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** This is an archived, static copy of the Casebook messages boards dating from 1998 to 2003. These threads cannot be replied to here. If you want to participate in our current forums please go to https://forum.casebook.org **
Three 'Kellys' in a row?
Casebook Message Boards: Ripper Victims: Ripper Victims:
Three 'Kellys' in a row?
Author: NR Tomasheski
Saturday, 15 June 2002 - 10:12 pm |        | Has anyone explored the possibility that the woman we know as "Mary Jane Kelly" was, in fact, herself using an alias? It seems an intriguing possibility (though of course, as a common name, it's being her real name is just as plausible).
I thought to do a search of the boards for the topic, but am not sure what keyword is best -- I'm gradually making my way through all the MJK posts while investigating several ideas, but thought perhaps someone here might have some direction.
Thanks.
NR Tomasheski |
Author: Clyde
Sunday, 16 June 2002 - 05:27 am | | Hello All,
The theory of prostitutes using a variety of common names to gaurd against their true identities seems very sound to me. It is a common practice today for prostitutes to have a variety of adopted names including but not limited to, True names - names actually given at birth but often these arent known even by police until they see it in the prostitutes obituary.
Married names and past boyfriends names. Very common and expected by present day police. Some even adopt the name of a pimp as mark of the pimps "ownership" and used as a ways of protection against other would be pimps and people wishing to do them harm.
Steet names and nicknames. Usually pointing out a physical or personality characteristic. "Fat Shirley", "Screaming Mimi", "Angel", etc.
Cousins names or other family surnames. Often prostitutes are raised by other family members or family aquaintances. They take these names as children to avoid the otherwise confusion of explaining their situation of living with people other than their parents.
Names of other prostitutes or street people. This is often done as a way to confuse police. The police know that the woman in question is a prostitute and have dealt with the woman before. A familiar prostitute name is then given by the woman in hope that the very name will sound familiar enough to the police officers so that they will accept it knowing it is a name of a prostitute in the area. The police, dealing with a large number of prostitutes in the area, cant possibly keep all the names straight so they have no choice to accept the name until they can prove it to be false. The deception usually is discovered after the police officer breaks off contact with the subject.
I have heard no evidence to conclusively say that this was the case with the Whitechapel prostitutes but it seems plausible.
Clyde |
Author: Martin Fido
Sunday, 16 June 2002 - 10:27 am | | Some of them certainly did use a variety of names. Thus Rose Mylett was unidentified in Ripper writing for a long time as she appeared on the files as Lizzie Davis, a name which didn't check out with any of the more familiar newspaper reports or Palmers Index to the Times. Tracking her down through reports on 'Woman Killed in the East End' elicited the fact that she was also known as Rose Mylett and Alice Downey. Since Rose Mylett was the name the newspapers seemed finally to have settled for, I accepted it as preferable to Lizzie Davis. But somebody else (Bill Beadle? Bernie Brown?) has subsequently traced a report involving her mother and so confirms that her 'real' name was something else which I have now forgotten - (details in either Ripperologist or Ripperana some time over the past year).
All the best,
Martin F |
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