Ripperologist Magazine # 99 January 2009

[Howard Brown]

The latest Rip is here !!

Its got articles from three individuals that are unfamilar to me...and the cover story is by a gent name Gunter Wolff on the possible mythological implications of the extrication of Mrs. Eddowes' kidney.

Tim Riordan,Monty,Stan Russo and a pair of others are up for the Beadle Award offered by the Ripperologist team.

Its got yet another interesting article by some guy named Covell-Guillory on the knives of Jack the Ripper....and Suzi Hanney has an article on...take a guess...Cats and their relationship to the period !!! All in all, it looks like another great issue....plus an editorial from Don Souden on the month of January, arguably the cruelest and most melancholic of months.

Its time to subscribe,innit?

[Adam Wood]

Welcome to issue 99 of Ripperologist magazine, the publication which your granny would have admired for its timekeeping.

Sandwiched between the recent 4-part anniversary themed issue and the imminent issue 100, by no means have we stinted on the quality of our content.

Kicking things off is Don Souden who, in his editorial, opens The Doorway to Dreams, welcoming the New Year with the bright eyes usually reserved for Monty on entering a conference bar.

Evoking the spirit of suspects past is Jonathan Hainsworth, who in "Druitt's Ghost" questions Macnaghten and firmly pushes Monty back to the head of the queue.

Taking the reins of the no-nonsense approach is Prof. Gunter Wolff MD, who investigates Possible Mythological Meanings of Kidney Excision to Jack the Ripper. And you'd better believe he knows his stuff: Prof Wolff is Full Professor of Internal Medicine (Nephrology and Diabetology) and Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine III (Nephrology, Rheumatology/Osteology, Endocrinology/Diabetology) at the Friedrich-Schiller University in Jena, Germany.

Taking a dip into the archives is always a pleasure, especially when it comes in the form of an article published many years ago, and unknown to many readers. This time it's a feature in the Readers' Digest from 1971: The Enduring Mystery of Jack the Ripper by James Stewart-Gordon, which handily provides a measure of how far popular Ripperology has come in 35 years.

Next up is one Mike Covell with his black Gladstone bag...Jack the Ripper and Knives is a long overdue detailed look at the make up of a knife in Victorian times. Which one was Jack's?

Our features are concluded by Suzi Hanney, who enters out Victorian Vets for the first time to look at cats in Victorian times in Pussycat, Pussycat, Where Have You Been? Look out for future visits to the vets in future issues.

We also reveal our nominations for the best article published in our pages in the past twelve months. These will now go before our select panel, who will choose what will be the winner of the inaugural Jeremy Beadle prize, awarded not only the honour of the title, but also £100 cash.

The nominations are as follows:

The Nine Lives of Dr. Tumblety: Lies, Damned Lies, and Biography.
By Timothy B. Riordan. Ripperologist 92 (June 2008)

Defenceless Whitechapel
By Neil Bell. Ripperologist 95 (September 2008)

Elisabeth Stride: The Jewish Connection
By Daniel Olsson Ripperologist 96 (October 2008)

Young Montie: Montague John Druitt at Winchester
By Andrew Spallek Ripperologist 96 (October 2008)

Tumblety: Murderer or Means to a Solution
By Stan Russo Ripperologist 97 (November 2008)

Druitt’s Ghost
By Jonathan Hainsworth Ripperologist 99 (January 2009)

The issue is completed by more nuggets of Victorian news from Chris Scott, and the latest news and reviews.

Incisive articles. Surprise contributors. All delivered each month to your email box at £12 for six all-colour issues.

Don't miss out - subscribe now! Be sure to join the family before out 100th issue...

Best wishes,
Adam Wood
Executive Editor,
Ripperologist

contact@ripperologist.biz

http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac287/HowieNina/jan09_cover.jpg

[Donald Souden]

Adam is quite right that despite wind, rain, snow or any other imaginable crisis, Rip never misses its publishing deadline. Really a remarkable testament to the entire team.

