Jack the Ripper is the most notorious serial killer on the planet. Who really was Jack the Ripper Jack to kill himself

Some secrets and mysteries are destined to remain unsolved. These include the history of the brutal murders that shook London at the end of the 19th century. It's about about the biography and personality of Jack the Ripper - a butcher who took the lives of women in a poor area of ​​Victorian England.

Victims

The murders of the brutal maniac of the nineteenth century were committed in the area of ​​London, which rightfully deserved the title of the sewer of the East End. Whitechapel in 1888, overcrowded with emigrants and poor rabble, dirty and criminal, this is a picture of the scene of Jack the Ripper. It is not surprising that out of desperation and need, most women were engaged in an ancient profession.

Police estimated that there were 62 brothels and about 1,200 prostitutes in Whitechapel. Women of easy virtue became the object of a maniac's hunt. In a place like Whitechapel, dozens of murders were committed every day, including prostitutes who were unprotected by anything and no one. Therefore, the number of crimes of Jack the Ripper is not exactly known, ranging from 5 to 14. However, researchers agree that five of them, called canonical, were committed by a maniac.

All of them were distinguished by the extreme cruelty of execution, the unchanged location in the East End and the identity of the occupation of the murdered women. The throats of the victims were cut with two deep blows of the blade, the abdominal cavity was opened and the internal organs were removed, some of which the killer took with him.

Mary Ann Nichols, or Polly, as her friends called her, was the first to fall from the killer's knife in August 1888. 42-year-old woman had a husband and five children, but got drunk and ended up on social day. On the night of the murder, not finding money for a rooming house, she went to earn extra money. At four in the morning, Polly's still warm body is found by a passerby.

Police find another victim of Jack the Ripper

The next to be killed was 47-year-old "Dark Annie" - Annie Chapman, an alcoholic with severe tuberculosis and syphilis. The day before, Annie got a black eye in a fight over a bar of soap. The unpresentable appearance did not allow the woman to earn money to pay for the night. Wandering through the night streets of Whitechapel in search of a client ended in brutal reprisal for the prostitute.

A passer-by prevented Elizabeth Stride ("Long Liz") from completing the Ripper's usual abdominal opening procedure. The body of the fourth victim of the maniac remained intact, only crown wounds of the throat caused death. However, the killer made up for lost time just 45 minutes later, killing and disemboweling Katherine Eddowes. Despite the limited time, the maniac took with him the woman's uterus and kidney.

The most brutal is the murder of the last canonical victim of the Ripper. The young and attractive Mary Jane Kelly was found tormented beyond recognition in her room on November 9, 1888. Photos of the victim, preserved in the police archives, amaze with the insane fury of the massacre. The maniac had more than enough time to literally turn the girl inside out - the internal organs were scattered around the room, and the killer took Mary Jane's heart with him.

Investigation

The story of Jack the Ripper gained publicity thanks to the maniac's outright mockery of the London police. In addition, the Flesh Tearer sent several letters to the press and constables, who were powerless to catch him.

The first letter, "Dear Boss," was initially found to be a forgery. However, three days later, the body of Katherine Eddowes is found with half of her ear cut off. The author of the letter promised to do this with the next victim, so the police had to recognize the authenticity of the message. In this letter, the maniac comes up with his nickname.

The next news from the maniac was the postcard "Daring Jackie". By the way, later the police declared that the letters were fake, and the hoax-journalist who sent both letters was identified.

The final macabre letter was a "Message from Hell" accompanied by part of a kidney from the murdered Eddowes. Researchers are skeptical about all the messages sent by the maniac, their truth still causes controversy and disagreement.

Except postal items, the file contains information about graffiti made near the place of the death of Stride and Eddowes. Near the wall, on which the inscription was made in chalk, a bloody piece of Eddowes' apron was found.

The exact wording of the text is unknown, since the photo is missing from the materials, and the graffiti itself was erased at the direction of the constable. It is known that the message had an anti-Semitic meaning. By the way, many historians are inclined to believe that the inscription had nothing to do with the murders, and the apron was thrown away after it was made.

One way or another, a series of brutal crimes stirred up the London public. The case, which received wide publicity in the press, and the helplessness of law enforcement officers outraged the residents of the capital. The rumor about the Ripper reached . Infuriated, the head of the country gave a dressing down to the prime minister, the question of reforming Scotland Yard was raised.

