Deconstructing Jack by Simon Wood

[Herlock Sholmes]

What if there was an internecine battle amongst prostitutes over territory. Chapman killed Nichols and was, in turn, killed by Eddowes. Then Kelly killed Eddowes after having already killed Stride in retaliation for Stride killing Tabram. Mackenzie was obviously down to Abberline as a warning to the women that 'enough was enough' and Francis Coles was walking home one night taking a new knife home as a gift for Sadler when she slipped on a discarded leather apron, fell and cut her own throat!

Hey, it's better than the 'dated' notion that there was a madman with a sharp knife roaming the streets!

Regards

Herlock ( live from The Grassy Knoll )

[Abby Normal]

Get a grip Abby!

What about those pesky Freemasons and their Illuminati buds?

Regards

Herlock

Well now your getting into some real crackpot theories there Herlock!

[Abby Normal]

Hello Herlock,

Yes, and maybe most importantly of all was the killer's mental state exactly the same every time? Had he been drinking prior to one kill and not another? Had he noticed a police presence when out scouting victims? Was he more paranoid during one kill than another? There are lots of factors to consider and they could all result in differences between one murder and another.

c.d.

Bingo

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hello Herlock,

Yes, and maybe most importantly of all was the killer's mental state exactly the same every time? Had he been drinking prior to one kill and not another? Had he noticed a police presence when out scouting victims? Was he more paranoid during one kill than another? There are lots of factors to consider and they could all result in differences between one murder and another.

c.d.

Exactly. So many factors could have influenced the extent of the injuries. What we do know however is that we have 4 victims; all prostitutes, all with their throats cut and all with abdominal wounds. ( of course there are arguements either way over Stride and Tabram).All in a small area. Obviously this indicates the same killer (not 100% sure of course, but highly likely) This is why i think that we perhaps discount Alice Mackenzie too easily. Though if I recall correctly I think that Abby suspects that she may have been a Ripper victim? Or even Coles (although the gap of time possibly against).

Regards

Herlock

[Herlock Sholmes]

Well now your getting into some real crackpot theories there Herlock!

When in Rome Abby

Regards

Herlock

[c.d.]

I'm sure that our good friend Michael Richards will soon show up to argue that cities all contain evil men who are quite capable of doing what was done in Whitechapel thus arguing for multiple killers. And while that argument might be true in theory it fails to take into account the unique nature of the Ripper murders. Yes, evil men do commit crimes but we are not talking about purse snatchers or robbers or even ordinary murderers. We are talking about someone who cuts the throats of their victims and takes out their internal organs. If every evil man were capable of such a thing then the Ripper murders would be commonplace and this website would not exist. It also relies on the assumption that evil men (plural) capable of committing such an act all happened to somehow show up in Whitechapel in the Autumn of 1888. I find that a hard argument to accept.

c.d.

[c.d.]

Apologies to Michael if I somehow misrepresented his argument.

c.d.

[Robert]

Herlock, you failed to tell us who killed Kelly. A good theory covers all the data.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Well spotted Robert.

My research tells me that she was killed by Caroline Maxwell. Maxwell's statement that she saw MJK long after it was thought she was dead was a cunning ploy to give herself an alibi.

Now it's back to my research on the Torso murders of Queen Victoria.

Regards

Herlock

[Robert St Devil]

I'm sure that our good friend Michael Richards will soon show up to argue that cities all contain evil men who are quite capable of doing what was done in Whitechapel thus arguing for multiple killers. And while that argument might be true in theory it fails to take into account the unique nature of the Ripper murders. Yes, evil men do commit crimes but we are not talking about purse snatchers or robbers or even ordinary murderers. We are talking about someone who cuts the throats of their victims and takes out their internal organs. If every evil man were capable of such a thing then the Ripper murders would be commonplace and this website would not exist. It also relies on the assumption that evil men (plural) capable of committing such an act all happened to somehow show up in Whitechapel in the Autumn of 1888. I find that a hard argument to accept.

c.d.

hi c.d.

i wont say it was common among evil men but i dont blv his crimes were exclusive either ... in the sense that other examples cant be found around the year 1888. Jack the Ripper received the best press, and was a celebrity ripper.

