Lusk Letter sent to George Lusk of the vigilante committee

[Cogidubnus]

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

[curious4]

Tumbelty

Were it not for the 10 year age discrepancy I'd say (Irish-born?) Francis Tumblety.

Hello Bridewell,

But not sporting a giant, eye-catching moustache?

Best wishes,
C4

[pinkmoon]

Hi Jason



I suspect he might've been tempted. The press reports suggest that initially on receiving the parcel (16th) he attached no importance to it, presumably feeling it was a hoax...but clearly it was bugging him a little and he consulted his cronies on the 18th...In fact didn't I read somewhere one member of the Vigilance Committee urge him to throw it away, or am I imagining that?

In any event the rest of the committee urged him to seek medical advice, and presumably the medics in turn (Openshaw?) pressured him to toddle along to Leman Street...

Wonder how well it was actually preserved. According to the Sunday Times of 21st October it was described as having been immersed in spirit which had "exercised a hardening process" but ..."it exhibits no trace of decomposition". So perhaps it didn't onk that badly after all...

All the best

Dave

Hi Dave ,the more I think about this the stranger it seems I know relations between the locals and the police might not have been fantastic but it just seems a long time to wait. To have a letter from our killer and not do anything with it but wait two days very odd indeed.

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Jason

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

I suspect he might've been tempted. The press reports suggest that initially on receiving the parcel (16th) he attached no importance to it, presumably feeling it was a hoax...but clearly it was bugging him a little and he consulted his cronies on the 18th...In fact didn't I read somewhere one member of the Vigilance Committee urged him to throw it away, or am I imagining that?

In any event the rest of the committee urged him to seek medical advice, and presumably the medics in turn (Openshaw?) persuaded him to toddle along to Leman Street...

Wonder how well it was actually preserved. According to the Sunday Times of 21st October it was described as having been immersed in spirit which had "exercised a hardening process" but ..."it exhibits no trace of decomposition". So perhaps it didn't onk that badly after all...

All the best

Dave

[pinkmoon]

Hi Jason

The police force had only been in existence fifty years and had been, to some extent, foist on the public, (replacing the former watchmen), very much against their wishes - many ordinary folk were still wary of being supervised by what they saw as a uniformed military force acting on behalf of the ruling classes.

I think, as far as Autumn 1888 is concerned, you might be severely underestimating the amount of deep suspicion between parts of the community and the police - this, as well as being to a certain extent inbred to a somewhat insular population, had been exacerbated by the Trafalgar Square events, and a fairly determined press campaign.

Under the circumstances I can quite see why a man like Lusk, who was leading a vigilante group set up almost in opposition to the police, should initially balk at the prospect of going to them, and why he sought the advice of said group before doing so...

All the best

Dave

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

[Cogidubnus]

Hi,possible but not very likely you've got to admit for someone like lusk to receive a communication like this and not go straight to the police with it is strange also he would be withholding evidence .

Hi Jason

The police force had only been in existence fifty years and had been, to some extent, foist on the public, (replacing the former watchmen), very much against their wishes - many ordinary folk were still wary of being supervised by what they saw as a uniformed military force acting on behalf of the ruling classes.

I think, as far as Autumn 1888 is concerned, you might be severely underestimating the amount of deep suspicion between parts of the community and the police - this, as well as being to a certain extent inbred to a somewhat insular population, had been exacerbated by the Trafalgar Square events, and a fairly determined press campaign.

Under the circumstances I can quite see why a man like Lusk, who was leading a vigilante group set up almost in opposition to the police, should initially balk at the prospect of going to them, and why he sought the advice of said group before doing so...

All the best

Dave

[pinkmoon]

A law-abiding citizen in a state of shock perhaps?

Hi,possible but not very likely you've got to admit for someone like lusk to receive a communication like this and not go straight to the police with it is strange also he would be withholding evidence .

[Bridewell]

I considered the same, and wonder if Tumblety's actual involvement in these crimes may have been in a lesser role than that of the knife wielder.

Cheers

It wouldn't surprise me either. (Glad I wasn't the only one who flagged him up from that description).

[Bridewell]

Waiting two days is a very strange thing for a law abiding citizen to do.

A law-abiding citizen in a state of shock perhaps?

[pinkmoon]

It is strange unless you consider that Lusk may have interpreted the package as a direct threat on himself, not a general Dear Boss kind of thing. He seems to have been genuinely scared of it. One wonders if the killer of Kate Eddowes did indeed send a kidney section to Lusk with that intention, and if he took it and kept it for that very reason. Someone with a grudge with Lusk...maybe unrelated to his Vigilance role.


Cheers

Evening Michael,Here we have a man who is concerned for the safety of his fellow residents he becomes head of the vigillance committee who are determind to stop this foul creature from killing and also to bring him to justice then as soon as a clue is received via the post he does nothing but waits for two days .If he was scared that our killer was onto him and might attack him surely to God the safest thing to do is go to police station and seek help.Waiting two days is a very strange thing for a law abiding citizen to do.

[Michael W Richards]

Hi,if someone sent me a parcel or a letter and I thought it was from a serial killer I would be straight on to the police wouldn't you.Mr lusk wasn't a pauper by any means so he would have had the funds to purchase a kidney.Would the publicity help his business? also would a newspaper pay a fair amount of money for the exclusive story?.All guess work of course but I do think the delay is very strange.

It is strange unless you consider that Lusk may have interpreted the package as a direct threat on himself, not a general Dear Boss kind of thing. He seems to have been genuinely scared of it. One wonders if the killer of Kate Eddowes did indeed send a kidney section to Lusk with that intention, and if he took it and kept it for that very reason. Someone with a grudge with Lusk...maybe unrelated to his Vigilance role.


Cheers

[pinkmoon]

Interesting posit,... yes, it appears he waited 2 days to even mention it to someone else which would seem to indicate that he wasnt eager to bring it forward, which dampens the idea he sent it to himself. Then you have the issue of the human component, where does he access a kidney?

Cheers

Hi,if someone sent me a parcel or a letter and I thought it was from a serial killer I would be straight on to the police wouldn't you.Mr lusk wasn't a pauper by any means so he would have had the funds to purchase a kidney.Would the publicity help his business? also would a newspaper pay a fair amount of money for the exclusive story?.All guess work of course but I do think the delay is very strange.

[Michael W Richards]

Hi and a happy New year to you all,Could Mr lusk have sent that parcel to himself? Also it seems a bit strange that he waited two days before contacting the old Bill surely if he thought this vile communication was genuine then he had in his possession a clue so why not do what any law abiding citizen would do and contact the police straight away.

Interesting posit,... yes, it appears he waited 2 days to even mention it to someone else which would seem to indicate that he wasnt eager to bring it forward, which dampens the idea he sent it to himself. Then you have the issue of the human component, where does he access a kidney?

Cheers

[pinkmoon]

Hi and a happy New year to you all,Could Mr lusk have sent that parcel to himself? Also it seems a bit strange that he waited two days before contacting the old Bill surely if he thought this vile communication was genuine then he had in his possession a clue so why not do what any law abiding citizen would do and contact the police straight away.

[Michael W Richards]

Were it not for the 10 year age discrepancy I'd say (Irish-born?) Francis Tumblety.

I considered the same, and wonder if Tumblety's actual involvement in these crimes may have been in a lesser role than that of the knife wielder.

Cheers