How would YOU catch the Ripper?

[Damaso Marte]

I definitely recall watching a documentary in the 1990's which mentioned the nascent underground as a potential getaway route. I think it was maybrick-related one. I assume it was absolutely not credible but have never heard about the underground in the context of the ripper again.

[Cogidubnus]

Yes, wasn't this in its infancy?

Just 24 years in, but yes some lines were still unbuilt....

Cheers

Dave

[GUT]

Wasn't sure if you meant rail or sewer.

[Barnaby]

Yes, wasn't this in its infancy?

[GUT]

G'day Barnaby

Perhaps underground as well.

As in the rail?

[Barnaby]

Time travel, ugh. That makes it too easy for a stake out. Harry mentions the butterfly effect and I think it sets up a much more interesting scenario. Suppose that you stake out/follow Nichols on the night of her murder and nothing happens because the killer noticed that there were others around. The very next night some other prostitute was killed Ripper style in Whitechapel. From here on, Jack is still working but the timeline and the victims are totally different. So, on one hand, we have the benefit of hindsight as to the fact that there is a serial killer, some idea of his motive, victim type, and some suggestions for the police to do better, but we have no idea as to when he will strike next. Now what? We can't just set up shop at Mitre Square.

Having people on top of buildings is a good idea. I also would plant people in the lodging houses, particularly those Tom Wescott identified in his book. Perhaps underground as well.

[Harry D]

Problem is if any of us did there would be no forum to report this on

That would be a small price to pay. No offence, CB!

Really enjoying some of the ideas put forward so far. Even if the topic did get inevitably sidetracked by Godwin's Law.

[Beowulf]

Let's say you could fire up the wayback machine and revisit Whitechapel during the murders. How would you set about catching 'Jack?' Bearing in mind that embroiling yourself in the case could cause you to become a suspect... or worse.

At which point would you try to catch Jack red-handed? How would your own theory of the canonical victims factor into things?

Problem is if any of us did there would be no forum to report this on

[Abby Normal]

Let's say you could fire up the wayback machine and revisit Whitechapel during the murders. How would you set about catching 'Jack?' Bearing in mind that embroiling yourself in the case could cause you to become a suspect... or worse.

At which point would you try to catch Jack red-handed? How would your own theory of the canonical victims factor into things?

I would have used photography more. I would have taken pictures of every "witness" who could also viably been the murderer and then shown those pictures to witnesses who may have actually seen the ripper (like long, lawende, Schwartz, marshal, PC smith, cox, lewis, fiddymont etc) to see if they matched.

I also would have employed real prostitutes to hang around probable ripper pick up areas, wait to be picked up, and then either trailed by detectives, or take the client to preselected places where detectives were hiding, to see if the client (the ripper) would attack them.

I would also check out extensively the local shipyards, navy, merchant marine offices, to see if any of the working schedules allowed for sailors to mainly be gone in the middle of the month (when the ripper only killed) and also to see if any of these men had histories of attacks on women.( I think if you were going to try to pin down the rippers profile, it would include, former military/navy, local though away during certain times of the month, very strong, skill with knife-ships dr/ butcher cook etc., frequents pubs, prostitutes-all common attributes to sailors, seamen.) And of course there is my favorite Peaked Cap man-AKA Sailor man. "like something a sailor would wear". : )

[Sam Flynn]

I am constantly amazed at what people do when no one is around them horizontally, but 10 feet away vertically.

Constantly amazed? Do you often climb walls?

[Bridewell]

Are you allowed just the one trip for the Ripper, but another trip to do other things? If just one trip, then you'd have to sacrifice Tabram. You'd need to be in Austria because about the time that Tabram was being murdered, Hitler was being conceived. You could send Hitler's dad on a wild goose chase away from home, or kill Hitler's dad, or whatever.

"Hitler's Father Was Jack the Ripper!". Now there's a surefire bestseller, if ever there was one!

[Bridewell]

G'day Bridewell



But by then at least four others are dead, and at best you've caught Mary Jane's killer, we'd still argue forever over were there other killers.

The title of the thread asks "how", not "when", and presumes the existence of "the Ripper". The sooner the better though I agree, but it's rather academic at this remove methinks.

[GUT]

G'day Jon

Serial killers are the exception, not the rule.

A point so often overlooked. I've forgotten it myself at times. No good trying to predict what they will ot won't do, let alone 125 years after the event.

[Wickerman]

hi gut good point....i think most prostitute targeting serial killers tend to be blue collar...and from the old threads ive read here it seems like the vigilance committees were made up of men who were willing to patrol for very little pay...more likely lusk status was more an exception than a rule?

Serial killers are the exception, not the rule.

[RockySullivan]

G'day Rocky



That depends on what type of person he was.

If he was an insane person, no I don't think he would.

If he was a working class man, I doubt it, the committee seems to have been middle management types, Lusk ran his own construction business.

If he was a Toff or a Royal No.

So only if he was of that similar class to Lusk, remember 1880's England was very class conscious.

hi gut good point....i think most prostitute targeting serial killers tend to be blue collar...and from the old threads ive read here it seems like the vigilance committees were made up of men who were willing to patrol for very little pay...more likely lusk status was more an exception than a rule?