Jack The Ripper: Letters From Hell - Softcover

Evans, Stewart P.; Skinner, Keith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 075093770X ISBN 13: 9780750937702

Publisher: Sutton Pub Ltd, 2005

Synopsis

Between August and November 1888 six women were found murdered and mutilated in London's East End and Aldgate. All were prostitutes; one was found on a common landing, one in the street, one in a backyard, one in an entry, one in a public square and the sixth in a house. The murders provoked massive interest in the press and dozens of letters quickly appeared, claiming to have been written by the killer. The origin of the name Jack the Ripper itself was a letter, famously written to 'Dear Boss,' the head of the Central News Agency.

Certain letters have been reproduced or quoted in previous books but Stewart Evans and Keith Skinner are the first to have read and examined every one. This book reproduces and transcribes all the letters, including the 'Dear Boss' correspondence and the horrific letter sent to the chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee together with a piece of human kidney. The authors relate the letters to the complete story of the Whitechapel murders, tracing the hysteria and misconceptions that dogged both the police and Fleet Street during 1888-9 and providing revealing insights into the Victorian psyche.

For the first time the cases of three people arrested by the police for sending 'Jack the Ripper' letters are explored, including that of Maria Coroner, the attractive 21-year-old Bradford girl. Evans and Skinner also examine the letters of seven suspects, including Dr. Roslyn D'Onston Stephenson and Nikaner Benelius. The story of the Ripper letters ends by posing a controversial question: was Jack the Ripper merely a press invention?

About this title

About the Author

Stewart Evans and Keith Skinner are two of the world's leading experts on Jack the Ripper. Keith Skinner was one of the authors of 'The Ripper Diary' and Stewart Evans is the author of 'Executioner'.

From Library Journal

The Whitechapel murders of 1888 captured the public's attention not only for their ferocity but for an almost theatrical aspect in the form of letters from the purported killer. Evans and Skinner here expand upon the information presented in their The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Companion (LJ 12/00) by analyzing the more than 700 communications. Most of the letters are regarded as tasteless pranks, including the famous "Dear Boss" missive that introduced the name "Jack the Ripper" (investigators credit this moniker to a tabloid journalist). However, a few are believed to be genuine, namely, the "From Hell" note accompanying half a kidney possibly removed from victim Catherine Eddowes. Though perhaps frauds, the letters make interesting reading and bespeak the depravity of a society that would use gruesome murders as a means of entertainment. In addition to an analysis of their texts, this volume includes complete transcripts of all the letters held in the police files buttressed with numerous outstanding pictures of the original notes. While seasoned Ripperologists will love this book, the specificity limits its usefulness. Therefore, this is recommended only for collections already sporting a general overview volume, e.g., John J. Eddleston's noteworthy Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia (ABC-CLIO, 2001). Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Sutton Pub Ltd
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 075093770X
• ISBN 13: 9780750937702
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 306