Theory

[Jon Guy]

I would suggest this was not insider information. A reasonable expectation many would have shared.

But why a reasonable expectation ?

There had been two murders in a week, then nothing for three weeks and then the letter, and only the second letter to be sent in at this point.

[TomTomKent]

Other than they were about to commence again ...

I would suggest this was not insider information. A reasonable expectation many would have shared.

[Jon Guy]

Jon Guy

There is nothing in either letter or postcard which shows any insider knowledge of the murders.

Other than they were about to commence again ...

[Rosella]

Hi Abby,

Yes the police were anxious to track down the writer of the Dear Boss letter and the postcard. That doesn't mean they were on the trail of the killer.

It resembles the huge hunt in the Yorkshire Ripper case for the person with a Tyneside accent who sent a tape to the police. That was publicised everywhere too. It turned out years later to have been sent by an alcoholic, who knew nothing.

The senior police in the JTR case may well have been informed several years later that a journalist was responsible, perhaps Best, of the Star newspaper.

If the Dear Boss letter, the postcard and the 'From Hell' letter were written by the same individual, that person spent a lot of time communicating and having some fun! Blood kept in a ginger beer bottle! Perleeze! For years I kept imagining Jack with his souvenirs and fantasies surrounding his killings sitting down to a refreshing ginger beer!

the Dear Boss letter and, to a slightly lesser extent, the postcard, is written in an educated hand and is clearly signed with the newly coined signature 'Jack the Ripper'. Experts who have examined the 'From Hell' letter have concluded that it was written by a semi-literate person who made no attempt to disguise any education.

It's true, Israel Schwartz saw a man throw a woman (we don't know whether it was Stride) down in the passage some fifteen minutes before the body was discovered and she screamed 'but not very loudly'. Schwartz was never called as a witness at Stride's inquest. We don't know why.

One ear lobe, courtesy of numerous facial mutilations on Eddowes, does not constitute clipping ears off for the police. The Dear Boss letter was posted after the inquest on Chapman. The Saucy Jack postcard was probably posted hours after there were special editions out in the East End that Sunday, and stories of the murders were spreading fast. There is nothing in either letter or postcard which shows any insider knowledge of the murders.

[Abby Normal]

I don't think Scotland Yard came to a definite conclusion about the Jack the Ripper letter and postcard being written by the killer, did they? They were certainly written by the same hand, probably by a journalist.

Neither of them show any pre-knowledge of the details of the murders that were unknown to the public. Yes, there are references to Chapman not screaming (don't think you'd have to be a genius to guess that one) and future 'clipping' of victims' ears. Stride's ears weren't touched and Kate Eddowes' earlobe was sliced off obliquely, probably during the facial mutilations.

The 'Dear Boss' letter contained things that might have been gleaned from Chapman's inquest. Some details about the double event had actually appeared in the Sunday evening newspapers of Sept 30th. Remember in Victorian times there were several postal deliveries a day. Anything posted late in the evening would be delivered (in London) early the next day.

The significance of these two communications is that a name was given to a frightening killer. Plus, a whole heap of imitation letters and cards began arriving, sent to the police and others by countless Jacks.

I don't think that the 'From Hell' letter came from the writer of the 'Dear Boss' letter, and the 'I wasn't codding' postcard of October 1st. That's just my opinion.

Hi Rosella
The police at the time certainly thought the Dear Boss and saucy jacky post card may have come from the killer, which is why they posted it out everywhere. they have several things that seems to match-wanting to get to work soon-the double event just happened to take place a few days later.
clipping of the ears- part of eddowes ear was cut off and number one squealed a bit. Not screamed a lot , not didn't scream at all, but just a bit, pretty much what witness Israel Scwartz described.

None of these details were in the papers by the time these letters were written.

Also, one thing that struck me as the ring of truth-instead Boldly and boasting of killing two women in one night, the letter writer takes a more self-depreciating tone, attributing of the two murders due to more circumstances out of his control-because the first one "squeeled'. It seems a hoaxer wouldn't have the subtlety to come up with that mixed/tone.

It also comes as no surprise to me that top police later made claims to think they were a hoax by a journalist-why would they admit a potential clue that
that they failed to use to catch the killer-it makes them look worse.

[Abby Normal]

Well what makes me think the from hell letter maybe valid is the reference to cannibalism. When looking at Jeffrey Dahmer we know that eating human flesh created a sexual experience, knowing that a kidney was taken from one of the victims this seem plausible. As far as the return address "From Hell" seems like a sick joke and someone like Jack may have found this amusing.

The Dear boss letter and the Saucy Jack post card contain references to double murders that were never disclosed by the police. these references (plus the bool stained post card) lead the police to believe these were authentic.

The difficulties come when connecting all the letters together. IF they are authentic then you have to explain why the Dear boss letter was written in the same hand while the from hell letter wasn't.

In portrait of a killer, Patricia Cornwell theorized that the killer could have written some of letters with his other hand, this maybe a valid theory because the From Hell letter was sloppily written while the other letters were very neat. Another theory is that Jack may have convinced a friend (maybe a pub friend) to write the letter as a joke, the friend wrote the letter not realizing that he penned it for the real killer. And finally, Jack may have been drunk or high at the time of the writing making it sloppy.

Of course these are just theory's it would be impossible to prove them without an arrest of a suspect, BUT again if they are real, then they are the only "voice" of Jack the Ripper that exist.

Hi
Good post.
I have always thought that there is slightly better than 50/50 that dear boss and postcard were from the killer and that from hell is a slightly better chance than that. But as you say, its hard to reconcile both.
I think that if they are then (and I have always maintained this) that from hell was written when the killer was extremely intoxicated as you say and accounts for the differences and also sloppiness of thr from hell letter.

