July 21, 2025 • 37 mins
In the gaslit alleys of Whitechapel, fear turned to frenzy as the Ripper’s reign of terror continued.
Episode 2 takes you deeper into the horror, unraveling the stories of the final four victims — the women whose lives were cut short and whose deaths shook a city to its core.
Who were these women beyond the headlines? What clues did their final moments hold? And how did a desperate city turn on itself in the frenzied hunt for an invisible monster?
With each new body, the eyes of Whitechapel watched… and the killer slipped further into legend.
Join us as we follow the bloodstained trail, piece together the terror, and stand witness to the darkest chapter in Victorian crime.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome back to Macabre, a dark history podcast.
Our journey into the heart of Victorian London's terror
continues. The horror unleashed upon
Whitechapel was not a fleeting nightmare, it was a relentless
descent Into Darkness. In this episode, we witnessed
the Ripper's depravity escalate.The tendrils of fear tighten
(00:24):
their grip on the city, and the desperate hunt for this phantom
killer intensifies. The relative quiet that followed
the murder of Polly Nichols was a mere prelude to the storm that
was about to break the citizens of Whitechapel, still reeling
from the shock. We're about to be plunged into a
(00:46):
fresh wave of terror. The Ripper was not finished.
Just a week after Polly Nichols brutal demise on September 8th,
the Ripper struck again. His next victim was Annie
Chapman, a woman whose life, like Polly's, was marked by
(01:06):
hardship and struggle. Annie, 47 years old, met a fate
even more gruesome than her predecessor.
Her body discovered in the backyard of 29 Hanbury St., 4
wounds that spoke of a killer revelling in his depravity.
Annie, originally Annie Smith, had also fallen on desperate
(01:28):
times. She too had separated from her
husband and wrestled with the demons of alcoholism.
Like Polly, she sought refuge inthe anonymity of common lodging
houses and sold her body for fleeting moments of respite from
the relentless grip of poverty. Her story is a testament to the
brutal realities faced by women in the unforgiving landscape of
(01:50):
Whitechapel. Annie Chapman's life was a slow
descent into despair. Born Annie Smith in London in
1841, she married John Chapman in 1869 and for a time they
carved out a semblance of stability, raising several
children. But the relentless pressures of
(02:13):
poverty and John's failing health tipped away at their
fragile existence. Around 1886, their paths
diverge, leaving Annie to navigate the treacherous
currents of London's East End alone.
The separation from her husband marked a turning point in
Annie's life, a descent into a darker reality.
The bottle became her solace, a temporary escape from the
(02:36):
gnawing hunger and the crushing weight of loneliness.
She drifted between common lodging houses, paying for a
single night shelter, her life aprecarious balancing act.
Like so many women in her desperate circumstances, she
turned prostitution, though it'sbelieved she did so sparingly,
perhaps with a sense of resignation rather than by
(02:57):
choice. Those who knew her spoke of a
quiet, reserved woman who soughtto avoid trouble in the world
that offered very little kindness.
The details surrounding Annie Chapman's death are a chilling
reminder of the Ripper's escalating brutality.
She was last seen alive in the early hours of September 8th,
(03:20):
1888, around 6:00 AM. Her ravaged body was discovered
in the backyard of 29 Hanbury St. a grim tableau that would
haunt the memories of those who witnessed it.
Annie's body was found lying on her back, her legs drawn up, her
feet resting on the ground. Her dress was lifted, a final
(03:43):
indignity exposing her striped stockings, but it was the wounds
afflicted upon her that revealedthe true horror of the river's
actions. Her throat was deeply cut, the
wounds stretching from left to right, nearly severing her head
in a grotesque parody of a finalembrace.
(04:04):
But the mutilation did not. In there, her abdomen was
savagely opened, her intestines partially removed and draped
over her shoulder, macabre display of the killer's cruelty.
Part of her uterus was missing, a chilling detail that suggested
the killer had taken it as a trophy, a grotesque momento of
(04:25):
his depravity. The scene was eerily devoid of
the expected amount of blood, a chilling testament to the
killer's precision and the possibility that the mutilations
were inflicted after death, a detail that mirrored the grim
circumstances of Polly Nickel's demise.
Adding to this unsettling tableau, some of Annie's meager
(04:46):
belongings, a few coins, a comb,and a piece of envelope with the
letter M were arranged neatly near her feet, a bizarre and
disturbing detail that offered no comfort amidst the horror.
The mutilations inflicted upon Annie Chapman went far beyond
the act of killing. They spoke of a savage rage, a
(05:09):
calculated depravity, and a chilling fascination with the
inner workings of the human body, a detail that echoed the
earlier murder of Polly Nichols.The killer seemed to be growing
bolder, his actions more deliberate, his thirst for
violence insatiable. The police investigation into
Annie Chapman's murder, like theinvestigation into Polly Nichols
(05:31):
death, was Hanford by the limitations of the era.
The crime scene, though meticulously examined, yielded
little in the way of tangible evidence.
The transient nature of Annie's life, her movement between
lodging houses, made it difficult for investigators to
reconstruct her final days and identify potential suspects.
Yet amidst the chaos and confusion, a few key witnesses
(05:55):
emerged, their accounts offeringfleeting glimpses into the
shadows of that night. Elizabeth Long This woman
claimed to have seen Annie Chapman in the company of a man
outside 29 Hanbury St. shortly before her murder.
Her description of the man, however, was frustratingly
vague, a whisper in the dark that offered no solid lead.
(06:18):
Albert Kadosh, a resident of Hanbury St., reported hearing a
woman's cry of no around the time of the murder, but the
darkness and confusion of the night made it impossible to
definitively link this cry to Annie's death, another
tantalizing clue that ultimatelyLED nowhere.
Numerous residents of Hanbury St. were interviewed, their
(06:39):
accounts of jumble of conflicting details offering no
clear path through the labyrinthof the investigation.
The brutality of Annie's murder,surpassing even the horror of
Polly Nichols death, ignited a firestorm of fear and panic in
Whitechapel. The newspapers, fueled by
sensationalism, turned out lureddescriptions of the crime,
(07:02):
whipping the public into a frenzy.
The pressure on the police to apprehend the killer reached a
fever pitch. Yet despite their tireless
efforts, the investigation stalled, mired in a lack of
concrete evidence. The police, grappling with the
limitations of their resources, considered various theories,
including the chilling possibility that the killer
(07:24):
possessed some degree of medicalknowledge, even the precise and
disturbing nature of the mutilations.
But without a tangible lead, they were left grasping at
shadows. Annie Chapman's murderer, like
Polly Nichols, became another grim marker on the timeline of
(07:46):
the Ripper's reign of terror, a chilling testament to the
violence and the desperation that festered in the heart of
Victorian London. It was a chapter written in
blood, a story of brutality and unanswered questions.
The horror in Whitechapel was far from over.
On the night of September 30th, 1888, the Ripper unleashed a
(08:07):
double dose of terror, a night that would forever be etched in
the city's memory as the double event.
