This year marks 130 years since the Whitechapel Murders began. It marks 130 years since Jack the Ripper reigned his terror over London. Who Was Jack the Ripper? Jack the Ripper was a notorious Victorian serial killer. The identity of Jack the Ripper remains unknown to this day, although, there are hundreds of Jack the Ripper suspects. These Jack the Ripper suspects vary from the believable to the ridiculous. The Jack the Ripper suspects include everyone from the painter Walter Sickert, to the Royal Prince Albert. There are also everyday men of the time, who are named Jack the Ripper suspects. These include people such as Montague Druitt and Aaron Kosminski. These men have secured their place in history by being accused of being the World's most notorious serial killer. If it wasn't for them being linked to the Jack the Ripper case, these men would have been lost to history - they are only known because of this case. Everyone and anyone who lived in the Victoria Era seems to have been linked to the Jack the Ripper case; if they were a man. There are many theories about Jack the Ripper's identity. But, the only thing about the theories of Jack the Ripper's identity; is that they can't all be right. Either only one of these theories is right. Or, none of these theories is right. Without going into who Jack the Ripper was, at this moment, let's go on to focus on what his crimes were. What were Jack the Rippers Crimes? Why Is He Infamous The Ripper is infamous for the crimes he committed, and gained notoriety for both the nature of his crimes and was the first serial killer recorded in history by the media. The Rippers crimes were gruesome; he murdered, mutilated and disembowelled most of his victims, something which shocked the World and struck fear into the residents of Whitechapel. The victims of Jack the Ripper has been one of huge debate and speculation. Today, there are many theories about how many victims Jack the Ripper had. At the time, there were as many as eleven murders linked to the Ripper case, these victims were known as the Whitechapel Murders. Today, however, most of the victims of the Whitechapel Murders are not thought to be victims of Jack the Ripper. Only five of the eleven Whitechapel Murders are now thought to have been at that hand of Jack. These five victims are known as the Canonical Five: The Canonical Five The Canonical Five are five women, most experts believe, that were murdered by Jack the Ripper. The Canonical Five victims were murdered by Jack from the 31st of August 1888 till the 9th of November 1888. All of the Canonical Five women were prostitutes. The Canonical Five women were: Mary Ann Nichols - killed in the early morning hours of the 31st of August 1888, in Bucks Row, Whitechapel. Annie Chapman - killed just a week later, early in the morning of the 8th of September 1888 in Handbury Street, Whitechapel. Elizabeth Stride - killed on the 30th of September 1888, Berner Street, Whitechapel. Catherine Eddowes - was killed on the same night as Elizabeth Stride, just around an hour later in Mitre Square, on the 30th of September 1888. Mary Jane Kelly - the final victim, in the early morning hours of the 9th of November, 1888, in Miller's Court. What Happened To Jack the Ripper? After the murder of Mary Jane Kelly, the Ripper killed no more. Things had suddenly stopped, as quickly as they started. The question that many Ripperologists wonder, is why he stopped. There are many theories from Ripperologists why things suddenly stopped. Most think that the Ripper either died or incarcerated. It remains a mystery within a wider mystery.
0 Comments
Jack the Ripper is the World's most notorious serial killer. A shadow man, whose identity remains unknown to this day - though, there are many theories as to who Jack the Ripper was. Some of these theories about Jack the Ripper seem credible, while other theories about Jack the Ripper seem fanciful.
His identity revealed, could have enlightened us to how many people Jack the Ripper actually killed. We may never know who Jack was, or how many victims he actually passed - far too much time has passed, which probably means that the Jack the Ripper events will largely remain a mystery. There are things that are less of a mystery though. The Whitechapel Murders There was a total of 11 women killed in the Whitechapel district of London, between the 3rd of April 1888 and the 13th of February 1891. All of these women at one point or another throughout history, have thought to have been the victim of Jack the Rippers. All of the women were (in order they were murdered): Emma Smith Martha Tabram Mary Ann Nichols Annie Chapman Elizabeth Stride Catherine Eddowes Mary Jane Kelly Rose Mylett Alice McKenzie Frances Cole And an unknown woman whose torso was found. Today, however, not all of the Whitechapel Murders are thought to have been at the hands of Jack. Six of the women are not thought to have been victims of the Ripper. The Canonical Five Five of the women from the Whitechapel Murders are now thought to have been the work of one man - Jack. These women were: Mary Ann Nichols Annie Chapman Elizabeth Stride Catherine Eddowes Mary Jane Kelly The Ripper at least killed five of these women. Could there have been more women that the police didn't discover, that were also victims of Jack the Ripper? Possibly.
The Whitechapel Murders occurred from April 1888 to February 1891, when a total of eleven women were murdered in the Whitechapel district of London. These Whitechapel Murders have all been linked to Jack the Ripper at one point or another.
