Effects of Jack The Ripper: The Criminal Element

[How Brown]

This thread will be one in a series over the upcoming year ( 2008 ) that we should all contribute to...

In what ways did the Ripper affect people other than the general population...the police...the press....and the politicians?

How did JTR affect....ordinary housewives...working men with women at home...businesses...children...what was his effect on the relationship between some of the above "groups"? How about those in the West End and even throughout the Continent and the rest of the English-speaking world?

Lets start off with what his effect was on an element of the East End that was also on the minds and in the pockets of the first 4 groups : The Criminal Element of The East End.

What effect did the Ripper have on criminals?

Did it statistically slow down the flow of random crime in the East End, considering the increased presence of police visibly and under cover?

Anyone?

[admin tim]

The following are merely my opinions, except in cases where I have read of definitive reactions by the groups mentioned. So don't ask me for my sources, okay?


In what ways did the Ripper affect people other than the general population...the police...the press....and the politicians?

Police - harried and pressured to the extreme to produce results and apprehend the ripper

Press - went hog-wild. JTR was the Watergate Scandal of his day, and the press couldn't get enough of him. Then, as now, they did not let facts get in the way of a good story.

Politicians - then, as now, those out of power promised quick and positive results if only they were voted into power. And, as today, none of them really gave a damn about the victims, except for their potential political usefulness.

How did JTR affect....ordinary housewives...working men with women at home...businesses...children...what was his effect on the relationship between some of the above "groups"? How about those in the West End and even throughout the Continent and the rest of the English-speaking world?

Ordinary housewives - refused to go out of doors after dark, even in the West End

Working men with women at home - probably told them to stay indoors and generally didn't worry much until after November 9th.

Businesses - depends. Some probably did quite well for themselves, due to the number of slumming sightseers and other gawkers. I should imagine businesses open at night did relatively poorly. The outdoor sex trade probably did poorly, whereas the indoor trade probably thrived.

Children - not much effect other than to inspire their curiosity and innate morbidity and cruelty

Effect on the relationship between some of the above groups - in general I imagine the citizenry criticized the police for not doing enough, the police criticized the politicians for not providing sufficient funding and other support, the politicians out of power criticized those in power, and the politicians in power criticized popular targets such as 'foreigners', 'Jews', the Fenians, and so forth.

West Enders - women refused to go outdoors after dark. Otherwise, no change since the East End was very far away to them, at least figuratively.

Continent - fascinating to the French and Germans, others felt sympathetic toward the Brits

Rest of English-speaking world - most were sympathetic, all were fascinated or obsessed by the crimes. Police and maybe politicians were contemptuous toward their British equivalents, thinking them to be incompetent dolts.


Lets start off with what his effect was on an element of the East End that was also on the minds and in the pockets of the first 4 groups : The Criminal Element of The East End.

What effect did the Ripper have on criminals?

As in the film 'M', I should imagine they were hostile that they were coming under intense scrutiny in the East End, and they had to resent the increased police presence. But, like today, I imagine that they merely relocated some distance away, an easy thing to do since the murders were confined to such a relatively small area.


Did it statistically slow down the flow of random crime in the East End, considering the increased presence of police visibly and under cover?

I really doubt that it did. People gotta eat and pay the rent, and so they did what they had to do regardless. Again, this should not have been all that difficult to do if they avoided the 'hot spots'.

[How Brown]

Let me mention this...and thanks very much for the elaboration,Tim.

Many of you have seen the film by Fritz Lang, "M".

Is it possible that criminal elements banded together either within the vigilance commitees....or on their own....to try and apprehend the Ripper?

I have a feeling that some criminals may have tried to "assist" the police...not directly...but indirectly by having associates perambulate the streets at night or stand watch at certain intersections.

Anyone else?

[admin tim]

http://www.jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=118

Here is the discussion thread in here about this film, for those of you who have not seen it.

[Chris G.]

Let me mention this...and thanks very much for the elaboration,Tim.

