The from hell letter

[Sam Flynn]

Hello Claire. I agree that those spellings are an oddity. I believe Gareth considers them an approximation of something like "stage Irish." That is, the kind of Irish a Yank might use when aping an Irish character.

Not just a Yank, Lynn, but native British writers/music-hall artistes too. Here are some real examples of the sort of "Oirish" I see in the Lusk Letter, taken from near-contemporary (and Irish/British) writers:

"Presarve! hadn't they better cry royalty over the broad sea... Heaven's name! what have they to presarve?" (The Sportsman in Ireland, 1840)

"I presarve 'em underground, in an air of liberty which British oppression has never tainted" (The Lover's Pilgrimage, 1846)

"Do you give me the touch av your shoulther to presarve my formation... but we must presarve thim. What d'you want to do, Sorr?" (Soldiers Three, Kipling, 1890)

"God presarve us an' save us this night!" (Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, 1896)

"you are presarved from his cursed arts" (The Dublin Penny Journal, 1834)

"Not where mere flesh an' blood is consarned. I'm afeard of neither man nor woman — but I wouldn't like to meet a ghost or spirit, may the Lord presarve us!" (The Dublin University Magazine, 1846)

"Saint Pathrick prasarve us!" (Our Young Folks, 1866)

[Dave James]

From Hell

Hi all,
Just a thought, I've been skimming through a couple of other threads addressing this subject and realised that no one has actually mentioned the letter's address!
From Hell!
Is this used lightly as some of the bits in the letter seen to be, or is it an expression of deep felt anguish?
I vaguely remember a SK who left a message on a wall? saying somthing on the lines of catch me quickly before I do it again.
Could this be considered as a cry for help - if the letter is genuine - or is the writer just taking the P**s.
It might be worth thinking about.
All the best
Dave

Its important that I add, Lusk had repeatedly sought reward money before this package arrived...with no luck. He had also thought he was being followed and watched just prior.

Best regards

What the "Irish" spin adds to the equation is that it fits in perfectly with the young shopkeeper who a few days earlier provides a nicely dressed gent whom she thought was Irish, perhaps by his speech, with a copy of the paper that ran Lusk's incomplete mailing address so he could copy it down with his gloved hands. She made mention of his avoiding her touch.

The package was addressed the same way.

There are many factors that have nothing at all to do with the actual "meat" element that are interesting none the less....and I believe this communique is the only one that is suggestive of so many things.

Suggestive of the specific crime he mentions, suggestive of the Irish influence in the area, suggestive of anatomical knowledge and Cannibalism, suggestive of contrived language use as represented, suggestive of a killer who had no ego attachment to any press title given the killer....suggestive of a simple communication between 2 individuals, not a statement for the nation....

I heard it referred to as a communion offering to perhaps one of the only pursuers he might respect....a simple local man living as best he could in that squalor.

Since hardly one respected the Police in that area after feeling their clubs the year before in Trafalgar, and no-one respects the press.... .....it seems sort of fitting.

Lusk sticks this package in his drawer the day it arrives, and the following night tells his committee mates...he shows it to them the following morning,.....the reason Im mentioning this is because it seems to me that he is treating like it is something of his private world....he can decide to tell someone or not......when someone running a vigilance committee trying to find the very killer who it appears wrote the note might see that as a useful clue to share immediately with the police and the patrols.

Lusk acts as if its his own property. Not like its potential evidence of a murderer that might bring a bunch of pound notes to the man that helps catch him. The reward money was quite substantial after the "DE". The Corp of London share alone has the modern day equivalent of about 35,000L.....using a rough factor of 1L LVP = 70L today.

Best regards all

[KatBradshaw]

Well maybe but not necessarily. There are issues over spelling here as well. Take a person with poor spelling aswell and that would make a difference. As you know the accents of Great Britain are varied for such a small island!

[lynn cates]

accents

Hello Kat. But wouldn't a Brit do a better job than that? A Brit would have actually heard a real Irish accent. Brits KNOW a good deal about various accents--from Cockney to Mayfair to RP to Yorkshire.

The best.
LC

[KatBradshaw]

TBH I don't think it has to be Yank impersonating Irishman, just general impersonation of an Irish accent. I did hear someone read it as a cockney on one documentary and it almost worked.

[lynn cates]

conditional proposition

Hello Kat. So if the letter were written by a Yank impersonating an Irishman (a huge IF), it would not be those chaps.

The best.
LC

[KatBradshaw]

Ahhh, no, not Yanks.

[lynn cates]

Brit/Yank

Hello Kat. Well, I mean only they weren't Yanks.

The best.
LC

[KatBradshaw]

Hello DVV. Those guys were proper Brits right enough--weren't they?

The best.
LC

What do you mean by proper Brits Lynn?

[claire]

Hi Lynn,

I seem to recall Gareth saying something like this at some point in the dim and distant. Beyond the stage Oirish, though, there are other odd spellings (like Dave pointed out before--Kidne, knif et c) that don't have any regional oddities (obviously) attached to them...possible, of course, that they were genuine misspellings.

Hi David,
Fleming and Mary...what are you implying??? (if anything)

[lynn cates]

Brits

Hello DVV. Those guys were proper Brits right enough--weren't they?

The best.
LC

[DVV]

Wild wild wild speculation

That is, the kind of Irish a Yank might use when aping an Irish character.

LC

Fleming and Mary.

Amitiés,
David

[KatBradshaw]

It certainly does have an 'Oirsh' feel to it. Like someone trying to sound Irish. That being said doesn't mean its not an Irish person writing it phonetically.
I have to say that of all the letters this is the one I think could be by the Ripper.
The trouble is that as with all of these we will never prove its authenticity or not.
For me the fact that it does not used the moniker 'Jack the Ripper' is interesting as this does appear to be adopted by other cranks after the 'Dear Boss' letter. Could it have been Eddowes Kidney, well if it was preserved then I guess so. Would the killer give away one of his trophies though? If he took these for excitement or personal gain in some way, why post it to Lusk? It may be intended to prove the letter is real but then again it seems strange that he would let it go. Does anyone know of any other cases where killers did this?