Friday, August 31, 2012

The Victims of Jack the Ripper

 
Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Tonight marks the 124th anniversary of the first of the ‘official’ murders attributed to an unidentified serial killer, given the monikers, "Leather Apron, "The Whitechapel Killer," and “Jack the Ripper.”  Almost a century and a quarter later, the five murders remain unsolved.  Many suspects have been identified, but no one has been undeniably determined to have been “Jack the Ripper.”

The “Official” Five
Nichols Body Discovered
Mary Ann Nichols
It was in the middle of the night on August 31, 1888, when 43-year-old Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols was found murdered in the Whitechapel district of London.  Nichols, a local prostitute, was found lying in front of a stable on Buck’s Row, with her skirts raised.  Her throat had been cut twice and her abdomen slashed deeply several times.  The coroner placed the time of death around 3 A.M.

Marker for Mary Ann Nichols
City of London Cemetery
Nichols’ body was held at the Whitechapel Mortuary until the following Thursday.  She was buried on September 6, 1888 at the City of London Cemetery in Ilford.  Nichols death was the first police officially attributed to “Jack the Ripper.”


Annie Chapman
Where Chapman was found
About 1:45 on the morning of Saturday, September 8, 1888, 47-year-old Annie Chapman found herself without money for lodging.  Worse for drink, she headed out into the streets to earn the necessary funds. Her body was discovered around 6 A.M. Her throat had been severed by two cuts, and her abdomen had been laid open.  It was later discovered that her uterus had been taken. 


Manor Park Cemetery
Annie Chapman was buried at Manor Park Cemetery on Friday, September 14, 1888. Her funeral was kept secret by her family in order to avoid crowds. Chapman’s grave no longer exists; it has since been buried over.  


Searching for suspects
Headlines of the Day
It was after Chapman’s death that the police realized the same person could have committed both her murder and that of Mary Ann Nichols.  The two crimes were so similar that the investigations were merged into one and officials began searching for one suspect.

Police News Headlines
After Chapman’s murder, the public, panicked by the thought that a murderer was loose on the East End, began observing curfews, careful to travel in groups.  The police began investigating any lead that came their way, many hoaxes dreamed up by those wanting to trick the local police.  But after three weeks without a murder, it seemed that maybe the worst was over…. 


Elizabeth Stride
Discovery of Stride
The night of September 29th was wet and cold.  Forty-four-year-old Elizabeth Stride had been drinking with friends that Saturday evening, spending the money she’d earned earlier in the day, cleaning rooms.   Around 11 P.M. she was seen working the streets.  At 12:45 A.M. on September 30th, Stride’s body was discovered. She was lying by a fence in the yard near the International Workers Educational Club.  Her throat had been gashed deeply, but it appeared the murderer had left quickly.



East London Cemetery
Grave of Elizabeth Stride
Elizabeth Stride was buried on Saturday, October 6, 1888 in the East London Cemetery at Plaistow.  The local parish provided for her short funeral and burial.





Catherine Eddowes
The police had just arrived on the scene of the Stride murder when yet another murder was occurring nearby. Forty-six-year-old Catherine Eddowes had spent her Saturday evening in a cell for drunks at the Bishopsgate police station. She was released at 1 A.M. when she was able to stand and walk out of the station unaided.  At 1:45 A.M. Eddowes mutilated body was found by a beat cop in the corner of Mitre Square.  Her throat had been cut, her face disfigured, her abdomen laid opened, and the intestines pulled out and laid over a shoulder. Her left kidney and most of her uterus had been taken.

Marker for Catherine Eddowes
City of London Cemetery
Catherine Eddowes was buried on Monday October 8, 1888 in the City of London Cemetery in an unmarked grave.  A plaque was placed by cemetery officials in 1996.

Kelly's Room
The last murder officially attributed to Jack the Ripper occurred sometime during the early morning hours of November 9, 1888.  Twenty-five-year-old Mary Jane Kelly had gone out about 11 P.M. on Thursday, November 8th.  She returned to her room in Miller Court around 11:45 with a man.  She was heard singing in her room around 1 A.M. and was reportedly seen taking another man to her room sometime after 2 A.M.  A neighbor reported hearing the cry of “Murder” about 4 A.M. and someone leave the room close to 6 A.M.

Mary Jane Kelly
It was almost 11 A.M. Friday morning when a man sent to collect Kelly’s rent, looked through her window and saw what was left of her mutilated body on the bed.  Police determined that she had been killed by a slash to the throat before the mutilations were performed.  It was reported that her heart was missing.  Kelly’s body was the most maimed and disfigured of the five.


St Patrick's Catholic Cemetery
Marker for Mary Jane Kelly
Mary Jane Kelly was buried on Tuesday, November 19, 1888 at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Leytonstone.  No family attended her funeral.  During the 1950’s, the cemetery reclaimed Kelly’s grave.  A small plaque was placed in the cemetery in the 1990’s.

Others
Murder Location for Emma Smith
Other murders might have been committed by Jack the Ripper, beginning with 45 year old Emma Elizabeth Smith on April 3, 1888 in Whitechapel.  She was attacked, sexually assaulted, and died the next day of peritonitis at London Hospital.   Her killing was the first recorded of the “Whitechapel Murders.”

Surgery Implements
Although the M.O. (modus operandi) does not follow the Ripper’s later actions, it could be that he had yet to settle on a technique.  It is considered more likely that the media made the connection for added interest to the Ripper murders during the autumn attacks.