Today, however, it is believed that only five of these women who were Whitechapel Murder victims, were the victims of Jack the Ripper. The rest of them are not, including a woman called Rose Mylett. Before we go on to Rose Mylett, it should be said that the eleven Whitechapel Murder victims are victims which are debated on whether or not they are Jack the Ripper victims. That is a debate for another post. But for this one, let's focus on Rose Mylett. Who was Rose Mylett? And why was she linked to the Whitechapel Murders? Let's take a look and answer these two questions. Rose Mylett died on the 20th of December 1888. Her death came just weeks after the brutal murder of Mary Jane Kelly. It is believed today by most Ripperologists, that Mary Jane Kelly was the last ripper victim. Her murder was on the 9th of November 1888 and the murder of Mary Jane Kelly, was the most brutal murder of all of the Whitechapel Murders. Who Rose Mylett Was Rose Mylett was a local woman living in the Whitechapel district of Victorian London. Rose was born on the 8th of December 1859. She had a daughter born on the 12th of September 1880, just eight years before she died. Meaning that, sadly, Rose left behind a young daughter at the time of her death. She named her daughter Florence and was married to a man we only know of as Davis. Like many of Jack the Ripper's victims, Rose was a prostitute. She also had a broken down marriage, a drinking problem and was probably a prostitute, both things which were common with Jack the Ripper's victims - women who had a broken down marriage, a drinking problem and were prostitutes.
Amazon
This is why she is linked to the Whitechapel Murders.
She is linked to the Whitechapel Murders because she shared many other common features with Jack the Ripper's victims. She had a broken down marriage, she had a drinking problem, she was probably a prostitute, she lived in Whitechapel at the time and she was possibly murdered too, at around the same time the other women were murdered. Seems straightforward that we would include her as a ripper victim, doesn't it? Well, no. Although she does have similarities with other Jack victims, there's a reason why her status as a ripper victim is debated. The post-mortem showed that Rose had been strangled by someone. It stated that she could not have done it herself. While others have argued that it was a suicided. Given that the post-mortem ruled that this was a murder, it probably was. But there is still a problem with viewing her as a Ripper suspect - her throat was not cut and there were no mutilations. Perhaps, if it was Jack the Ripper, he was disturbed again like he was with Elizabeth Stride? Rose Mylett's death, or murder, happened in the early morning hours too, at a time when Victorian London would have been waking up and going to work. It's possible.
Perhaps, if it was Jack the Ripper, he was disturbed again like he was with Elizabeth Stride? Rose Mylett's death, or murder, happened in the early morning hours too, at a time when Victorian London would have been waking up and going to work. It's possible.
So, what do you think? Was Rose Mylett another victim of the Rippers? Or, was this unconnected to the other murders? It is interesting to hear your thoughts in the comments section! Sources: http://www.jack-the-ripper-walk.co.uk/rose-mylett.htm http://www.casebook.org/victims/mylett.html
In our last blog, we looked at Jack the Ripper's first victim: Mary Ann Nichols. In this blog, we will look at the last hours of Mary Ann Nichols.
Who was Mary Ann Nichols? Mary Ann Nichols was the first victim of the notorious Victorian serial killer, Jack the Ripper. She was murdered by Jack the Ripper in the early hours of the 31st of August 1888. Her last hours are the most documented and well known of her life. The events which unfolded began in the evening of the 30th of August 1888, and into the early morning hours of the 31st of August 1888, where she was found murdered in Bucks Row. The 30th Of August 1888 On the night of the 30th of August 188, there were two dock fires which spiraled out of control. These two dock fires occurred in the Whitechapel Docks. They painted the sky blood red that night through the severity of the fires. The severity of the fires was caused by a large amount of alcohol that was in the docks buildings. The alcohol was responsible for the fire burning so long, it was still burning in the early hours of the morning of the 31st of August 1888. The large amount of alcohol contained in the docks which were on fire, caused the fire to get out of control very quickly. It resulted in the sky turning blood red sky, leaving the Whitechapel skies with an eerie blood red colour. That, alongside the the thunder and lighting that night, and you would think that it was a scene set up for a horror film. It was an atmosphere which belonged to the setting that night, horror-like, eerie and unsettling.
