Money From The Ripper

[Lynn Cates]

Hello All. Do my eyes deceive me?

Should be interesting.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/jack-the-ripper-letter-could-raise-cash-to-help-the-met-8738945.html

Cheers.
LC

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

So the original From Hell letter was not lost or destroyed.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Regards,

Simon

[Phil Carter]

Hello Lynn, Simon,

Wonder what else is lurking behind the mask of "what we have and you lot aren't supposed to know about it or see it"?
Oh.. silly me, there I go being all sceptical about the Met Police, Scotland Yard, the Crime Museum and people heavily connected with said institutions and their motives again.


What was it that I keep hearing about "making money out of old rope"?


Dear oh me.




Phil

[Lynn Cates]

facsimile

Hello Simon. Thanks.

Could they mean a facsimile?

Cheers.
LC

[Lynn Cates]

Desires of my heart.

Hello Phil. Thanks.

Personally, I long for the list of suspects and reports on each. Do I ask for too much? (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[Howard Brown]

Good find, Lynn.
Like Simon, I also thought From Hell had been lost or appropriated.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Howard,

Appropriated. An excellent choice of word. Far more respectable than lifted, nicked, stolen or purloined.

During the JtR Centenary year "Dear Boss" turned up in an envelope postmarked Croydon.

How right and proper, then, that "From Hell" should turn up out of nowhere in the JtR Quasquicentennial year.

Regards,

Simon

[SPE]

Amazes

It amazes me to see the speculation that is raised by a press report that contains patent error. The 'From hell' letter, as far as the official record shows, has not been seen since 1888.

[SPE]

The True Situation

The true situation is as follows -

The article states - 'Exhibits such as letters from Jack the Ripper will likely prove enormously popular with residents and visitors.' - All the so-called 'Jack the Ripper' letters are housed at Kew under MEPO 3/142 and MEPO 3/3153 (The 'Dear Boss' letter) and may be accessed by the public.

The article states - 'The collection includes the "From Hell" letter that was allegedly sent by Jack the Ripper to the chair of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee in 1888 along with a human kidney.' - No, it does not. The original 'From hell' letter has been missing many years (probably since 1888) as has the 'saucy Jacky' postcard.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Stewart,

Who knows? Maybe the original "From Hell" letter has turned up in an envelope postmarked Croydon.

Regards,

Simon

[Lynn Cates]

facsimile

Hello Stewart. Could it be a facsimile that the reporter refers to?

Cheers.
LC

[SPE]

Source

Given the source of this claim, a newspaper report and not an official release, it should be pretty obvious that this is an erroneous statement. It's a pity that people don't go to the trouble of ascertaining their facts before making statements.

[SPE]

Facsimile

The only facsimile of the 'From hell' letter is the photograph taken by the City Police and copies of this do exist. However, I was not aware that the Crime Museum has one, although I could check. The Royal London Hospital museum has a copy of the photograph. The only 'Ripper correspondence' displayed in the Crime Museum is a framed original of the 'Metropolitan Police facsimile of letter and post card' poster (with the handwriting in red) which hangs on the wall. A black and white reproduction of this poster is on page 33 of Letters From Hell.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Stewart,

As the Lusk letter and accompanying kidney pertained to a City of London Police murder investigation, do we know why the Metropolitan Police kept the original "From Hell" letter, leaving the City cops to satisfy themselves with a photographic copy?

Regards,

Simon

[Lynn Cates]

oops!

Hello Stewart. Thanks.

Just a bad faux pas by a young reporter, then?

Cheers.
LC