Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Author of Central News letters identified - 1891

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Author of Central News letters identified - 1891

    This article claims to tell the background story to the creation of the name Jack the Ripper and names the alleged author of the letters saying, although he is "no criminal" he is "Jack the Ripper"!

    This article was written in the aftermath of the Carrie Brown murder.


    Burlington Hawkeye
    28 April 1891

    ORIGIN OF "JACK THE RIPPER"
    The Name Was Merely an Enterprising Newsman's Advertisement

    New York, April 27.
    This city is full of "Jack the Ripper." The name is in everyone's mouth. There are those who firmly believe the London Whitechapel fiend has transferred his field of operation to New York, and, consequently, there is much excitement among the lower classes. The main difference which the crime of Thursday night presents from the London butcheries lies in the fact that the victim was strangled, whereas the murderer's work in London was invariably begun by cutting the throat. This may be explained by the difference in circumstances surrounding the crime. In London, with the murder done on the open street, it was necessary to prevent even the slightest outcry, such as might have resulted from fairly skilful strangulation. Therefore, the cutting of the windpipe was an invaluable and necessary preliminary. That was not so in the New York crime, the murderer being safe from observation and in a place where almost any outcry would fail to attract attention.
    There is probably not one person in ten thousand who reads of "Jack the Ripper" knows the true origin of the term. Mr. Brisbane, who was a London journalist at the time of some of the atrocious Whitechapel murders, enlightened the reporter today.
    "The story of the title," said he, "and all of the Ripper literature is a curious tale of an Englishman's enterprise and has never been told. When the Whitechapel murders began the Central News and the Press Association were two rival London companies, bitterly fighting each other in the work of supplying news to English publications. The Press Association was much the older, more powerful and more widely known, until one fine morning a postal card came to the Central News written in blood, telling in free language what the Whitechapel fiend's future plans of slaughter were, and signed "Jack the Ripper." That afternoon the famous name "Jack the Ripper" was in every one's mouth. The big Press Association was compelled humbly to get the "Jack the Ripper" postal cards as fast as they came in from their young rival and to advertise everywhere the name of the Central News. The Central News advertisement was complete when the police authorities reproduced the Ripper postal cards, Central News address and all, on gigantic scale and plastered the walls of all England with them. Somehow it did not seem strange to the English public that an ignorant Whitechapel murderer should write his communication to a news agency which he could not possibly know anything about, instead of to the Pinkun, or to whatever was his favorite publication. It was observed by some of the friends of Mr. John Moore, manager of the Central News, that "Jack the Ripper's" postal cards did not seem to surprise him as they might have done, but only gratified him, and investigation revealed the interesting fact that "Jack the Ripper." though illiterate, wrote a hand marvellously like that of the refined Mr. Moore.
    Mr. Moore was no criminal, but he was "Jack the Ripper." This fact was not mentioned in London, as public feeling would not have endured being imposed upon to that extent nor have accepted business enterprise as an excuse.

  • #2
    Here is the original article for reference:
    Attached Files

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi Chris,

      that's fascinating and seems to confirm that JtR was a Moore's invention, rather than Bulling's.
      Have we got any example of Moore's handwriting ?

      Amitiés,
      David

      Comment


      • #4
        "Mr. John Moore, manager of the Central News..."

        In 1881 there is one John Moore listed as a London journalist.
        28 Crowhurst Road, Lambeth, London
        Head: John Moore aged 38 born Dilston, Northumberland - Journalist
        Wife: Jane D Moore aged 34 born Byker
        Children:
        William H aged 13 born Kings Cross
        Isabella aged 12 born Hammersmith
        Annie L aged 7
        Mary aged 6
        Margaret aged 4
        John R C aged 2
        Gertrude aged 1
        Latter five children born in Brixton

        In 1871 the family is listed as below:
        45a Bramah Road, Lambeth
        Head: John Moore aged 28 born Dibston, Corbridge, Northumberland - Reporter
        Wife: Jane D Moore aged 24 born Byker
        Children:
        William aged 3
        Isabella aged 2
        Marian aged 1
        Mother in Law:
        Alice J Smith aged 49 born Beddar on the Wall
        Aunt:
        Margaret Gibson aged 60 born Beddar on the Wall

