Das hier wollte ich schon seit Ewigkeiten posten. Stammt aus dem Lloyd´s Weekly Newspaper und ich habe es aus dem Casebook kopiert. Passt momentan gut rein an dieser Stelle.
Passierte (wenn es so passierte) zwischen den Taten an Nichols und Chapman, da waren wohl noch nicht alle Beamten über Leather Apron informiert. Die Beschreibung dort, verdächtigt einen ca. 30jährigen Mann. Üblicherweise wurde Leather Apron mit ca. 40 Jahren beschrieben. Ich gehöre zu denen, die daran glauben, dass mehrere Leather Apron unterwegs waren. Aber vielleicht war der hier, einer der wichtigsten Kandidaten. Kurze Zeit später, verhaftete man Pizer, der nichts mit dieser Beschreibung zu tun hatte. Er erwähnte ja selbst einmal, dass er genauso wenig mit den Beschreibungen von Leather Apron zu tun hatte, wie der Mann im Mond.
Hier könnte ein Verdächtiger noch gerade so entschlüpft sein. Für die Polizei sicherlich kein Ruhmesblatt aber möglicherweise ein Indiz dafür, dass sie einen weiteren Leather Apron (Kosminski?) hätten suchen können.
Die Beschreibung dieses Mannes zu diesem Zeitpunkt ist interessant:
Aged 30 years; height, 5ft. 3in.; complexion, dark, sallow; hair and moustache black; thick set; dressed in old and dirty clothing; and is of Jewish appearance.
(bedeutet übrigens 1,60m groß)
Im Vergleich dazu, die späteren Beobachtungen:
Schwartz Sichtung: Age, about 30; ht, 5 ft 5 in; comp., fair; hair, dark; small brown moustache, full face, broad shouldered
(bedeutet 1,65m groß)
PC Smith Beobachtung (aus Swanson´s Bericht vom 19.10.1888): aged about 28, height 5 ft 7 in, complexion dark, small dark moustache, wearing a black diagonal coat, hard felt hat, white collar and tie
(bedeutet 1,70m groß)
Lawende "seine" verschiedenen Aussagen (2.10. in der Times/ Inquest/ Swanson wieder am 19.10./ möglicherweise bei Francis Coles/ 1892/ Sir Henry Smith (meinte wohl auch Lawende) :
"of shabby appearance, about 30 years of age and 5ft. 9in. in height, of fair complexion, having a small fair moustache, and wearing a red neckerchief and a cap with a peak"
"a cloth cap on with a cloth peak" (and according to one report that he "looked rather rough and shabby"
"age 30 ht. 5 ft. 7 or 8 in. comp. fair fair moustache, medium built, dress pepper & salt colour loose jacket, grey cloth cap with peak of same colour, reddish handkerchief tied in a knot, round neck, appearance of a sailor."
"aged from thirty to thirty-five; height 5ft 7in, with brown hair and big moustache; dressed respectably. Wore pea jacket, muffler, and a cloth cap with a peak of the same material."
"A man of thirty-five, standing 5ft 7in to 5ft 8in, rather square shoulders, clean shaven with the exception of a heavy moustache, inclining to be sandy."
"Young, about the middle height, with a small fair moustache, dressed in something like navy serge, and with a deerstalker's cap - that is, a cap with a peak both fore and aft."
(die Körpergröße schwankt zwischen 1,70m, 1,72m und 1,75m)
Hutchinson´s Aussage: Description age about 34 or 35. height 5ft6 complexion pale, dark eyes and eye lashes slight moustache, curled up each end, and hair dark, very surley looking dress long dark coat, collar and cuffs trimmed astracan. And a dark jacket under. Light waistcoat dark trousers dark felt hat turned down in the middle. Button boots and gaiters with white buttons. Wore a very thick gold chain white linen collar. Black tie with horse shoe pin. Respectable appearance walked very sharp. Jewish appearance. Can be identified.