#11PM August 30th, 1888
Mary Ann Nichols is seen walking down Whitechapel Road #12.30AM August 31st, 1888 Mary Ann Nichols is seen leaving the Frying Pan Pub. She was also seen at Brick Lane or Thrawl Street, before returning to her lodging house at 18 Thrawl Street. #1.20AM or #1.40AM August 31st 1888 Because Mary did not have her doss money (in other words, because she did not have money for a bed that night), she was told to leave the kitchen of her lodgings. Around this time, she was sitting inside her lodgings kitchen, eating. Before leaving the kitchen and lodging house, Mary said to the manager of the house 'Never mind, I'll soon get me doss money. See what a jolly bonnet I've got on now.'' #2.30AM August 31st, 1888 This is the last recorded time we have when someone had seen Mary Ann Nichols alive. The last person to see Mary alive was her friend, Emily Holland. Emily Holland met Mary Ann Nichols outside a grocers, in Whitechapel Road and Osborn Street. Emily was returning from the fire at the two docks. Both of the fires were raging well into the night, whilst she was making her way home, she met Mary Ann Nichols. Emily said that Mary, at the time upon meeting her, was ''very drunk and staggered against a wall.'' At 2.30am, Emily remembers the nearby church tower striking 2.30am, which is why we know the time when she spoke to Mary. According to Emily, they both spoke for around 10 minutes. Where Mary had informed Emily that she had got the doss money she needed for a bed that night. Mary said to Emily, 'I've had me doss money three times today and spent it.'' Presumably, Mary had spent her doss money on alcohol. We can assume this because of Mary's drunken state and there is no indication that she spent the money on anything else. As the two parted ways, Mary said to Emily, ''It won't be long before I am back.'' Emily lived in the same lodging house as Emily at the time. Mary's intention after leaving Emily must have been to continue to make money through prostitution, that night. The next 45 minutes were the last of Mary's life. Somewhere between departing Emily Holland at 2.30/40am, until 3.40am, Mary Ann Nichols met and was killed by Jack the Ripper. #3.15AM 31st of August 1888 A working policeman, PC John Thain was walking down Bucks Row (where Mary Ann Nichols was found dead), passed the street and witnessed nothing unusual or out of the ordinary. At the same time, Sgt. Kerby (another on-duty police officer), was walking down Bucks Row and saw nothing unusual. #3.40/45AM 31st of August 1888 Mary Ann Nichols body was found by Charles Cross. Charles Cross was on his way to work at that time. That may seem early or suspicious, but in the Victorian era, it was common for people to set out to work at this time. Therefore, there was nothing unusual about someone like Charles Cross going to work at this hour. However, considering that Charles Cross was at the scene of the crime, it has led some to ask, 'Was Charles Cross Jack the Ripper?' Another man was walking by just after Charles Cross had found the body of Mary Ann Nichols. His name was Robert Paul. Cross shouted over to Paul, ''Come and look over here, there's a woman.'' Paul came over and replied to Cross, ''I think she's breathing...but it is little if it is.'' The men reported that she was still warm when they found her. This was confirmed a short time later by Dr Llewellyn. Dr Llewellyn was called to the scene by police, Llewellyn lived nearby. When he came onto the scene and examined the body, he said that Mary had died ''but a few minutes'' ago. If Charles Cross wasn't Jack the Ripper, then Charles Cross must have just missed Jack the Ripper. Perhaps the horse and cart that Cross was travelling on, gave the Ripper a chance to get away. If the Ripper was at the scene of the crime just before Cross had discovered the body, then, most likely the ripper heard the horse and cart coming and it gave him a chance to get away. Mary Ann Nichols was the first victim of Jack the Rippers, but she was not the last. Her murder was the start of the Autumn of Terror. Mary Ann Nichols died on the 31st of August 1888
Mary Ann Nichols was the first victim of Jack the Rippers. She was also known as 'Polly Nichols'. The first murdered happened in the Whitechapel district of Victorian London, in the early hours of the morning of the 31st of August 1888. However, Mary Ann Nichols evening started in the early evening hours of the 30th of August 1888.
Before we look at the last hours of Mary Ann Nichols, let's look at Mary Ann Nichols before the notorious Autumn evening on the 31st of August 1888. The Early Life Of Mary Ann Nichols Mary Ann Nichols was born in Dawes Court, Shoe Lane, off Fleet Street in London, on August 26th, 1845. She was born to Edward Walker (her father) and Caroline (her mother), in London. Not much is known about Mary Ann Nichols mother Caroline, but her father Edward worked as a locksmith and blacksmith. The Married Life Of Mary Ann Nichols Mary Nichols married William Nichols on the 16th of January 1864, at St Bride's Parish Church. The marriage was performed by Charles Marshall and witnessed by Sarah Good and Seth George. Mary and William went on to have five children. Their five children were: Percy George Nichols, Henry Alfred Nichols, Edward John Nichols, Alice Ester Nichols and Eliza Sarah Nichols. Although they had many children, their marriage did not last. Eventually, their marriage break up would lead Mary into a life of destitution and prostitution, which would sadly lead to Mary's murder at the hands of Jack the Ripper.
Before the pair split up, they both lived in several different types of accommodation. They stayed with Mary's father for most of their marriage, at 131 Trafalgar Street. After spending around ten years with Mary's father, the couple moved to number 6 D block, Peabody Buildings, Stamford Street, Blackfriars Rd, where they lived for around six years.