Many of you have seen the film by Fritz Lang, "M".

Is it possible that criminal elements banded together either within the vigilance commitees....or on their own....to try and apprehend the Ripper?

I have a feeling that some criminals may have tried to "assist" the police...not directly...but indirectly by having associates perambulate the streets at night or stand watch at certain intersections.

Anyone else?


Hi Tim and Howie

I think the attitude of common or garden criminals in London (thieves, burglars, pickpockets, fences, etc.) toward the Ripper would probably have been hatred for the killer and a bonding with the public of the East End, much like you see the dislike of sex killers or child killers in prisoner which often leads to abuse of such murderers when they are behind bars. I think that the probable mutual hatred of the traditional criminal element against the bloody fiend is also proof that "Jack" was a loner, because that bonding did not result in him being turned in.

All the best

Chris

[How Brown]

Good points,may I say.

However,how about cadres of criminals and their "fences" ?

The parasitic element in any society relies on a host or body with as little protection as possible...and with a heightened police presence, these cadres undoubtedly were somewhat stymied by the Ripper's effects.

Needless to say, the citizenry,including the criminal element and criminal cadres, did not know when the reign of terror would abate. To us...it was a 10 week ( if one excludes 1889 murders and beyond ) event...but to those experiencing it, they had no idea how long it would go on.

So...what about that element...the cadres?

[Chris G.]

Hi Howie

Yes of course the criminal element preys to some extent on the community and the weak in society. But it's one thing to bundle a bloke over and steal his wallet and watch and quite another thing to slit a woman's throat and disembowel her. So I think the crooks and old lags of the East End would have viewed it as a line having been crossed.

Of course you are exactly right that no one could know that the Ripper's reign had ended, and thus the fact that murders for some time after the Autumn of Terror were attributed to the Whitechapel murderer, even though as we now know, or are pretty sure, the signature was different in the murders of Alice McKenzie, Rose Mylett, the Pinchin Street murder, Frances Coles, and so on.

Neither could the people of the East End know that the man might prey only on women. They could have expected that possibly he might pick a male victim next. . . There was thus a general wave of fear that would have encompassed the criminal community along with the people of the area overall.

By the way, there is an interesting essay by Karyo Magellan on "How many of the Whitechapel murders can be attributed to Jack the Ripper?" (http://www.karyom.com/WhitechapelHOWMANY.htm) -- check it out if you do not know it.

All the best

Chris

[Debbie D]

Here are a few of my mindless ramblings in these early morning hours...:wave:



In what ways did the Ripper affect people other than the general population...the police...the press....and the politicians?

Police: I would imagine that the pressure to solve the case and stress would be a negative aspect. I like to think that in a positive way it may have changed how they investigated things and helped them better prepare for future crimes, and obviously develop better policing skills and investigative techniques. This was an overall learning experience for not only the street officers but the detectives, the top brass, and so on.
Press: Duh! Something to talk about!


How did JTR affect....ordinary housewives...working men with women at home...businesses...children...what was his effect on the relationship between some of the above "groups"? How about those in the West End and even throughout the Continent and the rest of the English-speaking world?
Housewives may not have been as affected as other classes or groups. Assuming most of them were probably only out in daylight, and at night would have been out with a husband at their side.... The relationship with children? I'm not sure on this one, as JtR was never connected with any child deaths. I would think that children prostitutes, (especially female) might be leary of soliciting older men due to the threats.


Lets start off with what his effect was on an element of the East End that was also on the minds and in the pockets of the first 4 groups : The Criminal Element of The East End.
It is very obvious that police would be doing more "shakedowns" than usual so that would definitely put a damper on the criminal element.:boink:



What effect did the Ripper have on criminals? Did it statistically slow down the flow of random crime in the East End, considering the increased presence of police visibly and under cover? Anyone?
It certainly put a damper on it, but I doubt it slowed anything down. The statistics for this would proove interesting.

