Dear Boss

[Abby Normal]

If he wanted to let the world know who did it, then I'd expect to see his name appear in the letter. Oops, we're back to 'grand work' again! Actually, I'm not sure the Ripper wrote any letters, but he may have. Strange he didn't include SOMETHING that would have identified him as the author beyond all doubt.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

Hi Tom

Strange he didn't include SOMETHING that would have identified him as the author beyond all doubt.



Perhaps he thought he had, but I definitely see your point.

[caz]

Regarding timing, I noticed and remarked some time back that the Dear Boss author was obviously waiting until the Chapman inquest concluded to see what had been learned, which explains the post script. Likewise, the Ripper was waiting until the inquest ended to see what the police knew. For different reasons, both men where waiting for the inquest to end to make their move. That's not to say it wasn't the same man, but there's nothing in the letter that tells us the letter had to have been written by the killer.

That's a good point, Tom. It's more the timing of it than the content that intrigues me. But one wonders what the killer could have written in the wake of Hanbury St, and before his next outing, that would have proved only he could have written it.

One thing that only the killer could really have known was whether he was a 'common criminal', a post-mortem room frequenter, a doctor or something else entirely. So when the Dear Boss author laughed at the latest opinion that "he" was a doctor (and not a "Leather Apron" type after all), he was clearly implying that the ripper was no such thing.

...if no other woman was found killed & mutilated, then his letter would have been regarded as a hoax and therefore not likely be published. And that would have been the end of it (no harm done). On the other hand, if another body would turn up, the writer could be quite sure that his letter would likely be regarded as genuine and, subsequently, that the letter and the tradesname he invented would get maximum exposure.

Hi Frank,

While that may reflect the author's thinking on the matter at the time of writing, we know that two more bodies of 'whores' (I only use the term because the author used it) did turn up, but not until after the letter had been forwarded by the CNA to the police. The police published it even though they suspected a prankster was behind it, so I can only assume they would have done so anyway, and not just because of Stride and Eddowes. They still had four unsolved unfortunate murders on their books to investigate (Smith, Tabram, Nichols and Chapman), regardless of which may or may not have been linked.

Genuine or hoax, whoever wrote Dear Boss could be no more sure than anyone else that more murders were on the cards. The killer could have been run down by a horse and cart first.

If the details of the letter do not come to pass, so what? Nobody knows who "Jack" is and it wouldn't be unusual for a deranged killer to lie or change his mind about who, how, when, or how many he kills. And who would hold "Jack" accountible for his untruths/inaccuracies anyway?

It's a good point, D.B., but people usually argue the exact opposite - that if the killer had written anything he would have been 100% true to his word and capable of doing everything he promised with pinpoint accuracy - no more, no less. But of course, in this case, the details of the letter did come to pass. But still the author gets precious little credit - despite the trendy argument that there was never the slightest reason to think an active mutilator was really on the prowl in Whitechapel.

Faking a post mark doesn't seem like a big stretch considering the length some hoaxers have gone to . . .

You'd have to take that up with the keepers and examiners of the document in question. I have heard no hint of suspicion that the postmark could have been faked. In any case, the police still received the letter before the killer got to work again, as its author rightly predicted.

We've seen enough proven and probable Ripper hoaxes, some of them less clever than others, to know there are lots of people who have tried to "get invovled" in the Ripper "game" for all types of logical and uillogical reasons. It is far more likely any particular and probably all of the Ripper letters are hoaxes than the likelihood they were written by the Ripper.

But isn't that a logical fallacy, to work backwards from a sea of obvious copycat hoaxes, to conclude that it's far more likely that the original letter was also a hoax? By that logic, Elvis was 'far more likely' a bogus singer than the real thing because of the sheer number of impersonators - good, bad and horrendous - that followed him.

It is most likely, although not provable beyond whatever doubts some will clling to, the letter was written AFTER the double event or the hoaxer made a very lucky guess, the postmark was faked, the letter a hoax, and therefore the whole mess is not of major importance.

