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Simon Owen
Detective Sergeant
Username: Simonowen
Post Number: 124
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Monday, September 06, 2004 - 6:03 pm: | 
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From ' Jack the Ripper or When London Walked in Terror ' by Edwin T. Woodhall , p.72-73 :
" One witness , a Jewish tailor , about two or three days after the last crime , came forward with the account that he had seen a tall man in a grey suit and black trilby hat outside the Metropolitan Railway station of Aldgate about half-past two in the morning of November 9th talking to a woman. He knew the woman by sight and name as Marie. After a few moments both went away together in the direction of Leman Street. This man stuck to his version and the police had no other alternative but to believe that what he said he saw was true...The account of this witness Benjamin Amos Soloman appears then to confirm that it was the ' Ripper '... "
Do we have any press or police records that confirm this story about Benjamin Amos Soloman ? Can he be found in census records ? |
Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1358
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, September 06, 2004 - 8:47 pm: |
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The only likely one I can see is in the 1901 census:
Address:
44 Morgan Street, St George in the East
Benjamin Solomon aged 35 born Russia - Machiner/Tailor
This would make him about 22 at the time of the murders but I have so far been unable to trace him in 1891 census.
He had an 8 year old daughter named Leah - she also is listed a born in Russia. If this is the case this is obviously not our man
Chris
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Richard Brian Nunweek
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Richardn
Post Number: 1036
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 4:11 am: |
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Hi,
I had never come across that reference before, intresting that it was stated that Kellys patch was Leman street, which would give some credence to her being spotted near there.
But at 230am on the morning of the 9th november, was she not supposed to be in room 13 with Mr Astracan?..
Question.
Now we have two witnesses who claimed to have seen kelly on the streets between 2am-3am that morning, the fact that solomon claims she was walking towards leman street[ her beat] is a positive, however the mans attire is nowhere near Hutchinsons, or his height.
Hutchinson claims kelly walked towards him from the direction of Dorset street.
Was solomon mistaken , or was Hutchinsons statement complete fabrication.
Why cant the ripper crimes be less confusing?.
Regards Richard. |
Simon Owen
Detective Sergeant
Username: Simonowen
Post Number: 127
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 4:41 am: |
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Hi Richard ,
Ripperologists are suspicious of Woodhall's book because he does get a few minor facts wrong , generally concerning names and dates , but having read it his book does appear to be pretty accurate. His suspect is Gull , based on the RJ Lees story about visiting a West End surgeon - unfortunately Melvin Harris was not too complementary to Woodhall or his theory in his book ' The Bloody Truth ' so this might account in part for Woodhall's bad reputation.
With Soloman however , Woodhall does insist that the police knew of this witness and the tailor does appear to have made some sort of statement - so surely there should be some confirmation of this somewhere ? If so , does this ' throw a cat amongst the pigeons ' in the case of Kelly , was she meeting somebody off the train ? |
Simon Owen
Detective Sergeant
Username: Simonowen
Post Number: 128
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 4:47 am: |
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http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/districts.pl?r=4271543&d=bmd_1090612444
FreeBMD gives a Benjamin Soloman born June 1843 in West Ashford , Kent. If this is our man , then he would be about 45 in 1888 and 37 in 1881. |
Simon Owen
Detective Sergeant
Username: Simonowen
Post Number: 129
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 4:54 am: |
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FreeBMD also gives 3 Benjamin Solomons :
* Benjamin Solomon , born March session 1842 in Shoreditch , London.
* Benjamin Solomon , born March session 1862 in Blean , Kent.
* Benjamin Solomon , born June session 1874 in Islington , London.
Theres no record of Benjamin SOLOMAN dying before 1892 so he was still alive at the time of the Ripper murders. |
Simon Owen
Detective Sergeant
Username: Simonowen
Post Number: 130
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 4:56 am: |
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Benjamin Soloman , if his story is true , also gives us another candidate for the Jewish witness who might have identified the Ripper at the Seaside Home ! |
Debra Arif
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 6:11 am: |
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There is a Benjamin Solomans aged 35 in the 1891 census;
RG12/302
Registration district: Mile End Old Town
Sub registration district: Mile End Old Town, Western
ED, institution, or vessel: 17
Folio: 112
The address is 36 Adeline ?
Solomons, Benjamin 35 born St Pancras, London Head Mile End Old Town London
Solomons, Frances 27 born St Pancras, London Wife Mile End Old Town London
the couple have 4 children all born in different areas of London.
This Benjamin was not a tailor in 1891 but a cabman groom.
Hope this helps
Debra
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Debra Arif
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 12:38 pm: |
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This is part two of a message just in case it gets posted before the first, as I am unregistered.
