Jack the Ripper is believed to have murdered five women in Whitechapel London, throughout the Autumn of 1888. But this number is disputed: there are disagreements between people as to how many murders Jack the Ripper committed. And therefore. There are disagreements as to how many victims Jack the Ripper had throughout his notorious murder spree.
What is clear, however, is that Mary Ann Nichols was murdered by Jack the Ripper. Mary Ann Nichols was the first Canonical Five victim of Jack the Ripper’s. The Canonical Five were the five women believed to have been murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper; up to eleven women have been thought to have been murdered by Jack the Ripper at one point or another. Mary Ann Nichols Was The First Canonical Five Victim
Mary Ann Nichols was the first Canonical Five victim. The Canonical Five victims were believed to have been the five women who were murdered by Jack the Ripper. Those five women who are believed to have been murdered by Jack the Ripper were: (1) Mary Ann Nichols, (2) Annie Chapman, (3) Elizabeth Stride, (4) Catherine Eddowes and (5) Mary Jane Kelly. Mary Ann Nichols was the first Canonical five victims because she was murdered before the other four women. The reason that all of these women were believed to have been murdered by Jack the Ripper, is because all of the women sustained similar injuries and murders, while also the timing of their deaths was similar (all five women were murdered in the early morning hours).
However, the five were not the only ones to have similar injuries, murders and the timing of their deaths being similar: there were other women from the Whitechapel Murders who had similar similar murders. Although Mary Ann Nichols was the first Canonical Five victim, she may not have been Jack the Ripper's first murder: Jack the Ripper's first murder may have been Martha Tabram. Martha Tabram was one of the Whitechapel murder victims - all of the Canonical Five murder victims were also Whitechapel Murder victims. Who Were The Whitechapel Murder Victims? The Whitechapel Murder victims were eleven women who were thought to have been murdered by Jack the Ripper. However, several senior police officers at the time of the killings as well as many historians today, dispute that all of these eleven women were killed at the hands of Jack the Ripper.
Most experts believe that Jack the Ripper only killed five of these women (the Canonical Five), while others believe that the Rippers killings included all of the Canonical Five women and Martha Tabram. This has led to some viewing the ‘Canonical Five’ as an outdated term for the Jack the Ripper murders.
However, Mary Ann Nichols was the first canonical five victim to meet her ill-fate with Jack the Ripper - something that we will get to later. But first, let us look at Mary’s life before her tragic end. The Life Of Mary Ann Nichols Mary Ann ‘’Polly’’ Nichols, was born on the 26th of August 1845 in London England. During her later life, Mary Ann ‘’Polly’’ Nichols was often known as ‘’Polly Nichols’’ or just simply ‘’Polly’’. It was common in Victorian Whitechapel for people to be known by or use second names - which could explain why she was known as ‘’Polly Nichols’’ during her adult life. But it might also have been a name that she used while being on the streets; Mary Ann ‘’Polly’’ Nichols was a prostitute. Her life didn’t start out like that though; she wasn’t always a prostitute. In fact, in was only in the final years of her life that she turned to prostitution. Beforehand, Mary’s life was a stable one. Mary Ann Nichols was married to William Nichols. They had five children together. Their marriage broke down due to Mary’s drinking habits. Her marriage to William Nichols broke up during 1881, after almost 25 years of being together. Both were married on the 16th of January 1884 in Saint Bride’s Parish Church. Although their marriage broke down in 1881 and they parted ways, William Nichols continued to provide for his wife up until 1882. He stopped supporting her financially though in 1882, because he found out that Mary was working as a prostitute. It is by 1882 that Mary’s life started to collapse around her. By the following year, 1883, the first record of Mary Ann Nichols entering a workhouse was on record - she was in an out of Lambeth Workhouse for years, right up until a few months before her death in 1888. Mostly, Mary entered Lambeth Workhouse; there is another record of her entering another workhouse in 1887 called the ‘Strand Workhouse’. During this period, Mary Ann Nichols briefly lived with her father in 1883. Mary’s father also said that she was a drunk.
It seems that Mary’s problem with drinking was the motivating factor her both her life collapsing around her, and her marriage collapsing around her.
A Short Turn Around For Mary After a difficult few years for Mary, from 1882 up until May 1888, things started to look as if they were turning around for Mary. However. The turn around for Mary was short - it didn’t last long. In May 1888, she left Lambeth Workhouse because she had secured a job as a domestic servant for Sarah and Samuel Cowdry. During her position as a domestic servant with the Cowdry’s, Mary wrote a letter to her father about her new position and told him that she was happy there. Her position with the Cowdry’s didn’t last long - it only lasted two months - as she was sacked by them for stealing clothes. It resulted in Mary going back into the workhouse; this time she ended up in Grays Inn Temporary Workhouse. Just a week before her murder, Polly moved into her last address: which was 56 Flower and Dean Street in Whitechapel. The Last Hours Of Mary Ann Nichols
Mary Ann Nichols was the first Canonical Five victim; she was murdered in the early morning hours of the 31st of August 1888. It’s unclear exactly when Mary Ann Nichols was murdered, but it’s thought that Mary Ann Nichols was murdered sometime between 3.15am and 3.40am on the 31st of August 1888 in Bucks Row Whitechapel. We know this was around the time that she was murdered for two reasons: the first reason was because a police officer - PC John Thain - walked down Bucks Row at 3.15am and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, and the second reason, was that at 3.40am/3.45am the body of Mary Ann Nichols was found on Bucks Row by a man named Charles Cross (her body was still warm when Charles Cross found her). Therefore, it’s most likely that Mary Ann Nichols was murdered just before Charles Cross found her - or, possibly Charles Cross was her murderer? (Charles Cross is one of the Jack the Ripper suspects).
