Eyewitness to a murder attributed to Jack the Ripper
Israel Schwartz
Born
19th century
Nationality
Polish
Known for
Being a witness to a murder by Jack the Ripper
Israel Schwartz was a man who, in 1888, claimed to have witnessed an assault on a London woman that is believed to be tied to the Jack the Ripper slayings and one of the few people who might have had a good look at the murderer.[1] Though he was described at the time as being from Hungary, 1891 census entries show him as being Polish and of Jewish descent.[2]
Schwartz officially testified to the police, the following:[3] shortly after midnight on September 30, he was walking down a street when he saw a man stop and speak to a woman who was standing in a gateway. Schwartz stated that the man then threw the woman to the ground. Schwartz crossed the street and began walking away when the attacker saw him. The attacker called out the name "Lipski" — apparently an anti-Semitic insult related to Israel Lipski's murder of a woman the year before. Schwartz reported seeing another man smoking a pipe nearby at the time, and that this man started walking towards Schwartz, possibly following him, prompting Schwartz to run away.[4]
Schwartz described the possible murderer as being around 30-years-old with a height of around 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m), fair complexion, dark hair, small brown moustache, with a full face and broad shouldered.[3]
Shortly after the time that Schwartz claimed this incident had happened, the body of Elizabeth Stride was found in the same location. That same day Schwartz identified Stride's body as that of the woman he had seen attacked and gave testimony to the police about what he had seen.[5] He was able to give descriptions of both men but was unable to say whether they knew each other or had been working together.
Several years after the crimes, Commissioner Robert Anderson claimed in his autobiography The Lighter Side of My Official Life that the Ripper had been identified by "the only person who ever had a good view of the murderer." Chief Inspector Donald Swanson, in marginalia found in his personal copy of Anderson's book, stated that the witness in question was Jewish. Some Ripperologists have concluded that Schwartz was most likely the man being referred to, although a number of other people, primarily Joseph Lawende, have also been suggested. Swanson speculated that the witness had identified but then refused to testify against "Kosminski"—understood to be Aaron Kosminski, a Jewish barber—because it would likely have caused the death of a fellow Jew.[6] This speculation has never been verified.
^Shellenberger 2003, p. 16, 1. The Murders.
^Sironi, Antonio; Coram, Jane (1 April 2006). Begg, Paul; George, Christopher T.; Zinna, Eduardo (eds.). "Anything But Your Prayers: Victims and Witnesses on the Night of the Double Event". Ripperologist. 11 (66). Maidstone, United Kingdom: Mango Books: 3–14.
^ ab"Elizabeth Stride (29 Sept 1888): Police report: questioning of Israel Schwartz" (1 November 1888) [Textual record]. MEPO - Records of the Metropolitan Police Office, Series: MEPO 3 - Metropolitan Police: Office of the Commissioner: Correspondence and Papers, Special Series [Subsubseries within MEPO 3 - The Whitechapel Murders ("Jack the Ripper")], Box: Folio No: 204-206, File: MEPO 3/140 - Case papers of eleven victims. With photographs. Described at item level., ID: MEPO 3/140. London, United Kingdom: The National Archives, Kew, United Kingdom Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
^Shellenberger 2003, p. 28, 1. The Murders.
^McLaughlin, Robert J. (1 March 2003). Begg, Paul; George, Christopher T.; Zinna, Eduardo (eds.). "Interpreting 'Lipski'". Ripperologist. 8 (45). Maidstone, United Kingdom: Mango Books.
^Bennetto, Jason (13 July 2006). Currie, Shayne (ed.). "Book claims to solve mystery of Jack the Ripper". The New Zealand Herald. Auckland, New Zealand: NZME Publishing Limited. ISSN 1170-0777.
IsraelSchwartz was a man who, in 1888, claimed to have witnessed an assault on a London woman that is believed to be tied to the Jack the Ripper slayings...
Anat Schwartz (Hebrew: עֲנָת שְׁווַרְץ; born 1978) is an Israeli filmmaker, television director, data analyst, and freelance writer. Her films and the...
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant, West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon and Syria to the north, the West Bank...
Matt Schwartz (born 26 October 1971) is an Israeli-British record producer, songwriter, composer, arranger, programmer, sound engineer, mixing engineer...
the following day, 22 August 1887, in the yard of Newgate Prison. IsraelSchwartz, a man of "Jewish appearance", reported witnessing a woman being assaulted...
Roy Schwartz Tichon (born 1992) is an Israeli entrepreneur, mostly known for making an alternative for public transportation on Shabbat (Saturday) in...
Adrian Ben Herman Schwartz (born 1948) is an Israeli former backgammon champion and convicted serial rapist. He was the first person to be put on retrial...
October and posted to an unknown eyewitness (believed to be either IsraelSchwartz or Joseph Lawende) is also believed to have been authored by the same...
Adi Schwartz is an Israeli journalist and academic. A former staff writer for Haaretz, he currently works as a freelance journalist for Israeli and international...
Working Men's Educational Club, as well as all residents of the area. IsraelSchwartz told investigators he had seen Stride being attacked outside Dutfield's...
Eytan Schwartz (Hebrew: איתן שוורץ) is an Israeli communications and public relations expert. He won the first season of "The Ambassador," a popular Israeli...
Martin Fido and Paul Begg thought there was another witness, perhaps IsraelSchwartz, Joseph Lawende, or a policeman. In his memorandum, however, Macnaghten...
Eliezer (Eli) Schwartz (Hebrew: אליעזר שוורץ, born in Jerusalem, Israel) MD, DTMH is an Israeli physician, known for his speciality in tropical diseases...
Witnesses George Hutchinson Joseph Lawende Charles Allen Lechmere IsraelSchwartz Letters and clues Dear Boss letter Saucy Jacky postcard From Hell letter...
Gerald W. Schwartz, OC (born 1941) is the founder, chairman and CEO of Onex Corporation. Schwartz has a net worth of US$1.5 billion, according to Forbes...
Israel's security. Demands for Israel to not enter into Gaza and defeat Hamas during Operation Pillar of Defense are characterized by David Schwartz as...
Gettleman later recruited Israeli filmmaker and television director Anat Schwartz, whose partner was Sella's nephew. Schwartz did not have prior reporting...
Witnesses George Hutchinson Joseph Lawende Charles Allen Lechmere IsraelSchwartz Letters and clues Dear Boss letter Saucy Jacky postcard From Hell letter...
Witnesses George Hutchinson Joseph Lawende Charles Allen Lechmere IsraelSchwartz Letters and clues Dear Boss letter Saucy Jacky postcard From Hell letter...
The Arab citizens of Israel (Arab Israelis or Israeli Arabs) are the country's largest ethnic minority. They are colloquially referred to in Arabic as...