Evidence of Jack The Ripper's existence

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Hello everyone,

I've been browsing this website for quite some time, very interesting and instructive.
So I decided to join. Not a ripperologist, but a writer. I love to research my stuff. Currently writing a novella about Jack the Ripper (don't worry, it's not in English, I'm ESL) and I don't intend to provide a probable suspect, but I want to write a credible story, even if it's far fetched.

This said, I'm not very knowledgeable in CSI stuff, even from the Victorian era.

I just want to make sure I'm not making a mistake.

So here are my questions:

1- How sure are we that there was a Jack The Ripper?
2- How many professional at the time examined the M.O. to declare the same man did the 4-5-6 murders?
3- Could it be possible, that different people using the same M.O. committed the murders?
4- If so, were there any theories, even crackpot ones, about this in the past century?

Thank you.

PS- I went through a lot of different pages from the website and discussions, but obviously not all of them. If this topic was already discussed, let me know where I can find it. If this whole post is a repeat, I will delete it.

[GUT]

Hello everyone,

I've been browsing this website for quite some time, very interesting and instructive.
So I decided to join. Not a ripperologist, but a writer. I love to research my stuff. Currently writing a novella about Jack the Ripper (don't worry, it's not in English, I'm ESL) and I don't intend to provide a probable suspect, but I want to write a credible story, even if it's far fetched.

This said, I'm not very knowledgeable in CSI stuff, even from the Victorian era.

I just want to make sure I'm not making a mistake.

So here are my questions:

1- How sure are we that there was a Jack The Ripper?
2- How many professional at the time examined the M.O. to declare the same man did the 4-5-6 murders?
3- Could it be possible, that different people using the same M.O. committed the murders?
4- If so, were there any theories, even crackpot ones, about this in the past century?

Thank you.

PS- I went through a lot of different pages from the website and discussions, but obviously not all of them. If this topic was already discussed, let me know where I can find it. If this whole post is a repeat, I will delete it.

G'day Sir John

And welcome to Casebook.

Pardon my ignorance but what do you mean by I'm ESL sorry if that's rude of me and feel free not to answer.

You say that you've read a lot here and does anyone think there were multiple killers ... let's just say a few people think just that. and with all respect to you and them at least a couple of them are far from crackpot theories.

Did any professionals think one murder at the time, think the answer is MOST, just look at the existing police files, look at the Macnaghten Memorandum, read Anderson's book yes most of the police officials appear to have supported the idea that most of the killings were by one person. In fact it is Mac who gives us the C5.

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Thank you. I will read those.

I was afraid that the whole thing was resting on the expertise of one or two autopsy doctors from the era.

You're not rude at all. ESL = English as Second Language.

[GUT]

Thank you. I will read those.

I was afraid that the whole thing was resting on the expertise of one or two autopsy doctors from the era.

You're not rude at all. ESL = English as Second Language.

G'day Sir John

Thanks for that.

At lease one autopsy points to the possibility of more than one killer.

It also depends on what murders you are referring too.

Casebook victims page lists about 20 possibles, 'm not sure anyone puts all of those down to one killer, then you add Torso [was that Jack or someone else?] the permutations are almost endless.

[lynn cates]

respondeo quod

Hello John. Welcome to the boards. Thanks for starting this thread.

"1- How sure are we that there was a Jack The Ripper?"

Depends on the "we." I think it silly.

"2- How many professionals at the time examined the M.O. to declare the same man did the 4-5-6 murders?"

Signature perhaps? Some of the original medicos were uncomfortable with claiming all belonged together.

"3- Could it be possible, that different people using the same M.O. committed the murders?"

Well, one could try to copy the signature of, say, Polly and Annie. But I daresay he would be less than successful--given, of course, how carefully one looked.

"4- If so, were there any theories, even crackpot ones, about this in the past century?"

Well, a recent one involves Professor Cook. I can give details if interested.

Thanks for thinking. A somewhat RARE commodity these days.

Cheers.
LC

[SirJohnFalstaff]

G'day Sir John

Thanks for that.

At lease one autopsy points to the possibility of more than one killer.

It also depends on what murders you are referring too.

Casebook victims page lists about 20 possibles, 'm not sure anyone puts all of those down to one killer, then you add Torso [was that Jack or someone else?] the permutations are almost endless.

I'm referring to the canonical five, plus maybe Martha Tabram.

well, keep in mind that I do this for a fiction, I'm not looking for a plausible answer, although the whole thing is fascinating, ghastly, but fascinating.

I read recently in an article from the Express (I'm sure it is discussed elsewhere on this fine website, it's dated September 21st, 2013) that a former murder squad detective claimed that Jack never really existed.

