Question on Jack's October Vacation

[Jeffery]

I'm sure somebody has thought of this before, so sorry in advance if this is redundant.

I know it's been suggested that Jack could have cut himself during Eddowe's murder and taken the apron as a makeshift bandage. If he had, do you think he could have stopped killing because it got infected? Seems like there's be plenty of oportunity for nasty-dead-uterus germs to get into the cut. Maybe he was just sitting it out until he felt better...?

Or do you suppose dead-uterus-itis is the sort of beast that you'd just slap a bandage over and keep working?

Or do you not buy the idea of him having cut himself at all, or figure he could probably clean it up nicely enough to avoid infection, especially if he had medical knowledge?

Interested to hear your opinions.

[Archaic]

Possible Reasons Jack Took A 'Break'

Hi, Jeff, and welcome aboard!
I think you have asked a perfectly sensible question; Jack might very well have cut himself & gotten an infection of some sort. I wouldn't necessarily blame it on a uterus, because he was cutting into much "germier" parts of the human body! The uterus is actually quite clean if the owner doesn't have something like venereal disease. Jack might very well have caught something like E. Coli from slicing into Catherine Eddowes bowels; if he also had a cut, it could certainly have become infected.

Jack could have directly injured his knife-hand in some way, by cutting, bruising or spraining it on the night of the Double Event. We know he exerted great physical force during his attacks, so it's certainly possible.
Or he may have turned his ankle a bit running away in the dark over roughly paved streets, & maybe he had to wait until it healed.

Jack may have caught an ordinary autumn cold unrelated to the murders that effectively kept him home for a few weeks; there is even one Ripper letter from Nov. 7, 1888, in which 'The Ripper' complains that he is in bed with a sore throat!

I believe any of these potential reasons are feasible, whether alone or in combination. But the reason for his 'vacation' might not have been physical at all- Jack may have simply realized that he came very, very close to being caught the night of the Double Event, and that he needed to find a safer way to indulge his mutilation fantasies...
which he seems to have done by targeting Mary Kelly.

On top of these possible reasons, who knows if something in his personal life interfered for a few weeks? Maybe his mother-in-law came for a visit. Best regards, Archaic

[Limehouse]

We know that the killer killed at weekends so maybe he [B]was[B] out and about during those weekends in October, looking for an opportunity to kill and it never arose. Remember, there were far more police on the streets after the 'double event' and probably fewer women prepared to venture out at night. In order to kill, he needed a woman prepared to engage with him and somewhere quiet to take her. Maybe Mary presented him with the first opportunity since the 'double event'.

[kensei]

A different twist on this question: IF Jack was also the torso killer operating in the East End at that time, then perhaps there was no break in October at all. Not saying I believe that firmly, just that I hold it as possible.

[Limehouse]

A different twist on this question: IF Jack was also the torso killer operating in the East End at that time, then perhaps there was no break in October at all. Not saying I believe that firmly, just that I hold it as possible.

Of course, we don't know that the torso killer was operating in the east end or just dumping the bodies there but your point is certainly worth consideration.

[Archaic]

LVP "Butcher's Warts"- a loathsome skin infection

Hi, Kensei, very good point. I consider the Ripper a very viable suspect in the Torso killings.

Jeff, I just found this link on JTRForums...weird job-related diseases of the Victorian Era. It's pretty gross, but may shed some light on your original question regarding infections.

Scroll down to "Butcher's Warts".

http://www.cracked.com/article_17451...illnesses.html

Regards, Archaic

[Celesta]

How about plain old nasty-dead-intestine germs?

I wish to heck someone would have photographed that blasted piece of apron.

I believe some others have hypothesized that the Ripper cut himself, Jeffery, but I don't remember who. There are a number of threads dedicated to the apron. Some of them very loooonggggg and toasty. You can probably find them on here somewhere. Good luck.

Welcome aboard.

Best,

Cel

[perrymason]

I'm sure somebody has thought of this before, so sorry in advance if this is redundant.

I know it's been suggested that Jack could have cut himself during Eddowe's murder and taken the apron as a makeshift bandage. If he had, do you think he could have stopped killing because it got infected? Seems like there's be plenty of oportunity for nasty-dead-uterus germs to get into the cut. Maybe he was just sitting it out until he felt better...?

Or do you suppose dead-uterus-itis is the sort of beast that you'd just slap a bandage over and keep working?

Or do you not buy the idea of him having cut himself at all, or figure he could probably clean it up nicely enough to avoid infection, especially if he had medical knowledge?

Interested to hear your opinions.

Hi Jeff,

I think a good case can be made for his having something to take away his take and circumstances caused him to utilize in in another manner. Sam Flynn has suggested that the colon severing was a mistake, and I add that having to use his carryall to clean his hands of human waste he then needed something as a substitute. I say "I" because I dont know if Sam extrapolates that the same way I do.

He cuts and tears it free...in a deserted square with what appear to be 2 story buildings surrounding he and prey, ..noise must have been a consideration....yet he felt he needed to do that.

I think he absence in October is par for the course actually....he is quiet from early Sept till the 30th, then quiet again in October until early Nov. Approx 3 weeks then approx 5 weeks.....might be a cool down after a supposed Double...or maybe he isnt in the East End from approx the 10th of each month until the last day or two that month.

Best regards J.