Catherine's Ear...why cut...????

[Currerbell]

Upon release, Wild began to live with Mary Milliner as her husband in Lewkenor's Land (now Macklin Street) in Covent Garden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covent_Garden),[7] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Wild#cite_note-moore43-6) despite both of them having prior marriages. Wild apparently served as Milliner's tough when she went night-walking. Soon Wild was thoroughly acquainted with the underworld (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organized_crime), both with its methods and its inhabitants. At some point during this period, Milliner had begun to act as something of a madam to other prostitutes, and Wild as a fence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fence_(criminal)), or receiver of stolen goods. Wild began, slowly at first, to dispose of stolen goods and to pay bribes to get thieves out of gaol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison). He later parted with Milliner, cutting off her ear to mark her as a whore...



The above comes from the wikipedia article on Thief Taker General Jonathan Wild...reminded me of Eddowes and her ear being cut during the attack, I know much has been said about this both here and on the casebook forum...but anyone know if this was a common punishment 'back in the day'...?

I know they used to brand people by marking them with a hot iron but is this another way of punishing them?

[Currerbell]

One interpretation says that the event occurred because of a homosexual impulses around by the presence of Gauguin. “According to this account, the ear was a phallic symbol (the Dutch slang word for penis, lul, resembled the Dutch word for ear, lel), and the act was a symbolic self-castration” (Runyan).

Found the above on a website regarding Van Gogh and his mutliation...

[Chris G.]

Hi Currer

If the Whitechapel murderer's cutting of Eddowes' ear was to mark her as a prostitute, and if he was to mark any of his victims as a prostitute, why didn't he begin with his first victim not his fourth?

Chris

[Currerbell]

Hi Chris, I know what you mean, but I was more interested in whether this was a custom performed in ye oldie England...

I just noted the fact that Catherines ear was cut too...

[Chris G.]

Hello Currer

From what I can tell, the cutting of an ear was not a usual punishment for a prostitute in Ye Olde England or elsewhere in Europe either. It doesn't appear to be mentioned in the Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work By Melissa Hope Ditmore, available on Google Books (http://books.google.com/books?id=fcYq72qYRTcC&pg=PA297&lpg=PA297&dq=medaeval+punishment+for+prostitutes&source=bl&ots=hY45VYFlX7&sig=KAgkjmfVwAh3BuGLjejRMoHo-NY&hl=en&ei=ZKhkSu2ZNZX4NaSlsPcB&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7). In 1285 King Edward I decreed a punishment of 40 days imprisonment for any prostitute living within the walls of London. In Europe, punishments for prostitutes ranged from being fined to being whipped or having their heads shaved and then being tarred.

Chris

[Currerbell]

Thanks for that info Chris....very interesting... I heard they chopped hands off a the wrist to those who committed theft...

[Caroline Morris]

Hi Currer,

It's possible that this mutilation to mark a woman as a whore was something personal to Jonathan Wild. But it's equally possible that the author of Dear Boss knew this detail about the notorious criminal and slipped it into his funny little missive just for jolly.

I see that Wild was also once apprenticed to a buckle-maker. :) I wonder if there are any other phrases in Dear Boss or the Saucy Jacky postcard that could have been inspired by infamous characters.

Love,

Caz
X

[Currerbell]

Oh oh are we onto something here???!! Major break through in the case...the Ripper was Wild in all sense of the word! ;-) :kiss:


Seriously, tho, its worth looking at the letter, but I guess you can read too much into something as others have done in the past....