Vote Here

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Sentinel, welcome to the Casebook. I see you've been reading up on Smith. What are your sources?

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Cogidubnus]

Ditto sentinel65...as you say, the evidence certainly points that way! Welcome to Casebook by the way...

All the best

Dave

[sentinel65]

Gang of men

I would vote towards the idea that Emma Smith was attacked by a gang of men. From what I have read about this crime there isn't any evidence pointing to the fact that this is the Ripper other than the fact that she is a prostitute, and it occurred three months before the Nichols murder. There was not even a sharp object involved in the assault. While there is the possibility that the ripper was in the group of men, there is still little to no evidence to support this theory.

[sdreid]

Smith's gang story seems a little suspect but, even if it's true, other serial killers have committed their first murder as part of a gang then gone on to kill solo so I don't understand the issue people have with that possibility.

[jsantos]

A gang of men!
The 4 option for me it`s more improbable.

[DVV]

Hi Glenn,
you're right, Hayes can be an example. The problem is that, as for Emma's case, we don't know if she has been injured by pimps, or if it was gratuitous violence.
Hope you are fine,
Amitiés,
David

[Glenn Lauritz Andersson]

Do we know about other prostitues "punished" in the same manner?
In fact, it does not seem a "punishment" (Emma said they have followed her, but they were not waiting for her).

Hi David,

Margaret Hayes, one of the witnesses at the Emma Smith inquest, claimed under oath that she around Christmas time 1887 had been attacked by a gang of men under the same circumstances as Emma Smith but got away and managed to survived.
(It has been suggested that her testimony may have been one of the foundations of the Fairy Fay myth).

All the best

[Roy Corduroy]

Hello Yankee Sergeant and David,

Good to hear from you, Sarge. There was an Old Nichols Street in Shoreditch, just to the north of Spitalfields. Here is the map location.

http://archivemaps.com/mapco/stanford/stan38.htm

Last year there was a discussion on this very subject here on Casebook. Stewart Evans (using the handle Grey Hunter) brought up a point concerning the Old Nichols Gang. Here is the thread.

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=109

Roy

[YankeeSergeant]

Gangs

I can't quote you specifics but I remember reading that a gang or gangs including the Old Nichol(s) gang preyed on prostitutes in the Whitechapel area robbing tem and physically abusing them when they wouldn't or couldn't produce the requisite cash. Neil

[DVV]

Do we know about other prostitues "punished" in the same manner?
In fact, it does not seem a "punishment" (Emma said they have followed her, but they were not waiting for her).

[YankeeSergeant]

Emma

I have to say she was attacked by a gang of men. I doubt Jack would get involved in something requiring others keeping their mouths shut. Someone was sending her a message and the other women inthe are as well but it wasn't Jack the ripper. (in my humble opinion). Neil

[Roy Corduroy]

Please vote

[jdrake]

I voted for a gang of men because to my knowledge, Emma didn't have a reason to lie. My second choice would have been a gang of men that included JtR.

[paul emmett]

I'm going for Jack, saying that he attacked three Emmas and three ears.

[bolo]

Voted for a gang of men.

The attack against Emma looks like some pimps wanted to make an example of her and one of them went too far with his "punishment".

I don't think that our Jack was among them but perhaps what he heard about the incident on the streets excited or inspired him in one sick way or another.