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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 **
Jack the Ripper: A Psychic Investigation (Ball, 1998)
Casebook Message Boards: Ripper Media: Specific Titles:
Non-Fiction:
Jack the Ripper: A Psychic Investigation (Ball, 1998)
Author: Stephen P. Ryder
Friday, 08 January 1999 - 04:01 pm |        | A well-researched and handsomely published work, regardless of one's personal views on the
psychic world. Ball expertly separates the factual research from her spiritual gleanings, making the book accessible to even the most ardent of skeptics. The illustrations are perhaps its greatest asset, with full-page photographs of the victims and many Ripper letters never before published. Recommended.
 |
Author: Peter Birchwood
Thursday, 14 January 1999 - 12:04 am | | It must be a great comfort to all those who have actually read this book to know that it's currently available at remainder bookshops in the UK for £4.99 (approx. $7.50) A better-value book on the Ripper case is: "Ethel the Aardvaark goes quantitysurveying" available at all good book shops but possibly not at Amazon.
Regards, Peter. |
Author: Anonymous
Thursday, 14 January 1999 - 12:15 am | | | Trouble is this one should be in the 'Fiction' section, ok if you're into seances and things that go bump in the night. |
Author: Stephen P. Ryder
Sunday, 26 March 2000 - 08:01 am | | PN / RIPPER / colmer
Book Review
-------------------
CONTACTING VICTIMS AND MURDER SUSPECTS - 100 YEARS ON . . .
by Michael Colmer
ONE DAY ALL retrospective murder books will be constructed like this
one. The author is the Newbury, Berkshire, Medium Pam Ball. Her book
is titled "Jack the Ripper - a Psychic Investigation ", and it's well
worth having as one of the first of a potentially exciting new
publishing genre.
Pam is herself an experienced Spiritualist medium with over 30 years
of church and public demonstrations, lectures and workshops both in
Britain and overseas. When she was first asked to write this book she
demurred. So many volumes have conjectured on the true identity of
the 19th century Ripper murders she doubted if there was room for yet
another. But, following some editorial persuasion, she agreed to
explore the possibilities.
In doing so she has helped cement a new field ; that of "Psychic
Forensics". In Pam's case it involved extening her own gifted
Mediumship via guided trance sessions; Psychometry, Astrology and Dowsing.
She has heroically casting astrological birth charts for all of the
key personalities involved in those mysterious Ripper murders in
Victorian London of 100 years ago.. And, a tribute to her
thoroughness, she left no one out. Stargazers will adore her for
carefully tracing birthdates and preparing horoscopes of the rich and
the famous as well as those tragic victims.
To this wealth of new information she also brings cameos of the day,
fascinating snapshots of life in the destitute East End of London,
and invaluable input concerning the then newly formed police force
and the personality clashes taking place within it.
In addition she offers us freedom to check her notes of numerous
seances held to contact victims and other key players involved in
this story which continues to fascinate the world almost exactly 100
years after the crimes.
Arousing the interest of dedicated 'Ripperphiles' Pam was permitted
to both view and hold some of the key crime exhibits; a shawl
belonging to one of the victims, a knife left by the body of another
and a diary said to have been penned by the perpetrator. In this way
she was able to add the rare pyschic gift of Psychometry to her explorations.
And finally, if the above were not sufficient, Pam spent many hours
in semi-trance whilst she meditated on the victims and all the
possible perpetrators. But before she consented to this prolonged
Psychic Forensic investigation she sought - and secured -
confirmation from the spirit world that none of these 'silent
witnesses; would be disturbed by her actions.
She shares her sessions with us in this book. Here is a sample
session that links to one of the Ripper's victims; Elizabeth Stride
who was found murdered exactly one hundred years ago - at 4.00am on
the first of October 1888.
First Pam gives us a brief biography of Elizabeth; Swedish born
with reddish curly hair who measuring 5ft 2" tall. She had moved to
East London wher she married a John Stride and ran a coffee shop in
Poplar from 1870-75. Ten years later she had sunk to living with an
alcoholic and abusive partner named Michael Kidney. On that fateful
night she was seen in various parts of the city by a number of
people, each time with men assumed to be her customers.
She was eventually found, badly mutilated in a yard just off the
busy Commercial Road. The Coroner spelt out the grisly details two
days later when he described the way her throat had been cut open
with "a clean cut" of six inches.