This was the couples last accommodation together before they split up. Mary Nichols and William Nichols split up in 1881, some seven years before Mary met her fate at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Mary and William were married for around 24 years, the breakdown of Mary's marriage was particularly hard on her. Sometime after the break up of her marriage, Mary became a prostitute, something that her husband William found out about in 1882. Up until that point, William was paying a living allowance for Mary, but he cancelled the allowance towards Mary when he found out that she was a prostitute. Around the same time that William found out about Mary's prostitution, Mary was living with another man called Thomas Dew. But this couldn't have been for that long, as by April 1882, she lived in the Lambeth Workhouse. The following year in January 1883, she left Lambeth Workhouse to go into Lambeth Infirmary. A few days later, Mary went from Lambeth Infirmary, back to Lambeth Workhouse. Mary spent a brief time living with her father between the end of March and the beginning of May in 1883 before she was again back in Lambeth Workhouse. By the first week of June, she had left the workhouse and lived with Thomas Dew up until the end of 1887. The Last Few Months Of Mary Ann Nichols Life On May the 12th 1888, while she was living was Thomas Dew, Mary took up a position as a domestic servant, for Samuel and Sarah Cowdry. It seemed like a bright beginning for Mary, a new job and a new beginning, sadly, it was not, as Mary stole clothes and money from the couples home. Subsequently, she left her job not that much longer than that. Before she had left her job, she was happy about her new job when she started. We know this from Mary's letter to her father, he which she writes: "I just right to say you will be glad to know that I am settled in my new place, and going all right up to now. My people went out yesterday and have not returned, so I am left in charge. It is a grand place inside, with trees and gardens back and front. All has been newly done up. They are teetotalers and religious so I ought to get on. They are very nice people, and I have not too much to do. I hope you are all right and the boy has work. So good bye for the present. from yours truly, Polly''
Answer soon, please, and let me know how you are."
After leaving her job, Mary moved into a lodging house at 18 Thrawl Street. She stayed in Thrawl Street for a few months, before moving into a lodging house in Flower and Dean Street, the most infamous street in Whitechapel, on the 24 of August 1888. Interestingly, experts believe that Jack the Ripper lived in Flower and Dean Street. This was Mary Ann Nichols last address, a few days later on the 31st of August, she was murdered by Jack the Ripper. Rose Mylett is one of the women named in the Whitechapel Murder file. The Whitechapel Murder file includes some of the women who were thought to have been murdered by Jack the Ripper, while other women on the Whitechapel Murder file were thought to have been murdered by Jack the Ripper, but are now contested as being victims of Jack the Ripper. What Is The Whitechapel Murder File? The Whitechapel Murder File is a file which consists of the murders of eleven women. The file was open from the 3rd of April 1888, when the first victim was attacked, Emma Elizabeth Smith, to the 13th of February 1891, when the last victim was murdered. Rose Mylett On The File Rose Mylett was found dead in the early morning hours of the 20th of December, 1888. She was found in the yard of 184 and 186 Poplar High Street, by PC Robert Goulding. PC Robert Goulding found Rose Mylett dead in the yard, though her body was still warm when he found her at 4.15am, on the morning of the 20th of December 1888. He thought that the body was similar to that of other ripper victims, the way he found her. However, it didn't look as if she had been attacked. What Did Her Autopsy Reveal? The post-mortem report by Dr Mathew Brownfield read as the following: '' Blood was oozing from the nostrils, and there was a slight abrasion on the right side of the face... One the neck there was a mark which had evidently been caused by a cord drawn tightly round the neck, from the spine to the left ear. Such a mark would be made by a four thread cord. There were also impressions of the thumbs and middle and index fingers of some person plainly visible on each side of the neck. There were no injuries to the arms or legs. The brain was gorged with an almost black fluid blood. The stomach was full of meat and potatoes, which had only recently been eaten. Death was due to strangulation. Deceased could not have done it herself. The marks on her neck were probably caused by her trying to pull the cord off. He thought the murderer must have stood at the left rear of the woman, and, having the ends of the cord round his hands, thrown it round her throat, crossed his hands, and thus strangled her. If it had been done in this way, it would account for the mark not going completely round the neck.''