Conflict With The Double Image Of The Ripper

[How Brown]

Several Ripper authors who appear on documentaries, such as Mr. Rumbelow, can usually be found mentioning the public's perception of the Ripper being that of a foreigner.

On the other hand, the depiction of the Ripper as being a man carrying a Gladstone bag, wearing a top hat,etc....is also a prominent perception which gets mentioned on Ripper documentaries. Its hard to tell which one supercedes the other...because the civilian world will probably be found assuming the toff image fits best while Ripperologists seem to lean in the direction of the working man or foreigner.

I wonder what the membership feels about this double identity that the Ripper has maintained over the last 122 years.

Does anyone find it a little unusual that in the WM case, we find two very prominent perceptions about the same individual ?

Your thoughts,please.

[Adam Went]

You've summed it up pretty well already I think, How. Hollywood prefers the version of the Ripper with the top hat, cape and gladstone bag - a lot of Ripperologists prefer the version of him being a foreigner. I guess you could also include the perception that he was a raving lunatic in there as well.

Of course there's a better case to be made for his being a foreigner than there is for him lugging around the hat, cape and gladstone....

Cheers,
Adam.

[How Brown]

AW:

In the Zodiac case, we have the police artist sketch of the supposed killer with a crewcut and glasses...and the man with the bag over his head with the symbol of a crosshair.

I don't believe many more anonymous serial killers have two representative depictions besides these two, do you ?

The Boston Strangler has none. The Texarkana Moonlight Murderer has one. The Cleveland Torso Slayer doesn't have one. Jack The Stripper doesn't have one,does he ?

[Adam Went]

How:

You're right, and no i'm not aware of any other descriptions of those serial killers other than what you've mentioned. I guess it's just all about perception, and if the public is frightened enough, and the press decides to publish a particular image or description, that's the one people are going to be looking out for the most and, if uncaught, that's the image that's going to last in the public mind.

One other case that does come to mind is the sketches of Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker, but then he was caught....

Cheers,
Adam.

[George Lorton]

Several Ripper authors who appear on documentaries, such as Mr. Rumbelow, can usually be found mentioning the public's perception of the Ripper being that of a foreigner.

On the other hand, the depiction of the Ripper as being a man carrying a Gladstone bag, wearing a top hat,etc....is also a prominent perception which gets mentioned on Ripper documentaries. Its hard to tell which one supercedes the other...because the civilian world will probably be found assuming the toff image fits best while Ripperologists seem to lean in the direction of the working man or foreigner.

I wonder what the membership feels about this double identity that the Ripper has maintained over the last 122 years.

Does anyone find it a little unusual that in the WM case, we find two very prominent perceptions about the same individual ?

Your thoughts,please.

Not really. it is human nature as Adam pointed out for folks to have a particular image of a murderer in their minds because they will want to be on the look out for that type of person. A lot of their build up of that image has to do with what they were told by the press and how they were raised and taught by their parents.

Now a lot of poor middle class people had and some still do have an ingrained mistrust of the rich, So of course they are going to think that it is a gentleman dressed to the nines carrying out these murders and they will teach their children that it was a rich man. While you have another set of middle class and some other poor people thinking that it was one of those sneaky foreigners with their strange and outlandish customers who won't merge with society and accept or do things the way normal God fearing folk would. When you throw in a sensationalist Press what you have is a mess. The same thing happened with the Titanic. God was punishing those evil sinners. you even have songs like "God Moves On The Water" and "Down with the Old Canoe" celebrating or continuing that dogma which could be right but I don't think God works that way.

So I'm not surprised and I try to avoid stereotyping murderers. for all we know it could of been a Woman. although why a Woman would do these crimes is beyond me but so is the idea of a man doing them too.