Shortly after the events of Whitechapel, the police had a criminal division and a fingerprint file. The secret of the identity of Jack the Ripper has not been established. Maniac just disappeared for unknown reasons. Until now, the solution captivates contemporaries. It is not surprising that the killer became the hero of books, films and TV shows. A whole area of ​​investigation was formed - ripperology.

Alleged killers

Contemporaries of Jack the Ripper, as well as ripperologists, put forward a lot of conjectures regarding the individuals suspected of murder. None of the versions is reliably proven and remains only a theory. By the way, even the assertion that the Ripper was a professional surgeon, which made it possible to extract the internal organs of the victims with incredible speed, is in doubt.

Some of the medical experts who worked on the case of the maniac argued that for such executions it was enough to master the butcher's craft. And in one of the letters, the killer laughingly mentions the absurdity of such a theory.

The list of suspects is built mainly on conjecture and speculation, circumstantial coincidences and suspicions. Even the woman Mary Piercy, later hanged for the murder of her lover's wife, was among the possible killers.

John Druitt, Montagu's lawyer, who committed suicide, became a contender for the role of the Ripper, after which the killings of Whitechapel prostitutes ceased. The police also named the name of a Polish emigrant who poisoned three wives, for which he was executed.

One of the most likely candidates for maniacs is Aaron Kosminsky, a young hairdresser in Whitechapel. Later arrested while trying to kill his own sister and declared mentally ill. After identifying the suspect in a mental hospital, a series of brutal murders ended.

In 2006, according to the evidence contained in the surviving archival records, an identikit of a maniac was compiled. According to nineteenth-century witnesses, the alleged killer wore dark clothes, a felt hat, a mustache, and a bag.

Three messages from Jack the Ripper have been lost from the archives. It is not known if they were lost or deliberately stolen. In 1988, a century later, the killer's first letter was anonymously returned to the London Police Department.

In 2014, DNA testing was carried out on the shawl of one of the victims of the Ripper, allegedly confirming the presence of traces left by Aaron Kosminsky on it. Preserved from the 19th century, the shawl was bought at an auction and has never been washed since it was carried away by a constable from the scene for his wife. The DNA samples matched those of the descendants of the Whitechapel barber.

Among the contenders for the identity of the Ripper was famous artist. This version was put forward by Dale Larner, the author of the book Vincent Nicknamed Jack.

The researcher compares the facts of the artist's life with the chronology of the murders. He cites as evidence the coincidence of the elements of handwriting, the images in the paintings, the madness of Van Gogh.

One of the suspects was the grandson of Queen Victoria - Albert Victor, who has an obscene lifestyle. However, at the time of the death of the third and fourth victims, a descendant of the queen was absent from the country. By the way, the plot of the film "From Hell", based on the biography of the Ripper, develops around the suspicion of a crime by the top of the nobility.

Surprisingly, even a mathematician and author of books about Alice's adventures became an object of suspicion. The writer fell under the scope of researchers due to the similarity of handwriting, ornate sayings. Ripperologists found anagrams in the text of the works, allegedly indicating involvement in brutal murders.

Memory

Books

• 1992 - Robert Bloch, "Forever yours - the Ripper"
• 2002 - Patricia Cornwell, Jack the Ripper. Who is he? Portrait of a killer"
• 2015 - Cassandra Clare, "Whitechapel Villain"

Movies

• 1924 - "Cabinet of Wax Figures"
• 1927 - "The Tenant"
• 1976 - "Jack the Ripper"
• 1988 - "Jack the Ripper"
• 2001 - "From Hell"
• 2008 - "Asylum"

Series

• 1995 - episode "The Inquisitor" of the series "Babylon 5".
• 1999 - episode "Ripper" of the series "Beyond the Limits"
• 2001 - episode "Knife" of the series "The Lost World"
• 2009 - "Modern Ripper"
• 2012 - Ripper Street

Surely everyone has heard of ruthless killer Jack the Ripper. They say that his victims were exclusively girls selling their own bodies. But is it really so?

Who is hiding under a famous pseudonym? Is he really a killer and what were his goals? Let's try to figure it out.