Within a single terrifying hour,two more women fell victim to
the Ripper's blade. Elizabeth Stride, 45, was found
on Berner St. her life brutally extinguished.
(08:28):
And just a short distance away, Catherine Eddos, 46, was
discovered in Mitre Square, her body bearing the unmistakable
hallmarks of the Ripper's signature modus operandi.
The proximity of these two murders, both in time and
location, sent shock waves through London.
(08:49):
The distance between Berner St. and Mitre Square is only .6
miles or a kilometer. A distance at the river could
have traversed in a matter of minutes.
This chilling reality, the knowledge that the killer had
struck twice in such a short span, solidified his infamy and
plunged the city into the depthsof fear.
(09:11):
The name Jack the Ripper began to circulate, whispered in
hushed tones, etched into the public consciousness as a symbol
of pure evil. Let us first turn our attention
to Elizabeth Stride, a woman whose life, like the others, was
a testament to the resilience and desperation of those who
lived in Whitechapel. Born Elizabeth Gustaf's daughter
(09:35):
in Sweden 1843, she endured a difficult early life marked by
poverty and hardship. She journeyed to London, where
she married John Stride, but their union was turbulent and
eventually they separated. Elizabeth, known by the nickname
Long Liz, was a tall woman, her appearance described by some as
(09:56):
somewhat masculine. Like so many others, she
resorted to prostitution to survive in the harsh realities
of the East End. On the night of her murder,
Elizabeth Stride was seen in thecompany of several men, her
final interactions A grim tapestry of fleeting encounters.
Around 12:45 AMA, witness named Israel Schwartz, Hungarian
(10:19):
immigrant, claimed to have seen a man assaulting her in Duck
Fields Yard off of Berner St. His testimony, though
significant, offered no means ofidentifying the assailant.
Just minutes later, around 1:00 AM, Elizabeth Stride's body was
discovered by Louis Deemschutz, the steward of a nearby club.
(10:40):
The scene was marked by a chilling difference from the
previous murders. Her throat had been cut the
river's signature mark, but there were no signs of abdominal
mutilation that characterized the other killings.
It's believed that the killer was interrupted before he could
complete his gruesome work, perhaps by the arrival of Deem,
(11:00):
Schutzwurst and Cart. The investigation into Elizabeth
Stride's murder was complicated by the unique nature of her
injuries. Some investigators even
questioned whether her death wasconnected to the river killings
at all. However, the cutthroat, a
hallmark of the Ripper's methods, and the proximity in
time and location to the other murders LED most to believe that
(11:22):
she, too, had fallen victim to the same hand.
The police and their relentless pursuit of the killer
interviewed countless witnesses and scoured the area, but as
with the other cases, their efforts yielded no conclusive
leads. Now let us turn our attention to
the second victim of that horrific night, the double
event, Catherine Eddos. Born Catherine Conway in
(11:48):
Wolverhampton in 1842, her life had a tumultuous journey marked
by poverty, alcoholism, and periods of homelessness.
She adopted various aliases, including Kate Conway and
Catherine Kelly, a reflection ofher transient existence.
She lived with a man named John Kelly, their lives intertwined
(12:09):
in a struggle for survival. Catherine's involvement in sex
work work was inconsistent. She made her living through odd
jobs and even earned some money by singing in the streets, a
brief respite from the harsh realities of her life.
On the night of her murder, Catherine Eddos was seen in
various locations around Whitechapel, her movements a
(12:29):
desperate dance with fate. Earlier that day she had
actually been arrested for beingdrunk and disorderly, but was
later released. Around 1:45 AM, her body was
discovered in Mitre Square by a police constable.
The scene was a grotesque mirrorof the Rippers escalating
brutality. Her throat was cut, her abdomen
(12:52):
savagely mutilated, her face disfigured beyond recognition.
Some of her organs were removed,a chilling detail that spoke to
the killers to pray. Fascination with human anatomy,
the savagery of her murder surpassed even the horror
inflicted upon Annie Chapman. A descent into the abyss of
(13:14):
unimaginable cruelty. The investigation into Catherine
Eddo's murder unfolded in a chaotic atmosphere, fuelled by
the escalating panic that gripped the city.
The police, under immense pressure to deliver justice,
meticulously searched the crime scene in Mitre Square.
Investigators collected various pieces of evidence, including a
(13:36):
piece of apron believed to have been left behind by the killer.
The piece of apron found along with a cryptic message scrawled
on a nearby wall, now known as the Goulston St.
Graffito, ignited a firestorm and a debate of speculation.
The Goulston St. The Frito discovered in the
early hours of September 30th, 1888, was a message written in
(14:00):
chalk on the wall in Goulston Street, near where the bloody
piece of Catherine Eddo's apron was found.
The message read. The Jews are the men that will
not be blamed for nothing. The discovery of this message
raised several crucial questions.
Was it written by the Ripper? The proximity of the apron and
(14:21):
the message strongly suggests a connection, but some argue it
could have been written by someone else.
What was it to meaning? The message's potential
anti-Semitic overtones sparked fears of escalating tensions in
Whitechapel, which had a large Jewish population.
Why was it erased? Metropolitan Police Commissioner
Sir Charles Warren, fearing riots or violence against the
(14:44):
Jewish community, ordered the message to be erased before it
could be properly photographed or analyzed.
This decision remains controversial, as the graffiti
might have held crucial clues. Let us now turn our attention to
(15:05):
the key witnesses and the investigation surrounding the
double murders of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddles.
In Elizabeth Stride's murder, our first witness is Israel
Schwartz. This Hungarian immigrants
testimony is vital, as he claimed to have seen a man
assaulting Stride before her death.
(15:28):
However, his description of the man was too vague to be of any
real use in the investigation. Louis Ding Schmutz, the steward
who discovered Stride's body. His arrival on the scene,
perhaps interrupting the killer is a key detail.
William Marshall, a laborer who placed Stride with a man outside
(15:51):
63 Berner St. Matthew Packer, a greengrocer
who claimed to have sold black grapes to a man and woman
outside his shop around the timeof the murder in Catherine
Eddo's case. Joseph Lwind, a cigarette
salesman who saw Eddo's with a man in Mitre Square shortly
(16:11):
before her murder. His description is considered
one of the most reliable eyewitness accounts.
Hi, I'm Levy and Harry Harris. Lewin's companions also saw the
couple but unfortunately didn't pay much attention to the man.
Police constable George James, the officer who discovered Edo's
body. The double murder of Elizabeth
(16:34):
Stride and Catherine Edo's marked a turning point in the
Ripper investigation. The sheer audacity of the
killer, striking twice in one night, amplified the terror that
gripped London and intensified the pressure on the police to
bring him to justice. Yet despite their tireless
efforts and the growing public attention, the Ripper continued
(16:54):
to elude capture, leaving behindonly the trail of blood and a
city consumed by fear. It was around this time,
relatively early in the timelineof the murders, that the police
began receiving letters claimingto be from Jack the Ripper.
It's important to note, however,that the authenticity of these
(17:14):
letters is highly debated. Here's a breakdown of the key
letters and their place in the Ripper timeline.
