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Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Message Boards » Victims » Mary Jane Kelly » Note found after Kelly murder « Previous Next »

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Chris Scott
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Chris

Post Number: 1331
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 10:14 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I thought this report might be of interest. This claims that a note was found in an archway, presumably at the time of the Kelly murder, announcing that the series of murders was over. I had not seen reference to this before. The extract is from the Lincoln State Journal of 10 July 1927 and is from a longer article I am transcribing for the Press Reports section

kellynote
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Richard Brian Nunweek
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Richardn

Post Number: 1023
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 3:23 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hi Chris,
Just about sums up my entire thoughts on the case, Kelly was the cause of the murders, and her death was the conclusion.
Now who could have wrote such a note? if it is not false claims. B-----t ? no i hear cry...
Richard.
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Busy Beaver
Detective Sergeant
Username: Busy

Post Number: 59
Registered: 5-2004
Posted on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 5:00 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I wonder where this scribbled note is now? If an American newspaper can report of it's existence in 1927, it leads me to think that the note may be in the possession of someone who had connections to the murders or the murderer and possibly made up the story that it was "left" at the murder scene.

Busy Beaver
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Thomas C. Wescott
Inspector
Username: Tom_wescott

Post Number: 155
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 10:30 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

If Forbes Winslow was the source for this piece of misinformation, it must be approached with a very healthy amount of skepticism. Keep in mind that the prophetic letter referred to in the article, which informed Winslow a murder would occur on 11/9, was actually a letter written to in 1889, which he altered so that he could say the actual killer had chosen HIM to correspond with!

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott
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Dan Norder
Inspector
Username: Dannorder

Post Number: 253
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 10:36 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

There's no evidence that any of the numerous fanciful and dramatic messages allegedly left at crime scenes announcing how many victims were left in the string of murders ever existed. This one is no different.

In fact, considering that a report in the U.S. almost 40 years after the fact is the first we've heard of it, if anything it's even less likely to be real than all the other ones.



Dan Norder, editor, Ripper Notes
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Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg

Post Number: 855
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 11:16 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hi, all

I agree with Dan Norder that this story of a note left after the Kelly murder almost undoubtedly belongs with the myth and lore of the case and numerous other rather ephemeral "leads" to the identity of the murder. The story is interesting to note but, in my judgement, is probably not true. In any case, even if the note ever did exist, like the other "Ripper" communications, we might conclude that it was probably a hoax.

Best regards

Chris George
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
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Jason Scott Mullins
Inspector
Username: Crix0r

Post Number: 307
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 11:25 am:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I agree Dan. Also, I've received your message and plan to respond to you in time.. sorry, buying a house and it's eating up almost all of my spare cycles :-)

While it is a very interesting story, I'd be inclined to relegate it to the 'fiction' bin once I was done reading it. Good find though Chris!!

crix0r
"I was born alone, I shall die alone. Embrace the emptiness, it is your end."
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Jon Smyth
Inspector
Username: Jon

Post Number: 185
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 12:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Devils Advocate speaking :-)

How many letters do we know that say it's over?.

No, I don't believe it but the claim IS rather unique, is it not?.
Regards, Jon
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Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg

Post Number: 856
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 3:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hi, Jon

Jon, you do make a good point. However, to my mind, the claim is rather like the "I'll kill five more and give myself up" type of letter. I think what characterizes all these types of letters is that the writer is trying to con us that they have inside knowledge of the case, so they were all looking for new angles to make their claims sound authentic. Thus, to find a note like this "Jack the Ripper will not commit another murder" is not, I think, especially exceptional... particularly if the "note" was concocted in someone's later story to explain the end of the murders.

All the best

Chris
Christopher T. George
North American Editor
Ripperologist
http://www.ripperologist.info
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Jon Smyth
Inspector
Username: Jon

Post Number: 186
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 5:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thanks Chris.
I recall you put more effort into studying the letters than I ever have. It struck me as unusual, but no reason to believe it, certainly if, as you say, it only surfaced decades later.

All the best my friend, Jon
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Suzi Hanney
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Suzi

Post Number: 1106
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 5:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hi all
L Forbes Winslow sounds a tad familiar but cant remember from where!.. a famous Criminologist! ...perhaps he belongs on these pages!!! but when did he conduct his 'personal investigation'.....1927..........hmmmmmmmmm interesting!
Jon....Ok its interesting like a lot of stuff in the tabloids today but not necessarily factual!..Odd that it took so long to surface (if indeed it did!) so many years later!
Hey stand back chaps this thread could take off!

Cheers

Suzi

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