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Yes, this is really just a coincidence, but what are the chances that the Servant Girl Annihilator and Jack are one and the same? (I know, slim probably).
Anyway, there are some who try and connect these two (some by way of Maybrick) but I just saw something new to me. it's probably not new to anyone else, but here goes:
From THE STAR OCT. 12 1888
A PARALLEL TO WHITECHAPEL.
A Texan Gentleman Tells a Story of Twelve Similar Crimes in the State.
Frequent allusions having been made to the murders in Texas which bear a close resemblance to the Whitechapel horrors, a representative of The Star dug out a Texan gentleman at present on a visit to London, and got from him details of the occurrences in his native State.
The gentleman came from the town of Austen, the capital of Texas.
How many persons were killed in your town?" asked the reporter: - Twelve; all women, and all, or nearly all, of questionable character. Ten of them were negresses and two white women. They mostly belonged to the servant class, who were of loose reputation. The two white women moved in fairly good circles; but they were also women who had not the highest character. A curious fact about one of the white women was that her husband was found greatly bruised on the night of her death. For some reason or other, however, it was thought that he himself was the murderer, and that he had taken advantage of the prevalent scare to get rid of an unloved wife. He was tried for murder, and was once convicted, but on an appeal he was acquitted.
Was there any resemblance between the modus operandi of your Texan murderer and the plan of the Whitechapel fiend? - No except that both selected women and women of a certain class.
Was the method of murder the same. Had any of the women their throats cut? - No; not one. They were all killed with a blunt instrument; their skulls in most cases were battered in. They were also very much bruised and slashed about the body; but again with a blunt instrument.
Were the murders periodical, as in the Whitechapel cases? - Yes; but the intervals were longer. They took place usually at a month's interval, though sometimes a couple of months intervened. It was curious, too, that they always took place when the moon was full. The idea was that they were the work of a madman who became more intensely insane under the influence of the full moon.
What course was taken to put the murders down? Two murders were committed on a Christmas Eve. The next day there was a meeting of the citizens, and patrols were arranged. These patrols of the citizens went about for months, and often caused great inconvenience and annoyance. I myself have been stopped several times when coming home with a lady from the theatre, and have been asked my name, destination, &c. These inconveniences, however, we were all willing to put up with.
Did this intimidate the murderer? - Apparently, for we never had any others. I may add that the effect upon the city was somewhat the same as in the East-end with you. Our houses are differently constructed. The room in which the servant sleeps is usually in the yard apart from the house. For a long time after the murders servants refused to sleep in these rooms, and had to be taken into the house. In some cases they slept in the halls, there being no room elsewhere.
Has there ever been a trace or a suspicion of anybody? - Never; the secret remains as impenetrable to-day as at the time when they were in full scare.
Sorry for the long post but I thought I'd include the whole portion. Assuming the accuracy of the article, i.e. that there really was a Texan in Whitechapel who was interviewed by The Star, could this be more than a coincidence? I mean we have a man who was in Texas during the SGA murders, and he's in Whitechapel during the JTR murders. I never really linked the two before, but if there was a possible link, this has got to be it. Maybe. (sheesh it's probably just another Arbie La Bruckman scenario)
Anyway, there are some who try and connect these two (some by way of Maybrick) but I just saw something new to me. it's probably not new to anyone else, but here goes:
From THE STAR OCT. 12 1888
A PARALLEL TO WHITECHAPEL.
A Texan Gentleman Tells a Story of Twelve Similar Crimes in the State.
Frequent allusions having been made to the murders in Texas which bear a close resemblance to the Whitechapel horrors, a representative of The Star dug out a Texan gentleman at present on a visit to London, and got from him details of the occurrences in his native State.
The gentleman came from the town of Austen, the capital of Texas.
How many persons were killed in your town?" asked the reporter: - Twelve; all women, and all, or nearly all, of questionable character. Ten of them were negresses and two white women. They mostly belonged to the servant class, who were of loose reputation. The two white women moved in fairly good circles; but they were also women who had not the highest character. A curious fact about one of the white women was that her husband was found greatly bruised on the night of her death. For some reason or other, however, it was thought that he himself was the murderer, and that he had taken advantage of the prevalent scare to get rid of an unloved wife. He was tried for murder, and was once convicted, but on an appeal he was acquitted.
Was there any resemblance between the modus operandi of your Texan murderer and the plan of the Whitechapel fiend? - No except that both selected women and women of a certain class.
Was the method of murder the same. Had any of the women their throats cut? - No; not one. They were all killed with a blunt instrument; their skulls in most cases were battered in. They were also very much bruised and slashed about the body; but again with a blunt instrument.
Were the murders periodical, as in the Whitechapel cases? - Yes; but the intervals were longer. They took place usually at a month's interval, though sometimes a couple of months intervened. It was curious, too, that they always took place when the moon was full. The idea was that they were the work of a madman who became more intensely insane under the influence of the full moon.
What course was taken to put the murders down? Two murders were committed on a Christmas Eve. The next day there was a meeting of the citizens, and patrols were arranged. These patrols of the citizens went about for months, and often caused great inconvenience and annoyance. I myself have been stopped several times when coming home with a lady from the theatre, and have been asked my name, destination, &c. These inconveniences, however, we were all willing to put up with.
Did this intimidate the murderer? - Apparently, for we never had any others. I may add that the effect upon the city was somewhat the same as in the East-end with you. Our houses are differently constructed. The room in which the servant sleeps is usually in the yard apart from the house. For a long time after the murders servants refused to sleep in these rooms, and had to be taken into the house. In some cases they slept in the halls, there being no room elsewhere.
Has there ever been a trace or a suspicion of anybody? - Never; the secret remains as impenetrable to-day as at the time when they were in full scare.
Sorry for the long post but I thought I'd include the whole portion. Assuming the accuracy of the article, i.e. that there really was a Texan in Whitechapel who was interviewed by The Star, could this be more than a coincidence? I mean we have a man who was in Texas during the SGA murders, and he's in Whitechapel during the JTR murders. I never really linked the two before, but if there was a possible link, this has got to be it. Maybe. (sheesh it's probably just another Arbie La Bruckman scenario)
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