(bedeutet 1,67m/ foreign apperance)
Hier ist dieser Verdächtige der Sohn eines etwas besserverdienenden, russichen Juden. Beachtet bitte, dass z.B. ein Mann wie Aaron Kosminski, bei seinem Bruder Isaac Abrahams untergebracht gewesen sein könnte, der 14 Jahre älter war und ein gut laufendes Schneidergeschäft mit nicht wenigen Angestellten unterhielt. Issac war 1888 37 Jahre alt, AK 23 Jahre alt. Sie waren zwar aus Polen, doch die russische Zarenherrschaft, riss sich ja Polen quasi unter den Nagel. Viele gaben Polen/Rußland als Herkunft an. Nur mal so nebenbei. Anscheindend hat man aber über diesen Verdächtigen herausgefunden, zu welcher Familie er gehörte aber anwesend war er dort wohl nicht (oder selten und man gab keine Auskunft). Bleibt obendrauf auch noch die ungeklärte Geschichte beider Cohen (N. und Aaron Davis Cohen) im Bordell und die Verhandlung die dazu nie stattfand. Ich persönlich finde eine Feststellung zu jener Zeit in einem Bordell schon recht interessant, weil sich da eben auch ein Typ wie Leather Apron hätte blicken lassen können.
The inquiries of our special representative led to the discovery that he is the son of a fairly well-to-do Russian Jew, but he is discarded by the Jewish fraternities as one who is a disgrace to their tribe
A party signing himself "Eye-witness" writes :- I live not many minutes' walk from the place of the murder, and I thought probably an incident which I witnessed on Sunday between half-past four and a quarter-past five p.m. would throw a little light on it. Coming from school at the time above stated, I was just about to turn into Albert-street, by Cohen's Sugar refinery, when a woman rushed across the street and screamed out, "There goes 'Leather Apron,' the Whitechapel murderer," to the policeman standing at the corner of the turning. "Run after him," she shouted: "now you have a chance of catching him, you won't try. There he goes," pointing to a low, villainous looking man. The constable then mustered up courage to run after the man, who seemed to be in a hurry. After about 400 yards' run he caught the man, whereupon two other constables put in their appearance, and inquired what the matter was. The woman who had run with the policeman up to the man at once began to accuse him of being the man the police were looking for - "Leather Apron." This she repeated about 20 times without receiving a single denial from the man. She said she knew the man well by sight. This the man denied by saying he had never seen the woman before, but later on he said to one of the other constables that this woman was constantly annoying him like this; she should be careful what she was saying. She thereupon said she knew two women, and could bring them, who saw him pacing up and down Baker's-row with the murdered woman about two hours before the murder took place. She further accused him of cruelly illusing two poor unfortunates in a common lodging-house in City-road one night last week; and, further, she said that among the unfortunates of Whitechapel he was well known as a cruel wretch. These accusations the man simply met with a sneer, and said she did not know what she was talking about. But she stuck to her point. But, to crown it all, the policeman then let the man go.
At first the police attached little importance to the story of "Leather Apron," but after the appearance of the above letter the detectives showed their regret at the stupidity of the constable in failing to arrest him by eagerly searching different lodging-houses and casual wards for this "Leather Apron." A chase has now begun in earnest. He was last seen outside the Leigh Hoy public-house in Spitalfields. In addition to being known as "Leather Apron" he is also known as the "Mad Snob." The police description of him is:- Aged 30 years; height, 5ft. 3in.; complexion, dark, sallow; hair and moustache black; thick set; dressed in old and dirty clothing; and is of Jewish appearance. The inquiries of our special representative led to the discovery that he is the son of a fairly well-to-do Russian Jew, but he is discarded by the Jewish fraternities as one who is a disgrace to their tribe.
The case has been placed in the hands of the most skilled detectives. Chief-inspector Aberline, who was for many years the chief detective inspector of the district, but who was promoted to Scotland-yard for his clever capture of the dynamitards, Burton and Cunningham, in Whitechapel, has been sent down on purpose. With him are Inspectors Helson and Spratling, Detective-serjeant Enright, who also know the worst haunts of Whitechapel, and have done good service in this rough locality, and assisting is Detective-serjeant Godley.
Grüße, Lestrade.