"Another Ripper Scare", 1891

[Pcdunn]

Our library now has access to the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection, which is great for me, as I wanted to research the "Denver Ripper", as well as find out more about the search for Jack in this part of the country.

This is a small piece from the Aspen Weekly Times of February 21, 1891:

"Another "Ripper" Scare
LONDON, February 17 -- Another "Jack the Ripper" scare is agitating the city. A woman was found dying this morning with her throat cut and a stab wound in her chest. In spite of the popular "Jack the Ripper" theory, the police declare the woman committed suicide."

I just bet they did...

[Errata]

Our library now has access to the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection, which is great for me, as I wanted to research the "Denver Ripper", as well as find out more about the search for Jack in this part of the country.

This is a small piece from the Aspen Weekly Times of February 21, 1891:

"Another "Ripper" Scare
LONDON, February 17 -- Another "Jack the Ripper" scare is agitating the city. A woman was found dying this morning with her throat cut and a stab wound in her chest. In spite of the popular "Jack the Ripper" theory, the police declare the woman committed suicide."

I just bet they did...

She might have. I had a friend in high school kill herself a similar way. She plunged a knife rather dramatically into her chest, but she collapsed a lung and missed the heart. So she stabbed her own throat. There was a brief scandal where they tried to remove Shakespeare from schools. I don't mind if no one ever reads Romeo and Juliet ever again, but remove Shakespeare? Everyone has bad plays. He can't help that his second worst really appeals to teenagers.

I'm sure I sound callous, but she killed herself over a boy and I've never actually forgiven her for that kind of nonsense.

[ChrisGeorge]

Our library now has access to the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection, which is great for me, as I wanted to research the "Denver Ripper", as well as find out more about the search for Jack in this part of the country.

This is a small piece from the Aspen Weekly Times of February 21, 1891:

"Another "Ripper" Scare
LONDON, February 17 -- Another "Jack the Ripper" scare is agitating the city. A woman was found dying this morning with her throat cut and a stab wound in her chest. In spite of the popular "Jack the Ripper" theory, the police declare the woman committed suicide."

I just bet they did...

Yes the 17 February 1891 case might have been a murder but then it's a bit like the mystery of Poplar marine store dealer Edward Buchan, found with his neck cut and nearly decapitated on Monday morning, 19 November 1888. The tragedy occurred on his birthday, ten days after the murder of Mary Jane Kelly and coincidentally also the day of her funeral. A death that, as with the 17 February 1891 case, was declared a suicide. Was Buchan's death truly a suicide or could it have been a Ripper murder... the Whitechapel murderer stepping over the gender line to kill a man... or, bottom line, did Buchan really just "off" himself?

Best regards

Chris

[Pcdunn]

Thank you both for interesting responses. It would be interesting to see how often women stabbed themselves to death back then.

As for Buchan, I expected him to be older than 29, for a suicide on his birthday. But some mental illness hits people in their 20s, so who knows, really.

[John Wheat]

She might have. I had a friend in high school kill herself a similar way. She plunged a knife rather dramatically into her chest, but she collapsed a lung and missed the heart. So she stabbed her own throat. There was a brief scandal where they tried to remove Shakespeare from schools. I don't mind if no one ever reads Romeo and Juliet ever again, but remove Shakespeare? Everyone has bad plays. He can't help that his second worst really appeals to teenagers.

I'm sure I sound callous, but she killed herself over a boy and I've never actually forgiven her for that kind of nonsense.

Errata you're all heart. One can only imagine the mindset of your friend before killing herself.

Cheers John

[Shaggyrand]

There are some determined and crazily melodramatic suicides. She could have killed herself like that fairly easily. Would be very interested to find more details on that one... if I can remember to look later.

I've always felt that The Revenger's Tragedy would be a better thing for schools than Romeo and Juliette. It's just a better play, biting, vicious, mocking, violent and doesn't have kids who kill themselves because they couldn't bone. Let's be honest, that's all it is. Driven to suicide by blue balls. One of English's worst love stories and if it had a different author it would be long forgotten.

