Anonymous Letter Accusing Richard Mansfield Of Being The Ripper

[Natasha]

Hi All

Forgive me if this letter has been referred to before:

http://www.bl.uk/collection-items/anonymous-letter-to-city-of-london-police-about-jack-the-ripper

I don't remember seeing it in Evans & Skinners 'letters from hell' book.

I just thought it quite interesting that someone was accusing someone else in a letter of being the ripper. Most of the ripper letters have a theme in the sense that the author purports to being the ripper.

Most criminals when questioned seem to shift the blame on another, while an innocent person when questioned will more often than not blame themselves for crimes that they didn't commit.

[Rosella]

Hi Natasha,
This letter is mentioned under Richard Mansfield in Begg, Fido and Skinner's 'The Complete Jack the Ripper A-Z', though they don't reproduce the letter, as you have done.

They call it 'atrociously spelt' and state that the City Police were 'unimpressed' and marked the letter 'Not Acknowledged'! The letter writer was obviously very struck by Richard Mansfield's acting abilities. It's a pity his tour was a loss. He went back to the U.S. owing Sir Henry Irving, the actor-manager, more than £2,000.

[Natasha]

Hi Natasha,
This letter is mentioned under Richard Mansfield in Begg, Fido and Skinner's 'The Complete Jack the Ripper A-Z', though they don't reproduce the letter, as you have done.

They call it 'atrociously spelt' and state that the City Police were 'unimpressed' and marked the letter 'Not Acknowledged'! The letter writer was obviously very struck by Richard Mansfield's acting abilities. It's a pity his tour was a loss. He went back to the U.S. owing Sir Henry Irving, the actor-manager, more than £2,000.

Hi Rosella

I will have to do a bit more research on Mansfield.

[gnote]

The only time i remember any connection being made with Mansfield was in the Michael Caine movie. I've seen his name mentioned in passing due to the Jekyll hide movies in some books however. Is there a transcript of this letter? I'm terrible and reading hand-writing.

[jmenges]

Alex Chisholm (author of The News From Whitechapel: Jack the Ripper in the Daily Telegraph) and Martin A. Danaher wrote the book Jekyll and Hyde Dramatized: The 1887 Richard Mansfield Script and the Evolution of the Story on Stage.

Highly recommended for those interested in Mansfield and the Ripper scare.

http://www.amazon.com/Jekyll-Hyde-Dramatized-Mansfield-Evolution/dp/0786418702

JM

[Natasha]

Alex Chisholm (author of The News From Whitechapel: Jack the Ripper in the Daily Telegraph) and Martin A. Danaher wrote the book Jekyll and Hyde Dramatized: The 1887 Richard Mansfield Script and the Evolution of the Story on Stage.

Highly recommended for those interested in Mansfield and the Ripper scare.

http://www.amazon.com/Jekyll-Hyde-Dramatized-Mansfield-Evolution/dp/0786418702

JM

Thanks JM, will look into that