Before Mary Ann Nichols was murdered, she met her friend, Emily Holland, at 2.30am (just around an hour before she was murdered) on Whitechapel Road. Mary was drunk when she met Emily Holland on Whitechapel that hour. They both spoke for a while - Mary was out earning money through prostitution, although she had told Emily that she had already earned that money three times already that night, but had spent that money on drugs. The tragic things is, is that had Mary not spent that money - she may have live, rather than being murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper, in the early morning hours of the 31st of August 1888.
0 Comments
Jack the Ripper, the world’s most notorious serial killer; is thought to have have killed at least five women during the Autumn of 1888.
The five women murdered during the Autumn of 1888, were all killed in a matter of weeks from each other. From August 31st 1888, up to the 9th of November 1888, five women were killed at the hands of the notorious serial killer: Jack the Ripper. , Jack the Ripper is believed to have killed at least five women during the Autumn of Terror. These five women were: Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly: all of these five women were believed to have been killed by the same hand - that hand is believed to have been ‘Jack the Ripper’. However, it’s also been speculated that these were not his only victims.
Some theorists argue that Jack the Ripper had more victims than the five that were just listed - these five victims are known as ‘The Canonical Five.’ Some theorists argue that Jack the Ripper didn’t kill five women, and that he actually killed three women, or four of the Canonical Five women. For example: some theorists argue that Elizabeth Stride was not a victim of Jack the Ripper’s, because she was not mutilated. Whereas, - all of the other four women were mutilated by their killer. Others argue that Jack the Ripper did not kill Mary Jane Kelly. Some theorists believe that Jack the Ripper did not kill Mary Jane Kelly, because Mary Jane Kelly was killed by her killer indoors. Meanwhile, the other four Canonical victims, were killed outdoors. But; there is more to this case than just the Canonical Five victims: there are a total of eleven women who have been linked to Jack the Ripper. These eleven women's murders - are known as the ‘Whitechapel Murders’. The police at the time referred to the eleven murders as the Whitechapel Murders; and opened the case known as the Whitechapel Murders in 1888; it remained open until 1891. The Whitechapel Murders case was first opened on the 3rd of April 1888, with the attack and murder of a woman known as Emma Elizabeth Smith. Some have theorized that Emma Elizabeth Smith, was an early victim of Jack the Ripper’s. However, her attack and murder seems to have been gang-related, rather than that of a single murderer - therefore, along with the nature of the attack being different from the Canonical Five murders, rules Jack the Ripper out for the attack and murder of Emma Elizabeth Smith. Emma Elizabeth Smith was only the first Whitechapel Murders victim; most of the victims were murdered in 1888. A woman named Martha Tabram was the next victim; she was murdered on the 7th of August 1888. Unlike Emma - Martha Tabram's murder did have striking similarities to the Canonical Five victims. Not only was Martha Tabram a prostitute, she was also killed in a similar way to the Canonical Five. But, she was killed in a in a way that might suggest that the killer was less experienced in killing. It could be suggested that due to amateurish nature of the killing of Martha Tabram, that she was the earliest victim of Jack the Ripper - or one of the earliest victims of Jack the Ripper.
After Martha Tabram's murder, there were four more murders that Autumn: what is known as ‘The Autumn of Terror’. The Autumn of Terror is also part of the Whitechapel Murders. The Autumn of Terror is what most people think of - and refer to - when they are talking about Jack the Ripper. The Autumn of Terror was at the height of the Whitechapel Murders cases notoriety. The Autumn of Terror is when five (the Canonical Five) women were murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Most theorists agree that Jack the Ripper killed these five women - while a few disagree.