The Dear Boss Letter This infamous letter, written in red
ink, was dated September 25th, 1888 and postmarked 2 days later
on September 27th. It arrived at the Central News
(17:37):
Agency on the same day and was forwarded to Scotland Yard on
September 29th, just days beforethe double event.
This letter holds immense significance as it marked the
first time the name Jack the Ripper was used.
The letter contained chilling details about the murders,
(17:57):
suggesting the author had some degree of inside knowledge.
The letter, addressed to Dear Boss was written in a mocking
and taunting tone. Key excerpts include bragging
about the crimes. Quote.
I am down on whores and I shan'tquit ripping them until I do get
(18:21):
buckled in. Quote the sinister nature of the
letter. Quote Yours truly, Jack the
Ripper in quote This was the first known use of a name that
would become synonymous with terror in Whitechapel and across
the world. A chilling prediction.
(18:41):
Quote The next job I do, I shallclip the lady's ears off and
send to the police officers justfor jolly, wouldn't you?
End Quote. This is particularly significant
because Catherine Eddo's murdered just days later had
part of her earlobes severed, leading some to believe that
(19:02):
this letter was genuine. The authenticity of the Dear
Boss letter has been a subject of intense debate.
Many believe it was a hoax, perhaps written by a journalist
seeking to sensationalize the case and boost newspaper sales.
Others argue that the ear cutting reference lends
credibility, though it's possible the killer read about
(19:24):
the letter before committing thecrime.
Regardless, Scotland Yard took it seriously, even reprinting it
in the newspapers, hoping someone would recognize the
handwriting. Following the Dear Boss letter,
several other messages arrived, each adding to the mystery in
terror. The Saucy Jackie postcard was
(19:45):
received by the Central News Agency on October 1st, 1888.
This postcard is believed by many to be from the same author
as the Dear Boss letter. Its tone is even more taunting,
further fueling the public sphere.
The famous From Hell letter, arguably the most infamous.
This letter was sent to George Lusk, the head of the White
(20:08):
Chapel Vigilance Committee, on the 16th of October 1888.
It contained half of a human kidney, believed by some to have
been taken from Catherine Eddo's.
This letter is particularly chilling, a macabre message.
From the depths of a twisted mind, it's crucial to note a few
(20:30):
key points about these letters. While these are the most well
known, numerous other letters were sent to the police during
the Ripper murders. The vast majority are considered
hoaxes. Even the Dear Boss and Saucy
Jackie and From Hell letters have been questioned.
Regardless of their authenticity, though, the Ripper
letters had a profound impact onthe public perception of the
(20:53):
murders. They amplified the mystique and
the terror surrounding the killer, solidifying his name in
the public imagination. Jack the Ripper The police,
despite their best efforts, wereunable to glean any useful
information from the letters that would lead to the
identification of Jack the Ripper.
(21:15):
Again, the limitations of technology hindered their
investigation, leaving them withmore questions than answers.
Jack the Ripper was not the onlymoniker given to the man who
terrorized Whitechapel. Other aliases reflected the
public's attempt to understand the horror that was unfolding in
(21:37):
their midst, The Whitechapel murderer.
This is one of the most common early designation.
A simple reference to the location of the crimes.
It lacked the theatrical flair that Jack the Ripper would later
acquire. The Leather Apron.
This name emerged from rumors and a suspect or a possible
(21:59):
scapegoat who was believed to wear a leather apron.
It also predates Jack the Ripperand was associated with earlier,
possibly unrelated crimes in thearea.
The Butcher of Whitechapel This name emphasized the brutal and
savage nature of the killings, highlighting the mutilations of
the victims. The Fiend of Whitechapel Similar
(22:23):
to the Butcher, this name conveyed the sense of a
monstrous or inhuman killer. Our final canonical victim, Mary
Jane Kelly, was murdered on November 9th in Miller's Court
off of Dorset. St.
Mary Jane, 25 years old, was theyoungest of the canonical
(22:44):
victims. Born in Ireland.
She came to London seeking a better life, like so many
others, but was forced to turn to prostitution to survive.
Her body was discovered around 10:45 AM.
The room where she died became ascene of unspeakable horror, a
testament to the Ripper's ultimate depravity.
(23:09):
Mary Jane Kelly's life, though tragically brief, is shrouded in
a greater degree of mystery thanthe other victims.
Her life is not well documented.She claimed to have been married
in Ireland, but no records of this have ever been found.
She came to London likely seeking a better life, but like
so many impoverished women in the East End, she turned to
(23:31):
prostitution to survive. She was also known by several
aliases, including Marie Jeanette, and was described as
being attractive and intelligent.
Kelly lived in a single room at 13 Millers Court, a small
impoverished alleyway off DorsetSt. which was itself known as
(23:52):
one of the most dangerous streets in Whitechapel.
She shared this room with a man named George Barnett, who worked
as a fish Porter. Their relationship appears to
have been relatively stable, although they were both very
poor. The discovery of Mary Jane
Kelly's body is shrouded in conflicting accounts.
(24:13):
Some say it was her landlord, while others claim it was his
assistant who found her body. One account states that Mary
Jane Kelly's body was discoveredby Thomas Ballier, an assistant
to her landlord, John McCarthy. It's commonly believed that on
the morning of November 9th, 1888, McCarthy sent his
(24:33):
assistant Valyer to collect overdue rent from Kelly at her
room in Miller's Court off of Dorset St.
When Valyer knocked on the door and received no response, he
peered through the broken windowcovered by a curtain.
What he saw was a scene of unimaginable horror.
Kelly's mutilated body lay on the bed in an almost
(24:57):
unrecognizable state. Her face had been completely
disfigured, her body eviscerated, her organs removed.
Shocked, Bowyer immediately ran back to McCarthy, who then
informed the police. When authorities arrived, they
were met with the most gruesome crime scene of all.
(25:22):
The circumstances of Mary Jane Kelly's murder are particularly
chilling. Unlike the other victims who
were killed outdoors in more public spaces, Kelly was
murdered in her own room. This gave the killer more time
and privacy, and the level of violence inflicted upon her was
absolutely horrific. She was found lying naked on her
(25:46):
bed, heavily mutilated beyond recognition.
Her throat was cut down to the spine, nearly decapitating her,
much like the other victims. Her face, however, was
completely disfigured, with deepcuts and slashes making it
nearly unrecognizable. Her chest and abdomen had been
(26:08):
opened up, with most of her organs either removed or placed
around the room. Her heart was missing and was
never found. This was possibly taken as a
trophy. Her breast had been removed and
were placed beneath her head. Her uterus, kidneys and
(26:29):
intestines were pulled out and arranged around the body.
Thigh flesh was stripped down tothe bone.
In some areas. Blood absolutely covered the
walls and the floor, indicating a very slow and methodical
dismemberment. In the darkness of Mary Jane
(26:50):
Kelly's bedroom, the Ripper tookhis time carving what might have
been his final horrific masterpiece.
