This Day In History

26 August: One of the first victims of Jack the Ripper found

Jack the Ripper is the most widely used name given to the still-unknown serial killer who was active in the Whitechapel areas of London between 1888 and 1891. The name originated from a letter that is largely believed to be a hoax, possibly written by a journalist of the time in order to highten interest in the story.

Most if not all of the victims were prostitutes, including the woman found on this day in 1888, Mary Ann Nichols. The removal of internal organs from at least three of the victims led to people feeling the killer possessed anatomical or surgical knowledge. The murders drew attention to the poor living conditions in the East End slums, which were subsequently improved.

In terms of suspects, there are plenty, and there have been numerous attempts to decipher all the clues and find out the true identity. Suspects proposed years after the murders include virtually anyone remotely connected to the case by contemporary documents, as well as many famous names, who were never considered in the police investigation. Because everyone alive at the time is now dead, everyone is free to accuse whoever they want without any supporting evidence.

Hundreds of letters were sent to the police at the time, all claiming to be from the killer. However, only 3 stood out as having any real prominence, the "Dear Boss" letter, where a promise was made (and fulfilled) to chop off the next victims ear, the "Saucy Jacky" postcard, where mention was made of the two victims found on the same morning, and the "From Hell" letter, where half of a kidney, apparently from another victim, was sent along with it.

Emma Elizabeth Smith, Martha Tabram, Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Jane Kelly, Rose Mylett, Alice McKenzie, Frances Coles, and an unidentified woman are all thought to have been victims of Jack the Ripper. The murders stopped just as suddenly as they started, and the case will most likely never be solved, especially with there being over one hundred theories about the Ripper's identity.