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Was H.H. Holmes Jack the Ripper?


BrooklynGuy

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Was Philadelphia killer Jack the Ripper?

Mark Potts has been a history buff since his grandfather entertained him decades ago with tales of the Titanic. But in recent years, the Berks County resident's fascination has expanded from simply absorbing the history to researching it - and maybe even changing it. At least when it comes to one of the nation's most infamous serial killers. Two years ago, Potts reached out to Jeff Mudgett, a Las Vegas lawyer and great-great-grandson of the man known as H.H. Holmes, who killed at least 27 people - possibly many more - before he was hanged in a Philadelphia prison in 1896. Potts had been fascinated by the Holmes case, and Mudgett had written a book on his ancestor. Now the two hope to prove a new theory - that Holmes may also have been London's most infamous killer, Jack the Ripper.

Read more at http://www.philly.co...abgrcKklvk4z.99

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Was Philadelphia killer Jack the Ripper?

Mark Potts has been a history buff since his grandfather entertained him decades ago with tales of the Titanic. But in recent years, the Berks County resident's fascination has expanded from simply absorbing the history to researching it - and maybe even changing it. At least when it comes to one of the nation's most infamous serial killers. Two years ago, Potts reached out to Jeff Mudgett, a Las Vegas lawyer and great-great-grandson of the man known as H.H. Holmes, who killed at least 27 people - possibly many more - before he was hanged in a Philadelphia prison in 1896. Potts had been fascinated by the Holmes case, and Mudgett had written a book on his ancestor. Now the two hope to prove a new theory - that Holmes may also have been London's most infamous killer, Jack the Ripper.

Read more at http://www.philly.co...abgrcKklvk4z.99

Interesting take. Problem I have is, the ripper was very disorganized and showed signs of a deteriorating mental condition. HH Holmes was very organized and showed no signs of mental decay or psychosis. I certainly think it is worth a look, but it's a long shot.

Edited by mbrn30000
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The best book I read about Jack the Ripper was the one by Patricia Cornwell, Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper, Case Closed. Very thorough, just like her Scarlett books.

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First of all, I thought H H Holmes was in Chicago. In my opinion. Holmes was very organized and did not kill a certain type of person. His orderly ways gave way to disorderly kills.

JTR was disorganized in process but organized in victim choice.

I revisit the JTR thing every now an again, but my latest theory is this....

Perhaps JTR was an influential person. Perhaps he visited prostitutes and found out that he may have impregnated one of them. He panics and tries to find which one would be most likely. He visits all of the ladies of the night that would be the most plausible, kills them, and tries to find the fetus. Perhaps His final victim mocked him for it. Once he gets to the last one, he finds out that the possible baby thing was a rumour. He ceases killing out of shame, perhaps ends his life or commits himself to a nut hut.

Edited by Maureen_jacobs
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Not the 1st time Triple H has been mooted as JTR. Not the wrestler or I'd be pile drived. JTR was a disorganized murderer. Took his chances and acted on impulse. HHH planned this for a long time and took great care not to be caught.

Besides the fact that both operated on different continents.

Besides the fact one cut his victim's throats and the other one gassed them.

Nope, not the same murderer.

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Don't believe so. Not sure exactly what will be proved exhuming Kelly's body but if this guy's got a book to sell then an exhumation will surely help. Thanks for posting that. :tu:

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First of all, I thought H H Holmes was in Chicago. In my opinion. Holmes was very organized and did not kill a certain type of person. His orderly ways gave way to disorderly kills.

JTR was disorganized in process but organized in victim choice.

I revisit the JTR thing every now an again, but my latest theory is this....

Perhaps JTR was an influential person. Perhaps he visited prostitutes and found out that he may have impregnated one of them. He panics and tries to find which one would be most likely. He visits all of the ladies of the night that would be the most plausible, kills them, and tries to find the fetus. Perhaps His final victim mocked him for it. Once he gets to the last one, he finds out that the possible baby thing was a rumour. He ceases killing out of shame, perhaps ends his life or commits himself to a nut hut.

I don't think the problem was pregnancy, it was syphillis. . .it would technically explain the deteriorating mental condition as well. . .I do so love this subject. . .so much uncertainty. . .from whether or not mary kelly was even a ripper victim to whether or not there are four, five or 7 or 12. . .and the suspects that have been overlooked for centuries. . .and ties with murders in america. . .and the letters. . .and the from hell leter. . .and heather graham. . .wait. . .that was the movie. . .still. . .HEATHER GRAHAM. . .

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I don't think the problem was pregnancy, it was syphillis. . .it would technically explain the deteriorating mental condition as well. . .I do so love this subject. . .so much uncertainty. . .from whether or not mary kelly was even a ripper victim to whether or not there are four, five or 7 or 12. . .and the suspects that have been overlooked for centuries. . .and ties with murders in america. . .and the letters. . .and the from hell leter. . .and heather graham. . .wait. . .that was the movie. . .still. . .HEATHER GRAHAM. . .

J Depp was the coolest detective to never let a Ripper killing get in the way of his drug taking. :sk

Seriously though, Jack had to live in the area simply because he knew his way around that rabbit warren and he didn't raise any suspicions because he blended in. And since Whitechapel and Spitalfields was the home to a large population of Jews, mostly immigrants from Eastern Europe getting out of the way of Russian pogroms and since it was the lowest of the lowest class non-working area, then..Jack was most likely a poor Jew who lived in the area. He must have understood enough English to engage the pros in a chat before killing so probably had lived in the area for a while. He couldn't have been scary to look at or talk to because even drunk, I doubt a woman would go for a knee trembler with a dangerous looking weirdo. If not Aaron Kosminski, then someone a lot like him.

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  • 2 months later...

Wasn't Holmes motivated by money often? Many of the people he killed he had them take out life insurance policies before they were killed, naming him the beneficiary.

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Holmes wasn't Jack. The only thing they have in common is that they both killed women. Different method of murder, different reason for murder, different murderers.

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I don't think you can view Holmes as anything but a psycho either. Any serial killer is a psycho. They can rationalise their murders as much as they want but that's what they are.

Let's put it like this. I think if you locked Jack and Holmes in a room, Jack would emerge. Holmes only got his jollies watching women die. He wasn't in there actually murdering them himself. Jack was hands on.

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I don't think you can view Holmes as anything but a psycho either. Any serial killer is a psycho. They can rationalise their murders as much as they want but that's what they are.

Let's put it like this. I think if you locked Jack and Holmes in a room, Jack would emerge. Holmes only got his jollies watching women die. He wasn't in there actually murdering them himself. Jack was hands on.

Anyone who can gut a woman and remove organs in under 15 mintues at the dead of night is not someone you wanna mess with. You don't have to like it, but you do have to respect it. . .at least until you're at a safe enough distance.

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  • 1 month later...

I read or saw somewhere that H.H.Holmes was in London,England at some party and was showing things like uterus' and other body parts he kept in jars to men who were there. I may be wrong about location. But it is something I had heard.

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