Jonathan A's Atlanta's Black Jack The Ripper of 1911 Forum

[Howard Brown]

Dan Zupansky hosts a podcast featuring Jeffery Wells, author of The Atlanta Ripper

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MZOu4jaHZQ6aRTVljAX0l

[Jonathan A]

Jon:

Dolezal, for the benefit of those who may not be aware, was murdered by people either in law enforcement or by someone at the jail that day with the blessings of the police department. The marks on his neck in photos found by people who were casually thumbing through Cleveland Torso archives found this out. There's no two ways about it. The only good thing that came out of that is Martin O'Donnell, the police chief who interrogated Dolezal after other cops were finished smacking him around, died the next year.

Dolezal was one of the worst cases of police brutality that I've heard of. Poor man was innocent but he was tortored by corrupt cops who shamed their badges. Elliot Ness came close to catching the Butcher.

[Jonathan A]

The Athens daily herald. (Athens, Ga.) 1912-1923, July 14, 1915, Image 1

[Jonathan A]

Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, August 16, 1915, Image 3

[Jonathan A]

Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, August 31, 1915, Image 10
This person suggests using dogs to catch the Ripper, but the person didn't know that the police twice used dogs unsuccessfully to catch the Ripper.

[Jonathan A]

Virginia Avenue Doe

[IAtlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, September 06, 1915, Image 3
Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, September 06, 1915, Image 2][/I]
One of the problems that I have researching the Georgian after 1911 is that articles are often misdated. These two articles are both listed as being published on the 6th, but they were most certainly not published on the same day.

[Howard Brown]

In contrast to New York City and London in terms of the size of their respective police forces, Atlanta had only 254 police officers in 1911 when this man, Chief James Beavers, took office and only 283 six years later in November 1917 when W. M. Mayes left office. Atlanta had a population of 155,000 people in the city proper. That's one policeman for every 610 citizens.

London had over 16,000 officers by 1900....NYC had close to 12,000 by 1910.

[Jonathan A]

In contrast to New York City and London in terms of the size of their respective police forces, Atlanta had only 254 police officers in 1911 when this man, Chief James Beavers, took office and only 283 six years later in November 1917 when W. M. Mayes left office. Atlanta had a population of 155,000 people in the city proper. That's one policeman for every 610 citizens.

London had over 16,000 officers by 1900....NYC had close to 12,000 by 1910.

You're mostly correct except for that Atlanta Police Department had 254 employees, the number of sworn officers was around 200. Certainly, had the Ripper crimes broke out in London or New York, they would have put hundreds of detectives on the task force and countless officers on undercover patrols in order to catch him.

[Jonathan A]

Atlanta Journal July 8, 1911
Atlanta Jounal July 9, 1911
On July 8, 1911, the Journal published an article suggesting the Ripper was on the prowl for new victims. The Ripper attempted to kill again that very night.

[Jonathan A]

Atlanta Journal 1912

[Jonathan A]

Atlanta constitution 1917

Atlanta Journal July 25, 1917

[Jonathan A]

Atlanta Journal July 25, 1917

Atlanta Georgian June 25, 1917
These two murders were both reported on the same day, which means the Ripper either killed two on the same night or killed one on one night, and the other on the following night.

[Jonathan A]

Atlanta Georgian October 2, 1917

[Jonathan A]

Atlanta Georgian November 1917

[Jonathan A]

Atlanta Georgian October 1917