In fact, there are many versions regarding the identity of the mysterious killer Jack the Ripper. According to one version, he was an emigrant from Poland. But quite ordinary person it cannot be named. He is schizophrenic. The motive for the murder is completely incomprehensible. What prostitutes interfered with him remained a mystery.
There was an opinion that the person hiding under the pseudonym Jack the Ripper could be a woman. However, her motives are clear. The woman was engaged in trade in her body. And other girls of the same profession interfered with her, competing with her. But she killed selectively - only those who were in high demand among clients. The killer just wanted to take their place. And in order to divert suspicion from herself, she came up with such a terrible pseudonym.

But one of the most popular versions says that Jack the Ripper was a barber named Kosminsky. This was evidenced by the research of the scientist John Maurice. He was running a blood test that was found on a shawl belonging to the killer's victim. The police also found a witness watching the ferocious killer. He was able to identify the hairdresser, but later retracted his words. Apparently, the Ripper threatened him with violence.

What did Jack the Ripper use and how did he kill?

The opinion that the killer possessed excellent anatomical knowledge is not erroneous. After all, the brutal murders of the Ripper indicate that he was well versed in the "insides" of a person. He knew what each organ was for and what would happen if it was lost.
The most "popular" method of killing was strangulation. After all, there is nothing easier than to watch for a weak woman in a dark alley, close her mouth with your hand and strangle her. Jack did this so that the victims would not scream while approaching death. Only after the final loss of consciousness did he begin to dismember the bodies, which inevitably led to farewell to his own life.
Another way to settle scores with someone else's life is to cut the throat. It would also seem simple - he ran a knife across his throat, and the man fell without an extra cry. An interesting fact is that Jack struck the throat in a strictly certain direction - from the left to the right side. Not vice versa. The Ripper was never stained with blood, because the victim's head was always tilted to the right. The victims had deep wounds, suggesting that the killer had big knife and high physique. It is this moment that forces us to say that Jack the Ripper is a man.
After the person is already dead, the cruel torturer cuts abdominal cavity person, reaching certain organs. Most often, women lost their reproductive organs. But there were also cases when the killer cut out the hearts and kidneys of all the murdered girls.

Who did Jack the Ripper kill?

All researchers agreed that Jack the Ripper killed exclusively prostitutes from the slums. Reportedly various sources involved in the investigation, the number of those killed is from four to fifteen people. But there is a list of five people that Jack killed. And it is with this number that all scientists unequivocally agree.

The first victim is Mary Nichols. She was only 33 years old. A young prostitute named Polly is killed after being stabbed twice in the throat. The abdominal cavity was torn open, but there are traces of several more stab wounds on the body that were inflicted by the same weapon.

Annie Chapman, nicknamed "Dark Annie", was found dead at the age of 47. As in the previous murder, Jack killed Annie by stabbing her twice in the throat. The killer cut open the chest, then cut out the uterus.
Next in line for murder was Elizabeth Stride, who in narrow circles was listed as Lanky Liz. She was killed by Jack in the same way - by cutting her throat. But, compared to others, this murder was more “soft” - the Ripper deprived the victim of an earlobe. All organs are in place.
The fourth officially recognized victim was Katherine Eddowes. Compared to those killed in the past, she did not have any nicknames. Killed at the same time as Elizabeth Stride - September 30th. She was 46 years old. Same story - slit throat. One kidney was removed from the victim's body. According to some researchers, a part of this particular organ was sent to the police station as a souvenir.
The latest victim, researchers believe, was Mary Jane Kelly. Among all those killed, the girl was the youngest - she was only 25 years old. She was killed in her apartment. Jack, apparently, was very angry with this girl that he disfigured the murdered woman to such an extent that the police could not immediately identify her. According to the police, the girl was one of the highly paid and attractive prostitutes. This allowed her to receive clients from the upper classes, as well as to have her own apartment at her disposal. It was this fact that most likely angered the serial maniac.

