Tuesday 9 September 2014

Ripping Yarns

I have always been fascinated by the mysteries surrounding Jack The Ripper. Liz knows this, and five years ago took me to the City Of London Cemetery Open Day, where I saw the graves of Catherine Eddowes and Mary Ann Nicholls.

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Today a book is being published which claims that finally, we have definite proof of the Ripper’s identity.

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With Catherine Eddowes body was found a shawl – this was kept by one of the policemen, but it came up for auction some years ago

ripper shawl&russell edwardsRussell Edwards, an ‘armchair detective’ with a lifelong obsession with the Ripper, purchased the shawl. After much research, and with the help of a DNA specialist, he claims that he has established the identity of the Ripper. There are six ‘main’ suspects – three from the upper echelons of society, three from the lower classes. Edwards has tested the evidence.ripper suspects

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He says that tests on bloosd and semen stains show that “Jack The Ripper” was in fact Aaron Kosminski, a deranged schizophrenic Polish hairdresser from Whitechapel. You can read more here.

I wait to see what other ‘experts’ say about this ‘solution’ to a puzzle which is 126 years old.  I know that crime writer P J Cornwell still maintains it was the artist Walter Sickert. And I wonder if this will affect future episodes of “Ripper Street”.

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5 comments:

  1. I don't suppose we will ever know the truth but it's fascinating anyway.
    Carolx

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  2. Have they found family of this man to get the dna?
    I won't be buying the book, so it might be some time before I get to read it lol!

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  3. Sandie, they have got DNA from Karen Miller, the three-times great-granddaughter of Eddowes, who has featured on TV progs about the Ripper, and also a female descendant of Kominski's sister . They are keeping her identity as a secret for her protection. I doubt this book will be high on the Leics Library Service buying list- so it will be years before I get to read it too!!

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  4. Heard this on the news - watch this space eh?

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  5. I find the whole idea that after over 150 years they can still use DNA to find information the most fascinating part of this story - isn't science (and DNA) amazing?!

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