[Rosella]

I don't think Scotland Yard came to a definite conclusion about the Jack the Ripper letter and postcard being written by the killer, did they? They were certainly written by the same hand, probably by a journalist.

Neither of them show any pre-knowledge of the details of the murders that were unknown to the public. Yes, there are references to Chapman not screaming (don't think you'd have to be a genius to guess that one) and future 'clipping' of victims' ears. Stride's ears weren't touched and Kate Eddowes' earlobe was sliced off obliquely, probably during the facial mutilations.

The 'Dear Boss' letter contained things that might have been gleaned from Chapman's inquest. Some details about the double event had actually appeared in the Sunday evening newspapers of Sept 30th. Remember in Victorian times there were several postal deliveries a day. Anything posted late in the evening would be delivered (in London) early the next day.

The significance of these two communications is that a name was given to a frightening killer. Plus, a whole heap of imitation letters and cards began arriving, sent to the police and others by countless Jacks.

I don't think that the 'From Hell' letter came from the writer of the 'Dear Boss' letter, and the 'I wasn't codding' postcard of October 1st. That's just my opinion.

[dahler101]

That's a good attitude/survival instinct for this place.

Some would say connecting any of those items is a long shot. What's caught your eye?

Well what makes me think the from hell letter maybe valid is the reference to cannibalism. When looking at Jeffrey Dahmer we know that eating human flesh created a sexual experience, knowing that a kidney was taken from one of the victims this seem plausible. As far as the return address "From Hell" seems like a sick joke and someone like Jack may have found this amusing.

The Dear boss letter and the Saucy Jack post card contain references to double murders that were never disclosed by the police. these references (plus the bool stained post card) lead the police to believe these were authentic.

The difficulties come when connecting all the letters together. IF they are authentic then you have to explain why the Dear boss letter was written in the same hand while the from hell letter wasn't.

In portrait of a killer, Patricia Cornwell theorized that the killer could have written some of letters with his other hand, this maybe a valid theory because the From Hell letter was sloppily written while the other letters were very neat. Another theory is that Jack may have convinced a friend (maybe a pub friend) to write the letter as a joke, the friend wrote the letter not realizing that he penned it for the real killer. And finally, Jack may have been drunk or high at the time of the writing making it sloppy.

Of course these are just theory's it would be impossible to prove them without an arrest of a suspect, BUT again if they are real, then they are the only "voice" of Jack the Ripper that exist.

[Disco Stu]

That's a good attitude/survival instinct for this place.

Some would say connecting any of those items is a long shot. What's caught your eye?

[dahler101]

Thanks for offering your theory, it can be daunting putting your head in the lions mouth like that. Do you have plans for testing your theory, or are you just getting the idea out there and seeing what people make of it?

Just putting it out there I have been looking at several writings and have come up with idea's of my own, but I would suck at writing my own book or paper. But I love discussions so I'm pretty content with just sharing idea's on the forums and what not.

I do believe the writings all connected, the wall, the dear boss letter and the post card, and the from hell letter, although the from hell letter is a pretty big long shot.

[Disco Stu]

Thanks for offering your theory, it can be daunting putting your head in the lions mouth like that. Do you have plans for testing your theory, or are you just getting the idea out there and seeing what people make of it?

[dahler101]

I want to thank everyone in their replies so far even if you don't agree with my theory, this type of discussion is why I joined Casebook

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Can you point us to any of these?

There was a graffiti on a butcher's shop close to Buck's row with the words "murderer here" or something like that.

Plus there is the debatable "5 (4): 15 (16) more and I give myself up" close to where Chapman was killed.

They were all put there after the murders.

Dew's memoirs is a source. But I have stumbled upon a more specific one. Will get back to you.

[Abby Normal]

I am working on a theory regarding the writing on the wall, does anybody know of any published articles in the news papers, or any published police theory about Jack being a Jew prior to the double murder on 29 SEPTEMBER 1888?

My theory is Jack did write the message on the wall, and IF I am right I would make for a interesting insight into the killers mind. "The Juwes are the men that would be blamed for nothing."

Central to my theory is the killer was not Jewish, but was angered by the thought that he might be considered to be Jewish. If it was published or word got out that the police were investigating Jews it would have prompted Jack to write the message on the wall. Not only that but it seemed to be taunting police in true Jack the Ripper fashion.

So if Jack the Ripper was not Jewish, but wanted the throw the police of his scent why wouldn't he keep quiet about not being Jewish? The answer is simple, I believe that Jack was a psychopath with Narcissistic tendencies. Also anti-Semitism has a long tradition in Europe it is possible that Jack had a prejudice against Jews. If this is true Jack would become angered at the thought that a Jew might take credit for his "work."

Thoughts?

HI
I think that if anything he wrote it to blame jews (throw off the police)and/or was pissed off by being interrupted jew/s that night.

[TomTomKent]

What if the killer had written the message in the anticipation of a murder, committed the murder then deposited the apron at the scene? the murders would have had to have been planned and calculated enough for him to have an escape route if he were caught in the act like the Stride murder that he committed earlier that night. so he could have deposited the apron while still covered in blood and then, walked away.

For this to be a theory instead of speculation you would need evidence to suggest:
1. There is a link between the graffiti and the murder.
2. That the graffiti was prepared for the murder as part of a plan.

We have neither. It is more likely that the graffiti was unrelated other than being in a convenient doorway in which to dispose of the apron. I have no doubt that if the chalked missive that happened to litter the doorway had been Kilroy Woz Ere, Wot No Ripper, or discussing the easy virtues of Big Dave the killer would still have tossed the rag aside and some theorists would still have seen it as a message from the killer.

I for one am grateful Banksy has yet to master time travel or we would have all manner of troubles.