[1] By his report, Dr Mathew Brownfield concluded that Rose Mylett had been strangled to death. He ruled out that it was a suicide attempt; she was murdered by someone. However, Dr Brownfield's post-mortem report was contradicted by two other doctors at the time of the event. The two doctors who contradicted Dr Brownfield's analysis of the death was Dr Robert Anderson and Dr Bond. Neither of these men thought that Rose Mylett was murdered, both thought that it must have been an accident. Concluding Thoughts Either Rose Mylett died accidentally, or she died by someone strangling her and was murdered. Could she have been a victim of Jack the Ripper's? Is there anything to conclude that she may have been a victim of Jack the Ripper's? There are two things which could indicate that she may have been a ripper victim. The first is that she was a prostitute that was murdered in the early hours of the morning, like the other ripper victims. Secondly, she died just a few weeks after the last confirmed ripper victim, Mary Jane Kelly. Though, the timing of Mylett's death is probably more coincidental than anything else. If she was murdered, then the modus operandi of her killer would have been different to the modus operandi of that of Jack the Ripper's. Therefore, most likely she wasn't a victim of Jack the Ripper's. Annie Millwood is possibly an early victim of the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper. There is a general consensus that Jack the Ripper killed five women in the Whitechapel district of London, during the Autumn of 1888. However, there have been 11 women linked to Ripper case. These 11 women are known as the Whitechapel murders. The Whitechapel Murders The Whitechapel murders include the five women who were believed to have been killed by Jack the Ripper. The Whitechapel murders took place between April 1888 and February 1891. They consisted of eleven women being murdered. Those women were (1) Emma Elizabeth Smith, (2) Martha Tabram, (3) Mary Ann Nichols, or Polly Nichols, (4) Annie Chapman, (5), Elizabeth Stride, (6) Catherine Eddowes, (7) Mary Jane Kelly, (8) Rose Mylett, (9) Alice McKenzie, (10) Frances Coles, (11) And an unidentified women, the only part of her they found was her torso. At the time, these women were the Whitechapel Murder victims. However, Annie Millwood was not in the Whitechapel Murder files, she wasn't named as one of the Whitechapel murder victims. It only seems as if she has been linked to the Ripper murders through contemporaries. In other words, Annie Millwood has been linked to the ripper case through secondary sources. These two secondary sources are from two different books published in the 1990s. One is called 'The Complete History Of Jack The Ripper' (1994), and the other is called 'From Hell: The Jack The Ripper Mystery' (1998). Before those two books, it doesn't appear as if she is mentioned as a victim of Jack the Rippers. Who Was Annie Millwood? Annie Millwood lived in White Row's Spitalfields, near Dorest Street in Whitechapel. She was 38 at the time of her attack and was possibly a prostitute at the time of her attack. But, she was working and living at the Whitechapel Workhouse Infirmary around the time she was attacked. Annie was attacked on the 25th of February 1888. She showed up at the workhouse with several stab wounds to her body, both in her torso and in her legs. Annie survived the initial attack, only to die a month later of natural causes and not of her injuries. The Reporting Of Her Attack Annie's attack was reported in the Easter Post. They wrote this about the attack: "It appears the deceased was admitted to the Whitechapel Infirmary suffering from numerous stabs in the legs and lower part of the body. She stated that she had been attacked by a man who she did not know, and who stabbed her with a clasp knife which he took from his pocket. No one appears to have seen the attack, and as far as at present ascertained there is only the woman's statement to bear out the allegations of an attack, though that she had been stabbed cannot be denied." There were doubts at the time about Annie's attacked, she wasn't believed. Those at the time thought that her wounds were self-inflicted, that she stabbed herself. Annie didn't give a description of her attacker. It's possible that Annie Millwood was an early victim of Jack the Ripper's. The attacker's modus operandi, his attack to Annie's torso and legs, is similar to what Jack the Ripper did to his victims. It's also similar to another woman who was potentially a victim of Jack the Ripper's, Martha Tabram, who had similar wounds to that of Annie's. Whether or not Annie Millwood was a victim of Jack the Ripper's, we'll probably never know. Martha Tabram was a Whitechapel Murder victim. The Whitechapel Murders took place on the 3rd of April 1888, until the 13th of February 1891. The Whitechapel Murders took place over this period of time in the Whitechapel district of Victorian London. Whitechapel was one of the most impoverished and crime ridden areas of Victorian Britain. It was an area of Victorian Britain which was rife with violence, poverty, workhouses, homelessness, prostitution and in 1888, murder. The most notorious murderer from Victorian Whitechapel was Jack the Ripper. Jack the Ripper was a serial killer who was active in the area of Whitechapel from August 1888 until November 1888. It's possible that he could have been active in the area from 1888 until 1891, as the Whitechapel Murder file stretches from that period of time. The Whitechapel Murder file documents a series of eleven murders from 1888 up until 1891. Those named in the Whitechapel files were all women. Most of them were prostitutes and the others were probably prostitutes. Then, there is one person on the file whose full body wasn't recovered, it was just the woman's torso that was found. The eleven women named in the Whitechapel Murder files are as follows, in the order, they were murdered (1) Emma Elizabeth Smith, (2) Martha Tabram, (3) Mary Ann Nichols, who was also referred to as Polly Nichols, (4) Annie Chapman, (5) Elizabeth Stride) (6) Catherine Eddowes, (7) Mary Jane Kelly, (8) Rose Mylett, (9) Alice McKenzie), (10) Frances Coles and (11) The torso of a woman who remains unidentified. It's contested how many of these women were killed at the hands of Jack the Ripper. It's mostly agreed upon that Jack the Ripper had five victims. These five victims are known as the Canonical Five. Their names are as follows (1) Mary Ann Nichols/Polly Nichols, (2) Annie Chapman, (3) Elizabeth Stride, (4) Catherine Eddowes and (5) Mary Jane Kelly. Most experts agree that these five women were the unfortunate victims of Jack the Ripper. However, even the experts aren't sure how many women Jack the Ripper killed. Or even if there were more victims than we currently know about.