I'm afraid you are way off here. It is not remotely likely that the police lied about when that letter was forwarded to them.

Love,

Caz
X

[FrankO]

Strange he didn't include SOMETHING that would have identified him as the author beyond all doubt.

Couldn’t agree more with you there, Tom. One of the best things he could do to take away all doubt would have been to leave a letter, postcard or whatever in the same handwriting on one of his next victims, that made reference to the Dear Boss letter, just like the Saucy Jacky postcard did. Would have been easy too.

All the best,
Frank

[sleekviper]

I see it like this...

This letter works out in a brilliant, and incredibly well thought out manner that either someone has gone to great lengths to plan, or someone fell into a unique situation that could have had them swinging from the gallows. The author, whether fake or real, portrays Jack as something of a avid sports fan whose undefeated team is playing for the championship against a team that has yet to win a game. Why is he so sure? Well Kidney does not see Stride again after the early part of the 25th, the date that the writer places at the top of the letter. It is as if he knows his next victim is going to be where he wants, when he wants, and can not wait to prove just how much control he has over a city. Then he wants them to hold this back until after he kills again, why? Three huge reasons; one, he is about to do something totally different than before, and wants it all known as his. Two, by explicitly implicating another crime, the postal authorities are going to be alerted since criminal activity passing through the system requires their knowledge. Finally, if they do print this, multiple letters are going to come to police and papers claiming to be Jack, and sent to "Dear Boss". He has a unique recipient,(Boss)and unique trade name,( Jack the ripper) and wants it to stay that way. He can not send it to a individual paper, they probably will not hold it back wanting to scoop a major story, and the police can deny it ever arrived, or file away as a hoax, so his next option would be the Central News.
The P.S. is a mistake by the writer. In the excitement of having his game started, he sends the News the wrong copy of "Dear Boss". When he plays this game of his, his writings may disappear, so he makes a copy for CNA, and a copy for someone that knows what he is up to. In his rush to get his postal date, he does not clear the red ink completely from his hands, and when he returns, says so on the copy to whomever, along with the fact that they think he is a surgeon. He changes his voice, he goes from a letter talking to you, to a p.s. talking about you. Unless he went to the post office, handed them the letter to mail, then asked for it back to open and write this P.S., how else does one post "this" and place a P.S. about a possible mistake, unless "this" is a copy of something already mailed? Between excitement, and thinking ahead, he places the letters in the wrong envelopes, and never bothered to double check his work. Jack does not seem to be the type to second guess himself, so once he mailed the first, he would not have thought anything about looking to see what was the address on the copy, just write the P.S., stuff the envelope, clean off the ink, mail the copy in a day or two.
Now Jack wants two kills, so part two of the plan is the postcard. Now if all is done correctly, the postal service should be on the lookout for mail addressed to the CNA, red ink,look for " Boss", might have Jack the Ripper. He makes it that much more simple by using a postcard; no time wasted to decide if this is something, just turn it over. Then what does he do? He mailed it on Saturday. Why? Now the police are looking for two dead women, probably moving outward from a central location, leaving a smaller force to catch him. He divided and conquered. Once they poked in a back street, he had a clear path. Kill Stride, and walk inward, or the closest to a starting point where they would have began a search. The lack of mutilation on Stride would have been her reward for unknowingly allowing this plan to work, a sick thank you. Police would have been standing there holding a postcard from Saturday, trying to explain how they could not catch the killer on Sunday. Postcard would have been found before it was postmarked in sorting, so no stamp. It was stamped the wrong day, and the only people that can say otherwise are labeled the guilty party for a hoax, the CNA. Did they do it? If the postcard has the correct stamp, it is possible. The push for a Sunday postmark is a pretty thin thread to hold to, yet they did, to the point of claiming hoax without considering it sat in a pillar box. If they did think on the pillar box, it was not much of a thought, and between changing the glory of his game, and painting him as a flesh eating monster, they may have caused the destruction that would happen with Kelly. They wanted to mess with his game, and think him a monster to the world, he gave them a monster. I imagine that they figured the P.S. was a mistake from excitement, and if he was angry, he may write back and make a vital mistake from anger. I think that he let his work do all the talking for what happens when Jack gets angry.It is only what I think, so probably wrong.