Police everyday life
The best police officers in England took part in the investigation of cruel and bloodthirsty murders. But, of course, how many people - so many opinions. Everyone had their own version of who Jack the Ripper really was.
Often the police departments in England received letters signed as "Jack the Ripper". Analysis of the handwriting did not make it clear who the killer was. Law enforcement officers even persuaded one print publication to place a copy of the message in their newspaper in the hope that readers would recognize Jack's handwriting. But no one did.
In total, the police departments received three letters signed by the killer. To last letter A small package was included. Upon opening it, the policeman almost fainted when he found part of a human kidney. And the message said that the second part of the organ was eaten by the killer, and this part was donated to the police department as a souvenir. DNA analysis revealed that the kidney actually belonged to one of the victims. And the killer was most likely a woman, as evidenced by the remains of blood on the letter and neat handwriting.

On August 31, 1888, Mary Ann Nichols, better known in certain circles as simply "Polly", last time went to the panel. She became the first victim of the most mysterious serial killer of all time.

That night, August 31, 1888, in Whitechapel, perhaps the dirtiest and dangerous area London, it was dog cold. It felt like winter had already arrived. Thunderstorms raged for hours, lightning flashed, but the air was never cleared of the constant smog, a cocktail of smoke and other emissions. At a distance of just a few meters, it was already impossible to see anything.

Jack the Ripper. Illustration from the game "Secrets of London"

... The tramp Charles Cross makes his way through these London slums, dragging a small cart, which he rents for a few pence. On a street, barely lit by a street lamp, which is called Buck Row, at 3 hours and 40 minutes he notices the body of a woman lying on the ground. It looks like she's dead. Frightened, the tramp stops and points to the corpse of another poor fellow like himself, Robert, who is also pushing the same cart nearby. The two approach the woman. Her skirts are pulled up and she's covered in blood. The poor girl's face and hands are already cold, but her feet are still warm. She must have been very ill, and then she had a seizure, the tramps decide. Robert thinks she is still breathing. They arrange her clothes (they are decent people!), and then run for help. Nearby, they find policeman John Mizen, who quickly follows them, lighting the way with a hand torch. Near the corpse, they meet another policeman - John Neal. Damn it! We must urgently call for Dr. Ralph Reese Llewellyn, a medical examiner who, fortunately, lives nearby. At about 4 o'clock in the morning, he establishes that the woman died about 30 minutes ago, but not at all as a result of illness.

Illustration from the New York Times, 1888.

The murder was committed in the most horrific way. According to the medical examiner, the victim died almost immediately after her throat was slit with a blade. She also has a slashed tongue, is missing five teeth, and has several bruises on her face, possibly from punches. On the neck, a double incision from ear to ear, applied with a scalpel or very sharp knife. This is either the work of a surgeon or a skilled butcher. Bottom part the abdomen is also badly disfigured. There are deep wounds around the genitals, inflicted in such a way that, at first glance, it can be assumed that the killer is left-handed. All these details were soon published by The Times. Fear reigned in the neighborhood. Nobody saw anything, nobody heard anything. And the murder took place right under the windows of the apartment where the widow Green lives, who tells everyone that she went to bed at 11 pm, but, despite her light sleep, she did not hear anything until the police arrived. Her neighbors across the street don't know anything either.

Alcoholic prostitute, mother of five

Who is this victim? The police quickly determine that her name is Mary Ann Nichols, nicknamed "Polly". She is 43 years old, but she looks ten years younger. A few years earlier, Polly broke up with her husband, William Nichols, who left her in the care of five kids. As the law requires, he paid her meager alimony until the moment he found out that she began to engage in prostitution in order to have not only bread, but also butter for him, and even drink ... Is he a fool to pay a prostitute, yes also an alcoholic!

Police cart for transporting victims. London, 1905 Photo

August 31, 1888, at about half past one in the morning, after wandering around the block in search of a client, Polly, already drunk, returns to rented apartment, in which, besides her, another prostitute lives - Emily Holland, her best friend.

Death certificate of Mary Ann Nichols. 1888 Photo

The landlady refuses to let her in because Polly hasn't paid for the night. Polly is ironic: “I'll find someone quickly now! And you look so that my chic hat does not disappear! Yes, she urgently needs to find a client to get home and fall asleep in her bed. At 2:30 she meets Emily, who is returning from the docks. Polly admits to her that she has already served three clients in a day, earned money for a lodging for the night, but, unfortunately, she drank everything away, so she just needs to find a fourth one. Having told, she staggers away. At 3:15 a.m. policeman John Thane goes to check Buck Row. Everything is quiet there. A few minutes later, Sergeant Kirby of Scotland Yard draws the same conclusion. However, over the next 30 minutes, it is in this place that Mary Ann Nichols will become the first victim of Jack the Ripper and gain posthumous fame. More corpses will follow...

