Did Catherine know who JTR was???

[ianincleveland]

firstly apologies if theres a thread on this but ive had a quick look and not found one.

Its been said Catherine claimed to know who JTR was and she said shed claim the reward.Is it possible that she really DID know who it was and JTR found out shed been nicked and put in police cells at Bishopsgate and JTR had hung around waiting for her to be released then followed her to Mitre Square and killed her to silence her???

[Supe]

Most anything this side of violating the laws of physics may be possible, but this tale is not very likely for many reasons and has been discussed at length. Surprised you can't find any old threads on the topic. You might read this for a contrary view. Grave-Spitting & Other Tall Tales

Don.

[Adam Went]

It's an interesting possibility, but the problem is that the JTR victims weren't exactly known for their honesty. Remember Liz Stride's story about her husband being drowned when the Princess Alice sank in 1878? Never happened. That's just one example.

These women liked to boast and stretch the truth in order to gain a higher regard with their fellow women in lodging houses and what not - obviously at the height of the murders, "Leather Apron" was all the rage.

Maybe Kate did think that she knew who the killer was. Maybe she did have a name in mind. But aside from the fact that she never mentioned who it was, she might have had the wrong person anyway. Somebody who had mistreated her in the past or somebody she ran into in the street that she knew of who was claiming to be JTR or whatever.

It's very difficult to accept any of these hearsay kind of stories as fact.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Addy]

Hi everybody,

I think Kate was indeed teasing or thought she knew someone who could be the Ripper. Almost everyone had a theory of his or her own, so why not one of the later victims?

If she really knew who he was, why did she not go to the police station in the "missing hours" of her final day? There should be some report of it if she did, especially if she was murdered later on he same day. The police would have acted on her information for sure. And why didn't she say something after her arrest, when she sobered up? We KNOW she was in the police station then.

She probably had a theory and never did anything with it.

Greetings,

Addy

[kensei]

Hi Ianincleveland, a variation of the scenario you describe has been the idea that Catherine had an appointment with her Ripper suspect to confront him in Mitre Square, but both this and the version you describe are negated by neither she nor anyone else being sure when she would be released from jail. Waiting around outside for her to come out? It could have been hours more, possibly not until the next day.

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

There has also been talks about MJK knowing the name of the Ripper.

Obviously everyone on the streets had a hunch about the indetity of Saucy Jacky.

If anyone hit the bulls-eye, we don't know for sure...

All the best
Jukka

[Adam Went]

Yes, in 1888, it wasn't as simple as Kate flipping her friend Jack a text message off her mobile phone to tell him she would meet him outside Mitre Square in a few minutes time. As Kensei said, she couldn't be sure what time she would be coming out of the station.

Anyway, if she really genuinely did believe she knew who JTR was, would she have been stupid enough to have allowed herself to be caught alone in a dark corner of a deserted square with him?

I don't think so.

Cheers,
Adam.

[BillyE]

I think it's possible she thought she knew who he was, but she certainly didn't try to cash in on this knowlege. And if she had an idea who the Ripper was she must have been wrong. Would you go off to a dark corner with someone you knew to be a murderer?

[DVV]

Would you go off to a dark corner with someone you knew to be a murderer?

Hi Billy,

Unless he asks me politely, I would not.

Amitiés,
David

[Steven Russell]

Adam, Addy, and j.r-ahde,

Eddowes may or may not have thought she knew the identity of the killer. As you say, it may have been a boast to ingratiate herself with her cronies and, with the case having attained such a high profile, no doubt everyone and his dog had a pet theory.

Perhaps if she did sincerely believe she knew the culprit, she would have considered where the information would have garnered the greatest financial gain. Probably not the police or the authorities but more likely the press or even (bad idea) blackmail.

Incedentally, is it true that she possesed a pawn ticket in the name of "Mary Ann Kelly"? The Kelly part is easily explained and no doubt this is just another coincidence. Still, food for thought...

Best wishes,

Steve.

[Adam Went]

Steven:

Well as I mentioned, these women were hardly going to win a prize for their honesty. The other victim that night, Liz Stride, had been fibbing about her husband being killed on the S.S. Princess Alice for years....

If Kate really did know who the killer was, she was putting herself in a precarious position by stating so out loud. She was almost asking for trouble. Anybody who knew the darker side of JTR surely would not have been stupid enough to do this.

Besides, during the height of the murders, it's not like Kate was the only one who thought she knew who the killer was. Half the East End did....

Cheers,
Adam.

[Steven Russell]

Adam,
Couldn't agree more.

Regards,

Steve.

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Steven!

What it comes to "Mary Ann Kelly", Kate had a practical reason; there were many Marys and Kellys in the East End...

All the best
Jukka

[Bob Hinton]

A distinct possibility.

Good points all. However I believe that Eddowes whilst not having any certainty about the killer may have thought something was wrong with regards to a certain individual and decided to squeeze some cash out of him.
I go into greater detail about this in my book. The point is that Eddowes made every effort to be released from her cell when normal practice was to keep quiet and get your head down till morning. Why? What was so important that she had to be back on the streets?

Would she be so daft to meet her blackmail victim in a dark corner of Mitre Square? But that's overlooking the fact she didn’t. She met him at the end of Church passage which was a well lit thoroughfare with several people about, Lawende etc. She ended up in the square, that doesn’t mean she wasn’t carried there by the killer.

Would she be so daft as to try and put the squeeze on such a killer? Well I give an example where exactly that happened – with the same result! Desperate people do silly things.

[Addy]

It would indeed have been very silly if she went into that square with someone whom she knew/suspected of being the Ripper. I don't think she was carried though, he would have to keep her silent while doing so and I don't think the Ripper would try to strangle her in a well lit area.

I personally think if she had a clue as to who the Ripper was she was sadly mistaken and therefore went willingly into the square with another man.

I am very interested to hear your theory though!

Greetings,

Addy