        In 1861 the unamrried John Moore is listed with his family:
        152 Percy Street, Newcastle
        Head: John Moore aged 65 born Simonburn - Cow keeper
        Wife: Isabel Moore aged 61 born Chollerton
        Children:
        Mary aged 29 born Hexham - Milk maid
        George aged 25 born Newcastle - Cow keeper's byreman
        John aged 19 born Corbridge - Printer compositor


        By 1891 Moore was widowed:
        25 Telford Avenue, Streatham
        Head: John Moore (Widower) aged 38 born Dilston, Northumberland - Journalist and author
        Children:
        William H aged 23 - Law student
        Isabella aged 22
        Annie L aged 17
        Mary aged 16
        Margaret aged 14
        John aged 12
        Elizabeth aged 8
        George aged 6

        John Moore was still living at the same address in Telford Avenue in 1901 with his mother in law and five of his children.

        Comment


        • #5
          The letter below, sent to the Leeds Mercury in October 1894, verifies his position as manager of the Central News:
          Attached Files

          Comment


          • #6
            This article from March 1887 about a journalistic conference also includes him:
            Attached Files

            Comment


            • #7
              This is an extremely interesting find, Chris. Well done.

              Comment


              • #8
                Thanks for the messages, guys.
                Moore's wife Jane died as follows:
                Name: Jane Dorothy Moore
                Estimated birth year: abt 1847
                Year of Registration: 1889
                Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
                Age at Death: 42
                District: Wandsworth
                County: Greater London, London, Surrey
                Volume: 1d
                Page: 484

                This is her christening record:
                Name: Jane Dorothy Smith
                Gender: Female
                Birth Date: abt 1846
                Christening Date: 8 Aug 1846
                Christening Place: Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England
                Father's Name: Robert Smith
                Mother's Name: Alice Isabella


                I'm still trying to locate of his death
                Last edited by Chris Scott; 03-21-2010, 02:58 AM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Sadly Jane Moore died in childbirth.
                  Below is the record of the burial of both her and her stillborn child in Norwood Cemetery, Lambeth on 20 Feb 1889. This confirms the Telford Avenue address as in the census
                  Attached Files

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    A great find and confirms -- no surprise -- that specific part of J G Littlechild's bombshell 1913 letter to George Sims, in which he maybe hinting that the great writer has been [inadvertently] committing a journalistic hoax with his mythical 'Dr D' Super-suspect.

                    'With regard to the term 'Jack the Ripper' it was generally believed at the Yard that Tom Bullen of the Central News was the originator, but it is probable Moore, who was his chief, was the inventor. It was a smart piece of journalistic work.'

                    It is the one aspect of the case which George Sims in 1888 [and onwards], Littlechild in 1913, Anderson in 1910, and Macnaghten in 1914, all agreed upon. That the original 'Jack the Ripper' letter was an hoax.

                    Sims in 1888 thought it laughable that the murderer should send it to the Central News -- an organization about which the average punter would be oblivious. This is exactly the point of the US article from 1891 too.

                    A difference in the midst of this rare unanimity is that -- no surprise -- Anderson, in his memoirs, does not admit that he was mistaken to initially believe and go along with publicizing the 'Dear Boss' letter as if authentic. A fact which Macnaghten, in their gentlemanly feud, obliquely criticizes his former superior for in his memoirs -- without naming him.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Example of John Moore's signature
                      Attached Files

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        This is what casebook is for!

                        Excellent find, this sort of thing shows the true value of Casebbook. People may laugh and sneer at 'Ripperologists' but I would suggest that more true research has been done on these boards than just about anywhere else.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          many thanks for the signature, David.
                          Is that from the 1911 census?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Hi Chris,

                            It dates from 1891 when he was a witness to his daughter Isabella's marriage to Harry Buck in Christ Chruch, Streatham.

                            Not much to go on, but I don't think the writing is similar to the Dear Boss letter. Hopefully better examples will come to light.

                            I suspect that Moore and Bulling were both in on it. Maybe it was Moore's idea, and Bulling wrote the letter.

                            David

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              As requested here is the full 1901 listing:

                              25 Telford Avenue, Streatham, London
                              Head: John Moore (Widower) aged 58 born Dilston, Northumberland - Journalism (Author)
                              Mother in law: Alice J Porteous(?) aged 79 born Northumberland
                              Children:
                              Annie aged 27
                              Mary aged 26
                              Margaret aged 24
                              Hilda aged 18
                              George aged 16
                              All children born in London
                              Visitor:
                              Percy C Adams aged 28 born Liege, Belgium - Medical practitioner

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X