what is your opinion of the letters?

[Graham]

Hi Nell Lance,

interesting that you cite the 'Lindbergh Letter'. This, I think, was written for a specific purpose, not to crow over the crime or to taunt those who were investigating the crime. Without exception, the 'Ripper Letters' fall into the latter category. It would be interesting to know (a) the standard of Hauptmann's spoken English and (b) to see authenticated examples of his written word.

Cheers,

Graham

[perrymason]

I think one of the more important questions to ask regarding the veracity of the letters supposedly penned by the Whitechapel Murderer is.....for what purpose would he write to the authorities? Based on what crime spree is he supposed to be writing clues about? We know some killers developed patterns of writing over the period of many years and after many murders. How many murders did this Jack actually commit to warrant an exchange, perhaps ongoing... as in the case of some modern serial data, with the authorities?

To my untrained eye there are only 2 murders, perhaps 3, that suggest a "Ripper" as revealed by the murder of Polly Nichols. But there are 5 murders that have been attributed to him, one supposedly creating a "Double Event night" inside a single hour for the killer....something quite unique for any killer.

The "From Hell" letter could well be in my opinion a second denial of sorts for the killing that occurred within Dutfields Yard...the first may have been the graffito...."the Jewes (The International Club members) are the Men that will not be blamed for nothing"....and the second bit could be the package and letter to Lusk, which mentions nothing about a second murder on that night....or more importantly, the first murder that he is blamed for on that night.

Its the only specimen connected with the crimes, and may well have come from a woman killed at the same time Kate was. And its from the left kidney...as Kates stolen one was.

Its a very long way to go to hoax something that would require visual and biological matches of a specific organ taken, and so would limit the people who could have sent it.

Meaning...if it was a hoax it almost had to be by med students or coroners.

Is that really probable?

Best regards

[lynn cates]

Dr T

Hello Mike. Or possibly a quack doctor with a bizarre sense of humour?

The best.
LC

[Garry Wroe]

The letters? We're pretty sure who wrote "Dear Boss" and "Saucy Jack." And although Lusk was perturbed on receiving it, he and most ripperologists regard "From Hell" as a hoax.

With the greatest of respect, Lynn, when I first began researching Hutchinson in the mid-Eighties, every Ripperologist believed him to be a truthful witness. It's a very different story nowadays.

You see, a letter writing serial killer fits some suspects; others not. To assume ANY letter authentic is already to have a certain model of the ripper before our minds. Now, if Stephenson were the ripper, I would be shocked if he hadn't written a letter. If Kaminski were the ripper, then, in his frenzied state of mind and with his English skills, no.

Again, though, Lynn, with respect, the issue of whether the killer may have issued letters to the press or police should not be assessed on the basis of a suspects' list, but rather on the psychology of the man who committed the Whitechapel Murders themselves. On this basis, I would be astonished if our man hadn't entered into some kind of communication with those he considered to have been his adversaries. Contrary to most of those Ripperologists already mentioned, therefore, I think it highly likely that the Lusk letter was indeed genuine.

Best wishes.

Garry Wroe.

[lynn cates]

personality disorders

Hi Garry! I agree that much ought to be made out of the psychology of the killer. Of course, that's difficult.

Again, some personalities would HAVE to send a letter. That would be the melancholy type. When I came back to an interest in the ripper last summer, I looked for a certain personality type for my suspect. One who felt himself superior and who was not a success in his vocation. My "profiling" netted me D'Onston. Of course, I based this on "Dear Boss" as genuine.

But consider that, if Jack were a paranoid schizophrenic (like Cohen possibly) or a schizophrenic (like Kosminski possibly) or a sociopath (like Chapman possibly), there may be a very different verdict with respect to letter writing. Not every personality is the "taunting" type. Some are.

The best.
LC

[Johnno]

But what was the first?