[How Brown]

Thanks for the input Debbie...much appreciated and I'll get to a couple of things in a second...but first:

"Yes of course the criminal element preys to some extent on the community and the weak in society. But it's one thing to bundle a bloke over and steal his wallet and watch and quite another thing to slit a woman's throat and disembowel her. So I think the crooks and old lags of the East End would have viewed it as a line having been crossed." -C.G.

And as that line was indeed crossed by the Ripper, from economic-based crime(s) to a series of crimes that defy belief...do you not think it likely that some of the more successful criminals felt it incumbent. as "wolves" to protect their literal "herd of sheep" from this new threat...and as I suggested, may have formed their own sort of "vigilance committees" to apprehend the Ripper ?

Capone,in Chicago, established soup lines for the needy during the Great Depression...just to mention an organized criminal cadre, and lone wolf criminals, such as Pretty Boy Floyd, endeared themselves to citizens in various ways ( ripping up or burning mortgages held by banks while robbing banks ). Both of these types of criminals, organized and individual, as you inferred above in your post...did have a soft spot for the "people".

I just wonder if some of the names found within the lists of people engaged in the "legitimate" vigilance committees were from the criminal element....

Debbie:

I see the Ripper as having been an important catalyst in the advancement of police science. I also see the Ripper as one of the major influences on how the media operates today. Many newspapers today appeal to the lowest common denominator for sales ( shock value and sensationalism either in content or what "lead stories" they wish to present to the masses...and not just print media,but visual and even the Internet, sadly...) and the Ripper certainly satisfied that criteria back in 1888.

Now,of course, the Whitechapel Murders weren't necessarily presented to the masses based on a desire to sell papers entirely, because of the extraordinarily heinous nature of the crimes contemporaneously. Those crimes merited the attention they were being given. Its in the aftermath of the WM that his influence is seen. Certainly tabloids like the Illustrated Police Gazette dramatized crimes and prominently so on the front cover. Its the rank and file newspapers that I feel were influenced.

[WRITEFX]

What effect did the Ripper have on criminals?

Did it statistically slow down the flow of random crime in the East End, considering the increased presence of police visibly and under cover?


I could imagine a lot of criminals could pretend that they were JTR themselves as a way of impressing others or making them seem more intimidating and using it as a way of threatening people. They could have been the writers of the letters too.

They could also use the murders as a way of getting money from blackmail or grassing to the police. Also use the fears of ordinary people at night to their advantage in some way - charging more for some service or other.

If they were pimps then their business could be affected either by the girls getting scared or there may be less clients about.

Sorry, don't know anything about the statistics.

[Robert Linford]

Re the pimps, or simply workless husbands/partners, whose income would have been affected by women's reluctance to be disembowelled :

I don't see them banding together, but I can imagine that they would have been out on the streets more, each protecting his own woman/women - a factor which would have made killing more difficult for Jack.

Also, influenced by the reward, they would have questioned their women about any odd or disturbed clients, in the hope of nabbing him, perhaps even using the women as bait.The fact that no name other than "Leather Apron" has surfaced in this regard is a bit depressing.

[How Brown]

Good points in your posts ,WFX and Robert.

I wondered about that as well,Bob....about the significant other who survived off the skirthiking of "his" woman and may have used her as street "chum"* to try and apprehend the Whitechapel Murderer. Thanks for mentioning it.

Dear WFX:

I suppose there is some sort of statistical breakdown somewhere of the east End by "neighborhood" to indicate the amount of break ins,muggings,thefts,etc...and that when we get our hands on it, I for one think the crime rate went down. I would wager the average East Ender would be more defensive,hence taking preventive measures,in light of the murder skein,since they had no way of knowing if the Ripper would strike any woman...or even if he would accost a man. We know he didn't. They didn't or rather couldn't.


* chum is an American ( maybe British as well ) term for the mishmash of fish parts one tosses in the ocean in order to catch larger fish.