[Tom_Wescott]

If he wanted to let the world know who did it, then I'd expect to see his name appear in the letter. Oops, we're back to 'grand work' again! Actually, I'm not sure the Ripper wrote any letters, but he may have. Strange he didn't include SOMETHING that would have identified him as the author beyond all doubt.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Abby Normal]

Also I don't know if it means anything but-

The Dear Boss letter was written after the killer possibly committed his first murder to his complete satisfaction-i.e. mutilation and organ removal.
"grand work" indeed?

Of Course my point being, the ripper was feeling his oats and it was time to let the world know who did this "grand work".

[mariab]

Kosminsky-work? Nah!
(But I TOTALLY feel like writing my boss a “Dear Boss“ letter. Or a “Dear John“ letter, for what it's worth!)
As a matter of fact, the dialect in the Lusk letter (if it's not fake, meaning both the letter and the dialect being fake) would fit with Jo Barnett. Now shoot me, all of you!
And I can't imagine Jacob Levy having written any of the Ripper letters, but the graffito, yes. (Which incidentally materialized a few blocks away from Levy's brother's house.)

[Abby Normal]

Yep. Or 'Tumblety work', or 'Kosminski work', some would say. But who are we to argue with the 'Dear Boss' letter.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

HAHA
I actually thought that might draw out a reponse from you!!

[Tom_Wescott]

"grand work" indeed?

Yep. Or 'Tumblety work', or 'Kosminski work', some would say. But who are we to argue with the 'Dear Boss' letter.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Abby Normal]

Also I don't know if it means anything but-

The Dear Boss letter was written after the killer possibly committed his first murder to his complete satisfaction-i.e. mutilation and organ removal.
"grand work" indeed?

[D.B.Wagstaff]

[I] ususally just read, but a few thoughts have come to mind:

If the Dear Boss letter is a hoax, and I think it is, the hoaxer could put anything into the letter and not be held accountable becasue, after all, the letter is supposedly written by a deranged killer.

If the details of the letter do not come to pass, so what? Nobody knows who "Jack" is and it wouldn't be unusual for a deranged killer to lie or change his mind about who, how, when, or how many he kills. And who would hold "Jack" accountible for his untruths/inaccuracies anyway?

Faking a post mark doesn't seem like a big stretch considering the length some hoaxers have gone to . . .

We've seen enough proven and probable Ripper hoaxes, some of them less clever than others, to know there are lots of people who have tried to "get invovled" in the Ripper "game" for all types of logical and uillogical reasons. It is far more likely any particular and probably all of the Ripper letters are hoaxes than the likelihood they were written by the Ripper.

It is most likely, although not provable beyond whatever doubts some will clling to, the letter was written AFTER the double event or the hoaxer made a very lucky guess, the postmark was faked, the letter a hoax, and therefore the whole mess is not of major importance.

However, even if the Dear Boss letter is NOT a fake - so what? It's pretty much a dead end that does little to solve any questions about the "Ripper" murders.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby,

A question that would perhaps produce more response would be: why would the writer even order to keep the letter back? What might be the advantage to him of having the letter known to the CNA, but unpublicised until the next victim was found killed & mutilated?

Other than that he probably just liked to manipulate people or play tricks on them, I can't think of anything. Unless the writer was a hoaxer (but not an employee at CNA). Because, if no other woman was found killed & mutilated, then his letter would have been regarded as a hoax and therefore not likely be published. And that would have been the end of it (no harm done). On the other hand, if another body would turn up, the writer could be quite sure that his letter would likely be regarded as genuine and, subsequently, that the letter and the tradesname he invented would get maximum exposure.

