Jack the Ripper: The Forgotten Victims by Paul Begg & John Bennett

Author:Paul Begg & John Bennett [Begg, Paul & Bennett, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: True Crime, Murder, Serial Killers, history, General
ISBN: 9780300117202
Google: jhzqAgAAQBAJ
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 2013-01-01T00:24:53.053522+00:00

One final development came in the form of a shocking discovery by the Thames Police. A jar, thought to be like those used for pickles, was found floating in the river at Whitehall. It contained a male foetus, believed to be of 5–6 months’ gestation.30 However, just as in the case of the abandoned newborn at Pimlico a few days before, it was impossible to connect this incident with the events of the previous eight days.

Several newspapers, particularly overseas, had linked this ‘Thames Mystery’ with the Whitechapel murders right from the first discovery of pieces of body; Washington's Evening Star stated that ‘it is generally believed that “Jack the Ripper” has resumed his bloody work’,31 and similarly the Newark Daily Advocate put out the headline ‘Jack the Ripper again spreads terror through Whitechapel’.32 Reports that two letters, supposedly from Jack the Ripper, had been sent to Leman Street police station made an early appearance in the press. The first letter – which arrived three days before the first set of remains was discovered – was headed, ‘He is not dead, but liveth.’ It was signed ‘Jack the Ripper’ and suggested that the writer was about to ‘recommence operations’ in the East End. No particular attention was paid to this letter at the time, until the discovery of the remains at Horsleydown and Battersea. On 6 June, another letter was received, making specific reference to unfolding events: ‘I see you have been finding the pieces. How is it you have not caught me yet? Look out for more pieces.’33 Still, the letters were given little consideration by the police, used as they were to such missives.

The domestic press, however, was circumspect about jumping to conclusions. Still, once the finding of human remains in the Thames had all but ceased, one paper was moved to comment: ‘This would point not to isolated and intelligible murder, but to one more crime in an unexplained series – possibly, but not certainly, the same series as that which is associated with the Whitechapel mysteries.’34

With the mighty river refusing to offer up any new remains, the inquest into the death of this woman whose dismembered body had been strewn about the Thames foreshore began on Saturday, 15 June, at the Star and Garter pub in Battersea. It was presided over by Athelstan Braxton Hicks, coroner for mid-Surrey. The inquest created a great deal of excitement and attracted many people who lingered outside the court. Pointing out that no fewer than twenty-three witnesses would be appearing to give testimony, Mr Braxton Hicks decided that medical evidence should be given first. Dr Thomas Bond was called. He handed over the medical report, which was read out:

… the remains were those of the same woman, and that the deceased was about 20 or 30 years of age, fair and plump, with bright, sandy hair. From the length of the thighbone the witness was of opinion that the deceased was about five feet four inches or five feet six inches in height.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.