Changes

'''Jack the Ripper''' was the nickname that the British press gave to a notorious [[serial killer]] who murdered and mutilated at least five, possibly six, and as many as fourteen women in and around the Spitalfields and Whitechapel parishes of the East End slums of [[London]] in 1888 - an area covering just over one square kilometer (half a square mile). The name "Jack the Ripper" was derived from a letter and postcard sent to the Central News Agency on 27 September and 1 October 1888 respectively.  

Jack the Ripper is the name given to an unidentified individual who murdered five prostitutes in the East End of London, England in 1888. Considered history’s first modern serial killer, Jack the Ripper’s savagery in inflicting the murders rocked the highest levels of the British government.

The killer has traditionally been considered to have been left handed, but some today think that this may have been based more upon negative connotations of left handed people in that time than fact.<ref>http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/rip-left.html</ref> It is likely that his victims were first strangled before he used his knife, which could also account for the fact that not a single one was heard to cry out.<ref>Three witnesses reporting hearing a cry of "Murder!" coming from the direction of Mary Jane Kelly's room at 4am on the morning of her murder, but nobody went to investigate.</ref>  There has also been conjecture as to whether or not he had medical knowledge or training, or at the very least, an understanding of human anatomy.  

Britain in the late 19th century was the zenith of the Victorian era, an age marked by advances in art, literature, social, political, and scientific ideas. It was also marked by the expansion of the British Empire, and from Canada to India to Australia it could be rightly said that the “sun never sets on British soil.”  Despite Queen Victoria being one of the most respected of the European monarchs, old hereditary norms were augmented if not outright replaced by a growing wealthy commercial class, and rising with them was a growing middle class.  Nobility was no longer a requirement to be a lady or a gentleman; one of the new middle-class could attain those distinctions by attending any of the prestigious schools of Harrow, Eton, Oxford, Rugby, or many others.

There are 5 victims that are considered the "canonical" victims.  These were all considered victims at the time, and are still considered victims by the majority of [[Ripperologist]]s.  They are:

The East End districts of Whitechapel and Spitalfields had claimed the highest concentration of the poor and underprivileged in all of London, and they were packed in to the point where living conditions were almost unbearable; indeed, an outbreak of cholera there killed three thousand people in 1866.  Charles Booth, a social reformer, conducted a survey in 1887<ref>http://www.csiss.org/classics/content/45</ref> and concluded that 13% of East Enders were chronically poor, with a large part of that percentage he considered to be “…the class for whom a decent life is not imaginable.” 

* Mary Anne "Polly" Nichols, born 1845, murdered 31 August 1888.

With these conditions came crime. Roaming the streets were robbers, thieves, gangs, and prostitutes, and such women in turn would be easy victims to the others. Despite the threat, they still walked the streets at night, hoping to glean enough money to pay the rents charged by unscrupulous landlords. On April 2, 1888 one Emma Smith was attacked by four gang members, and she would die of peritonitis a short time later, but not after describing her attackers. On August 7, the body of Martha Tabram was found in Whitechapel bearing 39 stab wounds.  However, these and other crimes – in addition to the overall living conditions within the East End – were largely ignored by the higher levels of government.  What would follow just a few short weeks later was something that couldn’t be ignored, and would send shockwaves throughout Britain.

* Annie Chapman, born 1841, murdered 8 September 1888.

* Elizabeth Stride, born 1843, murdered 30 September 1888.  

* Catharine Eddowes, born 1842, also murdered later the same day.  

* Mary Jane (or Marie Jeanette) Kelly, born 1863, murdered 9 November 1888. She was the only victim to be murdered indoors and upon whom the Ripper spent a considerable amount of time.<ref>Begg P & Fido M, The Jack the Ripper A to Z, Headline, 1991, pp 29-33</ref>

Another woman, Martha Tabram (1849 - 1888), was murdered on 7 August 1888.  She was considered to be a victim by some of the investigators at the time, and is considered to be a Ripper victim by many.<ref>"The Complete History of Jack the Ripper"; Sugden, Philip; p. 359</ref> It is more likely, however, that she was murdered by her last client, a Guardsman, or the mysterious "Leather Apron", who allegedly extorted money from the area's prostitutes.

Nearby lying in a drainage bucket police found a leather apron of the kind used by butchers and tanners.  A Jewish butcher named John Pizer lived and worked nearby, and he was known locally by the nickname “Leather Apron.”  When knowledge of the artifact became public a small riot ensued that forced police to arrest Pizer and take him to jail, in part for his own safety; he would be dropped as a suspect a short time later.

The murder of Frances Coles (1865 - 1891), on 14 February 1891, in similar circumstances, resulted in renewed fears that the Ripper had returned, although both the police at the time and current researchers believe that one Thomas Sadler, a violent sailor whose ship was in dock at the time, was responsible for her death. He was tried for the crime, but acquitted.

