Author: Paul Carpenter
Monday, 18 December 2000 - 12:08 pm |        |
I seem to recall from my 'Uncensored Facts' that Joseph Lawende (or maybe Levy - I don't have the book to hand) acted as some kind of character witness for one Martin Kosminksi on his arrival in England.
Given that we know that a 'Kosminski' was named as a suspect at the time, and that some police officials believed that the suspect had been identified by a witnesses who refused to testify so as not to have a hanging on his conscience, what research has been done into Martin Kosminski's family? I understand that he himself is a very unlikely candidate, but if he had a brother or somesuch...
Perhaps if Lawende/Levy recognised a relative of a good friend during a Ripper attackm this would be a motivation for refusing to tesstify against him?
That's my speculations over for now - have a good christmas, and may yule logs and goosefat fill your hearts...
Cheers,
Carps |
Author: Martin Fido
Monday, 18 December 2000 - 02:15 pm | |
Researched very thoroughly by Paul Begg at the time he was writing 'The Uncensored Facts.' After thinking just the thoughts that seem to be occurring to you, Paul traced him on down through election registers to a late date - the 1920s, if I remember aright. And concluded (regretfully) that he must be innocent.
Martin F |
Author: Jim Kay
Tuesday, 19 December 2000 - 05:06 pm | |
Dear All
Do we know (roughly) how many people called "Kosminski" lived in the Whitechapel area at the time of the murders?
I am aware that many poor Jewish immigrants arrived in East London and were never properly registered as resident there.
However, if "Kosminski" as Swanson/Anderson have outlined him, was a credible suspect then there surely would have been some record of him? Is it possible that another person named "Kosminski" is the real Polish Jewish suspect and has been missed due to incomplete or missing records?
All the best
Jim K
P.S has there ever been any suggestion of an arrest record or warrant for "Kosminski"? Having read most of the published literature on him I cannot find any mention of this. |
Author: David M. Radka
Tuesday, 19 December 2000 - 08:24 pm | |
Jim,
Just about the only reliable record we have of "Kinky" Kosminski is that he loved to play with himself. Phillip Roth wrote a Jewish novel about him during the 1960s entitled "Portnoy's Complaint." Aaron set the all-time record back in '88. He'd be a natural on today's masturbation-oriented internet, what with all the emphasis on fetishes, true-life sex stories, "Ben Dover," and so forth.
David
P.S. He was never arrested. |
Author: Jon
Tuesday, 19 December 2000 - 10:15 pm | |
Sheesh, David, you accountants certainly know how to live
:-) |
Author: David M. Radka
Wednesday, 20 December 2000 - 09:59 am | |
PS, I absolutely did not mean in any way to generally disparage the Jewish people by my post above concerning Roth's "Jewish novel" concerning, among many other things, masturbation. Roth wrote what he wrote, and I'd advise anyone interested to read the book to see for themselves.
David |
Author: Noel c. Auger
Saturday, 30 November 2002 - 07:19 pm | |
Kosminski was not a common name amongst immigrant Jews in England in the 1880`s. Asearch of the 1881 census shows only Martin Kosminski and his family.
A search of similar names shows only:
Daniel Kosminsky Hair Dresser Age 27 Born Poland
Rosa Kosminsky Wife Age 27 Born Poland
Hailer Sorben Min L Age 65 Born Poland
All residing at 10 Bromehead Street, Mile End Old Town
The Swanson Marginalia and Martin Fido`s researches would appear to rule out these individuals from the case but it may have been relative of theirs subsequently arriving who may have been under suspicion in these offences. |
Author: David Radka
Saturday, 30 November 2002 - 07:42 pm | |
Noel,
Please explain "Min L".
Thank you.
David |
Author: Noel c. Auger
Saturday, 30 November 2002 - 08:27 pm | |
| Min L is an abbreviation for Mother in Law. My apologies. |
Author: Chris Phillips
Sunday, 01 December 2002 - 08:28 am | |
There is also this family in the 1881 census, at St Georges St, Middlesex:
Philip KOSMINSKIA Head M Male 26 Poland, Russia Journeyman Bootmaker
Dinah KOSMINSKIA Wife M Female 28 Poland, Russia
Moris KOSMINSKIA Son Male 3 Wapping, Middlesex, England
Leah KOSMINSKIA Dau Female 10 m Wapping, Middlesex, England
There's quite a lot of information on other boards about different families called Kosminsky or similar.
Intriguingly, there was apparently a 41-year-old Polish-born boot and shoe maker called Isaac K. living with his family in Goulston Street in the 1891 census.
By 1901, there are many more Kosminskys listed in the census. From the ages and places of birth, some of these families were clearly in England at the time of the murders or soon after.
Apart from Martin and his brother Samuel:
Joseph Kosminski, 46, b. Poland; St George in the E
Morris Kozminski, 36, "Naturalised British Subject"; St George in the E
Simon Kosminski, 41, Poland Jew; St Georges
Marks Kosminski, 41, Poland Russian Subject; Mile End Old Town.
Despite the discrepancies of detail, I find it difficult to believe that the Kosminsky subject wasn't Aaron, though.
But it's certainly an extremely odd coincidence, given the rarity of the name, that the witness Lawende should have been closely associated with another Kosminsky. |
Author: Chris Phillips
Sunday, 01 December 2002 - 10:29 am | |
Sorry - it was Levy, not Lawende, who was Martin's sponsor.
Still a strange coincidence, though. |
