Motivation for the Dear Boss

[mariab]

Suppose for just a moment that the “Double Event” had never occurred. A perfectly natural response from the City of London Police might have been: “Please convey to your editor our compliments as well. We note that you regarded the letter as a joke. We tend to agree with that assessment. Your best procedure would be to destroy this and concern yourselves with the news.”
If the story were to have gone forward, not only would Moore and the CNA have looked silly but so would any paper choosing to carry the story. But if someone knew what would happen . . .
Alternative explanations?

I know what you're insinuating here, Lynn: a conspiracy with even the CNA collaborating.
I'm sorry, but I can't join you on this. Were I a journalist in the fall of 1888, I would have fully expected the killer of Tabram, Nichols, and Chapman to have gone on with further murders. And I'm including Tabram because at this point I think she was considered a Ripper victim by most.

By the by, pertaining to Schwartz, I'm trying to get the paragraphs in question translated by my friend's Morris aunt! Wish me luck? ;-)

[Hunter]

Very good points, Lynn.

Alternatives?

A hoaxer who was not someone Littlechild and a couple of others believed to have written it, that would not have gained any significance if the following murders hadn't taken place (at least so soon) after... or written by the killer (or his cohort) of Elizabeth Stride and Katherine Eddowes since the postcard that came after those two murders appear to be in the same hand as the letter and proposes to have done both.

[lynn cates]

Hello All. The time seems right for a serious discussion of the “Dear Boss” letter. In particular, I’d like to talk about its motivation.

It has been alleged that the letter was intended to promote a legend and hence enhance the Central News Agency’s sales of news stories to the various papers.

This sounds appealing on the face of it but seems less convincing upon closer scrutiny. Here’s what I mean.

I have compared the hand of the “Dear Boss” to the hands of 3 people with various connections to the CNA. Those are William Henry Hurlbert, John Moore and Thomas Bulling. Only Moore’s hand looks even close. So let’s suppose that Moore indeed wrote it and for the reason given above.

The letter was dated September 25, just about the same time that the Chapman inquest was finishing. It supposedly arrived at the CNA on September 27. It arrived at the City of London Police two days later. It was sent with a cover letter from Bulling (although unsigned) which noted that his editor sent his compliments and that the letter itself was regarded as a joke.

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

Suppose for just a moment that the “Double Event” had never occurred. A perfectly natural response from the City of London Police might have been: “Please convey to your editor our compliments as well. We note that you regarded the letter as a joke. We tend to agree with that assessment. Your best procedure would be to destroy this and concern yourselves with the news.”

If the story were to have gone forward, not only would Moore and the CNA have looked silly but so would any paper choosing to carry the story. But if someone knew what would happen . . .

Alternative explanations?

Cheers.
LC