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Hello John. Welcome to the boards. Thanks for starting this thread.

"1- How sure are we that there was a Jack The Ripper?"

Depends on the "we." I think it silly.

"2- How many professionals at the time examined the M.O. to declare the same man did the 4-5-6 murders?"

Signature perhaps? Some of the original medicos were uncomfortable with claiming all belonged together.

"3- Could it be possible, that different people using the same M.O. committed the murders?"

Well, one could try to copy the signature of, say, Polly and Annie. But I daresay he would be less than successful--given, of course, how carefully one looked.

"4- If so, were there any theories, even crackpot ones, about this in the past century?"

Well, a recent one involves Professor Cook. I can give details if interested.

Thanks for thinking. A somewhat RARE commodity these days.

Cheers.
LC

do you mean Harry James Cook?

I found his name while reading about People of the Abyss, a fascinating read.

[Observer]

1- How sure are we that there was a Jack The Ripper?
2- How many professional at the time examined the M.O. to declare the same man did the 4-5-6 murders?
3- Could it be possible, that different people using the same M.O. committed the murders?
4- If so, were there any theories, even crackpot ones, about this in the past century?

Thank you.

Hi Sir John

1.For what it's worth, I definitely believe that there was such an individual. A sociopathic lust murderer who killed at least six women during the latter months of 1888, and possibly another in 1889.

2. Most of them I'd say. The professionals who believed that there may have been more than one killer are quoted ad nauseam by the conspiracy theorists who contribute to this forum. Of course, they rarely mention the professionals who believed the murders were committed by the same individual.

3. No.

4. Yes, and in this century also. Verily, crackpot conspiracy theories appear here in this forum. What would you say if I told you that a mad pork butcher killed Polly Nichols, and Annie Chapman, he believing he was putting in a shift at the knackers yard; and then, the Fenians taking advantage of the scare, perpetrated two copycat killings(Eddowes and Kelly) in order to silence them, they being spies for the British Secret Service? I do believe the Russian Secret Service played a part in the above theory to boot, but don't quote me. And we are told that the lone sociopath killer theory is rot! Would you believe it?

Good luck with the work of fiction, even if it is far fetched! We have some very imaginative posters here in Casebook land, they're very good at far fetched, I'm sure you'll pick up a few pointers.

Regards

Observer

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Thank you, Observer.

Like I said, I'm working on a fiction, not a theory. It is a conspiracy, but with a twist.

My hypothesis for the fiction is the whole thing was a reaction to the riots of 1886, the occupation of Trafalgar Square of 1887, and the several strikes of the first half of 1888. In the fear of an uprising, a climate of fear was "created" to turn the working class of the East against itself.

It is a side story from a bigger writing project set in my native Montreal during WWI. The JtR novella will tell the tale of the early days of one of the antagonist.

[c.d.]

Hello Sir John,

Welcome to the boards. Always nice to get some new blood (no pun intended).

You would expect that the more murderers there were the greater the chances of one of them being caught.

Also, the reward for information that was being offered was pretty substantial. Again, you would expect greater results from the offering of a reward if there were multiple killers.

I think it was one man and one man only.

c.d.

[Observer]

Hi again Sir John. Sounds very interesting, and of course we have the centenary of the beginning of WW1 upon us as we speak, so it should go well.

Regards

Observer

[lynn cates]

Andrew

Hello John. Thanks.

Andrew, if I recall properly.

Cheers.
LC

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Hello Sir John,

Welcome to the boards. Always nice to get some new blood (no pun intended).

You would expect that the more murderers there were the greater the chances of one of them being caught.

Also, the reward for information that was being offered was pretty substantial. Again, you would expect greater results from the offering of a reward if there were multiple killers.

I think it was one man and one man only.

c.d.

I like your arguments.

Allow me to counter point. When I'm talking of several people, I mean 5 murders= 5 killers. I think the description of suspects by witness of 5 different men would give the police headaches, if the killers were not too different and had the same M.O.

About the rewards, they were all offered by private parties right after the double event, no? and Mary Kelly was killed inside... Also, if the hundreds of letters were mostly hoax, I would believe, like the police officials of the time, that a reward in one of the most impoverish area of London would create way too many false leads motivated by greed/survival.

Just my two cents.

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Hi again Sir John. Sounds very interesting, and of course we have the centenary of the beginning of WW1 upon us as we speak, so it should go well.

Regards

Observer

Thank you.

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Hello John. Thanks.

Andrew, if I recall properly.

Cheers.
LC

Alright, got him, thanks.

he wrote the "Case Closed" book.