Lusk Letter sent to George Lusk of the vigilante committee

[Simon Wood]

Hi Monty,

Many thanks for the dimensions.

By my reckoning you'd have to fold the letter three times to get it in a 3 x 3 inch box.

Regards,

Simon

[Monty]

Dimensions

Simon,

Having measured the copy I have in the PRO pack Ive got it at 14cm (5 1/2") x 21 1/2 cm (around 9").

And in my copy of Stewart and Keiths book, around a third down, I can see what I take to be a fold crease.

Monty

[Howard Brown]

Good point and observation,Los Angeleno Wood !

On another note....

Philadelphia Inquirer
November 6,1898
Page 2

PRANKS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

TWENTY ODD YEARS AGO....
In 1872 to 1875 or 1876,there was a great commotion for a time at the finding of arms,legs and other parts of the body in ash barrels and queer places which suggested foul play.
The people of West Philadelphia were greatly agitated over the matter and no evidence could be secured which would explain the uncanny discoveries. Every few days a foot or some portion of a human body would turn up to renew the fears of the people and the authorities were doing all in their power to run the murderer or murderers to earth. The "crimes" were reaching in number the more recent Whitechapel horrors, and the police were completely baffled, for no persons were reported missing.
After a time it developed that the various parts of humanity found on lots and in alleys were not the result of foul play at all, but were deposited there by college boys, who wanted to have a little fun at the expense of the neighborhood and the Department of Public Safety. Some people- the students in particular- enjoyed the mystery immensely; they thought it a huge joke; while others, including the baffled policemen and the populace in general, could not see it that way They declared it a gross outrage.

Note: The school in question would be The University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school like Harvard or Yale, but with far prettier female students than those New England dives.

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

On Tuesday 16th October 1888 a cardboard box measuring 3 x 3 inches was delivered by Parcels Post to Mr George Lusk, Chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, at 1 Alderney Road, Globe Road, Mile End E. [Evening News, 19th October 1888]

The box contained a portion of kidney [purported to come from Mitre Square victim, Catherine Eddowes] and a letter.

The accompanying letter was sent to the City Police [who photographed it] by the Metropolitan Police, who requested its return and subsequently lost it. Chief Inspector Swanson hand-wrote a transcription in his 6th November report.

Here is a copy of the City Police's photograph of the letter, which is also reproduced full-page in "Letters From Hell", by Stewart Evans and Keith Skinner.



I recently wrote to Stewart Evans asking the letter's dimensions. He wasn't certain [as his book contained a photograph of a photograph], but suggested it was probably about the same size as "Dear Boss", which we know is 8.9 x 7.1 inches.

No matter.

Look at the Lusk "From Hell" letter. How did the sender get it into a box measuring 3 x 3 inches without it incurring any noticeable fold marks?

Regards,

Simon

[Iain Wilson]

That's an interesting point you raise about the possibility of the GSG and the Lusk letter being linked. I can't remember which book I read it in (it may have been "The Cases That Haunt Us") but the author of it suggested that the Lusk letter could be considered characteristic of a disorganised serial killer. In this instance the killer, somewhat taken aback at the limelight that the "Dear Boss" letters are receiving seeks to regain what control he can over the situation by proving his validity. The writing, spelling and grammar would be indicative of a classic disorganised killer (low societal status, average or below intelligence etc).

Or it could just be a hoax.

But it's fun to indulge in arm chair psychology

[caz]

It was my understanding - though I had taken a few draughts of fine brandy at the time with a few learned counsel, and as a consequence of tripped over a judge and fallen into a fireplace, that was lit at the time, merely burning my fingers until the brandy hit the flame, but that is another story - that a normal pig, lamb or beef carcass offered for sale would always retain a single kidney, as this was a reliable indicator of the age and condition of the beast being offered for sale.
Therefore I do conclude that the vast majority of the medics of the period would have been extremely familiar with a porcine kidney.

Hi AP,

I'm sure I'm not the only one to remember buying dirty great pork chops with a lovely kidney attached, right up until about the time of the scare over mad cow disease. I always assumed they disappeared from the shops because of extra safety measures taken for all meat products (eg separating flesh from offal and applying individual use-by dates and cooking times). But I'm quite willing to believe it's also so they can feed us old sows for the price of young porkers without the accompanying awful offal giving the game away.

Hi Investigator,

I do have a soft spot for the 'validating' argument, whereby one public message is underlined by half Kate's apron and one private message is underlined by half Kate's kidney. There is a compelling symmetry there that suggests that whoever sent the package to Lusk had the Goulston St episode in mind while doing so, and was operating on the basis of the killer being responsible for both apron and chalk.