Martha Tabram
The other murder, prior to the “Autumn of Terror”, involved 39-year-old Martha Tabram.  She was murdered August 7, 1888 in Whitechapel.  She died from 39 brutal stab wounds.  Police thought that the closeness of the date to the five attributed murders, along with the savagery of the attack, a lack of motive, and the location warranted it to be considered as a Ripper murder. 




Discovering Another Body
It is worth noting that both women fit the victim profile; dark hair, single, heavy drinker, prostitute.  No one was ever arrested in either murder.  The other “Whitechapel Murders” included Rose Mylett, Alice McKenzie, Frances Coles, and a woman who was never identified.



The Murders
Location of 1888 Murders
The “Whitechapel Murders” occurred from April 3, 1888 to February 13, 1891. A total of eleven women, all prostitutes in the Whitechapel area, were brutal murdered. Five were attributed to Jack the Ripper, the others were considered to likely be Ripper victims.

Suspects
Police questioned over 2,000 people during and after the murders. Of those, over 300 people were investigated; eighty were taken in and detained.  Although scrutinized, most were not believed to be seriously involved. Some were considered but had alibis, and a few have remained top suspects for well over 100 years.  But no one was ever charged with any of the murders.   
 
After 124 years, it is doubtful that the identity of Jack the Ripper will ever be known.  It appears the murders of this serial killer will remain part of a historical whodunit for all time.

~ Joy

18 comments:

  1. Such a fascinatin post! I really good read. Thank you.

    Beneath Thy Feet

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  2. Thank you for collecting all this information up. I'd been seeing the victims' headstones on Pinterest, but before that, I had no idea they'd ever had marked graves. I guess I'd assumed they had all been buried anonymously.

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    1. Thanks for reading! I was surprised to learn that some of the graves were reused....

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  3. Thank you for all the interesting articles that you post. They are all very entertaining and informative.

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  4. Thanks Nicola for the interesting post.

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  5. Hey Joy amazing research I just enjoyed every post but truth is am still confused who was he/she lol.

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    1. I know - 124 years later and still, we don't know......

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  6. Hi Joy, I must say we hardly see this type of research on internet for jack the ripper mystery great work.

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  7. Honestly speaking, I've not seen such comprehensive research on 'Jack the Ripper'. It looks like you've spent many hours in this research and I must congratulate you that you spent your time wisely. Wow!

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  8. Thank You! I would love to take your tour!

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  11. Thomas Hayne Cutbush was "Jack The Ripper", he died of Kidney Disease at 37 years old, and he is buried alongside the rest of his family in Nunhead Cemetery.

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  12. Yes, he was one of several names floated around as possibly being Jack the Ripper.

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  13. Mystery put mind to for a little Bit is the Story of Jack Ripper, (forget the gory stuff) Where would a Jack RIpper live to come out at nite to do these dirty Deeds ? 1.He had of lived in the area 2.Work in the area ? 3.To walk to from work in this area ? 4.Did he have accompliaces /cospiracy people do it with him ?.5Professions Dr or butcher or Some One deals with Blood one way or another ? Lets answer them as best as you can by read books :Jack the Ripper or watch Jack Ripper on Utube ?(missing evidence/Ripper Hiding plain site ?)Answer number 1.Charles Cross Lechmere 22Doveton st Mile End Uk. and Robert Paul 30 Forster St.WhiteChapel Uk. 2. Both are Carman - Charles work Pickford on Broad St .(where did Robert Paul work?)Nichols case, Robert Paul, worked at Corbetts Court, which is west of 29 Hanbury Street,as Paula says, running north off Hanbury St. Robert Baul [Paul], 30, Forster-street, Whitechapel, carman, said as he was going to work at Cobbett's-court, Spitalfields.3.Charles walk right thru WhiteChapel area almost every day ?4.At Nichols Victim Site Rbt Paul saw Charles stand over Nichols (thru moonlite not lamplite?)walk past Charles -He ask Rbt Paul to come look at the woman laying on the ground? (would a ripper ask a man to come look at his victim ?)5.Charles work for a Meat (butchering)Business with a carman -wagon ?He was out at midnite with a dirty bloody apron each day went to fro work (never clean it -Dna on it ?)to make a living for his wife /children?More on Robt Paul : Robert Paul, 30, Forster-street, Whitechapel, carman, said as he was going to work at Cobbett's-court, Spitalfields, he saw in Buck's-row a man standing in the middle of the road. As witness drew closer he walked towards the pavement, and he (Baul) stepped in the roadway to pass him. Bucks Row ~ PC John Neil who was carrying out his usual patrol of the area when he came across Polly's body at 3:45am. What Neil was unaware of at the time was a few minutes earlier,Charles Cross a horse & cart driver (known as a Carman) discovered Polly's body lying in Buck's Row. Cross was on his way to work. Immediately after another Driver, Robert Paul, came up out of the gloom to join Neil.Mary Ann was next seen lying in front of the gated stable entrance in Buck’s Row* at 3:40am on 31 August.Did the Uk Police care about the prostitutes work the streets when honest jobs weren't pay for their food/shelter/clothing ?Did Reporters do right thing report everything that went down about jack ripper even Rippers Letters and Postcards communication ?DId Ripper want fame publicity did he /she taunt the police claim you'll never find _?

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