The Lusk Letter - Swanson's Transcription

[Inspector Lestrade]

[ His choice of victims was due to convenience, I think. He just wanted to play with his knife.[/QUOTE]

Pippin Joan,

Respectfully, I must disagree -in part. Although I must concede your point: the mutilation does seem to be the whole objective (like the Dahlia or Cleveland Torso??).

Tragically, prostitutes make very ready (almost complicitous) victims. Most serial killers kill the easiest and most reliable way they know how. Jack seemed to view the killing (strangling) as merely a necessary prelim to the desecration. And in the double event he surely would've been satiated after Stride if mere killing was all he was after.

[Is it significant that he kills with his hands not his knife? Or was that just the method he found worked well?]

But his mutilations are vicious, not exploratory -and very specific to the female anatomy. I see this as rage. Against women in general or more particularly prositutes? Both?

Still... the facination -no obsession with the knife... you've hit on somthing important there.

[Inspector Lestrade]

Re:Spelling [and it's ramifications]

I have heard much ado about the mispellings in the Ripper letters-most recently on a BBC documentary. I think it has some merit, but Mr. Holmes insists it's a lot of bosh. He reasons it obvious that the mispellings are faked.

Why, [he asks] would someone poorly educated or foriegn to the very complex -and often illogical -english language make some inconsistent errors and yet get the tricky bits right?

Note that 'piece' and 'fried' are spelled correctly back to back -even though the 'ie' produces an entirely different sound in each. It seems from an inspection of the handwriting that he scribbled over this part quickly -so that he didn't stop to ponder the spelling or look it up. In fact, he appears to interrupt his flow and hesitate only when he is misspelling a word. You'll also note that he left the silent 'e' on some words [piece] and left it off others [eg. 'knif']. And who, unfamiliar with the inexplicable idiosyncracies of english would ever think to begin the word 'knif' with a 'k' and yet then forget the far more commen but equally superfluous 'e' at the end? And what uneducated man or foriegner would ever guess correctly that there was a 'g' in the middle of 'signed' ?!?

Mr. Holmes believes the misspellings to be a deliberate ruse -much like in the imfamous Zodiac letters. I think he's daft- still... Holmes' little ideas sometimes amount to something.

[thewastelandr]

You make extremely interesting observations about spelling and mis-spelling, Inspector Lestrade. What you said makes good sense. I wonder how much work has been done on that?

[Inspector Lestrade]

Wastelandr,
Thank you for the kind support, Sir.

In re-reading my post, I notice (to my chagrin) that my own spelling is atroshuss! (Some might say imfamous.) In this particular instance it is both ironic and amusing! I required the spell checker long before it was invented so I had to marry one.

But I think it supports my case. The mistakes I make are the ones one might expect from one who speaks and writes english reasonably well but writes hurriedly -not those I'd make if unfamiliar with the language.

[claire]

It's an interesting observation, isn't it? You're quite right--the letter, to me, always read like someone trying a bit hard for an Irish sound, those 'misspellings' looking a lot like an attempt to craft Irish pronunciations.

[KatBradshaw]

It could be meant to be Irish or even Yorkshire. We talk of 't'other' as well! Although I am not sure about the 'Mishter' bit.

[claire]

For sure, t'other could pertain to a lot of places--but it was the 'Sor,' and the Mishter (well, could be someone three sheets to the wind, too) looked a bit Irish to me.

[thewastelandr]

Wastelandr,
Thank you for the kind support, Sir.

Ma'am, and you're welcome! Perhaps computers are a hinderance as much as a help to spelling.

[Inspector Lestrade]

I've said before that I see Jack as someone who loved his knife and cutting things up.

Wastlandr,
My apologies. The computer is a hindrance to vision. I'm sure I'd never make that error in person.

Wastlandr & Pippin Joan,
I'd totally missed it but now that you've pointed it out, the knife obsession is nagging at me. The 'knif' is not just a tool -he talks about it with the warmth and enthusiasm a man usually reserves for a favorite dog. It's almost as if he anthropomorhizes it. Or does it represent to him his evil side -his 'Mr. Hyde'? (That is, if any of the letters are genuine.) I'm sure it has great significance- I'm just not sure what it is.
Hmmm... Perhaps Mr. Holmes...