Following Chapman’s killing a large amount of letters arrived at the London Metropolitan Police headquarters and the various news agencies serving the city.  These letters would offer advice on how to catch the killer or offer sympathy.  Well over two hundred of them had claims of being from the killer himself, and naturally they would be dismissed as mere hoaxes; despite this a few stood out.  One was received on September 28, 1888, addressed to the Central News Agency; it was dated three days before, and it gave the police a chilling nickname:

==The "Jack the Ripper" Letters==

:''I keep on hearing that the police have caught me but they won’t fix me just yet.  I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track.  That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits.  I am down on whores and shan’t quit ripping them till I do get buckled.  Grand work that last job was.  I gave the lady no time to squeal.  How can they catch me now.  I love my work and want to start again.  You will soon hear of me and my funny little games.  I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with but it went thick like glue and I can’t use it.  Red ink is fit enough I hope ha ha.  The next job I shall clip the lady’s ears off and sent to the police officers just for jolly wouldn’t you.  Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work, then give it out straight.  My knife is nice and sharp and I want to get to work right away if I get the chance.  Good luck.''

:::::::''Jack the Ripper.''

The first of the letters, now named the "Dear Boss" letter, was sent to the Central News Agency from London EC on 27 September 1888 and was forwarded to Scotland Yard on 29 September. Written in red ink, it was dated 25 September, and read:

:''Don’t mind me giving the trade name. Wasn’t good enough to post this before I got all the red ink off my hands curse it. They say I’m a doctor now ha ha.''

I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they won't fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the ''right'' track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits.I am down on whores and I shan't quit ripping them ti'l I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now? I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear from me and my funny little games. I saved some of the ''proper'' red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with but it went thick and I can't use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope ''ha ha''. The next job I do I will keep something to send to the police just for jolly wouldn't you? Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work, then give it out straight. My knife's so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get the chance. Good luck.<br>

''Don't mind me giving the trade name''}}

The so-called "Saucy Jacky" postcard, posted from London E on 1 October, read:

{{cquote|I was not codding dear old Boss when I gave you the tip, you'll head about saucy Jacky's work tomorrow. Double event this time. Number one squealed a bit couldn't finish straight off. had not time to get ears for police. Thanks for keeping last letter back till I got to work again.<br>

The “double event” took place on the early morning of September 30, 1888.  At 1 A.M. the body of Elizabeth Stride was discovered in a narrow courtyard off Berner Street. Her throat had been slashed but no other wounds were made, suggesting the killer fled after being interrupted.  Some 45 minutes later the body of Catherine Eddowes was found in Mitre Square, disemboweled with her intestines draped over her shoulder; her face had been slashed as well, with an attempt made to clip the ears. One kidney was also missing.

Police inspectors at the time believed the letters could have been an elaborate hoax, possibly carried out by a journalist known only as Best.

Later that morning a letter was received by the Central News Agency, and at the time it seemed to confirm the validity of the previous message; it has since been known as the “Saucy Jack” letter:

A third letter was sent to George Lusk on 16 October 1888. Lusk (1839 - 1919), who had recently been appointed the president of the newly-formed "Whitechapel Vigilance Committee." He had earlier that month requested police protection, having claimed his house was being watched by a "sinister, bearded man". More horrifically, enclosed with the letter was a small bottle, containing half a human kidney (confirmed as such after examination by Dr Openshaw, Curator of the Pathology Museum at London Hospital), preserved in spirits of wine. Although no conclusive evidence can be found, researchers are fairly convinced it was taken from the body of Catharine Eddowes. The poorly written letter read:

:''I was not codding dear old Boss when I gave you the tip.  You’ll hear about Saucy Jack’s work tomorrow. Double event this time. Number one squealed a bit. Couldn’t finish straight off. Had no time to get the ears for police. Thanks for keeping the last letter back till I got to work again.''

::::::::''Jack the Ripper''

I send you half the Kidne I took from one woman prasarved it for you tother piece I fried and ate it was very nise I may send you the bloody knif that took it out if you only wate a whil longer<br>

Analysis of the handwriting suggested that the author "was poorly educated and had little familiarity with the act of writing. He also possessed "a vicious and cunning mind, with the capability of conceiving and carrying out any atrocity. he was intelligent enough to hold down a job and mask his true personality."

