How Brown
07-04-2010, 09:27 AM
Very big thanks and a hug to Tracy for participating in the 5Q.
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1. What areas of the case have you found yourself more interested in prior to any that you may be more interested in at this point in time ?
Early on I have to admit I had an interest in the the Maybrick link, however that was because of the Hartlepool link (my hometown). I dabbled with the diary and the watch, but I just don't see James Maybrick as Jack the Ripper. Now I enjoy researching the family's involved in the East End, i.e Hyams, Levy's, Solomons, Napthali's, etc.
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2. Which suspects ( not that any of them even need to be "good" suspects or ones that you feel are likely or possibly culpable ) are those which are the most interesting to you ?
Well anyone who knows me knows this one - Jacob Levy has to be the suspect, in my opinion. He fits nearly all criteria. He is even related to Joseph Levy, the witness! After months of mind boggling research (there really is no need to have so many Joseph Levys in the one family unit!) I even have the family tree to prove it!!
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3. I can't think of any individuals ( here on the Forums,at least ) who began their study of the Whitechapel Murders by reading the Ultimate Sourcebook, The A to Z, Scotland Yard Investigates,Letters From Hell, or The Facts. Most of them,as I did, began studying the Case with a suspect based book...developing interest...and then purchasing one of the seminal books mentioned.
Do you think its an advantage to the individual Ripperologist, as strange as this might sound, to begin their future studies by reading a book by Stephen Knight or a pro-suspect book and then getting their hands on one of the aforementioned ?
I have to say that as a person who's first book I read was The Jack the Ripper A-Z I would have to agree, while it is a must have for reference, all I ended up doing was confusing myself with facts. I ended up knowing just enough about suspects to confuse me.
I think a book on the Victorian era within the East End would be a good book to start out with, because I believe a lot of people - myself included - originally have a romanticised image of that period.
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4.. Are any of the "letters" written to the Police or press ( Not letters written,such as those John Bennett has been sharing in Ripperologist Magazine from City Police archives, offering solutions) which claimed to have been written by the murderer more likely than any of the others to have been legitimate ? Your gut feelings, por favor.
Gut feeling? It doesn't seem likely to be something Jacob Levy would do, so I have to say no.
Only kidding, but seriously I don't think any where from Jack, The Dear Boss letters I believe were instigated by Tom Cullen, the others also fakes. I don't think Jack would have had an interest in reliving the murders once he had killed them.
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5.5. Would you be interested enough to attend a future Convention ( Don't worry....they won't let me in the UK...something about undesirable elements or something....) if they held it for more than one day ? What topics would you like to see some of the blabbermouths elaborate on if you had a choice in the itinerary ?
They won't let you in the U.K, seriously? Weird, sounds like you would fit right in over here lol.
I would love to attend a convention in the future. One topic I would love to discuss, would be topics for a more comprehensive research engine. I have seen info available on Jacob Levy on t.V documentaries that I can't access on the internet, but I am also unable to travel to London and I am sure that there are a lot of researchers out there with the same problem.
Although they probably have more money than me ;0)
********************************
1. What areas of the case have you found yourself more interested in prior to any that you may be more interested in at this point in time ?
Early on I have to admit I had an interest in the the Maybrick link, however that was because of the Hartlepool link (my hometown). I dabbled with the diary and the watch, but I just don't see James Maybrick as Jack the Ripper. Now I enjoy researching the family's involved in the East End, i.e Hyams, Levy's, Solomons, Napthali's, etc.
*******************************
2. Which suspects ( not that any of them even need to be "good" suspects or ones that you feel are likely or possibly culpable ) are those which are the most interesting to you ?
Well anyone who knows me knows this one - Jacob Levy has to be the suspect, in my opinion. He fits nearly all criteria. He is even related to Joseph Levy, the witness! After months of mind boggling research (there really is no need to have so many Joseph Levys in the one family unit!) I even have the family tree to prove it!!
************************************************** ***
3. I can't think of any individuals ( here on the Forums,at least ) who began their study of the Whitechapel Murders by reading the Ultimate Sourcebook, The A to Z, Scotland Yard Investigates,Letters From Hell, or The Facts. Most of them,as I did, began studying the Case with a suspect based book...developing interest...and then purchasing one of the seminal books mentioned.
Do you think its an advantage to the individual Ripperologist, as strange as this might sound, to begin their future studies by reading a book by Stephen Knight or a pro-suspect book and then getting their hands on one of the aforementioned ?
I have to say that as a person who's first book I read was The Jack the Ripper A-Z I would have to agree, while it is a must have for reference, all I ended up doing was confusing myself with facts. I ended up knowing just enough about suspects to confuse me.
I think a book on the Victorian era within the East End would be a good book to start out with, because I believe a lot of people - myself included - originally have a romanticised image of that period.
************************************************** *******************
4.. Are any of the "letters" written to the Police or press ( Not letters written,such as those John Bennett has been sharing in Ripperologist Magazine from City Police archives, offering solutions) which claimed to have been written by the murderer more likely than any of the others to have been legitimate ? Your gut feelings, por favor.
Gut feeling? It doesn't seem likely to be something Jacob Levy would do, so I have to say no.
Only kidding, but seriously I don't think any where from Jack, The Dear Boss letters I believe were instigated by Tom Cullen, the others also fakes. I don't think Jack would have had an interest in reliving the murders once he had killed them.
************************************************** ******
5.5. Would you be interested enough to attend a future Convention ( Don't worry....they won't let me in the UK...something about undesirable elements or something....) if they held it for more than one day ? What topics would you like to see some of the blabbermouths elaborate on if you had a choice in the itinerary ?
They won't let you in the U.K, seriously? Weird, sounds like you would fit right in over here lol.
I would love to attend a convention in the future. One topic I would love to discuss, would be topics for a more comprehensive research engine. I have seen info available on Jacob Levy on t.V documentaries that I can't access on the internet, but I am also unable to travel to London and I am sure that there are a lot of researchers out there with the same problem.
Although they probably have more money than me ;0)