Why Lusk letter could be genuine

[Filby]

There are couple of things, which John Douglas (FBI profiler) pointed out when talking about Ripper and this letter. I think they are worth considering and I'm giving them with some of my thoughts:

• Letter actually contained some proof (human kindey) - no other letter was like this and in history of serial killers we see that when they're writing messages to police, victims or others, they will also attach somekind of proof (e.g. Zodiac was sending bloody shirt pieces); It's often said that the letter was a hoax created by e.g. medical students. But is it really? Was it really that easy to obtain human organ? And even if so - why only half of it?
• Letter begins with words "From Hell" which is interesting as it seems to be pointing to the state of mind (of the person who wrote it). It's sounds a bit like the killer (if it was the killer) was speaking about himself and his own situation, almost like he was trying to create some sympathy for himself;
• Letter looks like it wasn't written by someone as literate. For sure not as literate as "Dear Boss" letter and this would be consistent with lower class of the sender - words are not only written badly but they almost look like scratches, like someone who wrote this was not in a good state of mind;
• Reference to cannibalism - this is also consistent with a type of killer which we should expect in those cases (Dahmer, Chikatilo, Chase, Kemper, Joachim Kroll etc. were involved in cannibalism); even if the letter was not send by the killer it is quite interesting that someone invented that kind of idea for a hoax;
• Expression "Catch me when you can" can mean two things: it can be taunting and provocation but it can also mean a sort of "cry for help". Some serial killers were using that kind of expressions, e.g. "cAtch me BeFore I Kill More" was used by Lipstic Killer at the site of his murder;
• He is not using name "Jack the Ripper" - this is interesting in itself; this name is already established at this time and I would expect hoax using it. The killer is not thinking of himself as 'Jack the Ripper' which could sound menacing to bystander but not to someone who is serious about himself; he doesn't have to use it really;
• Lastly: letter was addressed to George Lusk and not press or police; if someone wants to have a notoriety by writing a hoax I would expect him to write either to police or press; "Dear Boss" letter was send to Central News Agency; I'm not sure how famous was initiative of Vigillance Committee - if it wasn't that popular it can mean that it was written by someone who is really observing the area and what is happening in it (meaning: he is from the area).

What do you think about this? To me "Lusk letter" is the most interesting one - even if it is a hoax. It's the only letter, it seems, which is close to the real killer state of mind. Whoever did this letter he had the best intuition. People at the time had some notion about who the Ripper was and it's peculiar that one of those had good idea and (at the same time) he also sended human kindey with it...

What is against its credibility?

• We don't really know if the kidney was taken from Catherine Eddowes body (and even if it was strictly woman kidney);
• Sender attaches box with human kidney but does not really provide any specific details and knowledge of the murders (and the missing kidney detail was known outside);
• Letter is a bit 'over the top' - like the writer is trying to show his teeth and scare others: boo! look how evil I am (that's how we can also read it's title "From Hell");

Anything I've missed?

M

I'm glad you posted this observation. I agree, literacy was a big question, how it compares across the board. A question I've been pondering of late is how the Lusk Letter compared to the GSG? Was there any professional analysis performed to compare similarities in style, theme, dialect, literacy, since are most likely pieces of evidence JTR offered up "willfully"?

[Tani]

Brilliant post!

I thought it had some form of musicality and your post proves it.

So the author was inspired by a Scottish song it seems?

Any suspects with links to Scotland?

It wouldn't necessarily need to be Scotland as culture here is very malleable. Northern England shares a lot with Scotland, dialect wise, food wise, etc. (source: I grew up thin the North of England) and there's a lot of blurring between what constitutes Scotch and English. Often it seems the difference is between south of the Trent and north of the Trent, rather than Scotland/England. The Lusk letter could be imitating any number of non-standard English dialects imo, not just Irish.

[erobitha]

Hi Jay,

Thanks for the reply. I would be interested in who you have in mind as a suspect, and why, if you are happy to share.

Cheers, George

Hi George.

I missed this originally.

My suspect is James Maybrick based on the watch and not the diary, and what I deem quite a substantial amount of circumstantial evidence.

The minute I mention my suspect, I find many people switch off and disengage, so sometimes it's better to debate the points generically without throwing my candidate into the mix.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Jay

[GBinOz]

Hi George,

Thanks for this interesting perspective.