The level of mutilation surpassed anything seen before
in the Ripper's previous crimes,A descent into unimaginable
cruelty. The investigation into Mary Jane
Kelly's murder was the most extensive of all the Ripper
(27:12):
cases. The police thoroughly searched
the room and interviewed numerous witnesses.
However, the fact that the murder had occurred indoors
meant that there was even less chance of finding any clear
evidence. The room itself was small and
cluttered, and the extensive mutilation of the body made it
difficult to determine the exactsequence of events.
(27:39):
Let's discuss the witnesses in Mary Jane Kelly's case.
He witnessed testimonies from local pubs and shops.
Miss Marianne Cox, a neighbor and witness at Miller's Court,
said that she saw Kelly around 11:45 PM on November 8th, 1888.
She mentioned that Kelly was very drunk and singing loudly in
(28:01):
her room a song called A Violet Hug from my Mother's Grave.
She was with a man described as wearing a long dark coat with a
wide brimmed hat. Cox last saw light in Kelly's
room around 1:00 AM and then heard nothing after that.
Caroline Maxwell was also a key witness, but she confused the
(28:24):
timeline, making this more challenging, she claimed that
she saw Kelly at 8:00 AM on November 9th, after the
estimated time of her death. She said Kelly was wearing a
shabby jacket and a hat, and sheseemed I'll.
If true, this contradicted medical estimates that Kelly was
murdered between 3:30 in the morning and 5:00 AM.
(28:46):
Her Samuel was not widely accepted by police.
Maurice Lewis, a local pub ownerand possible witness.
He was drinking at the Horn of Pliny, which was a nearby pub,
claimed to assault Kelly around 10:00 AM at the pub.
This contradicts other evidence suggesting confusion or mistaken
(29:06):
identity. John McCarthy, shop owner and
landlord at Miller's Court. He owned McCarthy's shop and
also acted as Kelly's landlord. Kelly was behind on rent owing
29 shillings and on November 9th, when Kelly didn't emerge,
McCarthy sent his assistant Thomas Bowyer to collect the
(29:27):
rent. That is when Bowyer discovered
her mutilated body through the window.
McCarthy later described the horrific scene.
Quote, the site we saw I cannot drive away from my mind in,
quote. Other key witnesses include
George Barnett. Kelly's roommate and partner was
(29:49):
a key witness, but his testimonywas complicated by the fact that
he had left the room the night before the murder.
He provided information about Kelly's life and habits, but he
could not provide a direct account of the events that
unfolded on the night of the murder.
Neighbors and residents of Miller's Court were also
interviewed, but their accounts were often limited and didn't
(30:10):
provide a clear description of the perpetrator.
George Hutchinson, a man who claimed to have met Kelly on
Commercial St. the night of the murder.
His testimony has been regarded as suspicious by many
reprologists due to its highly detailed nature.
Hutchinson claimed that he had known Mary Jane Kelly for about
3 years and that on the night ofher murder he saw her at around
(30:32):
2:00 AM on Commercial Street near the 10 Bells Pub.
He said that Kelly was approached by a well dressed man
whom she willingly accompanied to her room in Miller's Court.
He was standing near Commercial Street when Kelly walked past
him saying she was down on her luck.
Shortly after she was approachedby a well dressed gentleman,
(30:53):
described in extreme detail around 34 to 35 years old, about
5 foot 6, pale complexion with adark curled up mustache.
He was wearing a fur trimmed coat, dark hat and had dark
spats over his light boots. He was wearing a gold chain.
(31:14):
The witness also mentioned that this man was carrying a small
package and a leather glove in his right hand.
Kelly and the man spoke briefly,laughed and walked arm in arm
towards Miller's Court. Hutchinson followed them out of
curiosity and stood near Dorset St. for about 45 minutes
watching Kelly's window. Around 3:00 AM, he left because
(31:39):
he saw no further activity. So why was his testimony
suspicious? He reported it late.
Despite supposedly seeing Mary Kelly with a wealthy looking man
just hours before she was found horrifically mutilated.
Hutchinson did not report the sighting until November 12th, 3
(31:59):
days after the murder. He only came forward after
reading press reports about another witness, Sarah Lewis,
who describes seeing a man lurking near Miller's court,
which very well could have been him.
He gave overly detailed descriptions.
The level of detail in his description is unusually
precise, too precise for someonewho only saw the man under poor
(32:23):
lighting conditions. Some have suggested it sounds
fabricated, as if he were tryingto shift suspicion elsewhere.
And why was he watching Kelly's room?
He claimed he stood near Miller's court for 45 minutes
watching, which is very strange behavior.
Some theorists believe he might have been involved in the crime
(32:46):
or at least had something to hide.
The police initially believed him and then dismissed him.
Inspector Aberlin initially found his testimony credible and
even sent officers to search forthe mysterious well dressed man.
However, by late November 1888, police no longer considered
Hutchinson's statement reliable.Other witnesses interviewed
(33:09):
include the local pub and shop owners.
People who owned or work in the pubs and the shops in the area
were interviewed as they might have seen Kelly or other
suspicious individuals in the days leading up to the murder,
but nothing substantial came outof these interviews.
The witness interviews in Mary Jane Kelly case, like those and
(33:30):
the other Ripper murders, were ultimately and frustratingly
unreliable. While many people were
interviewed, their accounts wereoften contradictory,
inconsistent or just simply unhelpful, and there were many
challenges with witness testimony.
The murders occurred in a densely populated but often
(33:51):
thinly lit and chaotic area of London.
Witnesses might have seen or heard something but been unsure
of the exact location and the time.
As I mentioned in episode 1, fear and intimidation was a
problem. Chapel was a rough area and many
residents were afraid to get involved with the police.
(34:11):
They might have been reluctant to come forward or give accurate
information for fear of reprisal.
The transient population With itbeing transient in Whitechapel,
people moved in and out of lodging houses frequently,
making it difficult to track down potential witnesses or
verify their stories. Even when witnesses did come
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forward, their accounts often conflicted.
This could be due to poor memory, different perspectives,
too much alcohol, or even a desire to embellish their
stories. Yellow journalism was popular at
that time. The sensationalism of it
influenced the reporting. The more sensational story, the
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more likely it would end up on the front page, and the Ripper
murders were the biggest story of the era.
Some witnesses might have been influenced by newspaper reports
or rumors, making their testimony less reliable.
The witness interviews in the Mary Jane Kelly case, like those
in the other Ripper murders, were inconclusive.
(35:14):
While the police interviewed many people, they were unable to
gather enough reliable evidence to identify and apprehend the
killer. The challenges of witness
testimony in the Victorian era, combined with the brutal nature
of the crime and the lack of forensic technology, made it
extremely difficult to piece together the events of that
night and bring the perpetrator to justice.
(35:38):
The murder of Mary Jane Kelly marked the end of the canonical
Ripper killings. After her death, the frequency
of the murders abruptly ceased. While there have been other
suspected Ripper victims, these five murders, Marianne Nichols,
Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride,Catherine Eddoes, and Mary Jane
(35:59):
Kelly, are generally considered the core of the Ripper's reign
of terror. Kelly's murder, with its
unmatched brutality, remains a chilling reminder of the
darkness that stalked the streets of Whitechapel in the
autumn of 1888. Her death, like those of the
other victims, remains a haunting testament to the
(36:20):
Ripper's ability to evade justice.
