Motivation for the Dear Boss

[Bridewell]

No Need For Coincidence

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

It occurs to me that the delay between the CNA supposedly receiving the "Dear Boss" letter, and their forwarding it to the police, may have served a useful purpose. We always see the envelope and letter published together, but only have the CNA's word for it that the letter was received in that envelope. The envelope could have been sent empty to obtain the postmark and then the letter written a couple of days later with retrospective knowledge. In those circumstances there would be no need for a lucky guess.
Retrospective prophesy has no need of guesswork.

Cheers all, Bridewell

[lynn cates]

clarification

Hello Caroline.

"Had no double event taken place there would still be no guarantee that Dear Boss was an empty threat hoax."

Quite. As a matter of fact, the "Saucy Jacky" looks, in some respects, as a clarification of the "Double Event"--"Really intended 2 all along"; "Well, I WOULD have gotten ears, if there were world enough and time" etc.

There was a foul up, somewhere. "The best laid plans o' mice and men gang aft agley."

Cheers.
LC

[caz]

Hello Caroline. You are dead on target--the timing is everything here.

I also completely agree that a "damaged" character might be involved.

Your reasoning about eventual discarding is interesting. Do you think that, given no eventual "fruition," the letter would have been "shown the door"?

Cheers.
LC

Hi Lynn,

I have no idea what the police would have done with Dear Boss had there been no corresponding "next job". Maybe they would not have publicised it, so saving themselves the major headache of all those bandwagon hoaxes. But I doubt they would have binned it, all the while they still had the previous unsolved murders which the author had claimed by implication. As we know, they ended up retaining all manner of missives containing empty murderous threats.

Had no double event taken place there would still be no guarantee that Dear Boss was an empty threat hoax. Murderers are human too and can lie or change their mind, meet with an accident, or be otherwise unwilling or unable to carry out a written promise. All the more intriguing to think that Kate's killer could unknowingly have been keeping a complete stranger's written promise, and keeping it pretty well.

Love,

Caz
X

[mklhawley]

Is there any truth to this?

Chicago Tribune, Sunday, 7 October 1888, link

THE WHITECHAPEL HORRORS.

Public Excitement Not Abating and the Police Still Without a Clew.

SPECIAL CABLE DISPATCH TO THE TRIBUNE.
[Copyright, 1888, by the Press Pub. Co., N. Y. World.]

[...] But in the Police Department itself [Sir Charles] Warren has started an inquisition. He suspects, and probably with good reason, members of his own force with writing letters to the newspapers about him, and has been making a big row about it. He made a rule this week that every newspaper man calling at Scotland Yard must register his name and business in a book.

Great find TradeName. It looks like this was a rule for Scotland Yard headquarters at Whitehall in the West End. I wonder if there was any kind of 'rule' for those working elsewhere, such as the East End.

Sincerely,

Mike

[DVV]

Hello TradeName, very interesting. So much that you should have started a new police thread, I believe. I've never heard of this "new rule" regarding newspapers. Could be true, but is it ?

[lynn cates]

new one

Hello Trade. Thanks for this. The police? Never thought of that.

Were they hoping to force Sir Charles out?

Cheers.
LC

[TradeName]

Is there any truth to this?

Chicago Tribune, Sunday, 7 October 1888, link

THE WHITECHAPEL HORRORS.

Public Excitement Not Abating and the Police Still Without a Clew.

SPECIAL CABLE DISPATCH TO THE TRIBUNE.
[Copyright, 1888, by the Press Pub. Co., N. Y. World.]

[...] But in the Police Department itself [Sir Charles] Warren has started an inquisition. He suspects, and probably with good reason, members of his own force with writing letters to the newspapers about him, and has been making a big row about it. He made a rule this week that every newspaper man calling at Scotland Yard must register his name and business in a book.

[lynn cates]

reaction

Hello Frank. Thanks.

I am thinking about the police reaction early on. Of course, as I said, it would be difficult to ascertain this since the "Double Event" happened less than 24 hours after the letter arrived.

Cheers.
LC

[FrankO]

Hi Lynn,

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

Going through the newspapers between 10 and 30 September or the police documents, I don’t particularly get the impression that there was less attention for the murders.

The inquests of Nichols and Chapman were widely covered by the newspapers. The Nichols inquest lasted until 22 September, the Chapman inquest was concluded on 26 September, which finished with Baxter’s controversial solution to the mystery, the ‘Burke & Hare theory’.

With regard to this solution the Times of 27 September states: “The whole civilized world is concerned in bringing the murderer to justice, and it cannot afford to be beaten in the attempt. The police will be expected to follow up with the keenest vigilance the valuable clue elicited through the CORONER's inquest, and, since the lines of their investigation are plainly chalked out by information which they themselves failed to collect, it will be a signal disgrace if they do not succeed.”

The news about Jane Beatmoor’s murder at Gateshead hit the news on the 24th/25th, Dr. Phillips being sent there with the view to ascertain whether the injuries to her body resembled those inflicted on the Whitechapel victims.

On the 15th Chief Inspector Swanson was appointed to take overall charge of the enquiry by Warren, so that there would be someone at a higher level to concern himself with nothing but the inquiry into these murders. A telling statement in a report by Warren of 19 October reads: “A large staff of men are employed and every point is being examined which seems to offer our prospect of a discovery.”

On 10 October Warren wrote to Lushington about the Dear Boss letter and postcard: “At present, I think the whole thing a hoax but we are bound to try and ascertain the writer in any case.”

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?

So, like others have written, yes, I do think the police would have taken it seriously, regardless of the fact that the CNA dismissed it and regardless of the ‘doulbe event’. If there was a possibility that the letter was written by the actual killer, they simply had to investigate this tangible clue.

All the best,
Frank

[lynn cates]

In the past.

Hello David. Thanks for pointing this out. Found it. All is forgiven and forgotten.

Cheers.
LC

[DVV]

Hello David.

"But using the function is a bit childish, isn't it?"

Not as childish as the theatre I see so often on the threads. The function is there for a purpose. If more would use it, there would be fewer acerbic posts--and fewer suspensions.

"Are you sure you can never learn anything from Hunter?"

I think you miss the point. I am delighted to discuss ANY view--Vincent Van Gogh, Lewis Carroll, Sir Winston Churchill, even the most absurd of all, the sexual serial killer. But when someone insults at the personal level, it's time to use "ignore" and use the extra time doing research.

Cheers.
LC

Fair enough. Sorry. May have missed these "personal attacks" - but not Hunter "public apology" in the Pub talk.

[lynn cates]

Welcome to Fantasy Island.

Hello Simon. See, I thought they were called "male fantasy."

Cheers.
Tatoo

[lynn cates]

right

Hello Errata. Right you are. There is no time for silly personal feeling. Too often I have wished to learn something from a thread, but instead 2 posters were calling one another names.

If someone cannot show civilised behaviour, ignore, and go on.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

alternative

Hello David.

"But using the function is a bit childish, isn't it?"

Not as childish as the theatre I see so often on the threads. The function is there for a purpose. If more would use it, there would be fewer acerbic posts--and fewer suspensions.

"Are you sure you can never learn anything from Hunter?"

I think you miss the point. I am delighted to discuss ANY view--Vincent Van Gogh, Lewis Carroll, Sir Winston Churchill, even the most absurd of all, the sexual serial killer. But when someone insults at the personal level, it's time to use "ignore" and use the extra time doing research.

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

A bunch of prostitutes?

The proper collective term is An Anthology of Pros.

Regards,

Simon