George Chapman

or Severin Klosowski

1887, Born Severin Antoniovich Klosowski in 1865, he took various medical courses in his home in Poland, travelling to Warsaw to work as a surgeon's apprentice. Sometime in 1887 or 1888 he moved to London.

1888, After his arrival in London he worked for a few months as a hairdressers assistant, before setting up his own shop as a barber in the East India Dock area.
The shop was at 126 Cable Street, St. George's-in-the-East. The Post Office London Directory of 1889 lists this as his address, so it is likely that this was also his home residence in the autumn of 1888, during the Ripper murders.

1890, Klosowski took a similar job in a barber shop on the corner of Whitechapel High Street and George Yard.
This is significant, as possible Ripper victim Martha Tabram (killed August, 1888) was murdered in the George Yard buildings, which were only a few yards from this shop.

October 1889, at the Polish Club in St. John's Square, Clerkenwell,  he met Lucy Baderski, within 5 weeks they were married.
He had previously been married in Poland, and his first, - legal wife, came over to 'get her man back' this failed and she returned to Poland at the same time that Baderski gave birth to a son. The boy only lived a few months.
Shortly after this they emigrated to New Jersey, USA,
While they were there the arguments between the couple got worse. Klosowski worked in a barber shop, where he was seen to attack Lucy on more than one occasion.

February 1892, Lucy moved back to England on her own, going to live with her sister in Whitechapel.
She gave birth to their second son in May.

June 1892, Klosowski  returned to England, the couple got back together for a short time, before the relationship ended for good.

November 1893 Klosowski met a woman called Annie Chapman (no relation to the Ripper victim) and took her surname, from this point on he would be known as George Chapman.

March 1896, He met Mary Spink, recently separated from her husband, and with a sum of £500 to her name, Chapman ended with Annie Chapman, he and Spink set up a barbershop in Hastings.

3rd April 1897, Chapman bought an ounce of Tarter Emetic from a chemist shop in Hastings. Tarter Emetic is a white powder often hidden in food, it has a slight bitter taste. It contains a metal called Antimony a colourless, odourless and almost tasteless poison, administered in small enough doses it causes a slow and painful death.

September 1897, Chapman and Mary returned to London and took the lease of the Prince of Wales public house, off City Road in Bartholomew Square. Mary began suffering from stomach pains and nausea.

25th December 1897, Mary died on Christmas day with her husband by her side. The cause of death was given as consumption.

April 1898, Chapman took on a barmaid Elizabeth Taylor. They became lovers and Chapman entered yet another bogus marriage. The Prince Of wales pub burnt down, it was suspected Chapman instigated this for the insurance money, but never proven.

March 1899, the couple took over the Monument public house in Union Street, Borough, however Elizabeth soon began to suffer the same symptoms as Mary Spink.

13th February 1901. Elizabeth Taylor died, on this occasion the cause of death was given as intestinal obstruction and exhaustion.

August 1899, Chapman was looking for a new barmaid, he took on Maude Marsh, who soon became his lover.

October 1899, Yet another bogus marriage, as he was still married to Lucy Baderski.

1902, the couple moved to the Crown pub, Borough High Street. The same pattern followed, Maud falling ill, though this time the victim was admitted to hospital. While in hospital her condition quickly improved, though she soon fell ill again on her return home.

22nd October 1902, Maud died. Suspicions were now alerted and the bodies of Elizabeth Taylor and Mary Spink were exhumed, all were found to contain Antimony, and all were very well preserved.

25th October 1902, Chapman was arrested and charged with the murders of the 3 women.

February 1903, Chapman appears at The old Bailey charges with three murders, he was found guilty on all counts.

7th April 1903, Chapman was hanged at Wandsworth prison.

There is much speculation that Chapman may have been 'Jack the Ripper', these is NO evidence for this, dates and places don't match, and the MO is completely different.

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