[Errata]

There are some determined and crazily melodramatic suicides. She could have killed herself like that fairly easily. Would be very interested to find more details on that one... if I can remember to look later.

I've always felt that The Revenger's Tragedy would be a better thing for schools than Romeo and Juliette. It's just a better play, biting, vicious, mocking, violent and doesn't have kids who kill themselves because they couldn't bone. Let's be honest, that's all it is. Driven to suicide by blue balls. One of English's worst love stories and if it had a different author it would be long forgotten.

I've spent a not inconsiderable amount of time in outpatient psychiatric programs. You get judged for what you try. Some methods are definitely considered "less" than others. A girl who stood in the middle of the interstate was derided as being an attention whore. The thought being that if she really wanted to die she would do something less showy, more hardcore. And to not have an opinion on what manner of death is better or worse is not accepted. So you develop an opinion quickly. Which sounds horrible. Is horrible probably. Not as bad as developing a point system would be. But much more honest than the way most people treat suicide. So you get a room full of experts, and everyone in that room knows that their death has political capital. You get one last unobstructed message. So you better hope it's something better than "The boy I like doesn't like me back". Because once you say it, that's it. You can never again steer the conversation about you. You can't come back with "No but I was also really stressed out". You can't soothe hurt feelings, or charm away anger. You've spent your capital, and the story isn't yours anymore. Which is to say, if you want me to understand your pain, you have to literally live to tell the tale. Otherwise you are dead and my opinion doesn't matter to you in the slightest.

[Errata]

There are some determined and crazily melodramatic suicides. She could have killed herself like that fairly easily. Would be very interested to find more details on that one... if I can remember to look later.

I've always felt that The Revenger's Tragedy would be a better thing for schools than Romeo and Juliette. It's just a better play, biting, vicious, mocking, violent and doesn't have kids who kill themselves because they couldn't bone. Let's be honest, that's all it is. Driven to suicide by blue balls. One of English's worst love stories and if it had a different author it would be long forgotten.

But for what it's worth, it doesn't get more dramatic than drinking drain cleaner. Because no one thinks that is going to be a painless way to go, and no one thinks that is going to leave a pretty corpse. So that's not just a shot across the bow, that's a nuke.

[Shaggyrand]

But for what it's worth, it doesn't get more dramatic than drinking drain cleaner. Because no one thinks that is going to be a painless way to go, and no one thinks that is going to leave a pretty corpse. So that's not just a shot across the bow, that's a nuke.

Knew a guy who drank cleaner and then hung himself in his shop window. Hanging and suffocation are very popular with folks in their 30s to 50s these days.
To be clear- I am not judging anyone for icing themselves or attempting to. That's their business. Though it is often melodramatic and done in a fairly plain stupid moment among a certain age group, in my experience, and not for any other reason that they or anyone else can say. I agree with your take in the earlier post completely (would have worked the quote function better but on my phone its just too much hassle).

[Ginger]

But for what it's worth, it doesn't get more dramatic than drinking drain cleaner. Because no one thinks that is going to be a painless way to go, and no one thinks that is going to leave a pretty corpse. So that's not just a shot across the bow, that's a nuke.

That's always struck me strongly about all of the Victorian suicides who drank carbolic acid. That's one of the most painful methods of self-destruction imaginable, and yet from the LVP up until at least the Great War, it's one that you encounter again and again, to the point where it becomes almost commonplace. There's little way to see that other than as a statement, rather like the Buddhists setting themselves alight.

FWIW, suicide isn't always a "cry for help", etc, as we've been socialized to believe. It can be a reasonable act when continuing to live has no further appeal. For myself, I fully intend to end my own life if and when I feel my enjoyment of life no longer outweighs the pain, and I'm not leaving anyone behind who would be irreparably hurt by my loss. IMHO, deciding when to end one's life is a fundamental human right.

[Mayerling]

There are some determined and crazily melodramatic suicides. She could have killed herself like that fairly easily. Would be very interested to find more details on that one... if I can remember to look later.

