American Jack the Ripper - True Crime Conference, Baltimore, April 7-8, 2018

[ChrisGeorge]

Come and Join the Party!

Saturday, February 17, in Baltimore. Contact me if you have any questions.

[ChrisGeorge]

Yes thanks, Gary. I have the same answer elsewhere so need to determine which of you answered first.

Congratulations -- I believe you were first to answer correctly so send me your snail mail address by private message.

Cheers

Chris

[ChrisGeorge]

Yes thanks, Gary. I have the same answer elsewhere so need to determine which of you answered first. I understand the tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower at the time of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. But what was the official name of the tower before that?

Was it just the 'Clock Tower'?

Yes, it appears so, according to Wiki --

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ben

[ChrisGeorge]

Regrettably Sarah Beth Hopton (Woman at the Devil's Door, Mango Books, 2017) has had to back out of RipperCon 2018. Ms. Hopton reports:

"I'm sorry to write this, but I need to withdraw my participation from the conference this year for two reasons. First, I thought I would have books by now, but the new U.S. print-run from Indiana UP won't be available (not even mock copies) until August. It's difficult to promote a book that doesn't yet exist. Second, and more importantly, I have close family getting married that weekend in Orlando and I've been asked to be in the wedding. Regrettably, this is not something I can say 'no' to. And so, it is with deep regret that I have to withdraw from the conference this year. I hope my withdrawal will not preclude my future participation in the conference. I was quite looking forward to it and wish you the best of luck."

The next iteration of RipperCon here in the United States is likely to be in Buffalo in 2020 and to be run by Mike Hawley and Brian Young. Hopefully we will see Ms Hopton in Buffalo and enjoy hearing her presentation at that time, by which time her book should be available here in the U.S. and hopefully there would be no conflicting family event that might prevent her attendance.

We do have further speakers and performers for RipperCon 2018 to announce as well as an exciting Valentine's Day fundraiser to take place on Saturday, February 17 at a special location here in Baltimore. Stay tuned for further news!

Cheers

Chris

[MrBarnett]

Yes thanks, Gary. I have the same answer elsewhere so need to determine which of you answered first. I understand the tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower at the time of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. But what was the official name of the tower before that?

Was it just the 'Clock Tower'?

[ChrisGeorge]

This man's son was a Jack the Ripper suspect. Name that suspect and this copy of News Stead: A Journal of History and Literature, Spring 2002, could be yours (excuse the notations on the cover...)





As usual, previous winners of RipperCon 2018 loot cannot win again.

[ChrisGeorge]

Yes thanks, Gary. I have the same answer elsewhere so need to determine which of you answered first. I understand the tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower at the time of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. But what was the official name of the tower before that?

[MrBarnett]

Big Ben is the name of a bell inside the 'Elizabeth Tower'.

[ChrisGeorge]

RipperCon 2018 Swagerama continues! If you are the first to give me the official name of Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament, you win the vintage trick postcard at the bottom. I am thinking the Mademoiselle who was the recipient of this special 1905 postcard was a little girl. What do you think???

Previous winners of RipperCon 2018 loot cannot win again.

Come to RipperCon in Baltimore in April. Don't miss out on two days of talks and two days of tours, Friday, April 6 through Monday, April 9. Complete details at www.RipperCon.com. This is the only North American #JacktheRipper-#True Crime conference in the 130th Anniversary Year of the Whitechapel Murders.

Special Valentine's Day "To Die For" Evening at the Duchess of Windsor Museum, 206 E. Biddle Street, Baltimore, Saturday, February 17, 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm, featuring Mike Hawley talking Dr. Tumblety and signing copies of his books. Details to be announced shortly.

[ChrisGeorge]

PM received, Hercule, and I have responded!

As we edge toward RipperCon 2018 coming up in Baltimore at the beginning of April, here is an article on the 2004 Baltimore conference.

[Hercule Poirot]

Hi Chris,
I'm so happy for having won. I'll send you a PM.

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi Hercule

Indeed as you say, Peter Kurten, "The Vampire of Düsseldorf" is the serial killer discussed by Mr. Rumbelow in his landmark book. Well done. Let me check around in case anyone answered before you. If not you are the winner of the trivia contest. Stay tuned.

Cheers

Chris

Hi again Hercule

I find that you were the first to answer correctly. Send me your snail mail address by private message and I will get the book off to you directly.

Here is the story of the inscription that Don wrote in my copy of The Complete Jack the Ripper. It so happens that Ripper author and (alas!) now retired Ripper Walks tour guide Don Rumbelow is also a lover of Napoleonic history. Aware of that, when Don came to Baltimore to be Guest Speaker at the 2002 Jack the Ripper Conference at the BWI Airport Comfort Inn, I invited him to a lecture on the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake that I was due to deliver on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

We travelled to the town where I was to give the lecture in a car driven by the late Judge Elsbeth Bothe (pictured below). Beth knew Don and Molly Rumbelow from before, and Donna and I were invited to her house in Baltimore one evening for a dinner with the Rumbelows. As you can see from the photo, Beth was a collector of bizarre things like skulls or paintings and clocks with mice, as well as 18th-century prints by such masters of the satirical cartoon as Rowlandson and Gillray.

Beth was handicapped and so the controls of her Cadillac were adapted so she could drive it. Before we could reach the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to cross over to the Eastern Shore we were caught in a terrific rainstorm, and I was seriously afraid we might end up in a ditch beside the expressway leading to the bridge.

We did make it across the bridge, and found that it was bright sunshine on the other side! It hadn't rained at all over there. Nonetheless, the storm had delayed us and I had to rush my dinner at the Tidewater Inn in Easton before hustling off to the lecture hall. It was hard to explain to the audience, who had been kept waiting for my arrival, about the rainstorm on the state's western shore that they had not experienced!!!!

In any case, that is why Don wrote "Welcome to Ripperology -- again!" as the inscription on the book!

Cheers

Chris

[ChrisGeorge]

Peter Kurten, The Vampire of Düsseldorf

Hi Hercule

Indeed as you say, Peter Kurten, "The Vampire of Düsseldorf" is the serial killer discussed by Mr. Rumbelow in his landmark book. Well done. Let me check around in case anyone answered before you. If not you are the winner of the trivia contest. Stay tuned.

Cheers

Chris

[Hercule Poirot]

Peter Kurten, The Vampire of Düsseldorf

[ChrisGeorge]

This signed copy of the 1988 Penguin Books paperback edition of Donald Rumbelow's The Complete Jack the Ripper (in fair condition) goes to whomever is first to tell us the name of the German serial killer that Don discusses in his landmark book on the Ripper case. Yes, indeed! This is yet another part of RipperCon 2018's Swagerama giveaway. Previous winners cannot enter. Good luck!

Come to hear the talks at RipperCon #JacktheRipper-#TrueCrime conference in Baltimore April 7-8, and enjoy the tours of Baltimore April 6 and 9 going to Edgar Allan Poe locations and the MD Medical Examiners Office, etc. Don't miss out! Check us out at www.RipperCon.com -- you might even consider coming for our Valentine's Day event in Baltimore "Love to Die For!" -- look for news to be announced shortly!