Martha Tabram
Martha Tabram is perhaps the most contested victim, with some believing that she was a victim of the Ripper's, while others believing that she wasn't a victim of Ripper's. What Happened To Martha Tabram? Martha Tabram was killed in the early morning hours of the 7th of August 1888, which was a Tuesday. Martha's body was seen at 3.30am at George Yard Buildings by a man called Alfred Crow. However, he didn't realise at the time that she was murdered, as it was still dark. Instead, he thought Martha was a homeless person sleeping on the ground. This was a common occurrence in Whitechapel, therefore, he ignored what he thought he saw and went up to the first floor of the building to go to sleep. Just an hour fifteen minutes later, at 4.45am that morning, another man was walking through the stairway. This man was called John Reeves, he noticed Martha's dead body, because, at that time, it was light. The day light not only exposed Martha's dead body, but Reeves also saw the pool of blood which was surrounding her. Leaving him to realise what had happened to her, he went off to get a policeman. John Reeves returned to the site with PC Barret sometime later. When Was Martha Murdered? Martha was most likely murdered sometime between 2.00am and 2.45am, as that was the time frame given at the autopsy report. At 3.30am a resident at George Yard Buildings, Elizabeth Mahoney, was going into George Yard Buildings and didn't see anything suspicious. By 3.00am, is when Alfred Crow unknowingly discovered Martha Tabram's body. Where Was She Beforehand? On the evening of the August 6th, 1888, Martha Tabram and her friend Mary Ann Connelly (also known as Pearly Poll), were seen in numerous pubs throughout the evening in Whitechapel that night. It was a bank holiday on the 6th of August 1888. They were also seen in the company of soldiers. The soldiers were the last ones to be seen with Martha Tabram. By 11.45pm, Martha and her friend Mary Ann Connelly parted ways. Who Killed Martha Tabram? It seems uncertain as to who killed Martha Tabram. Though, there are likely three candidates that could have killed her, (1) Either one of the soldiers, or a soldier that she was last seen with, (2) Someone that we don't know about, or (3) Jack the Ripper. Could Martha Tabram be the early work of Jack the Ripper's? Was Martha a victim of Jack the Ripper's? It's possible. But, we will never know for certain whether or not she was a victim of Jack the Ripper's, due to the obscurity of the Ripper himself. What Did The Autopsy Reveal? The autopsy revealed several things about Martha Tabram's killing. It revealed that she stabbed multiple times, a total of 39 times. 6 times in the stomach area. Once in the heart. 5 times in the liver area. Twice in the spleen. And five times on the left lung and twice on the right lung. Concluding Thoughts If Martha Tabram was killed by one of the soldiers that she was seen with that night, why did the soldier wait that long to kill her? Martha parted way with her friend at 11.45pm but was murdered around two, maybe nearly three hours later, why would one of the soldiers wait that long? It could have been that something happened between them, or, is it an indication that she wasn't murdered by the soldier(s), but, was a victim, possibly the first victim, of Jack the Ripper's?
There are eleven possible victims of the notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper. Perhaps there are even more victims than that, that were murdered by Jack the Ripper, or less. It is debated among Ripperologists and historians how many victimsJack the Ripper actually had.
If you want to see some of this debate, you can go to the website Casebook.org where you will see that people have different opinions on how many victims Jack the Ripper had. The general consensus is that Jack the Ripper killed five women in the Autumn of 1888. These five women are known as theCanonical Five. Their names follow in the order they were murdered (1) Mary Ann Nichols, murdered on the 31st of August 1888, (2) Annie Chapman, murdered on the 8th of September 1888, (3) Elizabeth Stride, murdered on the 30th of September 1888, (4) Catherine Eddowes, murdered on the 30th of September 1888 and Mary Jane Kelly murdered on the 9th of November 1888. It is thought that these five women were all victims of Jack the Ripper. Not everyone agrees though if you observe the debate on a website such as Casebook.org, it gives you an insight into the difference of opinion; that not everyone agrees that all of these women were a victim of Jacks. The two women which seem to be contested and refuted as victims of Jack the Ripper, mostly are Elizabeth Stride and Mary Jane Kelly. Although Mary Jane Kelly and Elizabeth Stride are debated victims of Jack the Ripper, most experts believe that they were the victims of the Ripper. Most experts contest that the Canonical Five were murdered by the same hand; Jack the Ripper. But, there are another six victims who have been linked to the case known as the Whitechapel Murders. Who Are The Other Six Victims? The other six victims linked to the Whitechapel Murders, are as follows (1) Emma Elizabeth Smith, attacked on the 3rd of April 1888, (2) Martha Tabram, murdered on the 7th of August 1888, (3) Rose Mylett, strangled (or accidentally strangled herself) on the 20th of December 1888, (4) Alice McKenzie, murdered on the 17th of July 1889, (5) Frances Coles, murdered on the 13th of February 1891. Finally, (6) a woman's torso was found in Pinchin Street, Whitechapel in the early morning hours of the 10th of September 1889. Are Any Of These Likely To Be The Work Of Jack? (1) Emma Smith Reasons for: Emma was a prostitute like the other Canonical Five victims. She was also attacked in the early morning hours like the other victims. And Detective Walter Dew thought that Emma Smith was the first victim of Jack the Ripper. Reasons against: Emma Smith was attacked