General Chat

my gran reconed he came from liverpool she said the ladies of liverpool at that time nicnamed him the slipper man

I've read loads about the Ripper, and I think one of the best accounts comes from a book called 'The Cases that Haunt Us' - can't remember the author as I've leant it to my sister, but he worked for FBI (I think). He looked at this case, and others, objectively and as a modern force would do today. There are a few named suspects and he comes down on the side of a relative unknown, not Druitt nor the Prince of Wales, Maybrick, Sickert etc al. A good read - he also looks at the Lindbergh kidnapping, Lizzie Borden and a few others.

Agood book to read that contains another idea as to who the ripper could have been is "Whitechapel Mary" by Sally Worboyes

an interesting idea written into a vivid story....

I'm so jealous, Ms.G! Something we didn't think of when we were there... when you only have two weeks ... The social history context alone would be fascinating.

We watched a Brit crime drama a couple of weeks ago, a 2- or 3-parter about a posh cop who gets assigned to a team that is investigating murders that turn out to be modeled on the ripper. google google -- here we are, Whitechapel, ITV. It was great, thought it was going to be a series, but no such luck I guess. :(

I always liked the Prince of Wales/Masonic theory, myself. Probably because Donald Sutherland and Christopher Plummer, two of the most delicious Canadians, were the stars of Murder by Decree. ;)

In my hunt for the Hill/Monck Coke/McCock gang, someone found that a house occupied by the sister of the husband of the sister of my gr-grfather, Westfield House, Redcotts Lane, Wimborne, Dorset ... was previously occupied by Dr. Druitt:

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Montague John Druitt was a barrister and a special pleader who also worked as an assistant schoolmaster at Mr. George Valentines boarding School in Eliot Place Blackheath from 1881 until November 1888 when, for reasons unknown, he was suddenly dismissed. His body was found floating in the Thames at Chiswick on December 31st 1888. Stones in his pockets had ensured that his body stayed on the bed of the Thames for several weeks and the jury's returned a verdict of suicide by drowning "whilst of unsound mind."

His name would, doubtless, have been long forgotten were it not for the timing of his suicide, which probably took place at the end of November 1888 - three weeks after what Melville Macnaghten believed was the last Jack the Ripper murder, that of Mary Kelly on the 9th November 1888. Montague John Druitt's suicide led Macnaghten to favour him as the likeliest contender for the mantle of Jack the Ripper and thus the name of this, otherwise unknown, barrister/school teacher has achieved a posthumous notoriety high up on the list of suspects.

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Except, ha, now that I pay attention, I think he had the wrong Dr. Druitt. ;)

i think he came from Scotland

Jock the Ripper lol

I went on a Ripper walk some years ago. It was the one led by a beefeater.
Maybrick and Sickert are just two names to come to light very recently. I don't think it was anyone with "celebrity" like status. I'm not sure the Ripper is any of the supposed suspects we know about.

I think the newspaper letter was fake (press never do that to sell copy do they?)

The murder of Mary Kelly was different but was that because the Ripper was becoming more unstable? Personally, I'd like to question her ex who she'd left behind in Liverpool.

I had relations who were living in Bucks Row 1881 and I used to live near to St Patricks RC cemetery where Mary Kelly is buried.

For reading I'd recommend Martin Fido "Crimes, detection and death of Jack the Ripper" and Peter Underwood "Jack the Ripper 100 years of mystery"

all my grandparents lived in that area at the time, i have just checked out all the names of suspects and they are not there.. sigh of relief..

You sure your OH. was,nt practicing with a "Rip Saw. " I,d be careful if I were you.**M**.:o)>>

I always say that when OH's grandfather was born his father was probably sat reading the paper about the latest Ripper murder.

Sue xx

OH's family also lived in Whitechapel too around that time Jill.....

Interesting Mac - our chap said that the last victim was one that raised doubts - people claimed to have seen her alive several hours after she had already been found dead. And her body was practically uncrecognisable ...

Lynda - you should go on one - pick a foggy or rainy night to add to the atmosphere!

Jill

Unlikely in the extreme Darklady. You're just being daft.

Jill

I think the BOROS did it................LOL...........XXXXXX

Well he could have been almost anyone ... There've been lots of theories - including royal suspects and we'll never know now as it's way past the event.

But our guide was saying that on one of his tours a few months ago there were a couple of doctors. So, in Mitre Square when he was explaining how dark it was, and one policeman had passed through the square at whatever time, someone had seen the woman alive a few minutes earlier and five minutes later she was discovered dead, that was about 8 minutes for Jack to acquaint himself with her, go into Mitre Square, cut her throat, remove her kidney (from the front which is really difficult apparently) and make a "pattern" of cuts to her face. Apparently when he explained all this the two doctors both snorted - it would have been practically impossible for one person to do all that - in that time, in the dark etc. Their theory was that it was more than one man, possibly 2 or even 3 working together ...

But no real evidence remains as such, no forensic evidence from that time so we'll all just carry on theorising.

That's why it's all so fascinating though - one of the great unsolved crimes of all time ...

Jill

Jill
who do you think could have been Jack the Ripper

It was a 2 hour walk Joy - including standing about a bit listening ... so not too difficult to plan into a visit. I thought it was well worth it - although by the time we got home it was nearly midnight and I have spent all day today yawning!

Jill

how exciting

i wish i had had time to do this
when i was in London

LOL Katherine

One of the reasons I wanted to go was because my mum's family all lived around that area - and at that time. My gr grandfather could have been Jack the Ripper - but he wasn't.

(At least I don't think he was ... odd though that the murders stopped in 1891 and it wasn't that long after that when my gr grandfather moved out of the area ... But no, gr grandfather was a gunsmith so I expect if he'd wanted to murder prostitutes he would have shot them.)

Jill

I am so jealous

Our guide did that Moonchild. When he showed us where the women were murdered he would say "And she was found on the very spot where you (pointing to someone in the group) are standing now." Chilling thought.

Jill