[thewastelandr]

Excellent observations, Inspector. Agreed on what you said - that JTR talked about his knife with warmth and enthusiasm. The link with a Jekyll/Hyde personality would fit with the idea that JTR was insane with an urge for killing at times overwhelming him.

[perrymason]

Wastlandr,
Wastlandr & Pippin Joan,
I'd totally missed it but now that you've pointed it out, the knife obsession is nagging at me. The 'knif' is not just a tool -he talks about it with the warmth and enthusiasm a man usually reserves for a favorite dog. It's almost as if he anthropomorhizes it. Or does it represent to him his evil side -his 'Mr. Hyde'? (That is, if any of the letters are genuine.) I'm sure it has great significance- I'm just not sure what it is.
Hmmm... Perhaps Mr. Holmes...

When you factor in that this letter appeared with an anatomical sample that was suggestive of the one taken from Kate, and that he offers to share that which he took with his "knif"...his friend as you say...and someday even the "knif" itself...I think you may be seeing a man who is experiencing Isolation at new levels...and wants to have someone understand him.

Thats why for me, this communication is one of very few real possibilities....its not a scare letter, its a share letter. I would think the killer may have felt alone on the planet at that time, with everyone hating and despising this bloody killer. I dont put much stock in the "funny little games", or "I need more blood" letters, I dont think he felt any need to taunt the pursuers...and if Lusk did receive that from Jack, he doesnt taunt or intimidate him.

Best regards

[thewastelandr]

Thats why for me, this communication is one of very few real possibilities....its not a scare letter, its a share letter.

That makes a lot of sense. It seems that JTR would be proud of his work, and this could have been his "Daddy, look what I did!" moment.

[perrymason]

That makes a lot of sense. It seems that JTR would be proud of his work, and this could have been his "Daddy, look what I did!" moment.

Perhaps, that may be the driver, or... just by the offering of something that is connected directly to a murder he is seeking to have someone who shares some of his guilt....symbolically of course. Just potentially having an actual piece of Kate in his house links Lusk forever to Jacks crime in Mitre Square in terms of the investigation.

In that sense, he gives Lusk immortality as well, quite a gesture when you think of it in those terms.

Its the fact that he even writes a suggestion that Lusk can eat the piece of kidney he sends that hints at some kind of communion with him....like that would have ever happened. He must know that it wouldnt be eaten, but he says thats why he sent it.

Maybe Jack doesnt harbour hard feelings towards the Vigilantees, maybe he sees himself as a kind of one.

Best regards

[thewastelandr]

In that sense, he gives Lusk immortality as well, quite a gesture when you think of it in those terms.

Very interesting thought. I hadn't thought of it like that. Like he is somewhat incriminating Lusk by giving him a link to the crime.

It is interesting that Jack suggests he may send his "knif" if Lusk will only "wait a little longer." Does that suggest JTR is going to turn in his knife once his killing spree is over?

[Shelley]

In his report of 6th November 1888 Chief Inspector Donald Swanson transcribed the 'From hell' or 'Lusk Letter' and I don't recall that this transcription has been published before. So out of interest, here it is -

[ATTACH]1792[/ATTACH]

HO 144/221/A49301C f 193

The letter clearly says ' Sir ' not ' Sor ' it's just the way the writer has written his ' R '. Judging by some pen strokes down, he was thinking about what was in his own pants i'll guess ( somewhere between 18 yrs old & 24 yrs old male), you know Prostitutes and all...A little hoaxer on all accounts. When Fido made mention about his knowledge on Irish slang and theatres etc, there were also a lot of Irish female immigrants just getting off the boat and straight into prostitution as well. Chapman, Eddowes and Nichols amongst others just needed to make some money to get by and the ' Oldest profession ' always brought that....So not a single trip to the local DSS for those women.