by a gang, who she wouldn't name or tell who they were. However, Jack the Ripper didn't function as part of a gang, he was alone during his crimes. Although Walter Dew thought that this action of Jack the Ripper, his colleagues disagreed with him. (2) Martha Tabram Reasons for: Martha Tabram was a prostitute who was murdered in the early morning hours, both things were similar to the Canonical Five victims. The police at the time didn't connect Martha Tabrams killing to the attack on Emma Smith. However, they did relate it to the other killings. Reasons against: Although police at the time connected Tabram's killing to that of the other ripper victims, most contemporaries today do not. The way she was killed was also different from that of the Jack the Ripper victims. (3) Rose Mylett Reasons for: Her death occurred close to the Ripper killings. Other than that, there appear to be no similarities with her death and that of the deaths of Jack the Rippers victims. But, Rose Mylett was a prostitute. Reasons against: It appears that her death was an accident, or possibly suicide. The modus operandi would have been different if it was an attack. (4) Alice McKenzie Reasons for: Alice McKenzie was murdered in the early hours of the morning and was probably a prostitute, both similar to the Jack the Ripper victims. She was attacked in a similar way to the Ripper victims, but, it was possibly a copycat killing. Reasons against: Although her death was similar to that of the Ripper victims, it wasn't identical. The police at the time, including Inspector Abberline, didn't think that Alice McKenzie was murdered by Jack the Ripper. (5) Frances Cole Reasons for: Frances Cole was murdered in a similar way to the other Jack the Ripper victims, she was also murdered in the early morning hours. She might have been the last victim of Jack the Rippers. France Cole was the last victim on the Whitechapel Murder files. Reasons against: There were no mutilations on Frances Cole. There were mutilations on the other Ripper victims, apart from Elizabeth Stride. Though it's thought that Jack the Ripper was disturbed when he was attacking Elizabeth Stride, and that is why there were no mutilations to her body. (6) The Torso Reasons for: There doesn't seem to be any reasons for suggesting that this was Jack the Ripper, other than the timeframe that the torso was found. Reasons against: Everything, it seems like a completely different killing, than the other Jack the Ripper victims.
Mary Jane Kelly was the fifth, and final victim of Jack the Ripper. Before she was murdered by Jack the Ripper, it seemed as though the ripper murders had stopped, as there were no ripper murders throughout the month of October 1888. Beforehand, the last ripper murders happened on the 30th of September 1888. Mary Jane Kelly's murder happened on the 9th of November 1888.
The last hours of Mary Jane Kelly's life happened on the 8th of November 1888 and in the early morning hours of the 9th of November 1888. The 8th of November 1888 The 8th of November 1888 was a Thursday and the 9th of November 1888 was a Friday. Before November 8th, Mary Jane Kelly was dating a man called Joseph Barnet beforehand. It is said that Kelly and Barrnet had a pleasant relationship, even when they split up, they kept on friendly terms and met each other on a daily basis. The pair met in April 1887 on Commerical Road. Although Joseph Barnet was born in London, he also was of Irish heritage, like Mary Jane Kelly was. Although, Mary Jane Kelly was born in Ireland. Barnet worked in Billingsgate Fish Market as a riverside labourer. Barnet was born in 1858 and he died in 1926. Both Barnet and Kelly were said to have been of 'good character.' According to Julia Venturney said that Barnet treated Mary Kelly well and gave her money. In 1887 Kelly and Barnet lived in lodgings in George Street, off Commercial Street. They then moved to Little Paternoster Row, off Dorset Street.
Soon after they moved to Little Paternoster Row, they were evicted from the place for being drunk and not paying the rent. They then moved to Brick Lane, after they were evicted from Little Paternoster Row, sometime in either February 1888 or March 1888. They lived for a few months here.
By August or September 1888, Mary Jane Kelly and Joseph Barnet split up. At this time, Mary returned to prostitution. Although they had split up, they kept in touch and met each other on a daily basis. Kelly had moved to 13 Miller's Court, where Barnet would meet her regularly. However, Barnet left her again on the 30th of October 1888. Elizabeth Prater, a neighbour of Mary Jane Kelly's, said that the couple had a fight that day between 5 PM and 6 PM and that Barnet left her. He went to live at the Buller's Boarding House at 24-25 New Street, Bishopsgate. At Mary Jane Kelly's inquest, Barnet reaffirmed what Elizabeth Prater had said he had left Mary Jane Kelly because she was allowing other prostitutes to live at 13 Miller's Court. He went on to say that he would not have left Mary if it wasn't for the other prostitutes that she was allowed into their house. His words were that ''I shouldn't have left her if it had not been for the prostitutes stopping at the house.'' On November the 7th, Mary bought a half penny candle from McCarthey's Shop. Later that evening, Mary Jane Kelly is spotted with a man who resembles the appearance of a man seen with Elizabeth Stride, just before Elizabeth Stride's death. Kelly is seen with this man on the Wednesday night of the 7th of November 1888. Throughout the day of the 8th of November, it is unclear what Mary Jane Kelly was doing that day, her last day. As there aren't any sources to provide information about what she was doing. However, the evening of the 8th of November is well documented. The 8th of November 1888, was the last evening of Mary Jane Kelly's life. The first hour that is documented is between around 7 PM and 8 PM that evening.