But the story doesn't end here. The mystery of Jack the Ripper
continues to haunt us, to fascinate and disturb.
I do hope you join me for the final episode of this macabre
feature, Unmasking a Killer. We'll dive into the current DNA
(36:44):
evidence, talk about suspects and theories, and maybe, just
maybe, reveal the true identity of one of history's most
notorious killers.
Welcome back to Macabre, a dark history podcast.
Our journey into the heart of Victorian London's terror
continues. The horror unleashed upon
Whitechapel was not a fleeting nightmare, it was a relentless
descent Into Darkness. In this episode, we witnessed
the Ripper's depravity escalate.The tendrils of fear tighten
(00:24):
their grip on the city, and the desperate hunt for this phantom
killer intensifies. The relative quiet that followed
the murder of Polly Nichols was a mere prelude to the storm that
was about to break the citizens of Whitechapel, still reeling
from the shock. We're about to be plunged into a
(00:46):
fresh wave of terror. The Ripper was not finished.
Just a week after Polly Nichols brutal demise on September 8th,
the Ripper struck again. His next victim was Annie
Chapman, a woman whose life, like Polly's, was marked by
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hardship and struggle. Annie, 47 years old, met a fate
even more gruesome than her predecessor.
Her body discovered in the backyard of 29 Hanbury St., 4
wounds that spoke of a killer revelling in his depravity.
Annie, originally Annie Smith, had also fallen on desperate
(01:28):
times. She too had separated from her
husband and wrestled with the demons of alcoholism.
Like Polly, she sought refuge inthe anonymity of common lodging
houses and sold her body for fleeting moments of respite from
the relentless grip of poverty. Her story is a testament to the
brutal realities faced by women in the unforgiving landscape of
(01:50):
Whitechapel. Annie Chapman's life was a slow
descent into despair. Born Annie Smith in London in
1841, she married John Chapman in 1869 and for a time they
carved out a semblance of stability, raising several
children. But the relentless pressures of
(02:13):
poverty and John's failing health tipped away at their
fragile existence. Around 1886, their paths
diverge, leaving Annie to navigate the treacherous
currents of London's East End alone.
The separation from her husband marked a turning point in
Annie's life, a descent into a darker reality.
The bottle became her solace, a temporary escape from the
(02:36):
gnawing hunger and the crushing weight of loneliness.
She drifted between common lodging houses, paying for a
single night shelter, her life aprecarious balancing act.
Like so many women in her desperate circumstances, she
turned prostitution, though it'sbelieved she did so sparingly,
perhaps with a sense of resignation rather than by
(02:57):
choice. Those who knew her spoke of a
quiet, reserved woman who soughtto avoid trouble in the world
that offered very little kindness.
The details surrounding Annie Chapman's death are a chilling
reminder of the Ripper's escalating brutality.
She was last seen alive in the early hours of September 8th,
(03:20):
1888, around 6:00 AM. Her ravaged body was discovered
in the backyard of 29 Hanbury St. a grim tableau that would
haunt the memories of those who witnessed it.
Annie's body was found lying on her back, her legs drawn up, her
feet resting on the ground. Her dress was lifted, a final
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indignity exposing her striped stockings, but it was the wounds
afflicted upon her that revealedthe true horror of the river's
actions. Her throat was deeply cut, the
wounds stretching from left to right, nearly severing her head
in a grotesque parody of a finalembrace.
(04:04):
But the mutilation did not. In there, her abdomen was
savagely opened, her intestines partially removed and draped
over her shoulder, macabre display of the killer's cruelty.
Part of her uterus was missing, a chilling detail that suggested
the killer had taken it as a trophy, a grotesque momento of
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his depravity. The scene was eerily devoid of
the expected amount of blood, a chilling testament to the
killer's precision and the possibility that the mutilations
were inflicted after death, a detail that mirrored the grim
circumstances of Polly Nickel's demise.
Adding to this unsettling tableau, some of Annie's meager
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belongings, a few coins, a comb,and a piece of envelope with the
letter M were arranged neatly near her feet, a bizarre and
disturbing detail that offered no comfort amidst the horror.
The mutilations inflicted upon Annie Chapman went far beyond
the act of killing. They spoke of a savage rage, a
(05:09):
calculated depravity, and a chilling fascination with the
inner workings of the human body, a detail that echoed the
earlier murder of Polly Nichols.The killer seemed to be growing
bolder, his actions more deliberate, his thirst for
violence insatiable. The police investigation into
Annie Chapman's murder, like theinvestigation into Polly Nichols
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death, was Hanford by the limitations of the era.
The crime scene, though meticulously examined, yielded
little in the way of tangible evidence.
The transient nature of Annie's life, her movement between
lodging houses, made it difficult for investigators to
reconstruct her final days and identify potential suspects.
Yet amidst the chaos and confusion, a few key witnesses
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emerged, their accounts offeringfleeting glimpses into the
shadows of that night. Elizabeth Long This woman
claimed to have seen Annie Chapman in the company of a man
outside 29 Hanbury St. shortly before her murder.
Her description of the man, however, was frustratingly
vague, a whisper in the dark that offered no solid lead.
(06:18):
Albert Kadosh, a resident of Hanbury St., reported hearing a
woman's cry of no around the time of the murder, but the
darkness and confusion of the night made it impossible to
definitively link this cry to Annie's death, another
tantalizing clue that ultimatelyLED nowhere.
Numerous residents of Hanbury St. were interviewed, their
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accounts of jumble of conflicting details offering no
clear path through the labyrinthof the investigation.
The brutality of Annie's murder,surpassing even the horror of
Polly Nichols death, ignited a firestorm of fear and panic in
Whitechapel. The newspapers, fueled by
sensationalism, turned out lureddescriptions of the crime,
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whipping the public into a frenzy.
The pressure on the police to apprehend the killer reached a
fever pitch. Yet despite their tireless
efforts, the investigation stalled, mired in a lack of
concrete evidence. The police, grappling with the
limitations of their resources, considered various theories,
including the chilling possibility that the killer
(07:24):
possessed some degree of medicalknowledge, even the precise and
disturbing nature of the mutilations.
But without a tangible lead, they were left grasping at
shadows. Annie Chapman's murderer, like
Polly Nichols, became another grim marker on the timeline of
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the Ripper's reign of terror, a chilling testament to the
violence and the desperation that festered in the heart of
Victorian London. It was a chapter written in
blood, a story of brutality and unanswered questions.
The horror in Whitechapel was far from over.
On the night of September 30th, 1888, the Ripper unleashed a
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double dose of terror, a night that would forever be etched in
the city's memory as the double event.
Within a single terrifying hour,two more women fell victim to
the Ripper's blade. Elizabeth Stride, 45, was found
on Berner St. her life brutally extinguished.
