Why weren't there any killings in October 1888?

[SapphireElric]

Well, I've just started studying the Ripper murders in my drama class at school, and I noticed something odd. None of the murders took place in October, and what I want to know is why?

Anyone think they could help with any possible theories? That would be a great help, seeing as I'm new to this forum and it would help loads with my research (this is optional research, but I want to really try to understand every little detail about this case).

[truebluedub]

Bill Beadle argued it was because of the fog (1995: 60), I don't think anyone has come up with a better argument (aside from by implication of the seaman theory, he wasn't around).
Kind regards
Chris

[SapphireElric]

Thanks for the information. It's definitely possible, I appreciate the help!

[c.d.]

Hi SapphireElric,

Welcome to the boards. It really could be for any number of reasons but here are a few...an increased police presence on the street, Jack might have been ill or incapacitated, or he might have been trying to fight the demons that urged him to kill.

I would be interested to know why you are studying this in your drama class.

c.d.

[SapphireElric]

The reason we're studying this in drama is because of all the mysteries associated with this. It means we can use our imaginations to try and fill in some of the blanks, plus our teacher used to live and teach in Whitechapel and it's a fun scheme of work to create our own play for.

[Ben]

Hi Elric,

Quite possibly, he believed he was seen by a few too many witnesses during the "double event" (if such it was) and felt obliged to lay low as a consequence. This would ring true particularly if the killer was a local gentile, for in the wake of the Hanbury Street murder, investigative focus was still very much centred around doctors and foreigners (partly on account of Phillips' and Long's evidence), whereas in the aftermath of the double event, evidential hints were beginning to suggest otherewise.

Best regards,
Ben

[perrymason]

Hi Sapphire,

If you look at when the alledged Ripper murders took place, you'll note that its within a 10 day period that all the killings occurred....at the end of the previous month until the 9th the following month.

He killed 2 in Aug/Sept based on that schedule, he killed 2 in Sept/Oct on that schedule. And only 1 for Oct/November.

So statistically, he is missing a victim at the very end of October, for the 30th or 31st, and one might wonder if the final victim Mary Jane Kelly wasnt a Ripper victim, if he had fled or stopped earlier in the month of October.

The Police were added as kills occurred, so to suggest the street presence in terms of numbers as a deterrent is sort of accurate, but the largest amount of men that were ever assigned to the case happened after the final killing. Not before.

Which means it had been quiet for 5 weeks when the last alleged victim is added, there were added police on the streets but well below the maximum level assigned, and the killer would have no logical reason to fear increased scrutiny, primarily due to the 5 week dormancy....the largest gap between alleged victims.

Hope that helps, Good luck with the class.

Best regards.

[NOV9]

Well, I've just started studying the Ripper murders in my drama class at school, and I noticed something odd. None of the murders took place in October, and what I want to know is why?

Anyone think they could help with any possible theories? That would be a great help, seeing as I'm new to this forum and it would help loads with my research (this is optional research, but I want to really try to understand every little detail about this case).

Jack did not work on a schedule. Only when the urge became strong enough that he could not resist it.
A slave of his fantasy and urges.

When the last kill did not hold the fantasy any more, and he needed something more challenging more risky.
And to achieve the fantasies that never will be achieve.

Like an alcoholics urge for a drink, it is so strong he could not stand waiting any longer, and no matter how many cops were around he was going for it. Urges so strong he would risk anything to cool the urge, except getting caught. As for the length of time between kills, it was just a cooling down period no fantasy and no urges. Jack was a person that had no fear of cops or witness, and as far as he was concerned he was invisible, a super man in his own mind. He really thought he was a lot smarter than the entire Police force.

He really believed he was not going to get caught.

This just my opinion. And it could change

NOV9

[mikey559]

Is there another option or two??

Is it possible that there was an attempt made and the victim got away? It was not out of the ordinary for "unfortunates" to keep their mouths shut and not report crime. Could the victim be afraid because she recognized the perp and knew going to the police would be useless? Or, could "Jack" have been in another area at this time. Paris maybe? Ireland maybe? Who knows, he may have just been experiencing a dry spell. Food for thought.

Mikey

[ChrisGeorge]

Is it possible that there was an attempt made and the victim got away? It was not out of the ordinary for "unfortunates" to keep their mouths shut and not report crime. Could the victim be afraid because she recognized the perp and knew going to the police would be useless? Or, could "Jack" have been in another area at this time. Paris maybe? Ireland maybe? Who knows, he may have just been experiencing a dry spell. Food for thought.

Mikey

Hello SapphireElric, Mikey, et al.

It's probable that on a number of occasions he stalked a victim and for one reason or another was unable to either begin or complete the assault or murder. This is one reason for the irregularities in the pattern of the murders. The increase in police patrols probably is probably though the biggest reason for the lack of murders in October and also a reason why the Kelly murder on the morning of 9 November, if it was the same killer, as I believe it was, took place indoors.

Best regards

Chris George

[mikey559]

Stalking his victims....

I agree with Chris on this issue. I'm inclined to believe that he stalked each victim before he killed them. Therefore there may have been victims that he didn't kill because the opportunity did not present itself or the "trigger" was never released. It's also quite possible that the increased police presence stifled the urge on one or more occasions.

Mikey

[Jon Guy]

Lawende I.D.

Building on the increased police activity premise for October, it may well have been the Ripper with Eddowes at Church Passage, and he knew he had been identified, or at least, the police had a reasonable decription of him.

[SapphireElric]

Thank you all so much for your theories! They've given me so many different possibilities to work with now and think about. All of these theories make complete sense to me

[diana]

Incarcerated

Two other possibilities.

Rummaging around inside a dead body is not the healthiest of pursuits. There are all sorts of microbes waiting, especially since these ladies did not have the healthiest of lifestyles. If he even nicked himself during the struggle they would have had a point of entry. The normal human intestine is full of EColi where it usually does not cause trouble. But EColi can cause a lot of trouble elsewhere in the human body. He cut open Kate's intestines and handled them. He could have spent October being very very sick.

Jack was not a very nice person. He may have engaged in other less spectacular criminal pursuits, been caught, tried, and sentenced to spend a month in the "slammer".

[Roy Corduroy]

Diana, that is interesting, the medical angle.

Neal Shelden was pondering something similar. On the Just a thought about MO thread under General Discussion. A little different in the timeline, but same concept of the risky behavior.

Roy