Jack the Ripper: what the evidence says (Whitechapel, 1888)
"Jack the Ripper" is the name given to the killer of several women in Whitechapel, in London's East End, in 1888. Five victims are called "canonical": Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly. The killer was never identified.
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We tell the victims' stories through their lives, never their deaths. No injury is described and no real suspect is named as guilty.
Timeline
- 31 August 1888 — Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols is found dead in Buck's Row.
- 8 September 1888 — Annie Chapman is found in the yard of 29 Hanbury Street.
- 27 September 1888 — The Central News Agency receives the "Dear Boss" letter, signed "Jack the Ripper".
- 30 September 1888 — Elizabeth Stride (Berner Street) and Catherine Eddowes (Mitre Square, in the City) are killed on the same night.
- 16 October 1888 — George Lusk, head of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, receives the "From Hell" letter.
- 9 November 1888 — Mary Jane Kelly is found in her room in Miller's Court.
- 1889 — Charles Booth publishes his poverty map of London, showing Whitechapel street by street.
- 23 February 1894 — Memorandum by Sir Melville Macnaghten (Scotland Yard) naming three men suspected by officers, without proof.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jack the Ripper?
Nobody knows. No evidence has ever identified the killer; the "solutions" published since 1888 rest on suspicion, late testimony or disputed analyses.
How many victims did Jack the Ripper have?
Five victims are called "canonical" (Nichols, Chapman, Stride, Eddowes, Kelly). The police file on the "Whitechapel murders" covers eleven killings between 1888 and 1891, not all attributed to the same person.
Where does the name "Jack the Ripper" come from?
From a letter signed "Jack the Ripper", received by the Central News Agency on 27 September 1888 and published by the press. Its authenticity has always been doubted.
When did the murders happen?
The five "canonical" murders took place between 31 August and 9 November 1888, in Whitechapel and the neighbouring City of London.
Who led the investigation?
The Metropolitan Police, notably Inspector Frederick Abberline and Chief Inspector Donald Swanson, and the City of London Police for the Mitre Square murder.
Who were the victims?
Women of the district, often without a fixed home, who slept in lodging houses paid by the night. Their lives are documented in records and coroners' inquests; historian Hallie Rubenhold told their stories in The Five (2019).
Myths and evidence
- "The police knew who it was." TESTIMONY
Officers voiced suspicions, notably in the 1894 Macnaghten memorandum, but no one was ever charged with these murders. - "The killer had a surgeon's skill." TESTIMONY
The doctors of 1888 disagreed with each other on this point. - "The 'Dear Boss' letter was written by the killer." RUMOUR
Nothing proves it; some officers of the time attributed it to a journalist.
Primary sources and references
- The National Archives (UK) — Metropolitan Police files on the Whitechapel murders (MEPO 3/140-142)
- Hallie Rubenhold, The Five (2019)
- Charles Booth's poverty map (LSE)
- 1888 press — British Newspaper Archive
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