Grave of Mary Ann Nichols. Photo

slaughter

On September 8, it was the turn of Ann Chapman, another prostitute. This crime looked even worse than the first. The victim's throat was cut so badly that the head almost fell off the body. Her belly was eviscerated and her uterus was cut out ... There was a real panic among the prostitutes of Whitechapel. There was talk of the "Whitechapel Killer." On the 30th of the same month, another case: Elizabeth Stride is found with her throat cut in the yard of a club, and Catherine Eddowes is murdered on Miter Place the same night. In the latter, the stomach was ripped open, gutted, the liver was cut into pieces, the uterus disappeared, and on the face was cut with a sharp blade latin letter"V" ... A real massacre. This is the fourth case. November 9 is the turn of Mary Jennette Kelly, the fifth and last officially recognized victim of the famous Jack the Ripper. She was found at home. She was killed even more brutally than all the previous ones. This is just a "masterpiece" of a serial killer: the skin is torn off from the abdomen and thighs, the breasts are completely cut off, and the face is mutilated beyond recognition. Pieces of cut off skin lie on the table. The entrails have been taken out and neatly laid out around the body. The heart is gone… The atrocity is indescribable!

Jack the Ripper victims: Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Jennette Kelly. Photographs of the London police in 1888.

The police are in a panic, and thousands of people have been questioned. The killer acts according to the same scenario. He introduces himself as a client, takes his victims to a secluded corner, slits their throats, and then quietly dismembers them. Despite the fact that there were many suspects - more than a hundred, which included butchers, slaughterhouse workers, surgeons and other doctors who, in the opinion of the police, were capable of performing such precise, surgically precise actions with corpses - the culprit was never was found and arrested. Even today, a century after all these terrible murders, those events give food to journalists, writers and directors. Jack the Ripper remains the most famous serial killer on the planet, despite the fact that many other killers have long outdone him ...

Jack the Ripper. Frame from the film "From Hell"

In 1888, in London and Whitechapel, he was operating Serial killer aka Jack the Ripper. This nickname was used to sign a letter received by the Central News Agency. In this letter, it was said that the author takes full responsibility for the murders. This person is also called the "Leather Apron" and the "Whitechapel Killer".

This maniac killed prostitutes from the slums. Before taking out the internal organs, the victims had their throats cut. Based on this, it was concluded that the killer was well acquainted with anatomy. It was assumed that the killer was a surgeon. In September and October 1888, the opinion became popular that there was a definite connection between the found victims. Many publishers received letters that may have been written by Jack the Ripper. The famous letter "From Hell" was delivered to the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, accompanied by a human kidney.

It is worth noting that for many years the identity of Jack the Ripper remained unknown. However, last year the media reported that Russell Edwards, a writer and detective, along with molecular biologist Jari Louhelainen, identified a serial killer using a DNA test. It turned out to be Aaron Kosminsky, an immigrant from Poland. He worked in Whitechapel as a barber and was mentally ill. Interestingly, during the investigation in 1888, Aaron Kosminsky appeared in the case as a suspect, but the police could not find irrefutable evidence of his guilt. By the way, many forensic experts do not agree with the statement of Russell and Jari.

What caused such cruelty?

Emigrants flooded big cities England. Since 1882, many Russians and Jews, as well as people from of Eastern Europe. Emigrants kept coming and coming, and this led to overpopulation, which led to the deterioration of not only life, but also working conditions. Chaos reigned in many areas: alcoholism, robberies and lawlessness. Poverty forced the beautiful half of humanity to engage in prostitution.

As of October 1888, it was established that about 1,200 women were engaged in the "ancient profession" and 62 brothels worked. Whitechapel during this period can be characterized as follows: poverty, crime and racism. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that it is during this period that cruel serial killings attributed to Jack the Ripper.

It is widely believed that at first the serial killer strangled his victims. Experts who examined the dead reported that there were signs of strangulation. If so, then this explains why the people who lived in the neighborhood did not hear the cries of the unfortunate. But today, some dispute this theory, since there is no evidence.