Pam's session did appear to make contact with Elizabeth's spirit. But
the impressions the medium recieved were vague and difficult to
describe, especially when this spirit communicator tried to describe
her assailant - whom it seems was not the man we have come to know
as Jack the Ripper.
Once attuned to Elizabeth the medium was able to deduce a number of
points; her assailant wore a kind of top hat, he sported a cultivated
moustache, he had 'wierd eyes' . Elizabeth became aggressive because
this man refused to pay her for sex. She 'egged' him on. He slashed her.
Pam then undertook similar seance contacts with the other victims -
with varying degrees of success. She also turns her attention to most
- if not quite all - of the many proposed perpetrators, ranging from
the Liverpool cotton trader James Maybrick ( whose alleged
diaries are currently much in the news) to the celebrated physician
Sir WIlliam Gull.
Pam's session with the noted Victorian clairvoyant James Lees - who
tried to tell the police of his visions at the time of these murders
- is particularly interesting. This spirit communicator revealed that
there was a connection to the Royal Family which was quashed. At the
time it would have been a scandal and the " whole story would have
completely altered history".
There's much more and if this kind of subject interests you then we
may well be seeing a whole raft of books in this new genre of
psychic forensics. Sadly , now that the book publishing industry is
run by number crunchers who see profit in behaving like lemmings
there could also be a number of clone tomes in this field .
Be that as it may , this book cements this new approach. And it's one
to look out for. And when you read this book I shall be most
interested to learn if you, like me, feel that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
himself was one of the many spirit communicators looking over Pam's shoulder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jack the Ripper" -A Psychic investigation
'A compelling paranormal search for the killer's true identity'
by Pam Ball. Arcturus Books, hardback, £14.95 |
Author: Leanne Perry
Sunday, 26 March 2000 - 09:31 pm | | G'day Stephen,
I want one!
Julian Rosenthal lent me his to have a look at. I said if I like it, I'll order one! Where do I send the foreign exchange cheque?
Anonymous: Even if this is only fiction, the illustrations are great and it makes a good read!
Leanne! |
Author: Simon Owen
Monday, 27 March 2000 - 03:10 am | | | Er...Liz Stride was 5'5" tall and had dark hair ! |
Author: Guy Hatton
Monday, 27 March 2000 - 04:46 am | | And her attacker wasn't wearing a top hat, and...and...and...
Amazing, isn't it? Pam ball actually speaks to Liz Stride, and still can't get her facts right. So much for psychic forensics, then! |
Author: Christopher-Michael DiGrazia
Monday, 27 March 2000 - 02:41 pm | | Of course, one of the few interesting bits in the book is the revelation that the Maybrick Diary did emanate from James Maybrick, but what is in existence now is a copy of a lost original. But, before the Diary proponents get excited about this confirmation from beyond the grave, Miss Ball also points out that Maybrick only killed Stride, no-one else. So the Diary is still a fake.
It's all garbage. I would happily support "number crunchers" for years if it would stop meretricious tripe like this from the market. "Psychic forensics," indeed.
Despte the fact that it is blowing my own horn, a full review of this book can be found in "Ripper Notes" no. 1.
CMD |
Author: Jeffrey
Tuesday, 28 March 2000 - 03:52 am | | Hello All !
I have Pam Ball's book, and I must say I was very skeptical at first, only buying it to have in my macabre collection. Although I did find a lot of things very hard to believe (to be polite) there were a number of things that I found quite fascinating. Not least of all is the amazing enlarged reproductions of the photographs. The infamous picture of Kelly, for example is the clearest I have ever seen.
I was quite amazed at the serene look upon the faces of Chapman and Tabram. I found myself staring into these poor womens faces, and you can see quite clearly, the partially open slits of the eyes, and what appears a look of passive acceptance of their fate, while their last breath left their body. Looking very intensly at these 2-photographs for example, with both women having exactly the same look upon their face, besides the similarities in their overall appearance, made me firmly believe that these 2-women had to be killed in exactly the same manner, and therefore quite definitely by the same person. I don't know how much preparation they went into before the photographs were taken, but I found it hard to imagine that these women met with such a violent end.
When Pam Ball touched upon the killer in one of her seances, and described the calm turning into uncontrolable rage, I thought yes...... this would have been exactly what was going through the killers' mind. Something beyond his control, seized his every thought, with an explosion of emotions and violence raging through his mind with what would be similar to a blackout (for us drunks out there). He proably awoke the next day virtually unaware of what he had done. The book, taken with a large grain of salt is certainly well worth having in anyones' collection.
