up himself, crashing others parties, using them for money, his extreme arrogance and pettiness---- what a pain he must have been to be near.

You are absolutely right. He must have been horrific to live with, and I don't understand why these women even married him. Back then women were silent about what went on at home, now you would probably read a headline of him being a very abusive husband.

Nadzieja --- the links I posted (the Discovery Channel one and the Fox news one) also go to the article about the new Ripper suspect with a creepy photograph of him.