Motivation for the Dear Boss

[DVV]

Hi Hunter...well, let's try this...

I don't expect Lynn to respond to this, but that's his problem.

Hi Lynn, good morning. I agree with Hunter's posts. Don't you think they make sense ?

[Hunter]

Hello Frank. But surely the pressure to solve the crimes had lessened? It was now more than 2 weeks since the last slaying. Why not do what senior police officials do best--"file it away"?

I don't expect Lynn to respond to this, but that's his problem.

Nevertheless, the Chapman inquest went on until the very week of the double murders and Baxter's 'specimen' theory was a hot potato right at that time as well. The Gateshead murder had made the news that previous week too. A little more than a couple of weeks is not that long after 3 murders had been committed and the first two had the same time span. Everything was still fresh on everyone's mind... just read the papers! It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that something else might happen pretty soon.

If anything, the 'double event' was very timely. Did it cause even more panic and police reaction? Certainly... it naturally would.

[lynn cates]

Confession, good for the soul?

Hello Errata. I don't think there has been a serious crime committed anywhere, within the last hundred years or so, without a good many "lost souls" stopping by a police station to confess. But we were talking about letters?

And, yes, everyone and his dog had a theory, but there was no analogue of the "Dear Boss," purportedly from the killer, until AFTERWARDS. Then there was a plethora of copycats.

Cheers.
LC

[Errata]

Hello Errata. I don't think there were any previous letters--except those purporting to reveal a theory about the killer. "Dear Boss" claimed to be FROM the killer himself.

Cheers.
LC

Wow. If that's true London in 1888 had the most controlled and tight lipped group of crazies in the history of ever. There was a kidnapping here, and they had 30 confessions in the hour after the news broadcast. Sometimes humans are wacky.

[lynn cates]

clue

Hello Frank. I am suggesting that, just after Chapman's killing, the public were at fever pitch for a solution. Later, that had died down somewhat.

Clues? Do you think that the City Police took it seriously? (I know that's difficult to say since it was there only part of a day.) But given CNA "dismissed" it why should ANYONE take it seriously--at least, until that night?

Cheers.
LC

[FrankO]

But surely the pressure to solve the crimes had lessened?

And because it had lessened, they should just ignore a possible clue? Why would it have lessened after only 2 weeks in the first place. I'm afraid I don't get your logic here, Lynn.

Cheers,
Frank

[lynn cates]

one for the "files"

Hello Frank. But surely the pressure to solve the crimes had lessened? It was now more than 2 weeks since the last slaying. Why not do what senior police officials do best--"file it away"?

How long? Well, as I recall, until next spring cleaning, after which it gets "promoted" to a circular dust bin.

Cheers.
LC

[FrankO]

Hi Lynn,

If nothing else had happened, why would it be published?

How long would they wait for something to happen? Two weeks, a month, two months?

The police had no other leads and couldn't know what would happen next and when. Yet, they still had at least two savage murder cases on their hands that needed solving. So, why wait for something to happen first?

All the best,
Frank

[lynn cates]

published

Hello Frank. Not sure why they would have acted. And if the "Double Event" didn't come off, into the dust bin it would go.

If nothing else had happened, why would it be published?

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

fame

Hello David. If not for the "Double Event" I think the "Dear Boss" would have been discarded. Its fame evolved AFTER those murders.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

letters

Hello Errata. I don't think there were any previous letters--except those purporting to reveal a theory about the killer. "Dear Boss" claimed to be FROM the killer himself.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

clever lad

Hello Caroline. Thanks.

I can think of one very newspaper man who was EXTREMELY clever, totally immoral, and who could set up a ruse years in advance. He was closely related to the CNA.

Cheers.
LC

[FrankO]

At this point, and given the delays, it hardly inspires confidence that publicity was the main motive.

Hi Lynn,

Seeing that the police didn’t have a single clue at that point (or any other), I think that whoever wrote it could be fairly sure the police would do something with it. They just had to. He could also be fairly sure the content of this first letter would add to the attention it would get, once it would be published.

All the best,
Frank

[DVV]

Hello David. But that was AFTER the killings and surely contingent upon them.
LC

Hello Lynn. Pardon ?

[Errata]

Hello Errata. Yes, the first 2 killings.

If there were several letters sent, surely the CNA would have forwarded those too?

But I think I understand your view here--basically, a crank who hit upon a remarkable coincidence.

Cheers.
LC

Well that an interesting question. Did CNA forward letters to the police before Dear Boss? I mean, I'm sure if previous letters were equally spectacular but wrong, like if he said he was going to cut someone's legs off, or set a cat on fire and leave it as a beacon at her head or something, I would think those would go directly to the trash bin. But you gotta wonder when CNA figured out that they might in fact get a letter from the actual killer, and so started sending them on. I mean, I'm sure they got a lot of "the Murderer is my neighbor because he plays his music too loud" kinda notes.