Jack's Jack Poll: Where did he get his money?

[Celesta]

My "Other" explanation:

I wish you could check more than one answer on the poll, as that's what mine would be...

I think it was a combination of being supported by family, plus working off and on as some type of "assistant" in his family's trade or business...

I believe he was a furrier's assistant, actually...

I can't really say about the furrier part, but I can very easily see the rest of what you're suggesting here, Capps.

[Stan Reid]

I think it could of been another woman as well. Folks tend to shy away from a woman committing such murders but a woman can be just as brutal as a man.

Hi George:

A woman killer is not at the top of my list but I would certainly not dismiss the possibility. Prostitutes have killed each other before and women can be as brutal as men. The Papin sisters and Irma Grese would be examples. Their murders were far more heinous than anything we know JtR did.

[Stan Reid]

It would be interesting to put some names to especially the lower vote getters.

[Stan Reid]

I guess all but one would count as lower vote getters.

[Stan Reid]

For instance, if you said "Supported by family", were you thinking of Kosminski or who?

[Belinda]

I think he took whatever jobs he could get. He may have had a "day job" but done other work on the side.

[Stan Reid]

Sort of like Jack the Moonlighter

[Stan Reid]

I guess there are no Silver "fans" here since no one has chosen criminal enterprise.

[Stan Reid]

Oops! I spoke too soon regarding CE.

[Stan Reid]

None for pension or gambling but no big surprise there - it's tough to come up with a suspect for either of those.

[Stan Reid]

What suspects were on a pension for that matter - Gull?

[Whitechurch]

Rag Man

My great grandfather was what they called a Rag Man. He lived in Bradford England where the textile industry played an important part of the economy.
According to my father, my great grandfather would lead a horse and cart through the streets picking up and soliciting for small scraps of rag material. this material would then be sold to a textile business where it would be bleached, washed and included in the various manufacturing processes of the textile trade.

Although Diemshutz sold tacky jewelry, it may give us a picture of the rag man with his horse and cart.

Hypothetically, Kosminski, working for his family in a simple non-interfering way, may have been doing a similar job for the tailor trade. This would make him very familiar with the area roads and lanes etc. and with the females working their own trade. This would also allow him to return to the scenes without arousing suspicion.

Just a thought from an "outside the box" Ripperphile.

What do you think?

[Stan Reid]

Sounds like a reasonable possibility.

[Stan Reid]

How much gambling was going on in 1888 London? Was it legal?

[Stan Reid]

My great grandfather was what they called a Rag Man.

The first I heard of a rag man was in Kirk Douglas's autobiography.