After over 20 years of work, south african historian Charles van Onselen with help of polish one, Jerzy Szczepanski, discovered, that fameous Jack the Ripper is most probably Jozef Lis, alias Joseph Isaac, alias John Silver, a Pole of jewish descent from Kielce city. He lived in a large, not very religious, poor jewish family. He liked to watch slaughtering animals. He earned his living by theft, and often engaged in fights. His favourite weapon was knife, unlike his brother, who prefered guns. He emigrated to the west and established with his friends and relatives from Kielce a group of gangs profiting from prostitution. He also liked to rob banks and jubiliers. In London, the Jack the Ripper's crimes were commited not far away from his barber shop.
Being caught for theft, he spent some time in prison, and changed his name after being released.
At the end of his life, he returned to his motherland, only to be executed by Austrian for alleged espionage on behalf of the Russians
Interestingly, Kielce is known as the city of pocket-knifes.
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