Is there any kind of CLEAR consensus about what and when the FIRST letter was? Received either by the police or the Central News (etc.)? While there are probably many unprecedented aspects of the case, I'm not aware of letters from a murderer in other 19th century crimes. So I would imagine that the first would be of "primary" importance, and have the highest likelihood of being authentic.
I know in the Lindburgh kidnapping, the first letter, obviously found on the window sill, is considered authentic, but a lot of doubt has come to be placed on the others, including the "boad Nelly" one. Mickey Rosner, Vitale and Spitz, as well as NY gangster Owney Madden, were all curiously given copies by Lindburgh of the first, and the others may have stemmed from an extortion plot developed in the underworld, and not related to the actual kidnapping.
I think the closest modern similarity is the Zodiac killer, who enclosed a piece of cloth from the slain cab driver in one of the letters, developed a sophisticated cipher with which to taunt the police, and a malevolent nom-de-plume. And, of curse, he was never caught either.

And some, like the Torso killings in Cleveland in the 30's, just went about their grim business without the need to unburden their soul.......

[Mascara & Paranoia]

Hi Mascara & Paranoia

You make some good points about the murders. The only message from the killer might have been the murders themselves.

Chris

That and there not being any murders during October gives credence to the likelihood that the killer did crap himself due to all the publicity, as that month was the height of the Ripper scare. I think the lapse between Eddowes' murder and Kelly's (and the extent of the latter's mutilation) is partly due to the Ripper being too chickensh*t to have ripped another prostitute up that month and that he was frustrated at not being able to do so.

[Garry Wroe]

Hi Garry! I agree that much ought to be made out of the psychology of the killer. Of course, that's difficult.

Perhaps, Lynn. But a number of years ago I constructed a profile of the killer based upon his known and probable behaviours,

http://www.casebook.org/ripper_media...roe_full2.html

an analysis that I believe remains valid to this day. Given that you appear to be approaching the case with a more systematic, objective mindset than most, it may well prove to be of interest.

Best wishes.

Garry Wroe.

[lynn cates]

student

Hello Garry. Many thanks! I shall have a go at it. I suppose it is the intellectual aspect of "Jack" that fascinates me. I am a bit of a student of the human mind.

Cheers.
LC

[sleekviper]

Well...

Boss and the postcard are real. He is going to do a double murder, and wants everyone to know that both are his. If he says nothing, with the speed that he works, there is going to be a high probability that a second killer will come into play, if he waits to claim, the message will be called a hoax. He has few options, the best being what happened here. Send a letter detailing a crime, then include more details of future criminal activity that involves the postal system. By law, the postal system has to be told of any criminal activity that will pass through them, and the special investigation branch will act with the police to monitor the situation. He covered all the bases; he asked for info not to be released, he gave his name, he detailed shipping body parts through the postal system, and he said that he would write again. To make it even easier, he sent the second reply on a postcard. This postcard should have never made it past sorting, and I am not so sure that it did. This postcard is not only suppose to be caught by the post office for coming from someone bent on missusing the postal system, but it is evidence in a crime that has London on the world stage; there should have been chaos in the postal system, no matter when it was spotted,that it made it to the News Agency, but there wasn't, there was just words over the postmark being a day late. The only people that can debate the actual fact of that postcard being delivered, are the same people that are hinted at being the ones that created a possible hoax. Someone cries foul on that postmark, there would be enough evidence, and enough support to end up hanged for someones crimes, and no news is worth death and the condemnation. That postmark would have been just a quick fix, because now they have messed with Jacks plan. I am going to take a wild guess, and say that a message, unlike the first sent for the sake of the double murder, arrived from Jack. With his anger, his confidence, he probably hand delivered it to the police station himself. The..."I think I wet myself" letter. They could not claim a third, it would detail the postmark error, but within the page he would probably express his disappointment, say that he had one more lady to work on, and that he would need time to calm down from what must have been an error concerning his double event. The last, he would write, wouldbe slightly more sweet than the rest, be sure to have all the facts corrects. Pictures and all, they made sure that Mary was well documented, and correct.