The Canonical Five were murdered on the following dates:
The night were Jack the Ripper murdered two women on the 30th of September 1888 - Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes - is known as the Double Event. The murder of Mary Jane Kelly marked the end of the Autumn of Terror. It is also believe that Mary Jane Kelly was Jack the Ripper’s final victim. However, it’s possible that Jack the Ripper had more victims than we don't know about. Some have even argued that. However. It's impossible to know how many victims Jack the Ripper had. He could have murdered more women than we know about. Perhaps there were more murders that took place during 1888 that we are aware about. But, what we do know, is that the end of the Autumn of Terror, didn't result in the end of the Whitechapel Murders. What is clear, is that the murder of Mary Jane Kelly, was not the end to the Whitechapel Murders case. There was one more women named in the Whitechapel Murders case from 1888, her name was - Rose Mylett. Rose Mylett was found dead by a police officer on the 20th of December 1888. It was thought at the time, that Rose Mylett was possibly another victim of Jack the Ripper’s. However, her death was possibly accidental, or a suicide. By the end of 1888, it appeared as though Jack the Ripper had vanished as quickly as he appeared. It seemed as if by the end of 1888, that the Whitechapel Murders had come to an end. Jack the Ripper may have been finished after the end of 1888. However, the Whitechapel Murders were not. And the case was still open. Over half a year went by until the next Whitechapel Murders victim was killed - Alice MacKenzie - who was killed on the 17th of July in 1889. Today, Alice MacKenzie is not regarded as a victim of Jack the Ripper by many. At the time, most involved in the case also did not feel that Alice MacKenzie was a victim of Jack the Ripper, though a few did believe that she was a victim of Jack’s. Others at the time suggested that the murder of Alice MacKenzie, could have been a copycat killing - where the killer was either trying to make it look as if the murder was that of Jack the Ripper’s, or that he was just copying. Largely, 1889 was mostly quiet, and Alice MacKenzie was the only known victim to have been murdered that year. There was one other incident: there was a torso found on the 10th of September 1889, which was thought to have been from a woman. But most do not think that this toroso, was the work of Jack. There was one last Whitechapel Murder before the Whitechapel Murders case was closed. The last Whitechapel Murder was on the 13th of February 1891, when a women named Francis Cole was murdered. Again, Francis Cole’s murder did have similarities with the Canonical Five murders. However, it was also thought that her murder was another copycat type killing. And, therefore, not the work of Jack. After the murder of Francis Cole, the Whitechapel Murders case was closed. However, the Whitechapel Murders case, is probably the most debated about, and speculated about case in history. Even today, well over 100 years later, people still debate the Whitechapel Murders case, speculating which of these women were murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper, and who was not.
The inquest into the murder of Martha Tabram began on the 9th of August 1888. Martha Tabram was murdered in George Yard Buildings in the Victorian Whitechapel area of London in 1888, she might have been the first victim of Jack the Ripper.
There were eleven Whitechapel murders, five of them were thought to have been at the hands of Jack the Ripper. These five victims were known as the canonical five victims. Martha Tabram is not one of the canonical five victims. However, her murder has some similarities to the canonical five women. Martha Tabram was a local prostitute, she was a similar age to most of the other victims, she was stabbed to death in the early morning hours in Whitechapel. The difference in her murder is that the canonical five victims had their throat slit and most were mutilated. The Inquest Of Martha's Murder The inquest of Martha's murder opened just two days after she was murdered. She was murdered on the 7th of August 1888, though the culprit(s?) of her murder were never caught, leaving her death unsolved to this day. Her murderer could have been Jack the Ripper. During her inquest, it was discussed how Martha had suffered 39 stab wounds by her attacker. A witness statement from a local in the buildings, John Reeves, said that he was leaving for work that morning at around 4.45am and discovered the body of Martha. The building where she was found, was essentially Victorian flats were people lived. John Reeves found her body in a pool of blood and went immediately to the police. However, he was not the first person to notice Tabram's lifeless body. That was a man named Alfred Crow, who was also giving evidence at the inquest that day. Alfred Crow had noticed Tabram lying at the bottom of George Yard Buildings at around 3.30am, just an hour and 45 minutes before John Reeves found her. Crow had said to the inquest that he noticed her body, but didn't think anything of it - he thought she was a homeless person. When Alfred Crow would have discovered the body of Martha, it would have been pitch black, when John Reeves discovered her, daylight would have been breaking, so it would explain why Reeves saw the pool of blood and not Crow. There were three other statements made at the inquest, made by three other men, beside the two witness statements of Alfred and John. One statement was made by the police officer who was alerted to her murder, PC Thomas Barrett. Another statement was made by a doctor, Dr Killen, who examined Martha's body. And, the final statement was made by the coroner. There was no identification of the murderer and the inquest was adjourned for two weeks after that. The name 'Jack the Ripper' wasn't even created at this point. But the murder of Martha Tabram has been speculated by some, to have been at the hands of Jack the Ripper. The Whitechapel Murders were a series of murders which happened in Victorian London, between 1888 and 1891. The