Identified victims of Jack the Ripper

Marie Ann Nichols aka "Polly". She was born on August 26, 1845. Killed August 31, 1888.

Elizabeth Stride, known as "Long Liz". She was born on November 27, 1843. Killed September 30, 1888.

During the killings, Jack the Ripper slit the throats of his victims. The cut was made from left to right. The killer did not smear in the blood of his victims due to the fact that he tilted the heads of the dead to the right. When the woman was already dead, the serial killer opened the abdominal cavity. In some women, he cut out all the internal organs, in others - only separate parts.

Letters from Jack the Ripper

When the Jack the Ripper investigation was going on, the media and the police received a lot of letters. Some suggested ways to capture the elusive and brutal killer, but many of them were simply unacceptable. Of particular interest were the letters that were written by the maniac himself. Although many experts are of the opinion that the letters written by Jack the Ripper do not exist, however, three letters are highlighted.

"Dear Boss" The date on the letter was September 25th. Like many others, at first it was not given any importance. But three days later, a piece of a human ear was found on Eddowes' postmark. After that, the content of the letter was taken more than seriously. The letter contained some promise: "to cut off the lady's ears." On October 1, the police decided to release the letter. They hoped that someone could recognize the handwriting of the author, but this did not bring any result. This letter was the first to mention the pseudonym "Jack the Ripper". After the murders, the police made an official statement (perhaps to avoid mass panic of the population) that this letter was nothing more than a hoax of a little-known journalist.

Postcard "Daring Jackie". Dated October 1, 1888. The letter attracted attention only because the handwriting in it was similar to the handwriting in the previous letter. The postcard mentioned two victims: Eddowes and Stride. Made following output: The postcard was sent before the crimes took place. The police said they had identified the journalist who wrote the letters.

Letter from Hell. It was received by George Lusk on October 16, 1888. A box was enclosed with the letter. It contained half a kidney. The examination established that the organ was stored in "wine alcohol". One of the victims, Eddowes, had a kidney removed by the killer. The letter stated that the other half was fried and eaten by Jack. The opinions of experts differ: some are sure that this is the kidney of one of the victims, and the second - that this is just someone's cruel joke.

DNA tests are being carried out, which could be preserved on the letters. Ian Findlay, a professor from Australia, concluded that the author of these letters was most likely a woman. It is worth noting that during the investigation of the murders, a woman named Mary Piercy was under suspicion, who was hanged for the murder of her lover's wife.

Killer Skills

To this day, experts argue about the level of knowledge of the anatomy of a famous serial killer. The reports of medical experts who performed autopsies on the victims of Jack the Ripper are being studied. They note the accuracy of inflicting some wounds and the professionalism of extraction. internal organs. This suggests that the killer could well have been a professional surgeon.

However, the controversy continues. Some claim that even the most ordinary butcher could master such skills, others are confident in the killer's many years of surgical practice. Another detail was established: the killer was undoubtedly left-handed.

Years after the terrible events in London, Sir Melville Macnathan, head of the city's criminal investigation department, wrote:

“I can’t forget those foggy evenings and the piercing cries of the newspaper boys: “Another terrible murder! Mutilated corpse in Whitechapel!”

From their ominous chorus, the heart skipped a beat. After the double murder on September 30, not a single servant girl dared to go outside after 10 p.m. These lines are about a serial killer called Jack the Ripper who in 1888 terrorized Whitechapel, a poor area of ​​London's East End.

DIRTY CRIMES

The first serial killer in the history of world capitals, Jack the Ripper was an urban demon. His name enchanted the gloomy Victorian streets - the most suitable place for the birth of terrible legends. One of them was himself. His secret gave the world the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and several variety musicals. A kind of science "ripperology" appeared (from the English ripper - "Ripper"). Jack the Ripper grew up
into a truly cult figure, but over the past century, his story has been so much dissolved in unconfirmed “facts” that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find out what, in fact, is known about him.
From August to November 1888, Jack literally gutted his victims and disappeared without a trace. He acted brutally. The first victim was Mary Ann (Polly) Nicole. On August 31, she was found with her throat cut and her stomach ripped open, "like a pig in the market." A week later they found Annie Chenman, mutilated in much the same way. Despite the beginning of the hunt for the killer, the list was soon replenished by Marta Tabram, whose body was discovered in mid-September.