I've always felt that The Revenger's Tragedy would be a better thing for schools than Romeo and Juliette. It's just a better play, biting, vicious, mocking, violent and doesn't have kids who kill themselves because they couldn't bone. Let's be honest, that's all it is. Driven to suicide by blue balls. One of English's worst love stories and if it had a different author it would be long forgotten.

But briefly they do bone - when they secretly marry, they have private time together. It's the speed of events after Mercutio and Tybalt are slain that forces Romeo to flee and Juliet and Friar Laurence to begin to over plan and over react.

Did you know there is a French film loosely based on "The Revenger's Tragedy"? - the 1976 film "Noroit" with Geraldine Chaplin. It's shown more frequently in Europe (especially on the continent) than in England proper or the U.S. Personally my favorite twisted Elizabethan/Jacobean love tragedy is Middleton's "The Changeling".

Jeff

[Pcdunn]

But for what it's worth, it doesn't get more dramatic than drinking drain cleaner. Because no one thinks that is going to be a painless way to go, and no one thinks that is going to leave a pretty corpse. So that's not just a shot across the bow, that's a nuke.

Want a fascinating read about life, death, insanity, and suicide in small town America in Victorian times? Get "Winscosin Death Trip"-- it is a collection of tidbits from local newspapers from the 1870s-90s or so, paired with old photographs found in a shop. Drinking carbolic acid was a frequent method of killing oneself, and there seemed to be a large number of barn fires, as well.

[Shaggyrand]

But briefly they do bone - when they secretly marry, they have private time together. It's the speed of events after Mercutio and Tybalt are slain that forces Romeo to flee and Juliet and Friar Laurence to begin to over plan and over react.

Did you know there is a French film loosely based on "The Revenger's Tragedy"? - the 1976 film "Noroit" with Geraldine Chaplin. It's shown more frequently in Europe (especially on the continent) than in England proper or the U.S. Personally my favorite twisted Elizabethan/Jacobean love tragedy is Middleton's "The Changeling".

Jeff

Yes, I know that happens but I prefer my more streamlined take. Only because they actions they take are just eye rolling. All of that for Romeo to get balls deep after being dumped and needing a rebound. It's just... Ugh.

I have seen Noroît. It's a gorgeous film, but all of Rivette's films are. It has a lot of interesting approaches and ideas but it doesn't work as well as it should. Maybe its the on screen pirate band providing all the music that is to blame.
Alex Cox did a film version in 2002 that's fun. Not great but a fun cheap punked up version. It's high camp but there's nothing wong with that.

[ChrisGeorge]

But briefly they do bone - when they secretly marry, they have private time together. It's the speed of events after Mercutio and Tybalt are slain that forces Romeo to flee and Juliet and Friar Laurence to begin to over plan and over react.

Did you know there is a French film loosely based on "The Revenger's Tragedy"? - the 1976 film "Noroit" with Geraldine Chaplin. It's shown more frequently in Europe (especially on the continent) than in England proper or the U.S. Personally my favorite twisted Elizabethan/Jacobean love tragedy is Middleton's "The Changeling".

Jeff

Hi Jeff

Many of the English will be at pains to tell you that they are not part of Europe or "the Continent." Nonetheless it is interesting that writers such as Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe wrote about places in Europe that they never personally visited -- e.g., Poe's only time abroad was when he was taken to his stepfather Richmond tobacco merchant John Allan's native Scotland, and on the same trip when he was in school in Stoke Newington, London, which helped inspire his tale "William Wilson." One has to assume that both writers read widely to be able to recreate those worlds and situations and make them seem "real."

Best regards

Chris

[Errata]

Want a fascinating read about life, death, insanity, and suicide in small town America in Victorian times? Get "Winscosin Death Trip"-- it is a collection of tidbits from local newspapers from the 1870s-90s or so, paired with old photographs found in a shop. Drinking carbolic acid was a frequent method of killing oneself, and there seemed to be a large number of barn fires, as well.

The basis of the end all be all personality test for psychiatrists is based on the idea that the good people of Minnesota were the most normal people in the world. I'm sure they are lovely, but the gold standard of sane?

People are weird, right? It's not just me. Life is just one screwball comedy after another, interspersed with Nicholas Sparks like tragedies.