Was Jack the Ripper Aaron Kosminski?

[MillCreek]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2746321/Jack-Ripper-unmasked-How-amateur-sleuth-used-DNA-breakthrough-identify-Britains-notorious-criminal-126-years-string-terrible-murders.html#ixzz3Cf1Up0b8

I have read several books and articles over the years arguing for this.  It will be interesting to see if peer review confirms the DNA findings, although I do wonder about the provenance of the shawl.

[lupinus]

What difference, at this point, does it make?

[vaskidmark]

What difference, at this point, does it make?

Confirmation will throw thousands out of work, forcing them onto the welfare rolls.

Oh, wait!  They are mostly "academics" - already on the welfare ride.

Never mind.

stay safe.

[Scout26]

Back in 1989 when we went to England (Britain), we did the Jack the Ripper walking tour (we also did the haunted London and a pub crawl), but our guide also pointed out that Kominski was the most likely perp.  He had trained as a barber in Poland, which at that time meant that they were surgeons and bloodletters as well as haircutters.  i.e. see why barber poles are red and white.  So he would have had a rudimentary knowledge of anatomy, along with surgical tools.  

IIRC, he had been in the Polish army as a barber but left after Poland lost one of the (many) wars they fought against Russia, et al.  (I may be mis-remembering that) anyway, the murders only began once he moved to London (he had lived elsewhere with with family, IIRC), and ended when he was locked up in the Booby Hatch.  

I was a fun walk and interesting to go to the exact spots where the murders took place.  We also stopped for a pint about half-way through and then another pub at the end, until the night bell rang.

[AJ Dual]

Back in 1989 when we went to England (Britain), we did the Jack the Ripper walking tour (we also did the haunted London and a pub crawl), but our guide also pointed out that Kominski was the most likely perp.  He had trained as a barber in Poland, which at that time meant that they were surgeons and bloodletters as well as haircutters.  i.e. see why barber poles are red and white.  So he would have had a rudimentary knowledge of anatomy, along with surgical tools. 

IIRC, he had been in the Polish army as a barber but left after Poland lost one of the (many) wars they fought against Russia, et al.  (I may be mis-remembering that) anyway, the murders only began once he moved to London (he had lived elsewhere with with family, IIRC), and ended when he was locked up in the Booby Hatch. 

I was a fun walk and interesting to go to the exact spots where the murders took place.  We also stopped for a pin about half-way through and then another pub at the end, until the night bell rang.

That sounds tourist-y, but the good kind of tourist-y. 

Mrs. Dual and I took a "ghost tour" of Charleston, and the guide immediately said you wouldn't see a ghost, and he'd never seen a ghost, but he promised us a good tour, and he was right, all sorts of local history, crimes, scandals, and little tidbits of trivia, and how it related to American/Charleston history, pre Revolutionary War, and pre and post and during the Civil War.  No drinking though, unless you'd wanted to before and afterward.

[Scout26]

That sounds tourist-y, but the good kind of tourist-y. 

Mrs. Dual and I took a "ghost tour" of Charleston, and the guide immediately said you wouldn't see a ghost, and he'd never seen a ghost, but he promised us a good tour, and he was right, all sorts of local history, crimes, scandals, and little tidbits of trivia, and how it related to American/Charleston history, pre Revolutionary War, and pre and post and during the Civil War.  No drinking though, unless you'd wanted to before and afterward.

Yep, that's what these were.  The Ghost Tour had a lot of Black Death mass graves, old churches and a Hospital as part of it.  IIRC, it started at a bit that was the original part of the Roman Wall of Londinium.  The Tower of London Tour was very, very interesting.  Including getting to throw one back with the Yeomen of the Guard in their mess at the Tower. Pub stops on London tours seemed to be de rigueur.  But yes, lots of history, tidibts of trivia, etc.  Each was well worth the price (and there's nothing like walking through the various parts of London at night.) 

[roo_ster]

Pub stops on a walking tour sound most civilized.