Drawing from a police bulletin from that era depicting Jack the Ripper "at work"

The Ripper hid for a couple of weeks, and on September 30 dealt a “double blow”: In one street of Whitechael, Elizabeth Strijd lay with her throat cut, but without any other injuries. It is believed that Jack was prevented from completing what he started, so he immediately went to look for a new victim. On another street in Whitechael, he met Catherine Eddowes. Having ferociously disembowelled her, the villain disappeared along with the woman's kidney.
The last murder “hanged” on Jack happened more than a month later - on November 10 - and was the bloodiest. Jane Kelly (Black Mary) has been found. in her room terribly disfigured. She had her heart cut out. Although the Ripper seems to have vanished into thin air, rumors about his identity continue to live on. The police do not know the name, but the whole world knows the ominous pseudonym by which
signed one of the many letters allegedly sent by the killer. Dear boss! I heard rumors that the police tracked me down, but they want to take me red-handed. I laughed so hard when they said with a smart look that they were on the trail ... I hunt for. whores and I will disembowel them until I find myself in handcuffs ... My knife: thawed beautiful and sharp, I want to use it at the first opportunity. Good luck to you!
Yours sincerely
Jack the Ripper. P.S. Do not be offended that I sign with a pseudonym.

This letter was later considered a fake, composed by a newspaperman for the sake of another sensation, as, indeed, almost all other messages from Jack.

THE HOUSE IN THE PRESS

One of the reasons for the popularity and persistence of the Jack the Ripper story is the increased attention it receives in the press. There was a lot of crime in prim Victorian London, and the slums of Whitechael were generally considered a dangerous place.
However, the ominous sight of the corpses left by the Ripper gave the newspapers their bread - a sensation. Just at that time, the press became an important factor in the struggle for social reforms, and unusual murders made it possible to emphasize the abyss that separated the rich metropolitan quarters of the impoverished working outskirts.
Indeed, in Victorian London, 6% of the female population traded in their bodies. Attacks on Whitechapel prostitutes gave rise to talk about several social ulcers at once, and at the same time about the incompetence of the authorities. While describing the gruesome details of the murders, the newspapermen mocked the helplessness of the Metropolitan Police. When its commissioner, Sir Charles Warren, upon learning of Jack's latest victim, resigned, no one doubted that his move was due to a desire to protect his name from further attacks by the yellow press.

MYSTERIOUS JACK

Who is this elusive killer? One of the main suspects was the fraudster Michael Ostrog, who worked under various aliases. However, there was not enough evidence for an arrest. As long as the image of Jack is alive in books, films and our imagination, the search for his true face will continue - perhaps even more fervently than a century ago. Ripperologists study many versions - from a cannibal maniac to a deranged social reformer.
In 1970, Dr. T. Stowell stated that the cold-blooded killer was Duke Edward of Clarence, the grandson of Queen Victoria. However, in his book Was Clarence Jack the Ripper? Michael
Harrison rejects this candidacy by offering her place as the tutor of the Duke - the Cambridge poet and ardent misogynist J. Stephen. However, this suspicion is also devoid of evidence. Perhaps the truth about Jack the Ripper will someday be revealed - among stolen documents from the case and hidden diaries. However, now the ruthless maniac killer manages to keep his secret.

Recently, the Duke of Clarence, the grandson of Queen Victoria, was offered the role of Jack the Ripper. In the 1890s London was filled with rumors about his depraved life and dark deeds

RANGE OF SUSPECTS

The search for Jack the Ripper has been the idol of many amateur detectives and professional detectives, but we still don't know who he is.
For unclear reasons, the police dropped the case just three weeks after the November 1888 murder of Jane Kelly. The version here is this: the Whitechapel Public Order received a note saying that Jack drowned in the Thames. In early December, a body was washed ashore, which was identified as Montague John Druitt. He became the prime suspect.
However, the data collected on Druitt, including his age and occupation, were questionable. A butcher, a midwife, a mad professor were also suspected. There was talk about Aron Kosminsky, a Jewish barber who ate in the garbage dumps and in 1890 was sent to a psychiatric hospital.
Suspicions against all these people cannot be called absolutely groundless, but nothing more definite has been found out in any case.