Quezi

Punch magazine criticises police for their failure to catch the murderer who would soon be known as Jack the Ripper. (Punch 22nd September 1888 NKCR)

The murders of six prostitutes in London’s east end between August and November 1888 are known to everyone as the Jack the Ripper murders.  Each of the women was brutally attacked, murdered, and some had their bodies mutilated. The murders were committed within a small area of streets and alleys.

The failure of the police to catch the murderer and brutality of the murders created alarm in the general public. This was fueled by the newspaper coverage of the time.

But where did the name Jack the Ripper come from? On 27 September, 1888, the Central News Agency received a letter written in red ink addressed to “Dear boss”. The writer boasted of their exploits in the murders.  It was signed “Jack the Ripper” with a postscript of “Don’t mind me giving the trade name”.

This was followed up by a postcard on 1 October, again sent to the Central News Agency making reference to the earlier letter. Again signed “Jack the Ripper“.

At first it was thought they were practical jokes, but reference in one letter to cutting off ears and the posting of the letters within a short time of the latest murder suggested to the police the letters could have been written by the murderer. Their contents were revealed to the newspapers in the hope that the public would respond with information. This resulted in wide publicity of the contents of letters and the name Jack the Ripper became immediately infamous.

Within days the phrase Jack the Ripper was in use in popular speech, even used by children in their games, and the newspapers found it a useful label when referring to the murders, or even later murders which were equally brutal, but unconnected with the original East End murders.

For the next months and even years the police received hundreds of letters and postcards signed Jack the Ripper, and graffiti was found on walls signed in the same name.

There is now a fascination with everything Jack the Ripper, and despite the fact that it is thought the two letters were indeed hoaxes, framed facsimiles of the letters can be purchased.