Read The Complete and Essential Jack the Ripper Online
Authors: Paul Begg,John Bennett
The Complete and Essential Jack the Ripper
PART ONE: THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS
1. ‘Wilful murder against some person unknown’
2. ‘I forgive you for what you are, as you have been to me’
3. ‘A noiseless midnight terror’
4. ‘How can they catch me now?’
5. ‘No, not tonight, some other night’
7. ‘O have you seen the devle?’
8. ‘I hope I may never see such a sight again’
9. ‘Where have I been Dear Boss …’
PENGUIN BOOKS
Paul Begg and John Bennett are researchers and authors, widely recognized as authorities on Jack the Ripper. Paul Begg’s books include
Jack the Ripper: The Facts
,
Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History
, and he is a co-author of
The Jack the Ripper A-Z
.
John Bennett has written numerous articles and lectured frequently on Jack the Ripper and the East End of London. He has acted as adviser to and participated in documentaries made by television channels worldwide and was the co-writer for the successful Channel 5 programme
Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Story
. He is author of
E1: A Journey Through Whitechapel and Spitalfields
and co-author of
Jack the Ripper: CSI Whitechapel
.
For
Elwyn Thomas,
who has helped in so many ways.
And for
Judy, Siobhan and Cameron
and
Laura.
London, 25 September 1888
The red ink flows freely and elegantly across the fresh sheet of paper as the writer trembles slightly in anticipation of the deed about to be committed. On the edge of the desk sit several well-thumbed newspapers, their tightly packed columns filled with descriptions of the terrible murders in the East End of London that have held that most maligned of districts in a state of fear since the summer. Grinning mischievously, the writer puts himself into the mind of the murderer, recalling the events of the previous few weeks with relish and reinterpreting them in the first person. With one eye on the stalled police efforts to apprehend the killer of several Whitechapel prostitutes, he takes a mocking tone and laughs at their apparent inadequacies. Turning to the unfortunate victims, the writer declares a hatred of ‘whores’ and, relishing the growing aggression of his penmanship, delights in the skill with which the previous victim was dispatched. There will be more to come. The spirit is willing, the knife is ‘nice and sharp’.
With an overtaking sense of theatricality, the writer shifts a gear and explains the red ink, employed to replace the clotted blood of the last victim, which had been saved in a ginger beer bottle. The next victim will have her ears cut off and sent to the police, just for a laugh, you understand. Should the opportunity arise. Sensing an arrogance and ‘daring-do’ possessed by the murderer, the writer wishes the poor, confused police
officers ‘good luck’, but, as if to prove that the miscreant is still one of us, he signs off politely and formally, giving the pretend author a name – ‘yours truly, Jack the Ripper’.
A quick afterword in pencil, and the job is done. Folded twice, the letter is slipped into a small envelope addressed to ‘The Boss, Central News Office, London City’. The following day the letter will be taken to a post office, where an unwitting staff member will furnish it with a one-penny stamp and send it on its way. Having completed this little piece of fun, the letter-writer will live out the rest of his life slowly realizing that he has created one of the most notorious names of all time. Long after his death, that name will outgrow the murders which inspired it to become legend.
In all probability we will never be certain who wrote the famous ‘Dear Boss’ letter which created the name ‘Jack the Ripper’. But this small, unremarkable-looking missive, now hidden from the world in a plastic file at the National Archives in Kew, south London, is perhaps one of the most noteworthy elements of a murder case which has many facets. It replaced the murderer’s original appellation, ‘Leather Apron’, with something infinitely more durable, persisting into the twenty-first century as the retold story of the Whitechapel murders and the ideas behind the culprit’s identity orbited around it. It would become a brand name for fear, a trademark for an unknown killer whose horrific crimes still grimly resonate over 100 years later. The murders were shocking enough in their own time and inspired great outrage; however it could be argued that the notoriety of Jack the Ripper, and thus his longevity in the scheme of things, was a result of the creation of that name.
Millions of words have been written and spoken about the Whitechapel murders, in print, online, in film and on television.
The quest to determine the killer’s identity, despite taking on different methodologies over the years, is still a popular project for armchair detectives, true-crime enthusiasts and historians and shows no sign of abating. Every night, hundreds of people walk the streets of the East End to hear the chilling story and see for themselves the places fixed into history by the Ripper’s knife. These uniquely chilling crimes have seared themselves into the public consciousness the world over.
In what some may deem as ‘yet
another
book about Jack the Ripper’ we have endeavoured to explore as many facets of the Whitechapel murders as we can. To do so, this book has taken on a tripartite structure.
Part 1
deals exclusively with the crimes themselves, from the confusing events surrounding the death of Emma Smith in April 1888 to the demise of Frances Coles in February 1891; the backgrounds of the victims are detailed and the last hours of their sad lives are recounted against a backdrop of the social conditions of the East End of London, which helped lead these women to their fates; we follow the reactions of the public and the police investigation in all their histrionic highs and worrying lows, as well as the press interest, which helped and hindered in equal measure.
Part 2
is reserved for theories surrounding the murderer’s identity, and here we have chosen to reflect on the methods and reasoning that led to certain individuals being named as the Ripper, starting from the autumn of 1888 itself, right up to the time of writing. In doing so, we have come up to date, analysing the effect of modern investigative techniques and the power of the internet, the latter having probably the most significant influence on Ripper studies of all.
Finally, in
Part 3
, we have chosen to look upon the mythology of Jack the Ripper: how an icon was created, how the media (most notably the movies) have shaped that iconography,
and how public opinion has swung between fascination and abhorrence. We have also, perhaps for the first time in a book of this kind, acknowledged the phenomenon of the guided walks and how they have become the most tangible demonstration of the power of the Ripper legend today.
The Jack the Ripper mystery is a colossal subject, and a totally exhaustive overview of the case would need a publication comparable in size with the
Encyclopaedia Britannica
to contain it. We have sought to give as complete an overview of the essential facts as we know them today and the mythologies that surround them, no mean task when considering that it must all fit into one volume. To that effect we must thank the following individuals: our agent Robert Smith and our editor Daniel Bunyard for their unending support and patience; Judy and Siobhan Begg (and Cameron); Laura Prieto; Alfred and Brenda Bennett; Stewart Evans and Keith Skinner (Evans Skinner Crime Archive); Neal Shelden; Stephen Ryder’s
Casebook: Jack the Ripper
and Howard Brown’s
JTRF
orums
; Richard and Joanne Jones at Discovery Tours; Lindsay Siviter;
Ripperologist
magazine; Whitechapel Society 1888; National Archives, London Metropolitan Archives, Bishopsgate Institute and Tower Hamlets Library and Archives; special mention must go to Adam Wood for his support and help over and above the call of duty; Neil Bell; Debra Arif; Chris Scott; Rob Clack; Eduardo Zinna; and Robin Odell. Naturally, there are many others – too numerous to mention – who might not be aware of their influence. Their names may not be here, but their input is very much understood and appreciated.
Paul Begg and John Bennett, 2013