All the best,
Frank

Hi Frank

why would the writer even order to keep the letter back? What might be the advantage to him of having the letter known to the CNA, but unpublicised until the next victim was found killed & mutilated?

Great question also. Perhaps several reasons:
1. Was afraid if they sent the letter out straight, it would stir things up and make it harder for him to get his next victim.
2. wanted to prove to them that he was the killer by fullfilling the promise of the letter so they were sure he was the killer(and maybe not to worried about getting the fame right away, because he knew after he killed again he would). His thinking along these lines-
"No need to send out right away if you think this is a hoax, because i will kill again soon to prove it-no worries". A cocky, cavalier attitude about it-if you will.
3. As you say maybe liked to manipulate people (and was good at it) and wanted to see if they followed his request or not.

[FrankO]

To all who think/probably think the letter is a hoax from the CNA-I ask again. Why wait several days to send the letter to the police?

Hi Abby,

A question that would perhaps produce more response would be: why would the writer even order to keep the letter back? What might be the advantage to him of having the letter known to the CNA, but unpublicised until the next victim was found killed & mutilated?

Other than that he probably just liked to manipulate people or play tricks on them, I can't think of anything. Unless the writer was a hoaxer (but not an employee at CNA). Because, if no other woman was found killed & mutilated, then his letter would have been regarded as a hoax and therefore not likely be published. And that would have been the end of it (no harm done). On the other hand, if another body would turn up, the writer could be quite sure that his letter would likely be regarded as genuine and, subsequently, that the letter and the tradesname he invented would get maximum exposure.

All the best,
Frank

[Abby Normal]

To all who think/probably think the letter is a hoax from the CNA-I ask again. Why wait several days to send the letter to the police?

i have yet to hear a reasonable explanation.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby,

I don't know.

Will that do you?

As I thought my posts indicated, I too don't think the various hoax theories make a lot of sense when you examine in detail the timing and circumstances of Dear Boss.

But there's no going back for those who have become convinced that an enterprising journalist was indeed responsible.

I'll say he was enterprising. A century before serial murder was ingrained in the public's consciousness, and after a couple of what some people insist were typical, run-of-the-mill knife attacks (Tabram and Nichols) followed by just one ripping involving organ removal (Chapman), he predicts that a killer, who is 'down on whores', will not quit ripping, loves his work and wants to 'get to work right away' if he gets the chance, and is even thinking of clipping the next one's ears off - an unprecedented venture into above the neck mutilation.

And these words are meant to have winged their way to the police just hours before a second woman is found ripped, with two organs removed this time plus extensive above the neck mutilation, including a sliced through ear - without either the enterprising author knowing anything of the kind was about to happen, or was even remotely likely to happen, and without the killer knowing that anyone had written a letter on his behalf, let alone that it contained a decent stab at guessing the game plan.

Conspiracy theories to explain problems that are not problems at all can wait - there's a real and pressing problem right here, with the timing of this letter, if the author and the Mitre Square killer were unknown to each other and completely unaware of each other's actions.

But few want to tackle it.

Love,

Caz
X

Hi Caz
Thanks for the response and I agree. Along with the things you mention and the amazing "coincidences" I just can't figure out why if the CNA originated the hoax for drumming up business, why they did not send the letter to the police immediately after receiving it. And as Simon pointed out-if the police then came to view the letter as a hoax from CNA/Moore then how could they also "rely on his integrity"? It seems to me that since they did not catch the killer, they eventually wanted to downplay the letters that mocked that failure.

Also, the taunting, mocking and joking tone of the letter is similar to later serial killers letters, is it not? The zodiac and BTK letters seem to have similar tone I think. How in the early history of serial killers (and the letters they write) would someone who was hoaxing a letter know thats how they would do it? Another coincidence?

I just see too much of people blowing these letters off as though its been established they are fake on these boards and elsewhere. To me, logically thinking of all that we know, its 50/50 at worst.