Were Jack's crimes fuelled by Alcohol - Yes or No ?

[Canopy]

MAYBE he drank (who knows?) but I would suggest attacks were not fuelled by alcohol but rather some mental illness that kept Jack alert and ready/able to flee/escape the police. Also, taking the possibility that Jack was a hardened alcoholic that could hold down a job and appear "normal", I doubt anybody able to cope with drink to that degree (and with a will to kill!) would go and select a public place (many times!) to do it. Their 'semi-alert' brain would surely scream "danger!"???

My thinking anyway,
All the best,

C.

[JtRMordke]

Yeah - I would agree that alcohol played a part in the murders to an extent, but in my opinion could certainly not be blamed for it. Mentioned before, alcohol does tend to make mental illnesses, and highlighted especially, paranoid schizophrenia a lot worse. Therefore the likelihood that Jack's consumption of alcohol helped to fuel the murders is very high.

[Canopy]

I would say "no" to any influence. We've all been drunk at some point in life, we pay for it for a few days and then we vow "never again"!!! This person continued to make drunken/other influenced mistakes over quite some time (not that any of us (I hope!!!! ) go out and murder under the influence!) I frankly think his mind-set pure evil! I would also agree with kerrypn's point: "I do not think a heavily intoxicated person would have had the poise, co ordination or mental agility to carry out these attacks."...Neither do I. I think him one "screwed-up" individual that planned not who or where but certainly how! This person wasn't drunk and neither was he taking anything else in excess to allow him an excuse for his actions in my mind...if he had any excuse at all I would support something mental - a condition that didn't allow him to view the world in the same way as the majority. Certainly he had enough wits about him to kill and remain uncaught, not (in my mind) anyone under the influence of anything.

As a reason for my thinking I will say that I've worked with people that have "mental issues" in the past (though I don't like that title) for 4 years. SOME can be very aggressive as their mind does not work in the same manner as the majority, however, IF they become aggressive they have their wits about them...they can hurt you and will have no remorse if they do. I think Jack, if he was under the influence of anything, was under the influence of his mind's own demons and not anything that would affect him physically. Nothing hampered his ability to go cut people up!

That would be my guess.
All the best,

C.

[kerrypn]

I think that alcohol may have been a facilitator rather than determiner-I think JTR probably fantasised about these crimes whilst sober but only when under some influence-not necessarily drunk-of alcohol was he able to shake off the morality that governs his otherwise typical behaviour. So I think JTR was immoral, not amoral, and alcohol was probably the substance hwich allowed him to break from his own morality and social restrictions. I also think it very likely he did frequent some of the public houses in the area, but not necessarily as a "stand out" drunk, possibly only had 2 or 3 drinks, I do not think a heavily intoxicated person would have had the poise, co ordination or mental agility to carry out these attacks.

[Barnaby]

I don't think his crimes were "fueled by" alcohol. Nonetheless, statistics indicate that alcohol is a contributer to many murders. Moreover, alcoholism is high in persons with both antisocial personality disorder and paranoid schizophrenia. Add to this the fact that Whitechapel was a hard-drinking area, and I believe it is more likely than not that Jack was intoxicated during the murders. But this does not mean that alcohol was the primary reason for the murders.

[Abby Normal]

no
his crimes were fuelled by the desire to mutilate and kill
alcohol facilitated his victims

[Bridewell]

I think he was a drinker, but by no means drunk when committing his offences. All the victims either were, or gave the impression of being, alcoholic, and several, by their actions, clearly saw their next drink as a higher priority than a bed for the night. It seems to me quite likely that one of the attractions the Ripper might have held for his victims, could have been the possession of alcohol. The sort of individual who could stoop to committing such offences might have a treasured hip flask from which his victims took a swig before he dispatched them. Just hypothesis though, nothing more.

[Hatchett]

Hi all,

I do not believe that the Ripper murders were alcohol fuelled.

The killer and mutilator of 5 ( or 4 or 6 or 7 ) women could have been an alcholic or he could have just been a moderate or occasionaly drinker, but I dont think it would have made any difference.

Human beings adapt very quickly to the circumstances they are in, both inside and out, physically, mentally, and environmentally.

Take the case of an alcoholic writer. He or she believes that they can only write when they have a drink. Yet he or she were writers before they became alcoholics.

What is forgotten is that alcoholics cannot function at all without a drink.

If the writer was to go into rehab then they would return to being a writer who doesnt need a drink to write.

The same as an ex alcohlic can return to normal functioning without alcohol.

So, I believe that whether Jack was an alcoholic, or a drunk it would have made no difference.

His mind was messed up and his complusion to fullfill his fantasies would have still driven him.

Best wishes.

[Steven_Rex]

Has anyone considered that the Ripper might have affected the guise of a drunken punter in order to encourage his victims' trust? I imagine that if he appeared as something of a drunken sot who was merely seeking what I'm sure the majority of men staggering around Whitechapel straight from the pubs were seeking, they would have been that much more trusting. Once he'd accompanied them to a suitably hidden area and gotten into position, he could have shed the 'harmless drunk' act and taken them completely unawares.

[AP Criminologist]

Seriously, though...

I used to believe that Jack's crimes would be linked to alcohol, because
a) so many crimes are linked to substance abuse -including those of Serial killers b) it certainly seems as if the crimes are linked to the pubs
in Spitalfields, with several of the victims reportedly drinking in the Ten Bells, and Hutch (my favourite suspect) living almost opposite the Princess Alice and c) all of the victims being alcoholics and -as prostitutes -surely soliciting from pub to pub, as prostitutes did at the time.

Never the less, I'm now 'undecided'...
-I see that there were Temperence Meetings at the Victoria, and I doubt that the lodgers could regularly roll up dead drunk
-I think that Jack's 'luck' in getting away with the murders is partly due to alot of quick thinking, controlled silence, and, if he wasn't covered in blood,
then he wasn't in a frenzy but careful in his movements.
-One could frequent pubs without being a 'drinker' one's self.

Murderer's often seek to justify their crimes to themseves in finding a reason why the victims deserved to die (that's when they can't just admit that they like killing ..). I think that there is a possibility that the Ripper despised his victims secretly for being 'drunken whores', and tempting men like himself into 'sin' ? Maybe he's received alot of mixed messages in his childhood ?

Who knows ?

Hi Ruby,

either you've missed my earlier post, therefore meaning you & I have very much the same views on this matter (which if this is the case then we make a good team!), or you've seen my post and simply added a few more facts about the JTR case! If it's the latter then shame on you! Either way, I'm glad someone agrees and has actually considered the whole thread seriously.

Regards,

AP

[YankeeSergeant]

gigantic bass

You're wise, Sister. There's a gigantic bass in the port.

THAT's going to ruin the tone of the instrument for sure! All new strings and it'll play hell with the finish too.

[DVV]

You're wise, Sister. There's a gigantic bass in the port.

[Sister Hyde]

Sister H,

conference next week, Rackham Le Rouge, Le Lavandou.

Contradictors will be thrown in the port.

Cheers

ps : we all have gold chains and moustache. The 11.43 is mine, though.

although I love Tintin and that Le Lavandou looks lovely, I think I'll pass on this one. I don't wanna end up in a fish soup

[DVV]

Sister H,

conference next week, Rackham Le Rouge, Le Lavandou.

Contradictors will be thrown in the port.

Cheers

ps : we all have gold chains and moustache. The 11.43 is mine, though.

[DVV]

Yeah Sister.
That's what you think.
Fine.