Conspiracy to suppress the identity of JTR?

[Joshua Rogan]

How did the press learn that Millers Court was a "Ripper" murder?

Somebody must have told them.

Morning Advertiser 10 Nov;
While all this was going on inside the house, the excitement in the neighbourhood was spreading, and among the dwellers in the immediate locality amounted to a perfect frenzy. Women rushed about the streets telling their neighbours the news, and shouting in angry voices their rage and indignation. Notwithstanding the reticence of the police, the main facts of the crime soon became known, and a great concourse of people assembled on the scene.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Joshua,

Pall Mall Gazette, Saturday 10th November 1888—

“There is no disposition on the part of the police officers at Commercial Street police station to correct any of the conflicting statements which have been made by the newspapers, or to supply further particulars.”

The Metropolitan Police maintained its silence, careful not to discourage the public from spreading the rumour that this murder was the work of the Whitechapel murderer, or more specifically "Jack the Ripper."

Regards,

Simon

[mpriestnall]

Poll results update:

Currently the votes are as follows:

Yes 2
No 15
Not sure, dont' know 3

Which means, according to how polls / referendums work here in the UK, that the ayes have it. Yippee!

Martyn

[Sam Flynn]

Which means, according to how polls / referendums work here in the UK, that the ayes have it.

Oh God! Don't bring that into it please

[c.d.]

Hi Joshua,

Pall Mall Gazette, Saturday 10th November 1888—

“There is no disposition on the part of the police officers at Commercial Street police station to correct any of the conflicting statements which have been made by the newspapers, or to supply further particulars.”

The Metropolitan Police maintained its silence, careful not to discourage the public from spreading the rumour that this murder was the work of the Whitechapel murderer, or more specifically "Jack the Ripper."

Regards,

Simon

Hello Simon,

What sort of statement would you expect the police to issue? "Let's not be hasty in jumping to conclusions just because the victim was a prostitute and had her throat cut and her internal organs ripped out?"

And it is certainly possible that even if the police were able to somehow discourage the public from spreading rumors (and I don't know how you would do that) that it could backfire and just throw fuel on the flames of those rumors.

c.d.

[mpriestnall]

Oh God! Don't bring that into it please

Nobody mention the B word!

[Simon Wood]

Hi c.d.,

Provide incontrovertible evidence that the Millers Court victim was a prostitute, and I'll treat you to a bottle of your favourite tipple.

The police didn't want to discourage the public from spreading rumors about Jack.

In fact, the more the merrier. Which is why, seven years later, the mystery trundled on.

Regards,

Simon

[FISHY1118]

Hi Jon,

Yes, I did.

Perhaps because the police wanted it to be a Ripper murder.

Newspapers carried much of what the police required them to print.

Regards,

Simon

Or maybe it was a ripper murder

[FISHY1118]

P

rovide incontrovertible evidence that the Millers Court victim was a prostitute, and I'll treat you to a bottle of your favourite tipple.

More to the point Simon ,are you saying ''YOU'' cant find one piece of incontrovertible evidence that the Millers Court victim was a prostitute? We are talking about Mary Kelly are we not ? and what pray tell would you consider such evidence to be ?. Is the tipple open for me ?

[mpriestnall]

Simon,

If MJK wasn't a prostitute, what was she?

Martyn

[Sam Flynn]

If MJK wasn't a prostitute, what was she?

... and what does that make the witnesses who said that she was?

[MrBarnett]

Hi c.d.,

Provide incontrovertible evidence that the Millers Court victim was a prostitute, and I'll treat you to a bottle of your favourite tipple.

The police didn't want to discourage the public from spreading rumors about Jack.

In fact, the more the merrier. Which is why, seven years later, the mystery trundled on.

Regards,

Simon

Would MJK turning up at the door of a brothel in the Ratcliff Highway with a strange man and paying 2s for the use of a room for the night meet your criteria?

I have a feeling it may not.

[mpriestnall]

... and what does that make the witnesses who said that she was?

Sam, good question.

I'm hoping Simon might be willing to share his thoughts on MJK, her murder in general terms, not specifically whether MJK was a prostitute or not.

E.g. was her identity a "legend"? Was her murder seperate from the other murders? Was MJK's murder connected the "Irish Question"?

I've Simon's book several times and I am still none the wiser as to what Simon really thinks about the WMs. I'm not having a dig at Simon btw, I am genuinely interested in his views.

Martyn

[Michael W Richards]

I think that there were a couple of men that Fall that were glad to have this mad killer at large to take the blame. The men at the International Club for one. One wonders whether the effort to make Mary Jane Kelly almost unrecognizable to even her recent live in might be something to consider here.

[mpriestnall]

I think that there were a couple of men that Fall that were glad to have this mad killer at large to take the blame. The men at the International Club for one. One wonders whether the effort to make Mary Jane Kelly almost unrecognizable to even her recent live in might be something to consider here.

Just a thought: Does making MJK hard to identify mean that JTR was connected somehow to her and making her almost unrecognizable was an effort to protect his own identity?

Martyn