Whitechapel Murders began in the Spring of 1888, on the 3rd of April 1888, when a woman named Emma Smith was attacked. The murders ended on the 13th of February 1891, with the murder of a woman named Frances Cole. There was a total of eleven women murdered between 1888 and 1891, they were known as the Whitechapel Murders - all of the eleven victims were murdered in Victorian Whitechapel, all of them were thought to have been prostitutes and their murders have all be linked in the past. The Unsolved Whitechapel Murders All of the murders remain unsolved. Some Ripperologists argue that all of these women were at the hands of one man - Jack the Ripper. Other Ripperologists have argued that only some of these women were murdered by Jack the Ripper, while the other women murdered were either not related to Jack the Ripper killings at all, or that they were copycat killings which were trying to replicate what Jack the Ripper had done. Who Were The Whitechapel Murder Victims? There were eleven Whitechapel Murder victims, most of which were murdered throughout 1888 - especially during the Autumn of Terror. The Autumn of Terror is the named given to the Autumn of 1888 when Jack the Ripper committed at least five murders throughout the Autumn season. There's the possibility that Jack the Ripper killed six victims during that time (if we include Martha Tabram as his victim). There is also the possibility that Jack the Ripper murdered more women than was known. Victorian Whitechapel was already notorious for being a crime infested area; even before Jack the Ripper committed his crimes. It was an area which was riddled with violence, other street crime like robberies, prostitution, drunkness, poverty, homelessness and poverty. These conditions made it unsafe for a Victorian to live - especially if you were a woman out on the streets, like Jack the Rippers victims were. The first victim of the Whitechapel Murders to have been murdered was a local prostitute named Emma Smith. Emma Smith was attacked, robbed and stabbed in the early morning hours of the 3rd of April 1888. Emma Smith died the following day because of the attack, she was 45 years old. Her murder remains unsolved to this day, the culprit or culprits of her attack were never caught. Some Ripperologists today argue that Emma Smith was murdered by a local gang. However, Chief Inspector of the Metropolitan Police Walter Dew thought that Emma Smith was the first victim of Jack the Ripper. He also thought that someone else was aware of the identity of Jack, Dew said in 1938 that 'Someone, somewhere, shared Jack the Ripper's guilty secret'.
The murder of Martha Tabram came four months after the murder of Emma Smith. She was another local prostitute, who was last seen at 11.45pm by another prostitute she was out with that night - Mary Ann Connelly.
Martha was found murdered in George Yard Buildings in Whitechapel, at 4.45am, she was found in a pool of blood in George Yard Buildings by John Reeves. Her murderer has never been identified. However, Martha Tabram could have been Jack the Rippers first victim. Mary Ann Nichols Martha Tabram could have been the first victim of Jack the Ripper, or, our next Whitechapel victim was - Mary Ann Nichols. Mary Ann Nichols is considered to be the first victim of Jack the Ripper. She is also the first canonical five victim. The canonical five were five women who were murdered in Whitechapel during the Autumn of 1888 (the Autumn of Terror). Many Ripperologists argue that Jack the Ripper only had five victims; these are the canonical five. The canonical five are included in the Whitechapel Murders; they are part of the Whitechapel Murders.
Mary Ann Nichols was the first canonical five victim, she was murdered in the early morning hours of the 31st of August 1888. Her body was found not long after she was attacked, on Bucks Row between 3.40 am and 3.45am. One of the men who found Mary Ann Nichols, Robert Paul, thought that she was still alive and breathing when he found her. Robert Paul, however, was not the first man on scene f Mary's death, that was a man known as Charles Cross (or Lechmere). Charles Cross is a suspect, due to being found at the scene of the murder. There are other reasons for him being suspected of being the killer, such as lying to the police about his real name. Others have ruled Cross out.
Annie Chapman Just over one week since the murder of Mary Ann Nichols, another prostitute was found murdered in Whitechapel. This time, Annie Chapman was found murdered on the 8th of September 1888. Annie Chapman was found that morning around 6 am, by local resident John Davis in 29 Hanbury Street. The inquest into the murder of Annie Chapman found that she might have been murdered around 5.30am that morning, according to the coroner, Wynne Baxter. This would fit with a witness statement. According to the neighbour in 27 Hanbury Street, Albert Cadosch, he went into the yard on 27 Hanbury Street ready to go to work, when he heard a woman say 'No!' followed by a thud on the fence, which might have been Jack the Ripper killing Annie Chapman. Elizabeth Stride Elizabeth Stride was the next victim, she was murdered in the early morning hours of the 30th of September 1888. Unlike all of the other victims, who were murdered much later in the morning, Elizabeth Stride was murdered just before 1 am that morning. This is one reason some Ripperologists don't think that Elizabeth Stride was murdered by Jack the Ripper. There is a reason - Elizabeth Stride wasn't mutilated like the other victims were. There is a reason for this though.
A man named Louis Diemschutz turned his horse and cart into Dutfield's Yard (where Elizabeth Stride's body lay). Diemschutz said that his horse refused to go into the yard and stopped. He got off the horse and cart, went into the yard and found Elizabeth Stride's body. He thought that due to his horse's behaviour, that the killer was still in the yard. If the killer was still in the yard, Louis going to get the police at that moment allowed Jack the Ripper to get away. Had Diemschutz acted differently, Jack the Ripper could have been caught and history would be very different today.