ive pointed out how, in Wales of 87, hannah rosser,s head may have been mutilated in manners akin to Kate Eddowes. The town of Bochum, Germany had a ripper-scare in the early 80s. Francisco Guerrero "El Chalequero" (or, The Mexican Jack the Ripper) was cutting the throats of prostitutes down by the river side up until 1887. Vacher in France in addition to other local ripper-type murders of women and children. The Servant Girl Annihalator in Austin in 85.

id never claim that all these murderers converged on whitechapel in 1888 for some autumn conference. I just find it strange that the late 19th century profile of a perpetual homicidal rapist (who,s usually described as "shabby") is not exclusive to this one case alone.

[c.d.]

Hello Robert,

You are right. Rather than unique I probably should have said quite rare or something to that affect. Your point is well made.

I did get a laugh with your reference to some Autumn conference in Whitechapel in 1888.

c.d.

[David Orsam]

David,

I've just finished reading your articles and I'm afraid that you've erred.

You have fallen into the trap of employing meticulous and exhaustive research. You've strangely chosen to use reason and logic in your work and you have foolishly avoided flights of fancy and leaps of faith. Also, for some reason you appear unwilling to see mystery where none exists.

You will never get to the truth using those methods Mr Orsam.

Yeah, thing is I love a good conspiracy theory as much as anyone, with the emphasis on the word good.

I at least expect to be told what the conspiracy involved and shown how it could have been possible. A little bit of evidence in support is nice too.

[David Orsam]

Now come on guys, your attempts to identify the five murderers have been woeful. This is Deconstructing Jack we are talking about here so keep in mind the motto: FACTS NOT FICTION.

You guys have been doing fiction.

Here are the facts:

Nichols - Neil, Mizen and Thain (the blackmailing police gang)
Chapman - Ted Stanley a.k.a Colonel Hughes Hallett
Stride - Unfortunate shaving accident
Eddowes - John Kelly and Emily Birrell
Kelly - Robert Anderson and the Special Branch Hit Squad

I know the last one is a fact because a man in a pub who works for MI5, or was it the SAS? (I can't quite remember), told me in complete confidence although, oddly, he was tugging away at my right trouser leg at the time - a pity because my left trouser leg had some bells sewn into the seam and would have made a nice jingly sound.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Yeah, thing is I love a good conspiracy theory as much as anyone, with the emphasis on the word good.

I at least expect to be told what the conspiracy involved and shown how it could have been possible. A little bit of evidence in support is nice too.

David

I was definately expecting conspirators to be named and who did what to whom and when and not just to be told that I was a stereotypical Ripperologist irrevocably wedded to the 'obviously' incorrect notion that there was a homicidal maniac at work in Whitechapel in 1888. I also found it more than a little strange that someone could try to hint that the worlds most obvious suicide was a murder! Or that someone doing a bit of am-dram might want Edward Stanley as his next role or that he'd fancy a time in a flea-bitten dosshouse with the 'hardly Keira Knightly' Annie Chapman. Maybe we expect too much?

Anyway I'm just about to start reading a book on The Islington Murder. I hope that this Barrat bloke does his research

Regards

Herlock

[Herlock Sholmes]

Now come on guys, your attempts to identify the five murderers have been woeful. This is Deconstructing Jack we are talking about here so keep in mind the motto: FACTS NOT FICTION.

You guys have been doing fiction.

Here are the facts:

Nichols - Neil, Mizen and Thain (the blackmailing police gang)
Chapman - Ted Stanley a.k.a Colonel Hughes Hallett
Stride - Unfortunate shaving accident
Eddowes - John Kelly and Emily Birrell
Kelly - Robert Anderson and the Special Branch Hit Squad

I know the last one is a fact because a man in a pub who works for MI5, or was it the SAS? (I can't quite remember), told me in complete confidence although, oddly, he was tugging away at my right trouser leg at the time - a pity because my left trouser leg had some bells sewn into the seam and would have made a nice jingly sound.

Forget the book on 80's pop music David, you've hit on a winner there!

Herlock