Lusk Letter sent to George Lusk of the vigilante committee

[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

[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

[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

[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.

[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

[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

[fido]

What an amazing thread!
I can't contribute anything to the learned anatomical debaters. But my own reason for believing the letter to be a hoax is very simple. The misspellings "Sor", "prasarved' and "Mishter" were all used by Victorian writers trying to imitate a comic Irish accent phonetically. (See Samuel Lovett's Handy Andy if you doubt me). I can't believe that anyone trying to cast serious suspicion on the Irish would restrict himself to three words of brogue with no supporting content ,and obviously no Irishman would be writing his accent in a misrepresentative phonetic spelling. But a casual hoaxer could easily imagine himself being a music-hall Irishman and dropping in a few words.
All the best,
Martin F

[The Good Michael]

But a casual hoaxer could easily imagine himself being a music-hall Irishman and dropping in a few words.

I think that would be a casual hoaxer who is playing a prank and is obvious about it. I don't think he can imagine that it would be taken seriously, and so he is, with tongue in cheek, playing the Irish role. Had he thrown in a, "Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph," he would have sealed the deal.

Cheers,

Mike

[Monty]

Hoax or not, and Lusk himself felt it was, the fact that its was a kidney he received must have had a personal impact.

I wouldnt be surprised if it was sent by someone who knew him and his life.

Monty

[The Good Michael]

Monty,

I would have freaked out had that been sent to me. With 120 year-old glasses, one can make light of it a bit. Your point is taken about the seriousness of the communication for a contemporary.

Cheers,

Mike

[Monty]

Mike

Absolutely.

In the article I recently did for this months Rip, it became obvious to me that Lusk was very fearful of the letter. Aarons saw this in his friend and it was he who pushed for it to be invesigate, in hopes maybe that it would bring a piece of mind to Lusk.

Its when you couple the parcel with Lusks wife that you have an understanding of the possible impact it would have had upon him

[Mascara & Paranoia]

You can clearly tell that it says 'sir' and not 'sor' in the letter; it's just where the joint handwritting meets.

Just an observation.

[BLUE WIZZARD]

Sir

Why would Jack show respect to the police by calling them Sir?

[Shelley]

Why would Jack show respect to the police by calling them Sir?

I agree with what you've said, however i wouldn't consider any of the communications by letters of any kind during the Ripper killings, too many nutcases and also copycats & coincidences at the time and after.

[AdamWalsh]

Went to the London Dungeon the other day - there was one funny bit in the Jack The Ripper section where the guide was telling us about the letters and he says "...and then came the infamous From Hell letter which was signed at the bottom - Jack The Ripper" - I held myself back from putting my hand up and correcting him by saying "Actually it was signed Catch me if you can mishter Lusk" but didnt want to make him or myself look like an *******. Anyway - yeah it was alright, they had a tiny replica "Ten Bells" pub - I was thinking whats the point when the real one still exists - but yeah it was ok.