10 Terrifying Things You Didn’t Know About Jack The Ripper

1.

Contrary to popular belief, there was no fog on the night of any of the five canonical murders.

2.

Jack was nearly nabbed by the coppers several times: once mysteriously vanishing from a courtyard where a skittish pony prevented his escape, one escaping through a passageway in an lodging house (or climbing over five-foot tall fences) sends before police arrived, once making it off a street down which, in both directions, bobbies approached and arrived in seconds.

3.

The murders took place against heavy occupied dwellings or close by heavily-traveled pedestrian walkways, not at the ends of deserted alleyways. What was remarkable about them then was not their violence — though they were remarkably violent (see next) — but the efficiency and speed of their commission.

4.

All five victims were dead BEFORE hideous mutilations were enacted upon the bodies. In fact the murders themselves were in their way quite humane, in that the women died within seconds, certainly no more than a minute, after being struck. None of the women screamed and none of the murder sites give evidence of a struggle.

5.

Jack had to look quite normal, not like some skulking creeper in a top hat and opera cape; he moved to and from the killings through busy, well-lit avenues. An exotic appearance would have attracted interest, and the police, idiotically, were directed to look for “exotic” looking suspects.

6.

Though all five victims were “unfortunates” (streetwalkers) they came from different parts of Whitechapel and did not know each other.

7.

All the killings took place under a waxing or waning moon, though not in any rhythmic pattern.

8.

All the killings took place on the weekend, when Whitechapel traffic was particularly high.

9.

There was a surprising paucity of blood at each of the outdoor sites; the fifth, Mary Jane Kelly, was killed and dismembered in her room, and produced a great deal more bloodflow. Pictures still exist of this murder site, but they can be recommend only to the hard of heart and strong of stomach.

Bonus:

Given his physical dexterity, silent movement and great strength, Jack MOST resembles one classical serial killer above all others: the Orang in Poe’s “Murders in the Rue Morgue.”