This is the Benjamin Solomons found on 1891 census in 1901
1901 England Census
Source information: RG13/336
Registration district: Mile End Old Town
Sub-registration district: Mile End, Old Town, Eastern
ED, institution, or vessel: 25
Folio: 106
Name Age in 1901 Birthplace Relationship Civil Parish County/Island/occupation
9 mossford ?( rd or pl)
Benjamin Solomons 43 Kings, London, England Head Mile End Old Town London hackney carriage driver
Francis Solomons 36 Tottenham Corst Rd, London, England Wife Mile End Old Town London
Amelia Solomons 16 Edgnore Rd, London, England Daughter Mile End Old Town London labourer
Henry Solomons 15 Edgnore Rd, London, England Son Mile End Old Town London errand boy
Rachel Solomons 13 Mile End, London, England Daughter Mile End Old Town London
Esther Solomons 10 Mile End, London, England Daughter Mile End Old Town London
Rosy Solomons 2 Mile End, London, England Daughter Mile End Old Town London
Here is also another Benjamin Solomon I found on 1901 ( can't find on 1891) who judging by the age and birthplace of his daughter was also in the area c 1888
Source information: RG13/330
Registration district: Mile End Old Town
Sub-registration district: Mile End, Old Town, Western
ED, institution, or vessel: 34
Folio: 34
13 dunstan houses
Name Age in 1901 Birthplace Relationship Civil Parish County/Island/occupation
Benjamin Solomon 56 Whitechapel, London, England Head Mile End Old Town London commission agent on own account
Annie Solomon 46 Spitalfields, London, England Wife Mile End Old Town London
Kate Solomon 13 Whitechapel, London, England Daughter Mile End Old Town London
neither of these two are tailors, but it seems to make more sense that a cabman ( as the first above Benjamin Solomons is and was in 1891) was outside Aldgate station at 2.30 in the morning rather than a tailor.
Debra
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Nina Thomas
Sergeant
Username: Nina
Post Number: 43
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, September 19, 2004 - 1:21 am: |
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I found another Benjamin Solomom in the 1881 census
66 Mile End Road, London, Middlesex, England
Head, Benjamin Solomon, (Unmarried), 34, Whitchapel, Leather Merchant (Currier)
Sister, Jane Winkler, (Widowed), 50, Whitechapel
Nephew, Solomon Winkler, 9, Mile End, Scholar
Visitor, Martha Abrahams, (Widowed)40, Whitchapel, Annuitant
Occupation Rebecca Bear, 15, Maidenstone, Kent, Domestic
Source Information
Family History Library Film 1341106
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 0483/140
Page Number 26
Nina |
Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1391
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 19, 2004 - 10:16 am: |
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One that might be worth a look is listed only by initial:
1891 Census
2 Hellena Terrace
Lodger
B. Solomons aged 27 born Russia - Tailor
Chris |
Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris
Post Number: 1392
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 19, 2004 - 10:20 am: |
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There is a family listed at 7 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel which may also be worth considering:
Head:
Hannah Solomons aged 56 (Widow) born Berlin, Germany - Tailoress
Sons:
S. Solomons aged 32 - Tailor
B. Solomons aged 30 - Tailor
M. Solomons aged 28 - Tailor
All sons born in Whitechapel
Chris
(Message edited by Chris on September 19, 2004) |
Stephen P. Ryder
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 3228
Registered: 10-1997
| | Posted on Sunday, April 24, 2005 - 9:17 pm: |
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I can't seem to find any references to a Benjamin Amos Soloman in any of the press or police reports. Seeing as how Woodhall's research for this book was based largely on oral history from local residents and Woodhall's own contacts within the police, it is quite possible that names and specific details may have gotten garbled over time. (This was, remember, just about fifty years after the murders had taken place).
In fact, a case can be made that "Benjamin Amos Soloman" was really a reference based on vague memories of the witness George Hutchinson. There are at least five similarities between the statements of 'Soloman' and Hutchinson:
1. Woodhall states that Soloman came forward with his testimony "about two or three days after the last crime", i.e. around 11-12 November. George Hutchinson first made his statement to the police at 6.00pm on 12 November.
2. Soloman saw Mary Kelly with a man at around 2.30am on 9 November. Hutchinson claimed to have seen Mary Kelly with a suspicious-looking man at 2.00am on that same morning.
3. Both Soloman and Hutchinson stated that they personally knew and recognized Mary Kelly by sight.
4. Soloman described the suspicious-looking man as wearing a "black trilby hat". Hutchinson's man wore a "dark felt hat turned down in the middle". The authors of the A-Z note on p. 196 of their 3rd edition that the style of hat described by Hutchinson was "the shape which evolved variously into Homburgs, Stetsons, Panamas and Trilbies". (Emphasis added).
5. Although it is difficult to discern precisely what Woodhall means to say in the above passage, he does seem to indicate that Soloman claimed to have seen the Ripper on two separate occasions. George Hutchinson similarly claimed to have seen his man twice - first on the morning of 9 November, and subsequently in Petticoat Lane on 11 November.
Probably not enough similarity to definitively state that Soloman and Hutchinson were one and the same, but without any other evidence to support Soloman's existence this seems to me to be the most likely explanation.
Stephen P. Ryder, Exec. Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper
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