Why Choose Jack the Ripper As A Name

[JTRSickert]

It always puzzles me that the same people that pump for Bulling, [elevating him to an almost certainty] based on police opinion, reject, almost out of hand the suspects the same police supported!

Hi GUT

Just wanted to say I myself have suspicions about Kosminski, whom we know the police departments had on their radar.

[GUT]

G'Day JTRS

Just wanted to say I myself have suspicions about Kosminski,

Do you mean as the letter writer or as our own dear Jacky or both?

[JTRSickert]

G'Day JTRS




Do you mean as the letter writer or as our own dear Jacky or both?

I don't believe Kosminski could've written the Dear Boss letter since the grammar and language is too neat and the writer seems to have English as his first language.

I do think Kosminski a viable JTR candidate.

[GUT]

Doubtless viable, but so are a number of others.

[GUT]

But back on thread, what else could they have called him, "Jack the really nice guy"?

[JTRSickert]

Well here are some other ones:

Jack the Slaughterer

Jack the Avenger

Jack the Purifier

Jack the Whore-Killer

[GUT]

Geoff The Ripper, or

Alf the Avenger, or

Sam the Slaughterer or

Peter purifier

maybe, why stick to Jack.

[s.holmes-jack88]

There was a great deal of interesting discussion recently on a thread which centred on the Goulston Street Graffito - based on the supposition that the killer wrote it. Along the same lines, I would like to look at the "Jack the Ripper" soubriquet which, as everyone here will know was first used in the "Dear Boss" letter.

I know most authorities believe this item to be the work of an 'enterprising journalist', but there have been any number of threads on the subject of authorship. This one starts from the premise that the "Dear Boss" is genuine, so please - no comments disputing authorship. Just "Why Jack?" and "Why Ripper?".

Just to start the thing off, I've seen (on learn-genealogy.com) that a "ripper" was someone who sold fish. Specifically, I believe that it was someone who brought fish up-river to sell inland. Could "using the trade name" be a reference, not to murder, but to the writer's genuine occupation? A fishmonger perhaps?

Hi Bridewell,

There have been times where people say the killer himself created the name, but also it is said that the press invented the name; in which case the killer utilized.

Now, there is nothing to say that either of these two details are factual or not.

The name "Jack the Ripper" could just have been used as a way to draw to attention to the city; and I can tell you that it worked very well. There has been a number speculations about it and no one can really say for sure. I daresay you do bring up an interesting topic.

I do not think Jack was even his real name because Jack is a popular name that has been used in literature and other forms for years; probably around the time, as well.

[GUT]

Why not

"Nick the Nice Guy"?

It would be better PR if they caught hm.

[MrBarnett]

As for "Ripper," I always assumed, which I acknowledge to be a mistake, that the word referred to the means by which Jack pulled the skin apart and extracted organs. To me, there seems to be a particular savagery in referring to the infliction of these wounds as "ripping."

Hi Barrister,

I'm pretty certain that 'The Ripper' means the one who rips. Other uses of the word ripper/ripping/rip to mean good/exciting etc are coincidental. so no mistake on your part.

MrB

[sdreid]

The Whitechapel Knifer?

[Hunter]

Why choose "Jack the Ripper?"

Why not?

It worked... didn't it?

... whoever wrote it.

[Sib]

Hi Bridewell,

The name was chosen because it sounded more compelling than "Kosminski the Kukri", "Druitt the Dagger" or "Clarence the Cleaver".

The name "Jack the Ripper" was [and remains] an example of marketing genius.

Regards,

Simon

Marketing at its best. The images that this name pulls up are graphic. It demands attention. It is simple, easy to remember and drives the readers imagination.
Sib

[Pcdunn]

Marketing at its best. The images that this name pulls up are graphic. It demands attention. It is simple, easy to remember and drives the readers imagination.
Sib

Agreed. It also caught the public imagination fairly quickly, to judge from the many accounts of pranksters or would-be rapists (hard to tell sometimes) accosting women with the words "Watch out, I'm Jack the Ripper!"


Another trade associated with "ripping" is apparently upholstering, as in "rippers" are the workers who remove the old upholstery.

[c.d.]

Certainly a lot better than Chauncey the Cutter.

c.d.