Of course I have a suspect in mind but, I am happy to park that for now in order to address your thoughts.

For me, the deliberate mis-spellings are a big clue that the writer was not as uneducated as they wanted the reader to believe. When you consider the writer kept the silent K in knife in "From Hell" and spelt "Pathological" perfectly on the Openshaw envelope, I can't help but feel these behaviours mirror each other. Now, the handwriting itself is not an exact match, but it is fair to say both have been written to try and give the impression of an erratic mind. Again, a link. The fact he signs off as JtR in Openshaw but not in "From Hell" could quite simply be him adopting the moniker and being comfortable with it by the time he pens the Openshaw letter. As you also highlighted, these are specific individuals. Not police. Not press. However, both men appeared in newspapers.

I feel the person was the same man who wrote both, and the tone of gloating in both letters is a clear sign to me that this person wants Lusk and Openshaw to be genuinely intimidated.

I struggle with the idea that a disgruntled medical student would go to such extreme lengths, but it could be possible. However, these are definitely actions in tune with a narcissistic psychopath serial killer.

These letters are hugely about ego.

Hi Jay,

Thanks for the reply. I would be interested in who you have in mind as a suspect, and why, if you are happy to share.

Cheers, George

[erobitha]

Hi Jay,

Thank you for the link. I found your blog to be interesting, and thought provoking.

The fact that the From Hell letter was delivered to Lusk (and not a news agency), and NOT signed Jack the ripper, has set me wondering as to what its purpose may have been. My first thought is that it may have been sent by a disgruntled member of the vigilance force as a protest against the management policies of Lusk. The police whistle that was heard at Berner St before Lamb's arrival originated, IMO, from a member of the vigilance force - Isaacs (Kozebrodsky) or Jacobs, that was present at the IWEC on the night when Stride's body was discovered. Membership of a vigilance committee would be a good cover and provide intelligence not available to the general public.

I can't say that I see a similarity of penmanship between the Lusk letter and the Openshaw letter. However, once again it was not set to a news agency, but was signed Jack the Ripper. I suspect that the postscript was some sort of jibe, like "you think you're so clever, but you're not" against the scientific analysis. I would not be adverse to a suggestion that a student subject to the oversight of London Hospital doctors might have been prompted to conduct such a protest.

Did you form any conclusions from your analysis?

Cheers, George

Hi George,

Thanks for this interesting perspective.

Of course I have a suspect in mind but, I am happy to park that for now in order to address your thoughts.

For me, the deliberate mis-spellings are a big clue that the writer was not as uneducated as they wanted the reader to believe. When you consider the writer kept the silent K in knife in "From Hell" and spelt "Pathological" perfectly on the Openshaw envelope, I can't help but feel these behaviours mirror each other. Now, the handwriting itself is not an exact match, but it is fair to say both have been written to try and give the impression of an erratic mind. Again, a link. The fact he signs off as JtR in Openshaw but not in "From Hell" could quite simply be him adopting the moniker and being comfortable with it by the time he pens the Openshaw letter. As you also highlighted, these are specific individuals. Not police. Not press. However, both men appeared in newspapers.

I feel the person was the same man who wrote both, and the tone of gloating in both letters is a clear sign to me that this person wants Lusk and Openshaw to be genuinely intimidated.

I struggle with the idea that a disgruntled medical student would go to such extreme lengths, but it could be possible. However, these are definitely actions in tune with a narcissistic psychopath serial killer.

These letters are hugely about ego.

[Holmes' Idiot Brother]

If any of the letters were genuine, I believe it was certainly the From Hell letter. And I feel the kidney is genuine, too.

[GBinOz]

I tend to think the Lusk letter is genuine. Here is a blog post I wrote on it in 2021:
https://jayhartley.com/letters-from-hell/

Hi Jay,

Thank you for the link. I found your blog to be interesting, and thought provoking.