Catherine Eddowes Jack escaped, and just under an hour after Elizabeth was murdered, another prostitute, Catherine Eddowes, was also murdered on that night. This night has become known as the Double Event; when Jack the Ripper murdered two women in the space of an hour. Catherine Eddowes was his second victim that night. She was making her way home after spending the night in a police cell, for being drunk and disorderly on the Victorian streets earlier that evening. Eddowes was released at 1 am from Bishopsgate police station on the 30th of September 1888.
At some point she met Jack the Ripper along the way, she was found murdered in Mitre Square shortly after being released from Bishopsgate police station. She was found murdered and mutilated in Mitre Square at 1.45 am, by PC Edward Watkins. Shortly after her body was found, there was graffiti wand a bloody apron which were found not too far away, in Goulston Street. The apron was took from Catherine Eddowes and used by the Ripper to wipe either blood off of him, or his knife, perhaps both.
The graffiti found had read: ''The juwes are the men that shall not be named for nothing.'' Whether or not this was written by Jack the Ripper, is uncertain. Today, it's impossible to tell. It was immediately washed off the wall by the police, for fear that there would be anti-Jewish riots. There was also no pictures of the graffiti taken (that we know of). Therefore, we cannot compare the Goulston Street Graffiti to any of the Jack the Ripper letters. The Jack the Ripper letters There were several Jack the Ripper letters which were sent throughout October 1888 and one letter which was sent just before the Double Event. The Dear Boss letter was sent, postmarked, on the 27th of September 1888. A postcard, called the Saucy Jack postcard, was sent on the 1st of October 1888. Both the Dear Boss letter and the Saucy Jack letter were probably written and hoaxed by a journalist. There is one more interesting letter. The From Hell letter is the most interesting of all the Jack the Ripper letters. The From Hell letter was sent on the 16th of October 1888 to a local Whitechapel resident called George Lusk. Lusk also received half a human kidney with the Dear Boss letter. Catherine Eddowes, Jack the Rippers fourth victim, was missing half a kidney after her murder and mutilation. Mary Jane Kelly There was one final victim in the Autumn of Terror; Mary Jane Kelly. Mary Jane Kelly is thought to have been Jack the Rippers final victim. Unlike the other Jack the Ripper victims, Mary Jane Kelly was murdered indoors, the rest were murdered outside. Mary Jane Kelly was murdered in the early morning hours of the 9th of November 1888. Mary was also a prostitute and was much younger than Jacks other victims, she was in her 20s, most of the others were in their 40s. She was murdered in her home in 13 Millers Court. The murder of Mary Jane Kelly was the most gruesome out of all of the murders. After the murder of Mary Jane Kelly, the Autumn of Terror stopped, there were no other murders by Jack the Ripper. But, the Whitechapel Murders did not draw to a close after the murder of Mary Jane Kelly, but there is doubt that these other Whitechapel Murder victims were at the hands of Jack the Ripper. One final murder took place in 1888 - that of Rose Mylett. Rose Mylett Rose Mylett was found dead on the 20th of December 1888. The nature of her death is unclear, some officials at the time thought that her death was murder, others thought that she committed suicide. Her death was ruled as murder by jury and several doctors also thought that she was murdered. But one doctor, Dr Bond along with police officials, Robert Anderson, thought that her death was a suicide. The death of Rose Mylett remains unsolved. Alice McKenzie In 1889, a prostitute named Alice McKenzie was murdered. Her murder echoes that of the Jack the Ripper murders. She was a prostitute who was murdered in the early morning hours of the 17th of July 1888. Like the Jack the Ripper murders, Alice McKenzie had her throat cut and hand her abdomen attacked, however, her death has been speculated to have been a copycat killer, rather than Jack the Ripper himself. Pinchin Street Torso The torso of a murdered woman was found on the 10th of September 1889 during the early morning hours. The murderer has never been identified and neither has the victim. The Pinchin Street Torso is in the Whitechapel Murders file, however, the police at the time weren't convinced that this was the work of Jack the Ripper. Frances Cole The final murder in the Whitechapel Murders file was that of a local prostitute named Frances Cole. France Cole was murdered on the 13th of February 1891, she was found murdered in the early morning hours at 2.15 am at Swallow Gardens by PC Thompson. There were no mutilations to her body, but her throat is cut. A man named Jack Sadler was arrested for her murder, but he was later released, as there was not enough evidence to convict him of the murder. Therefore, Coles murder remains unsolved to this day, and her murdered remains unknown to this day. The Frances Cole murder drew the Whitechapel Murders to a close. It drew a close to one of the Victorian Eras greatest mysteries and one of the worlds greatest mysteries - who was Jack the Ripper?
The Autumn of Terror in 1888, was the season where Jack the Ripper reigned his terror. Jack the Ripper has become the world's most notorious serial killer, however, he appeared and disappeared quickly. In other words, the murders that Jack the Ripper committed, did not happen over a long period of time.
