Lusk Letter sent to George Lusk of the vigilante committee

[Natasha]

G'day Natasha

If Mrs Lusk had scorned Jack, why not kill her instead of a bunch of poor unfortunate women.

Your hypothesis of a diversion however has some merit.

Hi Gut

If she was in some way connected to Jack, then maybe she had narrowly escaped being murdered. Maybe by the time JTR found out where she was it was too late as she had died.
Or maybe she might have been related to JTR.

I will look into the other crimes that have been overshadowed by Jack

[GUT]

Who did Lusk upset?

I believe the From Hell Letter was from the killer. Letters sent to newspapers I feel were hoaxes. so why was Lusk significant to the killer?

The following may be possibilities:

Could it be possible that Lusks wife, who ever she was, had a connection with JTR?
Did she scorn Jack?

A kidney was sent, that is significant to diabetes, as someone has previously said on here the connection of the kidney and diabetes could be the reason for it being sent to Lusk. Is there any information out there, other than what is on here, regarding Lusk’s wife? Is it true that she died from diabetes?

The killings were a diversion for something else. As there were a lot of crimes overshadowed by JTR. What other crimes have not been documented widely, not just murders.

G'day Natasha

If Mrs Lusk had scorned Jack, why not kill her instead of a bunch of poor unfortunate women.

Your hypothesis of a diversion however has some merit.

[Natasha]

Hello Natasha,

Have you ever read about Lusk's meeting with the 'repulsive stranger'?

Hi Harry

Yes I have and I guess that is what made me think about the connection between the stranger & the letter.

As the murders were of women, that made me think maybe Lusk s wife may have had a connection with JTR.

I know the stranger spoke in an Irish accent, and I guess that would make people think of the fennians, but the choice of organ sent with the letter makes me wonder

[Harry D]

Hello Natasha,

Have you ever read about Lusk's meeting with the 'repulsive stranger'?

At 4:15pm on Thursday 4th October 1888, a man, who the newspaper reports described as having a "florid" appearance, turned up on Mr Lusk's doorstep. The stranger was about 5 feet nine in height and was aged between 30 to 40. He sported a bushy brown beard and had whiskers and a moustache.

The man was told that Mr. Lusk was at a nearby tavern that was kept by his son. So the man headed round to the tavern and, having located Mr. Lusk, subjected him to a barrage of questions about the beats taken by the members of the Mile End Vigilance Committee.

He then "attempted to induce Mr. Lusk to enter a private room with him."But, as the News of The World reported:-

"...The stranger's appearance however was so repulsive and forbidding that Mr. Lusk declined, but consented to hold a quiet conversation with him in the bar-parlour. The two were talking, when the stranger drew a pencil from his pocket and purposely dropped it over the side of the table saying, "Pick that up." Just as Mr. Lusk turned to do so he noticed the stranger make a swift though silent movement of his right hand towards his side pocket, and seeing that he was detected assumed a nonchalant air, and asked to be directed to the nearest coffee and dining-rooms. Mr. Lusk directed him to a house in the Mile End-road, and the stranger quietly left the house, followed by Mr. Lusk who went to the coffee-house indicated, and found that the man had not been there, but had given his pursuer the slip by disappearing up a court..."

[Natasha]

Who did Lusk upset?

I believe the From Hell Letter was from the killer. Letters sent to newspapers I feel were hoaxes. so why was Lusk significant to the killer?

The following may be possibilities:

Could it be possible that Lusks wife, who ever she was, had a connection with JTR?
Did she scorn Jack?

A kidney was sent, that is significant to diabetes, as someone has previously said on here the connection of the kidney and diabetes could be the reason for it being sent to Lusk. Is there any information out there, other than what is on here, regarding Lusk’s wife? Is it true that she died from diabetes?

The killings were a diversion for something else. As there were a lot of crimes overshadowed by JTR. What other crimes have not been documented widely, not just murders.

[Bridewell]

Hello Bridewell,

But not sporting a giant, eye-catching moustache?

Best wishes,
C4

"Dark beard and moustache" - size not specified?

[Bridewell]

Hi Dave,why didn't he throw it away it must have smelt pretty bad.

