The History of Jack the Ripper.
A LETTER FROM GEORGE BERNARD SHAW IN WHICH HE OFFERS A THEORY AS TO JACK THE RIPPER'S MOTIVES. On the 24th of September George Bernard Shaw wrote to The Star newspaper and offered his own intriguing theory for the killer’s motive.
Sir,Will you allow me to make a comment on the success of the Whitechapel murderer in calling attention for a moment to the social question? Private enterprise has succeeded where Socialism failed. Whilst we conventional Social Democrats were wasting our time on education, agitation, and organisation, some independent genius has taken the matter in hand, and by simply murdering and disembowelling four women, converted the proprietary press to an inept sort of communism.
No doubt Shaw’s tongue was very firmly in his cheek when he suggested that the murderer was a social reformer, but there is little doubt that the Whitechapel murders had succeeded in drawing attention to the dreadful living conditions in the area, and several of the improvements that took place over the next few years can indeed be attributed to the increased awareness that the killings had focussed on the neighbourhood. WHO THE POLICE THOUGHT JACK THE RIPPER WAS Although Abberline and his colleagues were convinced that they were looking for a lone assassin, their investigation was hampered by the very nature of the crimes and by the fact that his victims were all prostitutes. He struck in the dead of night in out of the way places. As far as could be ascertained there was no motive for the crimes save for the grim satisfaction of mutilating his victims. He left no clues behind him, nor was there any accomplice to inform upon him. He was able to prevent his victims from crying out and thus alerting attention to their plights. And the fact that those victims were all prostitutes meant that they would take him to the very places where they knew that they were safe from interruption. As one police officer put it “it’s not as if he has to wait for his chance, they make that chance for him." YOUR JACK THE RIPER TOUR CONTINUES
DIRECTIONS
Continue along Hanbury Street, go left onto Wilkes Street and left into Fournier Street. Lined with delightful 18th-century buildings, which were built for Huegenot Master Weavers, the street is still much as it was in 1888. Go right onto Brick Lane and pause at the junction with Thrawl Street, where the Sheraz Indian restaurant now occupies the building that was formerly the Frying Pan public House. Mary Nicholls was seen staggering unsteadily from here at 2am on the morning opf her murder. She boasted how she had already made her “doss money” three times over but had drunk it away. JACK THE RIPPER TOURS DIRECTIONS
Continue along Brick Lane, which becomes Osborne Street and when it does keep straight ahead. Cross over Whitechapel Road at the traffic lights and enter the Green Gardens to take the right path. You are walking over the site of St Mary’s Church, which was destroyed by bombing in World War Two. It was the Medieval custom of lime washing the exteriors of important buildings such as this that created the White Chapel which gave its name to the entire district. JACK THE RIPPER WALK DIRECTIONS
At the end of the path exit the park, go right onto Adler Stret, left into Mulberry Street (known as Zion Square in 1888) and then turn right into Plumber’s Row.
JACK THE RIPPER SUSPECTS
LEATHER APRON IS CAPTURED. On the 10th September Sergeant William Thick went round to number 22 Mulberry Street and arrested John Pizer. There is little doubt that the police were convinced that Pizer was the man known as Leather Apron, so as Sergeant Thick escorted him into Leman Street Police Station feeling must have been running high that the Whitechapel murderer had been caught. But under interrogation Pizer was able to provide cast iron alibis for the nights of the two most recent murders and the police quickly ruled him out as a suspect. He even appeared at Annie Chapman’s inquest where he was given the opportunity to publicly clear his name.
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