Jeff D |
Author: Simon Owen
Tuesday, 28 March 2000 - 06:12 am | | | I agree Jeff , the photos in the book are excellent , especially the Kelly one. Look at the bloodsplashes on the wall. The photo shows that they are just that , and the ' FM ' writing idea is complete nonsense. |
Author: Tom Wescott
Sunday, 26 August 2001 - 10:51 pm | | HERE'S SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If Pamela Ball really DOES have the 'gift' she claims she has, doesn't it piss you off to think that she spent so much time attempting to solve a case over a century old when current murderers are abducting and killing children? If it's all a hoax, congrats to Pam on getting the publishing deal. If her 'gift' is real or she seriously thinks it is, then she should be @#$#$ a few times until her @#$$## was so @#$@#$ that it @#$#$@. But, the pics were great.
Yours truly,
Tom Wescott |
Author: Leanne Perry
Monday, 27 August 2001 - 02:36 am | | G'day Tom,
I see you've read Pamela Ball's book and her exciting conclusion! Tom 'gifted' people do try to help with current cases. If it was just a hoax and she knew it, don't you think she should have picked a more popular suspect? I don't know yet whether I believe in her 'gift'.
Leanne! |
Author: Jon
Monday, 27 August 2001 - 09:19 am | | Tom
I dont think any congrats are due to Pam Ball for such gibberish, all that is required is to convince a publisher that there's $$$$$ to be made in a proof and eventually she will find a publisher who will take her on.
I bought the thing for the pics only, I've never read it.......I dont need to go to the north pole to know its cold.
Regards, Jon |
Author: Tom Wescott
Monday, 27 August 2001 - 09:30 pm | | Jon and Leanne,
Have you guys been to future Ripper author Tom Slemen's website yet? He's a self-fashioned 'ghost-hunter'. You HAVE to read his stories!
Yours truly,
Tom Wescott |
Author: Goryboy
Thursday, 07 March 2002 - 07:02 pm | | "...Pam was permitted to both view and hold some of the key crime exhibits; a shawl belonging to one of the victims, a knife left by the body of another..."
This is the first I've ever heard of a victim's shawl being preserved, or that a knife was found next to one of the victims. Where is this shawl, and next to whose body was the knife found?
Sounds fishy to me.
John
 |
Author: Jack Traisson
Thursday, 07 March 2002 - 11:04 pm | | Hi John,
I don't have time to go over the history of P.C. Amos Simpson and the shawl right now (there are two pieces: one originally purchased by an anonymous private collector and the other by Bill Waddell of the Black Museum), so check out the following.
Shrouded in Mystery : Stephen White, Amos Simpson and "Catharine Eddowes' Shawl"
Andrew L Morrison
http://casebook.org/dissertations/dst-amos.html
You can read more about it in O'Donnell, and the Parlour's book 'The JTR Whitechapel Murders' or in 'Ripperana' No. 20.
The knife is Rumbelow's. Consult 'The Complete JTR' for photo and story.
By the way, Pamela Ball, after handling the items, felt that the knife did not belong to JtR, but the shawl belonged to Eddowes
Cheers,
John |
Author: Julian Rosenthal
Sunday, 10 March 2002 - 10:38 pm | | G'day Tom, Gory, John, everyone.
There's a photo of Pamela with the shawl in her book, ' JtR - A Psychic Investergation'.
An interesting book if you're interested in taking a different view at the killings.
Jules |
Author: Jack Traisson
Monday, 11 March 2002 - 02:31 am | | Hi Jules,
The photo you are talking about is not Pamela in the picture but Sue Parlour. There are better pictures of the shawl in the Parlour's/O'Donnell book 'The Jack The Ripper Whitechapel Murders.'
Pamela Ball's book I would consider more bizarre than interesting. I wouldn't advise anyone to go out of their way to buy this one. Get it from the library instead. If you feel that you must buy it, get a cheap copy from ebay. And after you have read it, file it in your Ripper book collection next to Morrison, Cory, and de Locksley.
Cheers,
John |
Author: Julian Rosenthal
Wednesday, 13 March 2002 - 10:38 pm | | Apologies John,
It's been a while since I've dragged the book out, but had a vague recollection of seeing two women in the picture.
I stand corrected.
Jules |
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