(08:28):
And just a short distance away, Catherine Eddos, 46, was
discovered in Mitre Square, her body bearing the unmistakable
hallmarks of the Ripper's signature modus operandi.
The proximity of these two murders, both in time and
location, sent shock waves through London.
(08:49):
The distance between Berner St. and Mitre Square is only .6
miles or a kilometer. A distance at the river could
have traversed in a matter of minutes.
This chilling reality, the knowledge that the killer had
struck twice in such a short span, solidified his infamy and
plunged the city into the depthsof fear.
(09:11):
The name Jack the Ripper began to circulate, whispered in
hushed tones, etched into the public consciousness as a symbol
of pure evil. Let us first turn our attention
to Elizabeth Stride, a woman whose life, like the others, was
a testament to the resilience and desperation of those who
lived in Whitechapel. Born Elizabeth Gustaf's daughter
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in Sweden 1843, she endured a difficult early life marked by
poverty and hardship. She journeyed to London, where
she married John Stride, but their union was turbulent and
eventually they separated. Elizabeth, known by the nickname
Long Liz, was a tall woman, her appearance described by some as
(09:56):
somewhat masculine. Like so many others, she
resorted to prostitution to survive in the harsh realities
of the East End. On the night of her murder,
Elizabeth Stride was seen in thecompany of several men, her
final interactions A grim tapestry of fleeting encounters.
Around 12:45 AMA, witness named Israel Schwartz, Hungarian
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immigrant, claimed to have seen a man assaulting her in Duck
Fields Yard off of Berner St. His testimony, though
significant, offered no means ofidentifying the assailant.
Just minutes later, around 1:00 AM, Elizabeth Stride's body was
discovered by Louis Deemschutz, the steward of a nearby club.
(10:40):
The scene was marked by a chilling difference from the
previous murders. Her throat had been cut the
river's signature mark, but there were no signs of abdominal
mutilation that characterized the other killings.
It's believed that the killer was interrupted before he could
complete his gruesome work, perhaps by the arrival of Deem,
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Schutzwurst and Cart. The investigation into Elizabeth
Stride's murder was complicated by the unique nature of her
injuries. Some investigators even
questioned whether her death wasconnected to the river killings
at all. However, the cutthroat, a
hallmark of the Ripper's methods, and the proximity in
time and location to the other murders LED most to believe that
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she, too, had fallen victim to the same hand.
The police and their relentless pursuit of the killer
interviewed countless witnesses and scoured the area, but as
with the other cases, their efforts yielded no conclusive
leads. Now let us turn our attention to
the second victim of that horrific night, the double
event, Catherine Eddos. Born Catherine Conway in
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Wolverhampton in 1842, her life had a tumultuous journey marked
by poverty, alcoholism, and periods of homelessness.
She adopted various aliases, including Kate Conway and
Catherine Kelly, a reflection ofher transient existence.
She lived with a man named John Kelly, their lives intertwined
(12:09):
in a struggle for survival. Catherine's involvement in sex
work work was inconsistent. She made her living through odd
jobs and even earned some money by singing in the streets, a
brief respite from the harsh realities of her life.
On the night of her murder, Catherine Eddos was seen in
various locations around Whitechapel, her movements a
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desperate dance with fate. Earlier that day she had
actually been arrested for beingdrunk and disorderly, but was
later released. Around 1:45 AM, her body was
discovered in Mitre Square by a police constable.
The scene was a grotesque mirrorof the Rippers escalating
brutality. Her throat was cut, her abdomen
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savagely mutilated, her face disfigured beyond recognition.
Some of her organs were removed,a chilling detail that spoke to
the killers to pray. Fascination with human anatomy,
the savagery of her murder surpassed even the horror
inflicted upon Annie Chapman. A descent into the abyss of
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unimaginable cruelty. The investigation into Catherine
Eddo's murder unfolded in a chaotic atmosphere, fuelled by
the escalating panic that gripped the city.
The police, under immense pressure to deliver justice,
meticulously searched the crime scene in Mitre Square.
Investigators collected various pieces of evidence, including a
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piece of apron believed to have been left behind by the killer.
The piece of apron found along with a cryptic message scrawled
on a nearby wall, now known as the Goulston St.
Graffito, ignited a firestorm and a debate of speculation.
The Goulston St. The Frito discovered in the
early hours of September 30th, 1888, was a message written in
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chalk on the wall in Goulston Street, near where the bloody
piece of Catherine Eddo's apron was found.
The message read. The Jews are the men that will
not be blamed for nothing. The discovery of this message
raised several crucial questions.
Was it written by the Ripper? The proximity of the apron and
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the message strongly suggests a connection, but some argue it
could have been written by someone else.
What was it to meaning? The message's potential
anti-Semitic overtones sparked fears of escalating tensions in
Whitechapel, which had a large Jewish population.
Why was it erased? Metropolitan Police Commissioner
Sir Charles Warren, fearing riots or violence against the
(14:44):
Jewish community, ordered the message to be erased before it
could be properly photographed or analyzed.
This decision remains controversial, as the graffiti
might have held crucial clues. Let us now turn our attention to
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the key witnesses and the investigation surrounding the
double murders of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddles.
In Elizabeth Stride's murder, our first witness is Israel
Schwartz. This Hungarian immigrants
testimony is vital, as he claimed to have seen a man
assaulting Stride before her death.
(15:28):
However, his description of the man was too vague to be of any
real use in the investigation. Louis Ding Schmutz, the steward
who discovered Stride's body. His arrival on the scene,
perhaps interrupting the killer is a key detail.
William Marshall, a laborer who placed Stride with a man outside
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63 Berner St. Matthew Packer, a greengrocer
who claimed to have sold black grapes to a man and woman
outside his shop around the timeof the murder in Catherine
Eddo's case. Joseph Lwind, a cigarette
salesman who saw Eddo's with a man in Mitre Square shortly
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before her murder. His description is considered
one of the most reliable eyewitness accounts.
Hi, I'm Levy and Harry Harris. Lewin's companions also saw the
couple but unfortunately didn't pay much attention to the man.
Police constable George James, the officer who discovered Edo's
body. The double murder of Elizabeth
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Stride and Catherine Edo's marked a turning point in the
Ripper investigation. The sheer audacity of the
killer, striking twice in one night, amplified the terror that
gripped London and intensified the pressure on the police to
bring him to justice. Yet despite their tireless
efforts and the growing public attention, the Ripper continued
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to elude capture, leaving behindonly the trail of blood and a
city consumed by fear. It was around this time,
relatively early in the timelineof the murders, that the police
began receiving letters claimingto be from Jack the Ripper.
It's important to note, however,that the authenticity of these
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letters is highly debated. Here's a breakdown of the key
letters and their place in the Ripper timeline.
The Dear Boss Letter This infamous letter, written in red
ink, was dated September 25th, 1888 and postmarked 2 days later
on September 27th. It arrived at the Central News
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Agency on the same day and was forwarded to Scotland Yard on
September 29th, just days beforethe double event.
This letter holds immense significance as it marked the
first time the name Jack the Ripper was used.