As the name'Autumn of Terror' suggests, Jack the Rippers murders happened throughout the Autumn of 1888. The murders began in August 1888 and stopped in November 1888; the murders finished as suddenly as they started that Autumn. Jack the Ripper disappeared into obscurity, his identity never discovered and something which is debated to this day. What Happened In The Autumn of Terror? The murders started on either August 7th 1888, or the 31st of August 1888. Two different women were murdered on those dates. A local prostitute named Martha Tabram was murdered in the early morning hours of August 7th 1888. Whereas, Mary Ann Nichols, another local prostitute, was murdered in the early morning hours of the 31st of August 1888. The killer was never identified for either woman, which is part of the reason some suspect that Jack the Ripper murdered both women. Some Ripperologists argue that Martha Tabram was the first victim of Jack the Ripper; while others argue that the first victim was Mary Ann Nichols. Most Ripperologists do seem to think that Nichols was murdered by Jack the Ripper, but she was not the last woman to meet her end. How Many Women Were Murdered? There was a total of five women murdered, these are known as the canonical five. If we include Martha, then he killed six women. There's also the possibility that Jack the Ripper had other victims that we don't know about. The true extent may never be known. Most Ripperologists, however, think that he had at least five victims. These are the canonical five victims. They are as follows: Mary Ann Nichols - 31st of August 1888 Annie Chapman - 8th of September 1888 Elizabeth Stride - 30th of September 1888 Catherine Eddowes - 30th of September 1888 Mary Jane Kelly - 9th of November 1888 The Double Event As you can see from above, there were two women killed on the same this, this has become known as the Double Event. The Double Event was when the Ripper killed two women on the same night. The two women Jack the Ripper murdered, Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes, were murdered within just 45 minutes of each other. It's thought that the Ripper was disturbed killing Elizabeth Stride, they he became angry, or sickly dissatisfied and went on to kill Catherine Eddowes because of it. Whatever his reasons for killing two women that night, it showed that he was completely out of control that night and erratic. He would have had the police out in force that night when Louis Diemschutz alerted the police to the murder of Elizabeth. Louis Diemschutz found her body just minutes after the Ripper had killed her, he also thought that the Ripper was hiding in the shadows, therefore, the police would have been out in force trying to catch Jack. It indicates that Jack the Ripper was out of control that night. The Silence Of October There were no murders during October 1888 (at least that we know of). Perhaps that was down to the Double Event when Jack almost got caught. Perhaps he lay low that October 1888 because he almost got caught. There was, however, several letters that were addressed by Jack the Ripper. Three of these letters remain significant. They are the Dear Boss letter, the Saucy Jack postcard and the From Hell letter. Most likely the Dear Boss letter and the Saucy Jack postcard were fake and forged by a journalist at the time. The From Hell letter is different, it's probably the only letter sent by Jack the Ripper. It was a letter which was short and to the point. But it was also a letter that was accompanied with half a human kidney. The Last Victim, Mary Jane Kelly The last victim was a local prostitute named Mary Jane Kelly. Mary Jane Kelly was murdered and mutilated like most of his other killings. However, the mutilation of Mary Jane Kelly was far more graphic. She was murdered in the early morning hours of the 9th of November 1888 and became the Rippers last victim (that we know of). Why Jack suddenly stopped has remained as much of a mystery as his identity. There have been many theories about why things suddenly stopped. The most common reasons as 1) He stopped because he died, 2) He stopped because he was sent to a mental asylum, and 3) He stopped because he was too ill to carry on. Whatever the reason was, knowing why he suddenly stopped could help us discover who he was and why he committed those crimes. Drawing 1888 To A Close As 1888 drew to a close, Jack the Ripper wasn't caught. Speculation about his identity has persisted for 130 years after that Autumn of Terror. The Autumn of Terror began in August 1888, when Jack the Ripper began his notorious killing spree. The events of the Autumn of Terror would result in Jack the Ripper becoming the World's most notorious and elusive serial killer to this day. To this day, the identity of Jack the Ripper is debated. The identity of Jack the Ripper is shrouded in as much mystery today, as it was in 1888 when he committed his heinous acts. Another thing which is shrouded in mystery is Jack the Rippers first victim. Some Ripperologists argue that Jack the Rippers first victim was Martha Tabram, who was murdered on the 7th of August 1888. While other Ripperologists argue that his first victim was Mary Ann Nichols, who was murdered by the ripper on the 31st of August 1888. Whether the ripper's first victim was Martha Tabram or Mary Ann Nichols, what is clear, is that his Autumn of Terror began on that August month of 1888. Let's look at a timeline of events throughout that month. August 7th 1888 Martha Tabram is murdered in George Yard Buildings in the early morning hours. Tabram was first found by a man called Alfred Crow at 3.30am that morning, though he didn't know it at the time - he saw Tabram's body lying at the bottom of stairs in George Yard Buildings and thought the person was homeless. It was pitch black at the time Alfred Crow saw Tabram, so it's understandable that he hadn't realized she had been murdered. By 4.45am (with daylight breaking), another man called John Reeves found the body of Martha. It was obvious to John Reeves that she had been murdered, with daylight, he could see the pool of blood that she was lying in. The time of her death was estimated to be between 2am and 2.45am that morning, by Dr Timothy Killeen. 9th of August 1888 The inquest into the murder of Martha Tabram began on this day in history. The inquest took place in the Working Lads Institute on Whitechapel Road. 14th of August 1888 Martha's body was identified by her former husband. 