Was the message for 'Mishter Lusk' in its own way underlining the message about 'The Juwes'?

Same contempt for society, authority and the community in which the murders happened?

The graffiti artist - if not Jack - may have grown up to be a perfectly responsible citizen. But I would feel uneasy about our sinister kidney packer shortly leaving medical school and entering the 'caring' profession.

I'd prefer, on balance, a very naughty butcher boy who managed to fool Openshaw with Miss Piggy's innards.

But I don't find that too likely given all the circumstances.

If it was a hoax, I can't see that it was done lightly by a carefree student, but very very darkly, with much malice aforethought.

Love,

Caz
X

[Investigator]

Absolutely right Dan, there is no way in that day and age to support it having come from Eddowes. It's validity as a human kidney serves only to substantiate the odds against the letter being a hoax. Likewise Jack, the medics at that time were called upon to vet "meat inspectors". Even in the 50's I recall them being the last word as you put it.
I have a copy of an article published in 1881 "Journal of Anatomy & Physiology" about the "granular disease of the kidney" that shows quite clearly there was a high degree of sophistication in the knowledge of histology. Just for interest, If I can get time to work out how I can get a PDF file onto this meassage system I would be happy to make it available.
The purpose of presenting modern research is not to indicate that such information was available at that time but to demonstrate there are clear anatomical differences albeit subtle, that distinguish the pig from human. Of itself, the value of the kidney issue is but one variable among others to verify the provenance of the letter. This, I believe has the same mark as the Goulston St apron - it is used as a signature the killer is using to validate his message. Whether the kidney is actually Eddowes or not, looses relevance if the writing on the wall and the Lusk letter are linked. In this respect both events would be synergistic, 1+1 =3. Regards dg

[Cap'n Jack]

Nicely done, Sam.
It is wise to remember that pig's kidney was a popular dish amongst the East End population of London during the LVP, and as it was served sliced then one would imagine that the majority of Londoners were quite familiar with the porcine kidney slice.
Another consideration that occured to my good self while I was at the Old Bailey last night is that many of the medics of the period did actually have the final word in the question of fresh meat quality when they were called in by either the police or meat inspectors to pronounce on the quality of meat offered for sale in the markets.
It was my understanding - though I had taken a few draughts of fine brandy at the time with a few learned counsel, and as a consequence of tripped over a judge and fallen into a fireplace, that was lit at the time, merely burning my fingers until the brandy hit the flame, but that is another story - that a normal pig, lamb or beef carcass offered for sale would always retain a single kidney, as this was a reliable indicator of the age and condition of the beast being offered for sale.
Therefore I do conclude that the vast majority of the medics of the period would have been extremely familiar with a porcine kidney.

[Dan Norder]

I should probably stress that believing that Openshaw was capable of identifying whether the kidney came from a human instead of a pig in no way proves that the kidney actually came from Eddowes and was sent by the Ripper.

[Investigator]

Hi Sam, You wrote
"One would have to assume that Openshaw had heretofore taken an especial interest in the inner structure of the kidney."
No assumption about it, that was his job. He wasn't a museum janitor and his eventual transition into orthopaedics is irrevelent. I'm not an evangelist trying to change your beliefs Sam, your opinion is a valid expression of your learning in life, wish you well. DG

[Sam Flynn]

Your proposition is that Openshaw would have pulled a kidney out of a human specimen, fried it, thrown ketchup on it and declared it was the best pig's kidney he ever eaten in his life.

I have been accused of calling Openshaw many things, AP, but I think I'm safe in saying that I never once suggested he was a cannibal.

[Cap'n Jack]

Exactly Sam!
Your proposition is that Openshaw would have pulled a kidney out of a human specimen, fried it, thrown ketchup on it and declared it was the best pig's kidney he ever eaten in his life.
On your bike, Sam, steep rolling hillside, boyos singing in the background, you in lake and one fish out of water.

[Sam Flynn]

So a saucy medical student fond of kidney sauce madère would fit the bill...

...sans doute!

[DVV]

So a saucy medical student fond of kidney sauce madère would fit the bill...

[Sam Flynn]

If it is a pork's kidney, it has to have been sent by someone who knew how similar it looks to that of a human...

Good point, David, although this might simply have been a matter of seeing a drawing of a human kidney in a library book and noticing the similarity with those on display in any number of butchers' shops throughout London.