Anyway, I would draw especial attention to the Beadle Priuze nominees as representing the kind of extraordinary articles found only in Rip. And believe me, there were at least as many other articles that just missed the cut.

For those who are interested (and beats there a heart so dead that never to itself has said "Gee, I could use £100") that the eligibility period for the next Beadle Prize starts soon so anyone with a Ripper article in the works should contact us now and beat the rush.

Don.

[Howard Brown]

I enjoyed Suzi Hanney's cool history of cats in Britain...a brief excerpt:

Back in the 18th Century...and maybe the LVP since Suzi didn't mention if it occurred then, if one walked down an alley and saw a painted sign of a cat..you could actually put a coin the slot usually found near its toches or head...and exclaim, "Mew !" like a cat....and from one end or the other of the sign from out of the wall gin would be dispensed to your cup for the proper amount purchased.

There's more to Soozer's story than just that. An accounting of LVP ratcatchers, such as Jack Black...an account of Louis Wain, founder of the British "National Cat Club"....and other little goodies that I'll get around to tomorrow..

Nice job Suzi !!

[ferret]

:kiss: Howie! This ref was from the C18th but -come on with a nice little earner like that- I don't see it dying out in the C19th.....as long as you could persuade some poor little mite to sit behind the sign with the bottle - and be able to pour/paw in a straight line!!! (Great job for the 'less talented' today maybe).....

Hmmmmmmmmmmm......Wonder if we could get one in Wickham- (next to the Co-op!) - failing that next to No. 21!!!

Now let's try this out...."Mew" ....."Mew"......"Mew"...................:) :) :)

[Chris G.]

:kiss: Howie! This ref was from the C18th but -come on with a nice little earner like that- I don't see it dying out in the C19th.....as long as you could persuade some poor little mite to sit behind the sign with the bottle - and be able to pour/paw in a straight line!!! (Great job for the 'less talented' today maybe).....

Hmmmmmmmmmmm......Wonder if we could get one in Wickham- (next to the Co-op!) - failing that next to No. 21!!!

Now let's try this out...."Mew" ....."Mew"......"Mew"...................:) :) :)

Hello Suzi

Good job on the kitty cats article, Suzi! :kiss:

One other thing, I was approached by someone putting out a slim guide to the village of Wickham for one of the interior photographs I took of the Chesapeake Mill in Wickham (http://www.flickr.com/photos/christophertgeorge/sets/72157606621458399/) that I visited in 2007, and that I feature on my Flickr site.

If you pick up a copy of the guide you'll see the pic inside with my Flickr id "editorctrip" in tiny lettering. As you may know, the timbers of the mill came from the U.S.S. Chesapeake, captured by the British during the War of 1812, which touches on my other major historical interest and endeavor besides our man "Jack." :)

All the best

Chris

[ferret]

Gorgeous! Thanks for the comps Chris!!! xxx

Hubby is a wargames buff and knew that timbers bit re C/Mill- You'll be soooo glad to know it's still there in all it's glory....sadly converted into coffee shops etc etc (groan!):kiss:

[Chris G.]

Gorgeous! Thanks for the comps Chris!!! xxx

Hubby is a wargames buff and knew that timbers bit re C/Mill- You'll be soooo glad to know it's still there in all it's glory....sadly converted into coffee shops etc etc (groan!):kiss:

Donna and I didn't take advantage of the coffee shops while we were at the mill but did have a wander around the antique stalls. As you say it's just nice that the mill is still there.

Chris

[ferret]

It's still there Chris- and if you and Donna make it to Wickers again- We're just along the road from the church ,left towards the garage... on the left- No 21!!!!:kiss:

[ferret]

And you too Mr Q- - should you be passing- (If you're passing - I would suggest you pass- with our bathroom in it's present state!):kiss:


Remember that wonderful line from The Gondoliers..' Next time you're passing... pass!'
That doesn't appy (twice nightly) to you though!!!! xx

[Howard Brown]

Bump Up...for discussion of the recent issue of The Rip.