Mary Jane Kelly and Joseph Barnet spent the early evening together, it was the last time he saw her alive. He left around 7 PM to 8 PM. They were also with a friend of Mary's, Maria Harvey, who had left Miller's Court around the same time as Joseph Barnet did.
At 8 PM on the hour, Mary Jane Kelly's neighbour, Julia Venturney, who lived at 1 Miller's Court, went to sleep. Barnett arrived at Buller's Boarding House, where he was staying, at around the same time, after he had left Mary Jane Kelly. Although Barnett is and has been named a suspect in the Jack the Ripper case, he went back to his boarding house, played cards for a few hours and went to bed at around 12.30 AM on the 9th of November 1888. It's unclear where Mary Jane Kelly was between these hours, between 8 PM and 11.00 PM on the 8th of November 1888. There were two reported sightings of Mary between 11 PM and 11.45 PM. The first sighting was at the Ten Bells pub, a woman called Elizabeth Foster claims that she had seen Mary Jane Kelly drinking in the Ten Bells during that evening. Whereas another sighting of Mary was in the Britannia, this unconfirmed source said Mary was drunk and talking with a man who had a moustache. By 11.45 PM that night, Mary was making her way back to her house, with another man. She was spotted by a neighbour at this time, Mary Ann Cox who lived at 5 Miller's Court. Mary Ann Cox parted ways with Mary Jane Kelly saying 'Goodnight' to her, to which Mary replied ''Goodnight, I'm going to sing'' now. Kelly was then heard singing 'A violet from my mothers grave', a few minutes after she left Mrs Cox. And again at midnight. Between midnight and 12.30 AM, Mary sat down to eat potatoes and fish, we know this because of the autopsy report which found them in her stomach, and they were thought to have been consumed at between midnight and 12.30 AM. November 9th, 1888 Kelly was singing again by around 12.30 AM. At this time, one of Mary Jane Kelly's neighbours, Catherine Picket, couldn't sleep because of Kelly's singing. She was about to go and see Mary before her husband interrupted her, ''You leave the poor woman alone,'' he said. Mary Ann Kelly was singing again at 1 AM, according to Mary Ann Cox, who was going in and out of her home when she heard Mary. It started to rain at 1 AM, as noticed by Mary Ann Cox. Elizabeth Prater was standing outside Miller's Court between 1 AM and 1.30 AM. She went to bed at around 1.30 AM and said that Mary Jane Kelly's singing had stopped. By 2.00 AM, Kelly meets George Hutchinson, who lives at Victoria Working Men's Home, they meet at Commercial Street. Kelly asks him, 'Mr Hutchinson, can you lend me sixpence?' To which he replies, 'I can't. I spent all my money going down to Romford.' The conversation ended with Kelly replying to him, 'Good morning. I must go and find some money,'' as she set off walking towards Thrawl Street. Hutchinson noticed Mary meeting another man not too far from where they were talking. He overheard them talking. Kelly greeted the man with ''All right.'' To which he replied ''You will be alright for what I have told you.'' They then walked off towards Dorset Street. Hutchinson followed the pair as they walked down Commercial Street and Dorset Street and then off to Miller's Court, where Mary Jane Kelly lived. Hutchinson saw the pair stand outside Miller's Court talking for a few minutes before they started to walk again. Hutchinson heard Kelly say to the man, ''All right, my dear. Come along. You will be comfortable.'' Mary continued and said to the man, ''I've lost my handkerchief.'' To which the man gave her a red handkerchief. The pair then went off to Miller's Court, this was at 2 AM. Hutchinson waited outside Miller's Court until 3 AM. His behaviour in those early morning hours was strange, strange because he was stalking Kelly and this man that night. His strange behaviour that night is why he has been named a suspect. That, and he was the last person to see Mary Kelly alive that night, besides Jack the Ripper (if Hutchinson wasn't Jack the Ripper). Or, could he have been assisting Jack the Ripper that night? He said to Inspector Abberline that he was watching Kelly because the man she was with, was well dressed and that is not the type of customer Kelly was used to surrounding herself with. Hutchinson left Miller's Court at three o'clock when the clock struck the hour. At the same time, Kelly's neighbour Mrs Cox returned home yet again. She didn't go to sleep and heard men frequently coming in and out of Miller's Court in that hour. It was also heavily raining by that point. By 4 AM that morning, another neighbour, Elizabeth Prater, heard a cry of 'Oh murder'. Such cries of 'Oh murder' were common at the time, and she thought nothing of it. Another woman who was staying at Miller's Court, Sarah Lewis, also heard the cry. Mary Jane Kelly's body was found murdered hours later, when Thomas Bower visited Kelly's place at 10.45 AM on the morning of the 9th of November 1888. He was there to collect overdue rent from Kelly. He knocked on the door, to no response. When he didn't receive a response, he went to the side of the house and pulled back the curtain, to witness Kelly's mutilated body. Several hours later, the police arrived at the scene and broke down the door, to enter the house. Mary Jane Kelly died on the 9th of November 1888. |
Archives
April 2023
Categories
All
← Resize me
|