Darn near converted to roman catholic when one of the kids' schoolmates invited us to a birthday party held at the knihhts of columbus swimming pool.  The kid's dad forgot to mention the full reasonably priced bar inside with the jack and coke slushies.  It was nearly 100deg but us adults were in shade sucking down beers and margaritas on the rocks.  THAT is how its done.  I took notes.

[Balog]

Pub stops on a walking tour sound most civilized.

Darn near converted to roman catholic when one of the kids' schoolmates invited us to a birthday party held at the knihhts of columbus swimming pool.  The kid's dad forgot to mention the full reasonably priced bar inside with the jack and coke slushies.  It was nearly 100deg but us adults were in shade sucking down beers and margaritas on the rocks.  THAT is how its done.  I took notes.

I was a groomsman at the wedding of a guy who's now an Anglican priest. We got fancy little cups as gifts, which we christened with Scotch before the ceremony.

If I was to join a monastic order it'd be one of the Trappist ones that brew beer.

[MillCreek]

^^^Sign me up for one of the monastic orders that make the great fruitcake.  I can be the Brother in charge of quality control.  Frequent sampling will be necessary to do a good job.

[BlueStarLizzard]

There was an old woman who did a ghost tour of Harper's Ferry that was great. She was one of those people who just knew how to tell a story. I always wonder if someone has continued that tradition and if they are as good as she was. (I highly doubt she's still doing it, she was easily in her 70's when I went on the tour and I was maybe 9 or 10)

I don't really go for ghost stories, because I'm a scardy cat, but ghost tours in historic cities are a good way to get some history and have fun.

[230RN]

"If a ghost can harm you.... you can harm the ghost."

Just holler BOO! back at them. :D

Terrible Terry

[Perd Hapley]

How long does the Jack the Ripper tour take, cause I'm thinking it would be way down the list of fascinating historical tours.

[280plus]

I was a fun walk and interesting to go to the exact spots where the murders took place.  We also stopped for a pint about half-way through and then another pub at the end, until the night bell rang.

Errr, a pint of WHAT?!

 

[TommyGunn]

Errr, a pint of WHAT?!

 

Ale,  probably.

[Sergeant Bob]

I was a fun walk and interesting to go to the exact spots where the murders took place.  We also stopped for a pint about half-way through and then another pub at the end, until the night bell rang.

It comes in pints? I'm getting one!

[Scout26]

I was a groomsman at the wedding of a guy who's now an Anglican priest. We got fancy little cups as gifts, which we christened with Scotch before the ceremony.

If I was to join a monastic order it'd be one of the Trappist ones that brew beer.

There was (and still is) one on the mountain in Ober Wildflicken.  The first time I was there was when we did "Wild Fun at WildChicken"  aka Gunnery.  After all was said and done we took a tour of the Monestary and got to sample the local brew.  The closest I ever came to religion was when I was talking to the abbot(?) and he said "G-d told us to brew bier."  I almost signed up right there and then.     

[charby]

Pub stops on a walking tour sound most civilized.

Darn near converted to roman catholic when one of the kids' schoolmates invited us to a birthday party held at the knihhts of columbus swimming pool.  The kid's dad forgot to mention the full reasonably priced bar inside with the jack and coke slushies.  It was nearly 100deg but us adults were in shade sucking down beers and margaritas on the rocks.  THAT is how its done.  I took notes.

I used to teach at a Catholic School, many years ago. Friday of Catholic School's Week was always Teacher Appreciation Day, so at the end of that day there was all the free drinks you could drink at the K of C hall until 7pm.

[KD5NRH]

If I was to join a monastic order it'd be one of the Trappist ones that brew beer.

http://www.chimay.com/

[Scout26]

Why would you join a a Frog monastery unless you wanted to make wine.  Germans know how to brew bier.

http://www.kreuzbergbier.de/

[BlueStarLizzard]

My mom did a week retreat at a local abbey (No, I don't know why she did this. She's not Catholic and, at this point, I'm guessing she could only barely be considered Christian) that makes fancy cheese. She did not bring back any fancy cheese.
After reading this thread, I'm gonna tell her if ever does that again, she damn well better go someplace that makes something stronger than cheese, and she better bring back gifts!