23rd of August 1888 The inquest of the murder of Martha reconvened. The inquest resumed again in the Working Lads Institute on Whitechapel Road. The inquest concluded that Tabram suffered 39 stabs wounds and that her death was by murder. The identity of that murderer was never concluded. 24th of July 1888 Mary Ann Nichols moves into 56 Flower and Dean Street, just one week before her murder. This would prove to be her last address. 25th of August 1888 Martha's death certificate is issued. 30th of August 1888 A dock fire breaks out on the London Docks. It would rage for hours into the night and into the early morning hours; turning the sky a blood red colour. TheLondon dock fire broke out at around 8pm, the fire was so intense because there was liquor stored in the docks. 31st of August 1888 Mary Ann Nichols is murdered by Jack the Ripper in the early morning hours of the 31st of August 1888. Mary Ann Nichols was last seen that morning at 2.30am, by her friend Emily Holland. Emily Holland said that Mary Ann Nichols was drunk by the time that she had seen her and that Mary went on to earn her doss money for a bed that night. Mary had already earned that money, three times over, according to Emily, but she had spent it on drink and had to earn the money again. The body of Mary Ann was discovered at 3.40am that morning on Bucks Row, by a man named Charles Cross.
Today, there are only a handful of Jack the Ripper letters which have remained infamous. These Jack the Ripper letters include the Dear Boss letter, the Saucy Jack postcard, and the From Hell letter. The authenticity of the Dear Boss letter, the From Hell letter and the Saucy Jack postcard, is debated to this day - were they really sent by Jack the Ripper? or, were they a hoax written by a journalist? Those questions are debatable.
Probably two of those Jack the Ripper letters are hoaxes, while the third was real. At the time, police officials believed that two of these letters, the Dear Boss letter and the Saucy Jack postcard, was written by a journalist. Interestingly, recent research on the letters has supported this theory. Both letters were studied at the University of Manchester by a forensic linguistic expert, they revealed what police in 1888 had suspected - that the Dear Boss letter and the Saucy Jack postcard, was written by the same person. That doesn't prove that it was written by a journalist, but there is more - one journalist called Fredrick Best, allegedly confessed to writing the Dear Boss letter. If that confession was authentic, then he must have written both of these Jack the Ripper letters. Therefore, it would solve the mystery of two of the most infamous Jack the Ripper letters. It leaves us with one more letter - the From Hell letter. The From Hell letter The From Hell letter is the most infamous of all of the Jack the Ripper letters. It is a letter different from the others, both in its content and in what it was sent with - half a human kidney. Why was it different from the other letters? The From Hell letter is the most infamous of all of the Jack the Ripper letters. It is a letter different from the others, both in its content and in what it was sent with - half a human kidney. Why was it different from the other letters? Noticeably, this letter wasn't signed off with 'Jack the Ripper', like other ripper letters, were. The other letters were vague in who they were addressing, they were written addressing 'the boss'. However, the From Hell letter was more personal, it addressed George Lusk. George Lusk was head of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee was a group of businessmen patrol the streets of Whitechapel at the time of the killings, to search for Jack the Ripper. Therefore, it seems as if the From Hell letter was more personal - like it was specifically trying to send a message to George Lusk. If that was the case, then it tells us a few things about the author of the letter. And if it was sent by Jack the Ripper, then it gives us some clues to his identity. For one, it tells us that the ripper probably was a local. It also tells us that Jack the Ripper might have known Lusk. What suggests this, is not just that the From Hell letter addressed George Lusk, but it was sent to Mr Lusks home - meaning that the author knew where he lived and who he was. It tells us that Jack the Ripper was possibly hiding in plain sight. Why should we think the From Hell letter is authentic? There are hundreds of Jack the Ripper letters, but only one of them can be regarded as authentic and sent from Jack the Ripper himself - the From Hell letter. There are several reasons to suggest this letter was from the killer: . It was sent with half a human kidney. This goes a lot further than merely hoaxing a letter. It's more sinister and disturbing. . The Missing Half Kidney Two weeks prior to Mr Lusk receiving the letter, Jack the Ripper murdered Catherine Eddowes and removed her kidney. The kidney was examined by two doctors, Dr Gordon Brown and Dr Thomas Openshaw; both believed that the kidney was human. Some have argued that sending this half a kidney was just a joke. However, given that it was a real kidney sent to Mr Lusk, we can't write it off as merely as a joke, especially when a woman was murdered two weeks prior, who had a kidney removed by her murderer, then it can't be seen or treated as a joke. If we do consider it as a joke, then the obvious question is, 'who did the kidney belong to, if it wasn't from Catherine Eddowes?' There's nothing to suggest that the kidney belonged to anyone else. Conclusion These three Jack the Ripper letters, give us a fascinating insight into the Jack the Ripper case. Two of these letters were probably hoaxed by one journalist - which shows how the media sensationalised or were willing to sensationalise the murders (probably to sell more newspapers). Recent evidence shows us that two of the letters, the Dear Boss letter and the Saucy Jack postcard, were written by the same hand. The hand that wrote them, was most likely of that of the Victorian journalist; Fredrick Best. While we can't say the same for our third letter; the From Hell letter. The From Hell letter probably was from Jack the Ripper. Out of all of the Jack the Ripper letters, it remains the only one that was likely sent by the murderer, both due to its content and the kidney that accompanied it. 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.
