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** This is an archived, static copy of the Casebook messages boards dating from 1998 to 2003. These threads cannot be replied to here. If you want to participate in our current forums please go to https://forum.casebook.org **
Vacher, Joseph
Casebook Message Boards: Ripper Suspects: Specific Suspects:
Later Suspects [ 1910 - Present ]:
Vacher, Joseph
Author: A. Dylan Gable
Saturday, 14 November 1998 - 04:19 pm |        | The way I figure, we have to seriously start looking at murderers executed shortly after the JTR murders, as it's unlikely that Jack stiopped his killings even after he returned to his home country (assuming he didn't live in England). Today, I though of another possibility: what about Joseph Vacher, the "Jack the Ripper of France?"
Vacher was ugly as sin -- the police even thought he was repulsive-looking. And I believe he was an epileptic (remember the theory that the Ripper had a disability?). If he was epileptic, virtually no thought would be given to bloody clothing.
Vacher was convicted of crimes that paralleled the Ripper, and another thought occured to me -- I'm not all too sure JTR planned his killings. It's always seemed to me, at least, that dismemberment and/or beheading is a rather "casual" way to kill and implies a lack of planning. This suggests Jack killed them on the spur of the moment, that he had a momentary homicidal impulse. And epileptics have bad tempers -- I can personally vouch for that. If a person rejected him for whatever reason and he became angry enough... |
Author: A. Dylan Gable
Saturday, 14 November 1998 - 04:20 pm | | I was reading the comments under my question you posted for this month, and I read one which suggested that since Mary Kelly spent alot of time in France (this probably accounts for the incorrect name I've found in some books -- Marie Jeanette Kelly rather than Mary Jane Kelly), maybe someone followed her back...
Well, checking back on my resources I've found that Joseph Vacher did indeed contract the sexually transmitted disease orichitis in the late 1880s.
In 1890 Vacher joined the army (the 60th Infantry Regiment, in Besancon). A certain Lt. Greilsemmer who served with Vacher commented on his attitude, saying Vacher was "of the highest moral standing" and that his conduct was always good; but later, his behavior degenerated; he believed himself surrounded by enemies and had a persecution complex; he often raged uncontrollably and was an insomniac; he turned suicidal on several occasions.
Plus, something else I'd add: his repulsive, disfigured appearance I mentioned. He didn't have it yet in 1888, he didn't get disfigured until 1893; according to a police description of Vacher around 1888 he would have been thin; with drawn, taut features; somewhat sickly and frail; with a quiet voice which became "sharp" when he was excited or angry; of medium height; with black hair and beard; a brown moustache; and heavy black eyebrows.
This fits some descriptions of the Ripper, doesn't it? Unfortunately, in 1888 he would have been only 19, considerably younger than any of the descriptions hold the Ripper to have been.
All in all, on a scale from 1-5, I rate Vacher a 3.5; a lot of evidence suggesting it might have been him, but an equal amount suggesting it wasn't. Using the same scale for evidence, I'll rate all the other theories below:
Montague John Druitt.........3.5 George Chapman/Severin Klosowski.........4.5 Tumblety.........2.0 J.K. Stephen.........0.05 Lord Clarence.........0.05
I feel someone should do some serious checking into Vacher's history, although I'm reasonably sure that if there was any chance Vacher was the Ripper, someone would have suggested it by now. I might have forgotten some, but... |
Author: Mark Dooling
Saturday, 14 November 1998 - 04:20 pm | | In message 1, A. Dylan Gable makes the sweeping generalisation that "epileptics have bad tempers". I've been living with an epileptic for 10 years now and can state straight out that this statement is absolute rubbish.
Nor is it true that a fit of temper can lead one to an epileptic fit. Further, there are many different types of epilepsy, most of which involve attacks to the subject which are unnoticeable.
Further, when one is overcome by an epileptic attack, one loses control of one's body which then undergoes a brief series of spasms and then there is a period when one struggles to retain consciousness. Epilepsy is not some kind of "strange madness" where one suddenly does wild, strange (or violent) things and forgets about them afterwards. That's the stuff of Hollywood, nothing to do with real life.
I don't know how A. Dylan Gable qualifies himself to talk about epileptics in this way but I will be stunned if he tells me he himself is epileptic. |
Author: James Harper
Tuesday, 20 February 2001 - 02:23 pm | | Unfortunately, the Ripper's crimes do not necessarily point at an unorganised criminal. In terms of the FBI classifications of serial killers, the Ripper falls more completely into the 'organised' category- he probably didn't know his victims, he left no weapon behind, and specifically went out with the intention of killing someone. These are not traits of the disorganised killer.
Besides, Vacher, if I recall correctly, raped some of his victims, which (again allowing for memory) included members of both sexes and a variety of ages from childhood upwards. It's rare for a serial killer to alter his pattern of victims this way, from a very specific one (female, prostitute, twenties upwards) to a generalised one (any gender, and age, any profession. Vacher was also obviously more at home in the countryside, whereas the Ripper clearly felt more at ease in the depths of the East End.
It's an interesting thought, I agree, but I'm not sure it stands up to close examination. |
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