The letter contained chilling details about the murders,
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suggesting the author had some degree of inside knowledge.
The letter, addressed to Dear Boss was written in a mocking
and taunting tone. Key excerpts include bragging
about the crimes. Quote.
I am down on whores and I shan'tquit ripping them until I do get
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buckled in. Quote the sinister nature of the
letter. Quote Yours truly, Jack the
Ripper in quote This was the first known use of a name that
would become synonymous with terror in Whitechapel and across
the world. A chilling prediction.
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Quote The next job I do, I shallclip the lady's ears off and
send to the police officers justfor jolly, wouldn't you?
End Quote. This is particularly significant
because Catherine Eddo's murdered just days later had
part of her earlobes severed, leading some to believe that
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this letter was genuine. The authenticity of the Dear
Boss letter has been a subject of intense debate.
Many believe it was a hoax, perhaps written by a journalist
seeking to sensationalize the case and boost newspaper sales.
Others argue that the ear cutting reference lends
credibility, though it's possible the killer read about
(19:24):
the letter before committing thecrime.
Regardless, Scotland Yard took it seriously, even reprinting it
in the newspapers, hoping someone would recognize the
handwriting. Following the Dear Boss letter,
several other messages arrived, each adding to the mystery in
terror. The Saucy Jackie postcard was
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received by the Central News Agency on October 1st, 1888.
This postcard is believed by many to be from the same author
as the Dear Boss letter. Its tone is even more taunting,
further fueling the public sphere.
The famous From Hell letter, arguably the most infamous.
This letter was sent to George Lusk, the head of the White
(20:08):
Chapel Vigilance Committee, on the 16th of October 1888.
It contained half of a human kidney, believed by some to have
been taken from Catherine Eddo's.
This letter is particularly chilling, a macabre message.
From the depths of a twisted mind, it's crucial to note a few
(20:30):
key points about these letters. While these are the most well
known, numerous other letters were sent to the police during
the Ripper murders. The vast majority are considered
hoaxes. Even the Dear Boss and Saucy
Jackie and From Hell letters have been questioned.
Regardless of their authenticity, though, the Ripper
letters had a profound impact onthe public perception of the
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murders. They amplified the mystique and
the terror surrounding the killer, solidifying his name in
the public imagination. Jack the Ripper The police,
despite their best efforts, wereunable to glean any useful
information from the letters that would lead to the
identification of Jack the Ripper.
(21:15):
Again, the limitations of technology hindered their
investigation, leaving them withmore questions than answers.
Jack the Ripper was not the onlymoniker given to the man who
terrorized Whitechapel. Other aliases reflected the
public's attempt to understand the horror that was unfolding in
(21:37):
their midst, The Whitechapel murderer.
This is one of the most common early designation.
A simple reference to the location of the crimes.
It lacked the theatrical flair that Jack the Ripper would later
acquire. The Leather Apron.
This name emerged from rumors and a suspect or a possible
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scapegoat who was believed to wear a leather apron.
It also predates Jack the Ripperand was associated with earlier,
possibly unrelated crimes in thearea.
The Butcher of Whitechapel This name emphasized the brutal and
savage nature of the killings, highlighting the mutilations of
the victims. The Fiend of Whitechapel Similar
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to the Butcher, this name conveyed the sense of a
monstrous or inhuman killer. Our final canonical victim, Mary
Jane Kelly, was murdered on November 9th in Miller's Court
off of Dorset. St.
Mary Jane, 25 years old, was theyoungest of the canonical
(22:44):
victims. Born in Ireland.
She came to London seeking a better life, like so many
others, but was forced to turn to prostitution to survive.
Her body was discovered around 10:45 AM.
The room where she died became ascene of unspeakable horror, a
testament to the Ripper's ultimate depravity.
(23:09):
Mary Jane Kelly's life, though tragically brief, is shrouded in
a greater degree of mystery thanthe other victims.
Her life is not well documented.She claimed to have been married
in Ireland, but no records of this have ever been found.
She came to London likely seeking a better life, but like
so many impoverished women in the East End, she turned to
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prostitution to survive. She was also known by several
aliases, including Marie Jeanette, and was described as
being attractive and intelligent.
Kelly lived in a single room at 13 Millers Court, a small
impoverished alleyway off DorsetSt. which was itself known as
(23:52):
one of the most dangerous streets in Whitechapel.
She shared this room with a man named George Barnett, who worked
as a fish Porter. Their relationship appears to
have been relatively stable, although they were both very
poor. The discovery of Mary Jane
Kelly's body is shrouded in conflicting accounts.
(24:13):
Some say it was her landlord, while others claim it was his
assistant who found her body. One account states that Mary
Jane Kelly's body was discoveredby Thomas Ballier, an assistant
to her landlord, John McCarthy. It's commonly believed that on
the morning of November 9th, 1888, McCarthy sent his
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assistant Valyer to collect overdue rent from Kelly at her
room in Miller's Court off of Dorset St.
When Valyer knocked on the door and received no response, he
peered through the broken windowcovered by a curtain.
What he saw was a scene of unimaginable horror.
Kelly's mutilated body lay on the bed in an almost
(24:57):
unrecognizable state. Her face had been completely
disfigured, her body eviscerated, her organs removed.
Shocked, Bowyer immediately ran back to McCarthy, who then
informed the police. When authorities arrived, they
were met with the most gruesome crime scene of all.
(25:22):
The circumstances of Mary Jane Kelly's murder are particularly
chilling. Unlike the other victims who
were killed outdoors in more public spaces, Kelly was
murdered in her own room. This gave the killer more time
and privacy, and the level of violence inflicted upon her was
absolutely horrific. She was found lying naked on her
(25:46):
bed, heavily mutilated beyond recognition.
Her throat was cut down to the spine, nearly decapitating her,
much like the other victims. Her face, however, was
completely disfigured, with deepcuts and slashes making it
nearly unrecognizable. Her chest and abdomen had been
(26:08):
opened up, with most of her organs either removed or placed
around the room. Her heart was missing and was
never found. This was possibly taken as a
trophy. Her breast had been removed and
were placed beneath her head. Her uterus, kidneys and
(26:29):
intestines were pulled out and arranged around the body.
Thigh flesh was stripped down tothe bone.
In some areas. Blood absolutely covered the
walls and the floor, indicating a very slow and methodical
dismemberment. In the darkness of Mary Jane
(26:50):
Kelly's bedroom, the Ripper tookhis time carving what might have
been his final horrific masterpiece.
The level of mutilation surpassed anything seen before
in the Ripper's previous crimes,A descent into unimaginable
cruelty. The investigation into Mary Jane
Kelly's murder was the most extensive of all the Ripper
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cases. The police thoroughly searched
the room and interviewed numerous witnesses.
However, the fact that the murder had occurred indoors
meant that there was even less chance of finding any clear
evidence. The room itself was small and
cluttered, and the extensive mutilation of the body made it
difficult to determine the exactsequence of events.
(27:39):
Let's discuss the witnesses in Mary Jane Kelly's case.
He witnessed testimonies from local pubs and shops.