A third, more ghoulish letter was sent not to the police or the press, but to a man named George Lusk, who had recently been appointed the president of a newly-formed vigilance committee, created to patrol the streets of Whitechapel in the hopes of stopping the killer. Earlier that month he had requested police protection, having claimed his house was being watched by a "sinister, bearded man".  The letter came in a small box, and enclosed with it was half a human kidney.  Although no conclusive evidence can be found, researchers are fairly convinced it was taken from the body of Catharine Eddowes. The poorly written letter was dated October 16:

Another possible clue left by the Ripper was a sentence chalked on a blackened wall at the entrance of 108 Wentworth Model Dwellings in Goulston Street. The words were discovered by Constable Long at 2:55am on 30 September, directly above a blood-stained portion of Catharine Eddows' apron, who had been murdered some 300 yards away in Mitre Square between 1:40 am and 1:45 am that night.<ref>The time of death is taken from Constable Harvey, who walked past the square at 1:40am and reported seeing or hearing nothing out of the ordinary, and 1:45am, when Constable Watkins entered the square from the opposite end to Constable Harvey and saw Eddows' body in the southwest corner.</ref> The words were not present at 2:20am, the last time Long had passed that spot.

:’’Sir I send you half the Kidne I took from one woman prsarved it for you tother piece I fried and ate was very nise I may send you the bloody knif that too it out if you only wait a whil longer’’

Officially, the message read "The Juwes are the men That Will not be Blamed for nothing", although other witnesses, including City Police, remembered it as "The Juwes are not the men That Will be Blamed for nothing", and it became controversial almost immediately. No formal record of the words exists, however, as the Metropolitan Police ordered them to be erased at 5:30am, despite City requests that they should first be photographed. This was done because the police feared the words would provoke anti-Semitic attacks by the local populace, especially as the Wentworth Model Buildings were largely populated by Jewish immigrants.

 

A possible clue left by the Ripper was a sentence chalked on a blackened wall at the entrance of 108 Wentworth Model Dwellings in Goulston Street. The words were discovered by Constable Long at 2:55am on September 30, directly above a blood-stained portion of Catharine Eddows' apron lying some 300 yards away from her body.<ref>The time of death is taken from Constable Harvey, who walked past the square at 1:40am and reported seeing or hearing nothing out of the ordinary, and 1:45am, when Constable Watkins entered the square from the opposite end to Constable Harvey and saw Eddows' body in the southwest corner.</ref> The words were not present at 2:20am, the last time Long had passed that spot.  The graffiti read "The Juwes are the men That Will not be Blamed for nothing", although other witnesses, including other police officials, remembered it as "The Juwes are not the men That Will be Blamed for nothing", and it became controversial almost immediately. No formal record of the words exists, however, as the Metropolitan Police ordered them to be erased at 5:30am, despite City requests that they should first be photographed. This was done because the police feared the words would provoke anti-Semitic attacks by the local populace, especially as the Wentworth Model Buildings were largely populated by Jewish immigrants.

The word "Juwes" has caused much debate as to whether or not the graffiti was intended to expose, confess, create false suspicion of, or refute Jewish association with the crimes. It is also disputed that the word "Juwes" even refers to Jews at all. To that end, Sir Charles Warren, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, later issued a statement saying that "Juwes" did not mean "Jews" in any known language, in order to silence to press who were speculating that "Juwes" was Yiddish for "Jews". For this, he was personally thanked by the chief Rabbi.

The word "Juwes" has caused much debate as to whether or not the graffiti was intended to expose, confess, create false suspicion of, or refute Jewish association with the crimes. It is also disputed that the word "Juwes" even refers to Jews at all. To that end, Sir Charles Warren, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, later issued a statement saying that "Juwes" did not mean "Jews" in any known language, in order to silence to press who were speculating that "Juwes" was Yiddish for "Jews". For this, he was personally thanked by the chief Rabbi.

Another theory which has come to the fore, along with the discredited Freemason link to the Ripper, is that "Juwes" refers to three central characters in Masonic lore - Jubela, Jubelo and Jubelum.

Another theory which has been fairly recent is that "Juwes" refers to three central characters in Masonic lore - Jubela, Jubelo and Jubelum.

 

 

==Senior Police Officials==

==Senior Police Officials==

Of all the police involved in investigating the Ripper's crimes, three senior officials were not only closely involved in the matter, but also left behind copious notes which have not only provided modern researchers with valuable information, but have also assisted in narrowing down the list of potential suspects.

Of all the police involved in investigating the Ripper's crimes, three senior officials were not only closely involved in the matter, but also left behind copious notes which have not only provided modern researchers with valuable information, but have also assisted in narrowing down the list of potential suspects.

===Sir Robert Anderson===

===Sir Robert Anderson===

Anderson (1841 - 1918) was an Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police CID and the officer in charge of the Whitechapel Murder Investigation from 6 October 1888, until the file was closed in 1892. He remains the only person to state in writing that the identity of the Ripper was known, although he never named him.

Anderson (1841 - 1918) was an Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police CID and the officer in charge of the Whitechapel Murder Investigation from 6 October 1888, until the file was closed in 1892. He remains the only person to state in writing that the identity of the Ripper was known, although he never named him.