central news agency

[pinkmoon]

I have two main problems with the dear boss letter and all the other so called genuine communications first one is that who would know about news agency? Obvious answer points to a journalist the average man in the street wouldn't know about news agency.why didn't the killer just adress letter to the Times or any other well know newspaper and stick it in post it would have got there.second point how hard would it have been for the killer to actually do something like post a small piece of victims clothing or like he threatened to do on one of the communications the ears.it wouldn't have been hard at all for the killer to actually make sure there could be no doubt his communications were genuine.

[Cogidubnus]

Sorry Jason

So it's really a press creation through and through?

OK...fine...

All the best

Dave

[pinkmoon]

You have to admit I've got a very good point if killer really wanted communications to be taken seriously it wouldn't have been that hard to do so

[Wickerman]

Its the, From Hell, letter which seems to be the most controversial, being more believable I suspect.

The Dear Boss is too neat, and devoid of emotion, but From Hell is untidy and fueled with emotion.

[andy1867]

How did the central news agency work? did it "distribute" news to the general press?
If for instance it was a "star" reporter as has been alleged, why would he not simply address the letter to his newspaper?,
The only reason I can think of is to ensure there was not a direct link, but then again by making it a free for all he loses the scoop so to speak

[lynn cates]

dead giveaway

Hello Andy.

''How did the Central News Agency work? did it "distribute" news to the general press?"

It sold stories to papers wishing to buy. It was one of two large news services.

"If for instance it was a "Star" reporter as has been alleged, why would he not simply address the letter to his newspaper?"

Would that not be a dead giveaway?

Cheers.
LC

[andy1867]

Hello Andy.

''How did the Central News Agency work? did it "distribute" news to the general press?"

It sold stories to papers wishing to buy. It was one of two large news services.

"If for instance it was a "Star" reporter as has been alleged, why would he not simply address the letter to his newspaper?"

Would that not be a dead giveaway?

Cheers.
LC

Thats what I meant by the "direct link" Lynn, but looking at the circulation of "The Star", anything that keeps the pot boiling seems to benefit that paper more than most others, thats also why maybe the letter was written in an "educated" sort of hand...or "clerkly" I think it was put not something you would maybe associate with your average "star" reader

[Wickerman]

How did the central news agency work? did it "distribute" news to the general press?
If for instance it was a "star" reporter as has been alleged, why would he not simply address the letter to his newspaper?,
The only reason I can think of is to ensure there was not a direct link, but then again by making it a free for all he loses the scoop so to speak

Funny as you should mention this, I thought I missed something in the telling of that particular story, but the same question came to my mind.
That is, 'what has a Star reporter to do with the Central News Agency?'


That question aside, yes, the Central News had their own reporters, and created news articles for sale by telegraph to any newspaper prepared to pay for the article. They also bought news stories from outside Reporters. The Press Association was another, in fact there were 5 or 6 different News gathering agencies mentioned throughout the spate of the murders.

When you see the same news story, in half a dozen or so newspapers, on the same day, then you know the source was one of the many agencies.
Having said that, some newspapers edited these agency sourced articles, or expanded on them, to make them look a little different.

A further note, when the police did wish to provide the press with information it was typically through a brief telegraph release to an Agency.
In these early days the police had not realized how to use the press efficiently.

[andy1867]

So in effect it would really benefit the Press Agency to a certain extent, if it had this sort of news?, and sell it to the highest bidder?

[Michael W Richards]

Its the, From Hell, letter which seems to be the most controversial, being more believable I suspect.

The Dear Boss is too neat, and devoid of emotion, but From Hell is untidy and fueled with emotion.

I would agree with you on the above Wick, but I would have included a mention of the artifact sent with From Hell, which could not be proven, or disproven, to have come from Kate Eddowes herself.

In some ways it might have irked the killer, (if he was a local man, and this letter was genuine of course), to have vigilantee groups comprised of men he might have known personally...including Lusk.

Let not forget also that a few days before Lusk received the package and note a shopkeeper reported someone entering her store and asking to borrow the paper, from which he copied down Lusks address which was printed that day. He supposedly never removed his gloves.....maybe sliced his hand with his fancy knifework on Kate?

Best regards

[Wickerman]

So in effect it would really benefit the Press Agency to a certain extent, if it had this sort of news?, and sell it to the highest bidder?

I'm not sure we know the pricing structure of agency stories, but more than likely no bidding was necessary. The pricing would be set for the article and everyone pays the same.

I had to wonder if (assuming the story about Best is true), he had a connection inside the Central News.
Given that the Dear Boss letter was stamped Sept. 27th, he may have just mailed an empty envelope to the Central News every few days, to be retrieved by his contact. Once a new murder is committed he writes a letter using some of the facts about the murder which appear in the first editions of the press. Then hands this recent letter to his contact to be placed in the earlier envelope thereby giving the impression the letter must have come from the real killer.
Some of these reporters could be incredibly creative

[Stephen Thomas]

I have two main problems with the dear boss letter and all the other so called genuine communications first one is that who would know about news agency? Obvious answer points to a journalist the average man in the street wouldn't know about news agency.why didn't the killer just adress letter to the Times or any other well know newspaper and stick it in post it would have got there.second point how hard would it have been for the killer to actually do something like post a small piece of victims clothing or like he threatened to do on one of the communications the ears.it wouldn't have been hard at all for the killer to actually make sure there could be no doubt his communications were genuine.

It's a shame that you seem not to know about basic grammar and punctuation and capitalisation but nevertheless you make a good point here.

[pinkmoon]

The problem with the ripper case a lot of people want certain things to be true like the letters,goulston street graffiti,and diarys discoverd in Liverpool pubs.As a simple soul I ask simple basic straight forward questions like why write a letter to get your self publicity if you are not going to make sure it is taken seriously it wouldn't be to hard to make sure that people would know that letter is genuine.....also would you give police a sample of your hand writing......I would love these letters to be genuine it brings drama and excitement to the case......I would love the graffiti to be true again more drama .....and as for the royal baby yes please what a story but when I stand back and apply common sense it makes more sense of the case

[lynn cates]

pot boiling

Hello Andy. Thanks.

Yes, to keep the pot boiling.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

enemies

Hello Jon.

"'what has a Star reporter to do with the Central News Agency?'"

Little, I should think. Cook claims they were bitter enemies.

Cheers.
LC