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.
There were many letters proclaiming to be from Jack the Ripper sent to the police in 1888. However, most of these Jack the Ripper letters have since been forgotten, lost in historical obscurity.
Out of the hundreds of Jack the Ripper letters sent, only a tiny handful remain relevant. The most infamous Jack the Ripper letters are the Dear Boss letter, the Saucy Jack Postcard, and the From Hell letter. These are the three Jack the Ripper letters which have been given the greatest attention. But. Are any of these letters authentic? If any of these letters were authentic, it would give us an insight into who Jack the Ripper was. It also perhaps gave us an inkling into his thinking, and perhaps a reason for his actions. There's so much we can deduce from a letter. From his style of writing, could tell us his educational status to his literacy level. Does that matter? If we think a letter is authentic, absolutely. If a letter suggests that it was written by someone who had poor writing skills, spelling mistakes etc...it would indicate that Jack was poorly educated. That could rule out several suspects, who are well educated - Montague Druitt, for example. It would narrow down the suspect's list if any of these letters were authentic.
Let's take the three letters, and see whether or not they were authentic.
The Dear Boss Letter The Dear Boss letter is the longest of the three, therefore, it gives us more of an insight into the author. The Dear Boss letter has been significant to this case, because it was dated on the 27th of September, and sent to the Central News Agency on the 29th of September...this was a day before the Double Event, where Jack the Ripper killed two women in the space of one night. The letter is significant because of its contents. The author says that on ''the next job I do I shall clip the lady's ear off''. One of the women who was killed on the night of the Double Event on the 30th of September 1888, Catherine Eddowes, had her ear clipped off. Reasons that this letter may be authentic: . The author sent the letter before the murder and wrote in the letter what would happen during the murder. Reasons that this letter may be a hoax: The police at the time weren't convinced that this letter was real. They thought that it was another hoax. The letter, along with the Saucy Jack Postcard, could have been written by journalists. The Saucy Jack Post Card A new study by Manchester University has suggested that the Dear Boss letter, and the Saucy Jack postcard, was written by the same person. The Saucy Jack Postcard, like the Dear Boss letter, surrounded the time of the Double Event. The Saucy Jack postcard was postmarked the 1st of October 1888, therefore, there was plenty of time to learn about the Double Event and then forge it. It's significant because if this letter was forged, then the Dear Boss letter must also have been forged, as they seem to be from the same author. Reasons this letter might be authentic: . It references the Dear Boss letter explicitly. Which makes it appear as if it's from the same author. . It also references the Double Event. This one is more tricky, as, as stated, there was plenty of time to forge it. Reasons this letter might not be a hoax: . It seems to contradict the Dear Boss letter. Where the Dear Boss letter says that the killer clipped part of a woman's ear off, the Saucy Jack postcard, however, said they didn't have time to get the woman's ears off. This indicates that rather than the author having foreknowledge of the clipped ear, it was just a lucky guess. ******* Whether or not these two letters were from the killer, is debatable. What is clear, however, is that both letters were sent by the same writer, according to recent research. Finally, we have the most infamous letter out of all of the letters, the From Hell letter. The From Hell letter is different from the other two letters for several reasons: . The style of writing and spelling is different . It's not addressed to the press; it was addressed to Mr George Lusk (a local man who was seeking to capture Jack the Ripper). . It wasn't signed off 'Jack the Ripper' like the other two letters were signed off. . The letter seems personal - it specifically refers to Mr George Lusk on several occasions. . It talks of cannibalism (he talks about eating half a human kidney - probably from Catherine Eddowes). . Half a human kidney was sent with the letter to George Lusk. The thing that stands out with this letter, is not really the letter itself, it's the human kidney that was sent with it. It's one thing to forge a letter, it's quite another to send half a human kidney along with that letter - that goes further than a hoax, and is probably the reason why this letter is authentic. Conclusion The From Hell letter probably is authentic. The kidney sent to Mr Lusk was a human kidney, it also belonged to a woman of Catherine Eddowes age, which makes it seem likely that this letter and the message sent with it, was authentic. The other two letters, however, don't appear to be authentic. The study of the two letters revealed that the handwriting on the letters matched ones which were found from the Central News Agency. Two of these letters were probably hoaxes, the other letter was probably authentic. |
Archives
April 2023
Categories
All
← Resize me
|