George Chapman (poisoner)

George Chapman

George Chapman (born December 14, 1865 in Nagórna, today in Koło ( Poland ) as Seweryn Antonowicz Kłosowski , † April 7, 1903 in Wandsworth Prison , London , England ) was a well-known poisoner. It has been suggested that he was also Jack the Ripper .

Life

Seweryn Antonowicz Kłosowski began an apprenticeship as a healing assistant and hairdresser in Poland at the age of 15 . The surgical then training he completed in a clinic in Warsaw . He then served a year and a half in the military as a field clerk . He emigrated to London around 1887, but his stay in London from 1888 onwards is certain. At first he hired himself out as a salaried hairdresser, but opened his own hairdressing salon in the Tottenham district around 1888 . He married Lucy Baderski, a native of Poland, on October 29, 1889, with whom he had two children. Shortly thereafter, another Polish woman appeared who claimed to have married him in Poland. At first they lived together in a ménage à trois before she returned to Poland, who later came to London. Kłosowski emigrated to the USA with Lucy Baderski in April or May 1891 and settled in New Jersey , where he opened a hairdressing salon. He fell out over women’s stories with his wife, who separated from him and returned to England. He finally followed her in 1893. In London, the couple moved together again, but soon separated again because of his affairs. What followed was a year-long relationship with a certain Annie Chapman. After the relationship ended, he took her name and called himself George Chapman from then on . It was by this name that he became known and later convicted.

The actions

Mary Isabella Spink

In 1895 George Chapman met Mary Isabella Spink, nee Renton, at a Renton family with whom he lived. She was married to another man, but lived separately from him. Mr. Spink had left her because of her addiction to alcohol. Chapman and Mrs. Spink became a couple, from October 1895 they claimed to acquaintances that they were married. Together they opened a hairdressing business, which initially did well, but after a while its sales fell noticeably because of Mary Spink's alcohol consumption. In 1897, Chapman asked a customer and druggist for a bottle of emetic tartar . This was given to him after he had acknowledged receipt in the poison book. The barber shop had to be closed, and Chapman leased the Prince of Wales inn in the fall of 1897 . Mary Spink's health now deteriorated significantly. This was characterized by vomiting, diarrhea and considerable abdominal pain. On December 25, 1897, Mrs. Spink finally died. The doctor who was called noted tuberculosis as the cause of death on the death certificate . During the later autopsy , the poison antimony was found in her body.

Bessi Taylor

In early 1898, Chapman took Elizabeth Bessi Taylor into his service as a maid. With her, too, he claimed to guests and acquaintances that they had married. She agreed and asked “Mrs. Chapman ”. Shortly after the alleged marriage, she too fell ill. Doctors could not diagnose the cause of the disease. She died on February 13, 1901. The doctor Dr. Stoker noted exhaustion as a result of excessive diarrhea and nausea as the cause of death. Antimony was also later found in her corpse.

Maud Marsh

In August 1901, George Chapman hired twenty-year-old Maud Marsh. She had previously lived with her parents, but moved to the Chapmans Inn after being hired. In her case, too, the couple claimed to have married. Maud also fell ill shortly afterwards. She was first taken to a hospital, where her condition initially improved. Thereupon released, she returned to Chapman but suffered a relapse. The summoned Dr. However, Stoker could not determine any cause for the disease. The condition worsened despite the care of the doctor. Her mother finally became suspicious and instructed the doctor Dr. Grapel with the examination of her daughter. He came to the conclusion that there was poisoning, but he could not determine the poison. Maud Marsh passed away shortly afterwards.

Shaken by the corresponding message from Dr. Grapels arranged for Dr. Stoker performing an autopsy . With the help of a chemical analysis, traces of antimony were detected. On October 23, 1902, the arrest warrant was issued against Chapman. He was arrested by Inspector Godley, who was also involved in the investigation into the Jack the Ripper case .

process

The trial of Chapman opened on March 16, 1903 at the Old Bailey and lasted four days. The indictment was represented by the later politician Edward Carson , who had already appeared in the trial of Oscar Wilde , the judge was Justice Grantham. A total of 37 witnesses were heard. The autopsies on the corpses, which were saved from decomposition by the concentration of antimony, were an additional burden for Chapman. There was considerable public interest, which is why the negotiations were well attended. Eventually the jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to death by hanging . The sentence was on April 7, 1903 Wandsworth Prison enforced .

Suspicion of Chapman as Jack the Ripper

Even during the investigation, police officers suspected that George Chapman was Jack the Ripper . This view was later taken up by various other people. Essentially, the presumption is based on the fact that Chapman was in the vicinity, temporarily living in the same house as one of the victims. A similar murder of a certain Carrie Brown occurred in New York while he was in New Jersey . In addition, he had surgical skills through his training, which was also said of the ripper. In addition, his appearance matched a testimony that described the Ripper.

In contrast, Chapman should have changed his modus operandi in his actions, which is rather unusual. Ultimately, the motivations for the deeds are not similar either.

literature

• Maximilian Jacta : Was it Jack-the-Ripper? The George Chapman case . In: Erich Schwinge: Famous criminal trials. Spectacular cases in international criminal history . Special edition. Orbis-Verlag, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-572-01242-2 .
• Hendrik Püstow and Thomas Schachner: Jack the Ripper. Anatomy of a legend . Militzke, Leipzig 2006, ISBN 3-86189-753-9 .

Web links

Commons : George Chapman (Poisoner)  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Chapman on jacktheripper.de
• Chapman on casebook.org (English)