The historic letter, seen above, is from one of the most notorious serial-killers of all time: 'Jack the Ripper.'
And even though it makes no reference to the name 'Jack the Ripper,' it's been regarded by experts as the most authentic of all the correspondences sent to the local newspapers and tabloids at the time—and there were many of them.
Seeming looking for fame and attention, many people sent fake "Ripper" letters to newspapers and such.
The authentic letter above, however, was sent to George Lusk—the Chairman of the "Whitechapel Vigilance Committee" in 1888.
It's authenticity stems from the fact that it had the remains of a human Kidney enclosed, and reads as follows:
"From hell,
Mr Lusk,
Sir,
I send you half the Kidney I took from one women -- preserved it for you -- the other piece I fried and ate -- it was very nice. I may send you the bloody knife that I took it out with if you'll only wait a while longer.
-- signed,
Catch me when you can Mishter Lusk"
The letter was written during a time known as the 'autumn of terror.'
Today the note is nearly 125 years old. But it can still bring chills up one's spine. Especially if you know the full story behind it.
The story itself is quite simple.
For ten weeks, beginning in August of 1888, in the east-end London, England, slum, known as Whitechapel, there existed the type psychopathic killer who today has become quite common. A serial murderer who preys only on the weakest and easiest of victims, prostitutes.
These particular prostitutes were indeed dregs of society, but not whores by choice.
Poor destitute ladies, they sold their bodies as a last resort—mainly in order to get a bed at a local homeless shelter, where they would need a few pennies to secure a bed.
The first prostitute to feel the Ripper's blade slash across her velvet-feminine-body was Mary Anne Nichols, nicknamed 'Polly.'
There were four more innocent victims who came after 'Polly' during the ten weeks before the killings finally stopped.
These women all had the signature of the same killer.
The Ripper's
motes-operendi was to crudely dissect his victims..exposing their body cavities—but only after killing them first.
So who was he?
In my opinion this guy was nothing more than a common slaughterhouse worker—there were dozens of such butcher shops, and manufacturing houses in the area at the time; this so-called 'Jack the Ripper' could have been employed at any one of them.
In fact, he had to be a man who was familiar with body cavities.
Perhaps he even had some sort of obsession for the human anatomy—or the field-dressing of animals, or perhaps a craving for dissecting all living things?
He certainly he had some sort of 'fetish' for his female victim's heated and steaming entrails. Why else would he risk the time and effort involved to slice-them-open and expose their inner cavities? He could have been easily captured while doing this.
This case is unsolved.. and likely will never be solved.
Nevertheless, the glamor and romance of the 'Jack the Ripper' story has endured for over a century; and the simplicity of the crimes, and brutality involved, has sadly been overlooked.
Scotland Yard investigators, in my humble opinion, couldn't see the forest for the trees. The ''Ripper'' was extremely easy to catch..perhaps too easy.
In fact 'Jack the Ripper' was probably right around the corner from the police station, maybe even slicing up steaks and roasts for the locals.
That's my two cents worth.
Stay Tuned.
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cagestokerblog on twitter.