As per your own post earlier - he would have been withholding evidence.

[Tom_Wescott]

I'm thinking you are right, Tom, I can't seem to find a source for that. Have you ever heard that, though?

No, not until your post.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Brenda]

.

I'm thinking you are right, Tom, I can't seem to find a source for that. Have you ever heard that, though?

[Tom_Wescott]

One thing I always found interesting is that Joseph Barnett was a member of the vigilante committee. I can't remember the source for that, I'm looking through some books.

Hi Brenda. I don't believe that's true.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Brenda]

.

One thing I always found interesting is that Joseph Barnett was a member of the vigilante committee. I can't remember the source for that, I'm looking through some books.

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Jason

My ma was born late 1920s in the St George in the East Workhouse - in growing up there were the parents and up to ten kids at any given time in two rooms in Wapping (initially)...during the earlier years there were actually two families sharing this space but the number of kids was lower in total.

And they were apparently accused by some of their mates of living in somewhat luxurious surroundings...

My mum's direct family moved out in 1946...but I visited (with my mum) my other relatives in the area, as late as 1968...In hindsight jeez I'd have hated their life, but I suppose things were what they were...my great aunt Vi always insisted that the Luftwaffe didn't do half as much damage as the GLC...and that the old properties stood up better to both bombs and bulldozers than the new ones...what a life eh?

All the best

Dave

[pinkmoon]

My father was born in the east end fifty years after the murders by then living conditions we greatly improved however my dear father still reckons things were quite grim .My father reckons what saved him from a premature death was ww 2 he reckons the Luftwaffe bombing the east end and been evacuated out to the country saved him .

[Cogidubnus]

Hello Jason

Yes - quite right - there are so many relatively commonplace things we no longer know - not to mention the more outstanding historic things we don't know, and now never will.

Addititionally we now so often judge everyday matters from a 21st century perspective whilst I bet 19th century views on even the most basic matters were totally different.

This really struck home to me during a (nearly) four day power cut over Christmas - how much family income could be affected by not being able to see before 9.30 am or after 3.30pm, how bloody cold life was without heating...how things couldn't be cooked or heated (except in our case, unhealthily on the hob - no oven foods)...how disastrous it was when you got wet without any means to dry your clothes, how you couldn't bath or shower, how you could only wash or shave by perilously carrying a large saucepan of boiling water round the house etc etc. Add to that a lack of toilet facilities (which fortunately we didn't suffer) and where are you?

There is SO much we really don't know and perhaps can't even envisage...and it's unlikely we can EVER fully visualise that sort of life again...and in most ways that's a bloody good thing after all!

All the best

Dave

[pinkmoon]

Hi Jason

The thing is, we don't know how many of these alleged communications from the killer (crank letters) were floating around...Stewart and Keith's excellent book sheds light on surviving copies, but how many didn't reach the police, were simply ditched, or burned, or have since fallen victim to the years?

What if "Letters from Hell" is only the tip of the iceberg?

I suspect folk, then as now, would be sceptical about alleged letters from the killer? What if Mr Lusk as head of the vigilance committee had already had half a dozen crank letters in a similar vein (albeit without kidneys enclosed) and destroyed them?

The Penny Post had been around nearly fifty years now, and the concept of dashing off a letter and posting it cheaply was now firmly established among the literate...and many of the poorer classes were now at least semi-literate...mass postage (once the preserve of the moneyed classes) was well and truly established...how many hoax letters do you think were posted between late 1888 and say late 1889?

Let me give you a present-day example. A few years back we started receiving some very odd letters alleging nazi activities based around a taxi firm just down the road from us...the taxis with stars on were spy cabs or something like - the first half dozen or so we simply laughed at and threw away, and it was only when our kids started featuring in increasing ways, we kept them and went to the police...turned out eventually a guy we barely knew, down the road had lost his mother, consequently stopped his medication and started off in a world of fantasy...poor bugger...he was never a threat, never going to be a threat, but when he triggered a particular alarm he alarmed us...

What if?

All the best

Dave

Thanks Dave,I think what if? sums up the whole ripper case.