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Chris Scott
Inspector
Username: Chris
Post Number: 331
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 1:59 pm: |       |
I have today found in an obscure Mexican newspaper a Spanish language account of the "solving" of the killings which I had not seen before and may be of some interest. The paper in question is El Correo de San Luis and the issue in which I found this article was dated 6th February 1889. I am posting a copy of the article below but will be posting a full English translation as quickly as possible. The essence of this account is that the murders were committed by a gang of four killers who were caught red-handed by a journalist named Tucker who worked for the Daily Telegraph. Tucker supposedly caught them in the act of unloading a corpse from a carriage and handed them over to the police. The four are even named: the three carrying the body were named as Ruckett, Runce and Murphy. The fourth member of the gang, and the organizer of the whole affair, was a doctor named Robinson.
The first paragraph sets the tone for the article: "The authors of the horrible crimes which have spread horror in London have already been identified and captured. It is not a matter of a single killer but a veritable quartet of Rippers."
As I said I will post full translation as soon as I have done it.
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Chris Scott
Inspector
Username: Chris
Post Number: 332
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 3:02 pm: | |
Here is the translation of the above as promised:
El Correo de San Luís
6 February 1889
THE MURDERS OF WOMEN IN LONDON
Discovery of the criminals surprised by a journalist - A medical Ripper - Scientific madness
The authors of the horrible crimes which spread terror in London have already been identified and captured. It is not a matter of a single killer, but a veritable quartet of Rippers.
I have here a telegram on the subject:
"Paris, 8.
There are interesting details communicated from London regarding the discovert of the criminals who have so alarmed (public) opinion.
This is due to a journalist, a Mr. Tucker of the Daily Telegraph, who had the luck of surprising certain individuals in the act of taking down from a carriage the body of another woman and, summoning help, he succeeded in having arrested by the police Ruckett, Runce and Murphy, those who were taking down the body, and Jack Robinson, who styles himself a doctor of medicine and surgery.
The explanations offered by the latter and his complete cold bloodedness present a new case of scientific insanity, namely to solve by the removal of certain organs the problems of poverty and over population."
The police, despite their disguises, patrols and stategies, had been powerless to pick up the trail of the crimes; every investigate proved fruitless. Every night in Whitechapel there were carried out numerous arrests of drunkards and suspicious people, but none of those arrested turned out to be implicated in the crimes they were investigating. A detailed list was made of all uninhabitated houses in Whitechapel, of which there are many, with no result. The police had reached the point of releasing tracker dogs on the streets of the said district.
Some editors of London newspapers were carrying out their own investigations, patrolling by night the darkest and most dangerous places. One of these, a reporter for the Daily Telegraph, had the good fortune to discover the murderers.
Last night, as Mr. Tucker, as he is called, was walking along carrying out his investigations, he saw a carriage stop suddenly in from of a rundown house, which movement struck him as suspicious. He stood watch and saw four men getting down from the carriage and that they were taking down a bulky shape which could well be a body. He drew nearer, and indeed it was the body of a dead woman which those men were unloading.
The reporter began to blow on a whistle which he carried for protection, detaining the four men and taking possession of the body.
One of those detained is a policeman, another a doctor according to his own claims. The other two are unknown men.
The self styled doctor is called Jack Robinson and appears to be the instigator of the crimes.
He presented to the superintendent (or possibly commissioner) a self control which demonstrated an unfeeling impassiveness and he claimed that he is dedicated to the fulfilment of a mission of redemption, which consists of reducing the population of the world by sterilizing women, for which reason he was dedicated to the removal of certain organs from his victims for the purpose of studying them.
According to him, the resolving of this physiological problem would put an end to misery.
It is not known if he is a dangerous madman who suffers from what could be called scientific madness, or an experienced criminal who is seeking immmunity by feigning madness.
Whatever may be the case, the result is still a fearful aberration which cannot fail to rouse decent consciences and to merit, along with the severest punishment, universal loathing.
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Jon Smyth
Sergeant
Username: Jon
Post Number: 44
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 3:36 pm: | |
Excellent Chris.
There might be more to this reported in the Telegraph the week(?) before in the British press.
Maybe sometime in the first week of Feb., stories take a couple of days to get abroad.
Might be worth a visit to Colindale.
Strange how this idea of 'a medical man looking for organs' keeps popping up.
And yet today it is frowned upon by most.
Good find, though I would like to read the British account someday.
Regards, Jon |
Stephen P. Ryder
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 2783
Registered: 10-1997
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 3:49 pm: | |
Great article! Not sure if this is based on a true story or if its one of those "journalistic inventions" we come across so often... but it certainly makes for interesting reading. 
Maybe one of the NFW trio can expound on the linkage with the Daily Telegraph? Chris/Alex/Dave?
Stephen P. Ryder, Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper |
Chris Scott
Inspector
Username: Chris
Post Number: 333
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 4:51 pm: | |
In view of the fact that two of the indivduals named have unusual surnames (Ruckett and Runce) I have done a search in the 1881 census.
There is only one Ruckett on the whole census for England.
Charles Ruckett
Born in Newport, Isle of Wight in 1858
General Labourer
A boarder at 10 Ivy Place, London (Head of household is Frederick Bedden)
The name RUNCE threw up 7 adult male entries in 1881:
William aged 33, decorator, 16 Farm Street, London
Thomas aged 50, Pipe Moulder, 9 Parkhead, Dudley, Worcs
George H. aged 19, Pipe Moulder, same address as Thomas
Thomas aged 16, Pipe Moulder, same address as Thomas
George T aged 16, Assistant to Tobacco maker, 76 Bemerton Street, London
Frank E aged 19, hatter, 25 Victoria Street, London
Charles aged 28, Groom, 6 Laverton Mews, London
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Martin Fido
Detective Sergeant
Username: Fido
Post Number: 105
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 8:26 am: | |
Fascinating piece. I particular like the doctor whose name, in the late 19th and early 20th century would have been familiar in the proverbial rhetorical term for speed: "Before you could say Jack Robinson...".
It all adds to the strong probability that Leonard Matters' claim to have found the "Dr Stanley" story in a Spanish language newspaper was true. Those who have asserted that Matters "must have" been lying because THEY have failed to track down the story always seemed to place an overweaning confidence in their own capacity to make a fully comprehensive search of the early 20th century newspapers and alaso appeared to know little of Matters' personality and character. Since they never discovered this weird and wonderful tale from a Spanish language newspaper, it might be said they "must be" wrong in dismissing Matters as an unreliable witness.
All the best,
Martin F |
Zigarvi
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 11:59 pm: | |
this is a very interesting passage. i dotn know very much about the story but this article was helpful. |
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