The fact that the From Hell letter was delivered to Lusk (and not a news agency), and NOT signed Jack the ripper, has set me wondering as to what its purpose may have been. My first thought is that it may have been sent by a disgruntled member of the vigilance force as a protest against the management policies of Lusk. The police whistle that was heard at Berner St before Lamb's arrival originated, IMO, from a member of the vigilance force - Isaacs (Kozebrodsky) or Jacobs, that was present at the IWEC on the night when Stride's body was discovered. Membership of a vigilance committee would be a good cover and provide intelligence not available to the general public.

I can't say that I see a similarity of penmanship between the Lusk letter and the Openshaw letter. However, once again it was not set to a news agency, but was signed Jack the Ripper. I suspect that the postscript was some sort of jibe, like "you think you're so clever, but you're not" against the scientific analysis. I would not be adverse to a suggestion that a student subject to the oversight of London Hospital doctors might have been prompted to conduct such a protest.

Did you form any conclusions from your analysis?

Cheers, George

[JeffHamm]

Way back in 2008, I found this song called "The Upper Denton Hornpipe", which imho was almost certainly the inspiration for the Openshaw ditty:



The lyrics are:

Did you ever see the devil with his wooden spade or shovel,
Did you ever see the devil with his tail cocked out?
The p'tatoes were so big that the devil couldn't dig,
So he ran through the fields with his tail cocked out!

Upper Denton is in Cumbria, England, although I found it in an anthology of sailors' fiddle tunes from Nova Scotia.

Fun stuff! My kids are both accomplished violinists, so I've sent them a copy of this.

- Jeff

[DJA]

English song

[Lewis C]

Brilliant post!

I thought it had some form of musicality and your post proves it.

So the author was inspired by a Scottish song it seems?

Any suspects with links to Scotland?

Bury, but I imagine you're looking for someone with links to Scotland before the murders rather than after.

[DJA]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (character) - Wikipedia

Dr J (Henry G Kill) is Gull

Mr H is Henry G Sutton

Inspector Newcomen is Major Henry Smith

Sir Danvers Carew is several clues,however based on one of Gull's clients who died from a chloral hydrate overdose

Soho Square,see Sutton Street

the trampled girl,Mary Ann Kelly

Gull resides at 8 Finsbury Square,Sutton at 9 Finsbury Square

Just for starters ..... have fun

[DJA]

Openshaw took over as Curator of the Pathology Museum from Sutton in 1887 and became his Boss

[GBinOz]

Way back in 2008, I found this song called "The Upper Denton Hornpipe", which imho was almost certainly the inspiration for the Openshaw ditty:



The lyrics are:

Did you ever see the devil with his wooden spade or shovel,
Did you ever see the devil with his tail cocked out?
The p'tatoes were so big that the devil couldn't dig,
So he ran through the fields with his tail cocked out!

Upper Denton is in Cumbria, England, although I found it in an anthology of sailors' fiddle tunes from Nova Scotia.

Hi Sam,

Thank you for that information. I agree that this musical composition probably inspired the message, but I suspect, for whatever reason, it was aimed at one of the doctors that examined the kidney - Openshaw or Sutton.

Cheers, George

[The Rookie Detective]

Way back in 2008, I found this song called "The Upper Denton Hornpipe", which imho was almost certainly the inspiration for the Openshaw ditty:



The lyrics are:

Did you ever see the devil with his wooden spade or shovel,
Did you ever see the devil with his tail cocked out?
The p'tatoes were so big that the devil couldn't dig,
So he ran through the fields with his tail cocked out!

Upper Denton is in Cumbria, England, although I found it in an anthology of sailors' fiddle tunes from Nova Scotia.

Brilliant post!

I thought it had some form of musicality and your post proves it.

So the author was inspired by a Scottish song it seems?

Any suspects with links to Scotland?

[Sam Flynn]

O have you seen the devle with his mikerscope and scalpul a-lookin at a kidney with a slide cocked up

Is this a cryptic clue? To whom could it be alluding?

Way back in 2008, I found this song called "The Upper Denton Hornpipe", which imho was almost certainly the inspiration for the Openshaw ditty:



The lyrics are:

Did you ever see the devil with his wooden spade or shovel,
Did you ever see the devil with his tail cocked out?
The p'tatoes were so big that the devil couldn't dig,
So he ran through the fields with his tail cocked out!

Upper Denton is in Cumbria, England, although I found it in an anthology of sailors' fiddle tunes from Nova Scotia.