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PART ONE — EUROPE.

In 1888, London was shocked by a series of brutal murders that left the police baffled and East Enders terrified. No one was ever successfully caught and convicted of the so-called ‘Whitechapel Murders’, allowing historians and amateur sleuths to speculate on the true identity of the killer known as ‘Jack the Ripper’ ever since.

Most researchers agree that ‘Jack’ killed five women between August and November 1888. Others argue that there could be as many as eight or nine murders committed by the same killer. What is not in dispute is the brutality of these killings, which were out of the ordinary and well beyond the usual domestic homicides that blighted

life in this desperately poor community. All the murders took place in a geographically small area: Whitechapel and Spitalfields were home to tens of thousands of Queen Victoria’s poorest subjects, many crammed into dingy lodging houses where rooms could be rented for a few pennies a night. Prostitution was rife in the East End and most researchers believe that the women the ‘Ripper’ targeted were selling sex in order to find the money they needed to put a roof over their heads.

The first of the ‘canonical five’ victims was Mary Ann ‘Polly’ Nichols (1845–88), whose dead body was found by two workmen, Charles Cross (1849–1920) and Robert Paul (dates unknown), on their daily commute at just after 3:30 a.m. on 31 August. Cross had seen what he thought to be a tarpaulin lying close to the gates of a stable yard on Buck’s Row. Examining the bundle, he soon realized it was a body and called Paul over. While the pair went off in search of a policeman, the local beat bobby, Police Constable 97J John Neil (1850–unknown), arrived and blew his whistle for help. Polly had

whitechapel & spitalfields.

–.JACK THE RIPPER .× 5. +

englandlondon.

weapon.knife.

typology.sexual.

policing. criminal profiling.

BCEF

D

31 August 1888.buck’s row,

whitechapel.

8 September 1888.29 hanbury street,

spitalfields.

30 September 1888. dutfield’s yard, berner street,

whitechapel.

9 November 1888.

miller’s court, dorset street,

spitalfields.

30 September 1888. mitre square, mitre

street, aldgate.

BCEF

D

 Mary Ann Nichols.Throat twice-cut, abdomen mutilated.

Aged 43.

 Annie Chapman.Throat cut, body mutilated, disembowelled, uterus partially removed.Aged c. 47.

 Elizabeth Stride.Throat cut.Aged 44.

 Mary Jane Kelly.Throat cut, skinned (abdomen & thighs), disembowelled, face mutilated, breasts removed.Aged 25.

 Catherine Eddowes.Throat cut, tip of nose cut off, uterus and one kidney removed.

Aged 46.