Miss Marianne Cox, a neighbor and witness at Miller's Court,
said that she saw Kelly around 11:45 PM on November 8th, 1888.
She mentioned that Kelly was very drunk and singing loudly in
(28:01):
her room a song called A Violet Hug from my Mother's Grave.
She was with a man described as wearing a long dark coat with a
wide brimmed hat. Cox last saw light in Kelly's
room around 1:00 AM and then heard nothing after that.
Caroline Maxwell was also a key witness, but she confused the
(28:24):
timeline, making this more challenging, she claimed that
she saw Kelly at 8:00 AM on November 9th, after the
estimated time of her death. She said Kelly was wearing a
shabby jacket and a hat, and sheseemed I'll.
If true, this contradicted medical estimates that Kelly was
murdered between 3:30 in the morning and 5:00 AM.
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Her Samuel was not widely accepted by police.
Maurice Lewis, a local pub ownerand possible witness.
He was drinking at the Horn of Pliny, which was a nearby pub,
claimed to assault Kelly around 10:00 AM at the pub.
This contradicts other evidence suggesting confusion or mistaken
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identity. John McCarthy, shop owner and
landlord at Miller's Court. He owned McCarthy's shop and
also acted as Kelly's landlord. Kelly was behind on rent owing
29 shillings and on November 9th, when Kelly didn't emerge,
McCarthy sent his assistant Thomas Bowyer to collect the
(29:27):
rent. That is when Bowyer discovered
her mutilated body through the window.
McCarthy later described the horrific scene.
Quote, the site we saw I cannot drive away from my mind in,
quote. Other key witnesses include
George Barnett. Kelly's roommate and partner was
(29:49):
a key witness, but his testimonywas complicated by the fact that
he had left the room the night before the murder.
He provided information about Kelly's life and habits, but he
could not provide a direct account of the events that
unfolded on the night of the murder.
Neighbors and residents of Miller's Court were also
interviewed, but their accounts were often limited and didn't
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provide a clear description of the perpetrator.
George Hutchinson, a man who claimed to have met Kelly on
Commercial St. the night of the murder.
His testimony has been regarded as suspicious by many
reprologists due to its highly detailed nature.
Hutchinson claimed that he had known Mary Jane Kelly for about
3 years and that on the night ofher murder he saw her at around
(30:32):
2:00 AM on Commercial Street near the 10 Bells Pub.
He said that Kelly was approached by a well dressed man
whom she willingly accompanied to her room in Miller's Court.
He was standing near Commercial Street when Kelly walked past
him saying she was down on her luck.
Shortly after she was approachedby a well dressed gentleman,
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described in extreme detail around 34 to 35 years old, about
5 foot 6, pale complexion with adark curled up mustache.
He was wearing a fur trimmed coat, dark hat and had dark
spats over his light boots. He was wearing a gold chain.
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The witness also mentioned that this man was carrying a small
package and a leather glove in his right hand.
Kelly and the man spoke briefly,laughed and walked arm in arm
towards Miller's Court. Hutchinson followed them out of
curiosity and stood near Dorset St. for about 45 minutes
watching Kelly's window. Around 3:00 AM, he left because
(31:39):
he saw no further activity. So why was his testimony
suspicious? He reported it late.
Despite supposedly seeing Mary Kelly with a wealthy looking man
just hours before she was found horrifically mutilated.
Hutchinson did not report the sighting until November 12th, 3
(31:59):
days after the murder. He only came forward after
reading press reports about another witness, Sarah Lewis,
who describes seeing a man lurking near Miller's court,
which very well could have been him.
He gave overly detailed descriptions.
The level of detail in his description is unusually
precise, too precise for someonewho only saw the man under poor
(32:23):
lighting conditions. Some have suggested it sounds
fabricated, as if he were tryingto shift suspicion elsewhere.
And why was he watching Kelly's room?
He claimed he stood near Miller's court for 45 minutes
watching, which is very strange behavior.
Some theorists believe he might have been involved in the crime
(32:46):
or at least had something to hide.
The police initially believed him and then dismissed him.
Inspector Aberlin initially found his testimony credible and
even sent officers to search forthe mysterious well dressed man.
However, by late November 1888, police no longer considered
Hutchinson's statement reliable.Other witnesses interviewed
(33:09):
include the local pub and shop owners.
People who owned or work in the pubs and the shops in the area
were interviewed as they might have seen Kelly or other
suspicious individuals in the days leading up to the murder,
but nothing substantial came outof these interviews.
The witness interviews in Mary Jane Kelly case, like those and
(33:30):
the other Ripper murders, were ultimately and frustratingly
unreliable. While many people were
interviewed, their accounts wereoften contradictory,
inconsistent or just simply unhelpful, and there were many
challenges with witness testimony.
The murders occurred in a densely populated but often
(33:51):
thinly lit and chaotic area of London.
Witnesses might have seen or heard something but been unsure
of the exact location and the time.
As I mentioned in episode 1, fear and intimidation was a
problem. Chapel was a rough area and many
residents were afraid to get involved with the police.
(34:11):
They might have been reluctant to come forward or give accurate
information for fear of reprisal.
The transient population With itbeing transient in Whitechapel,
people moved in and out of lodging houses frequently,
making it difficult to track down potential witnesses or
verify their stories. Even when witnesses did come
(34:33):
forward, their accounts often conflicted.
This could be due to poor memory, different perspectives,
too much alcohol, or even a desire to embellish their
stories. Yellow journalism was popular at
that time. The sensationalism of it
influenced the reporting. The more sensational story, the
(34:53):
more likely it would end up on the front page, and the Ripper
murders were the biggest story of the era.
Some witnesses might have been influenced by newspaper reports
or rumors, making their testimony less reliable.
The witness interviews in the Mary Jane Kelly case, like those
in the other Ripper murders, were inconclusive.
(35:14):
While the police interviewed many people, they were unable to
gather enough reliable evidence to identify and apprehend the
killer. The challenges of witness
testimony in the Victorian era, combined with the brutal nature
of the crime and the lack of forensic technology, made it
extremely difficult to piece together the events of that
night and bring the perpetrator to justice.
(35:38):
The murder of Mary Jane Kelly marked the end of the canonical
Ripper killings. After her death, the frequency
of the murders abruptly ceased. While there have been other
suspected Ripper victims, these five murders, Marianne Nichols,
Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride,Catherine Eddoes, and Mary Jane
(35:59):
Kelly, are generally considered the core of the Ripper's reign
of terror. Kelly's murder, with its
unmatched brutality, remains a chilling reminder of the
darkness that stalked the streets of Whitechapel in the
autumn of 1888. Her death, like those of the
other victims, remains a haunting testament to the
(36:20):
Ripper's ability to evade justice.
But the story doesn't end here. The mystery of Jack the Ripper
continues to haunt us, to fascinate and disturb.
I do hope you join me for the final episode of this macabre
feature, Unmasking a Killer. We'll dive into the current DNA
(36:44):
evidence, talk about suspects and theories, and maybe, just
maybe, reveal the true identity of one of history's most
notorious killers.
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