Witnesses

Joseph Lawende (also known as Lavender)

Witness who, with Joseph Hyam Levy and Harry Harris, saw a man and woman standing at the corner of Duke Street and Church Passage, leading to Mitre Square, at around 1.35 a.m. on the morning of 30 September 1888, about ten minutes before the body of Catherine Eddowes was discovered in Mitre Square.


The first publication of the description of the man seen by Lawende was in the Times on 2 October - "of shabby appearance, about 30 years of age and 5ft. 9in. in height, of fair complexion, having a small fair moustache, and wearing a red neckerchief and a cap with a peak".

George Hutchinson

A man coming in the opposite direction to Kelly tapped her on the shoulder and said something to her. They both burst out laughing. I heard her say alright to him. And the man said you will be alright for what I have told you. He then placed his right hand around her shoulders. He also had a kind of a small parcel in his left hand with a kind of strap round it. I stood against the lamp of the Queen’s Head Public House and watched him. They both then came past me and the man hid down his head with his hat over his eyes. I stooped down and looked him in the face. He looked at me stern. They both went into Dorset Street.

Description age about 34 or 35. height 5ft6 complexion pale, dark eyes and eye lashes slight moustache, curled up each end, and hair dark, very surley looking dress long dark coat, collar and cuffs trimmed astracan. And a dark jacket under. Light waistcoat dark trousers dark felt hat turned down in the middle. Button boots and gaiters with white buttons. Wore a very thick gold chain white linen collar. Black tie with horse shoe pin. Respectable appearance walked very sharp. Jewish appearance. Can be identified. Mary Jane Kelly was discovered there.

Elizabeth Long

She was walking on the same side of the street as No.29 and outside the house she saw a man and woman on the pavement talking. The man's back was turned towards Brick Lane, while the woman's was towards the Spitalfields Market. They were talking together, and were close against the shutters of No.29.
Mrs Long saw the woman's face, but she did not see the man's, except to notice that he was dark. She described him as wearing a brown deer-stalker hat, and she thought he had on a dark coat, but was not quite certain of that. She could not say what the age of the man was, but he looked to be over 40, and appeared to be a little taller than deceased. He appeared to be a foreigner, and had a 'shabby genteel' appearance. Witness could hear them talking loudly, and she overheard him say to the woman, "Will you?" to which she replied, "Yes." They remained there there as Mrs Long passed, and she continued on her way without looking back. Annie Chapman was discovered there.

Israel Schwartz

Witness who saw a woman being attacked in the gateway of Dutfield's Yard in Berner Street at about 12.45 a.m. on the morning of 30 September 1888, about 15 minutes before the body of Elizabeth Stride was discovered there.

Thomas Ede
On Saturday morning, 8th September, Ede was coming down Cambridge Heath Road when he saw a man on the opposite side of the road, just outside the Forester's Arms public house. The man's peculiar appearance made Ede look at him; he appeared to have a wooden arm which was hanging at his side. The man then put his hand down, revealing about four inches of knife-blade sticking out of his trouser pocket. There were three other men present who were also watching and Ede spoke to them. He then followed the man who, realising he was being followed, quickened his pace before being lost under some railway arches.
The man was described as being about 5ft 8in in height, about 35 years of age with a dark moustache and whiskers. He wore a double peaked cap, dark brown jacket and a pair of overalls and dark trousers. He walked as though he had a stiff knee and had 'a fearful look about the eyes'. He had the appearance of a mechanic (he was not muscular) and the overalls were clean. Ede could not tell what sort of knife it was. Mary Ann Nichols'  was discovered there.

In the Autumn of 1888 there began a series of terrifying grisly murders by an unknown Killer. The notorious serial killer who stalked London's East End, butchering prostitutes and terrorising the population was shrouded in mystery.

It was the officers of Scotland Yard to whom the task of apprehending the killer was entrusted.
The victims were all prostitutes, murdered and mutilated in the alleyways of Whitechapel.

(The Victims)

It is unclear just how many women the Ripper killed. It is generally accepted that he killed five, though some have written that he murdered only four while others say Nine or more.

( The five Generally Accepted victims below)

1. Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols, murdered Friday, August 31, 1888.

2. Annie Chapman, murdered Saturday, September 8, 1888.

3. Elizabeth Stride, murdered Sunday, September 30, 1888.

4. Catharine Eddowes, also murdered that same date.

5. Mary Jane (Marie Jeanette) Kelly, murdered Friday, November 9, 1888.

It was at this time Between August to November 1888 panic was at its height and the notoriety of the murders was becoming truly international, appearing in newspapers from Europe to the Americas. There where many photos taken of the victims, Even at this early stage the newspapers were carrying theories as to the identity of the killer, including doctors, slaughterers, sailors, and lunatics of every description.

Surprisingly, a full understanding of the Ripper's Killing technique was not established until several years ago.

The Whitechapel murderer and his victim stood facing each other. When she lifted her skirt, the victim's hands were occupied and was then defenseless. He then strangled his victim until they were unconscious, Then he laid the women carefully on the ground, Reaching over to cut the victim's throat, beginning with the side facing away from him. This effectively drained the blood from his victim, he would then make his ritual mutilations on the naked exposed parts of the body... Then Disappear into the night, As suddenly as he Appeared.

In a time before forensic science and even finger printing, the only way to prove someone committed a murder was to catch either him or her in the act, or get the suspect to confess.

In this case, this was very Difficult, The killer was like a fox who prowled through the night Hunting & Hiding.

120 year mystery

Modern profiling techniques have been used to form the most accurate portrait ever of the murderer, whose identity has remained a mystery for 120 years.

Baffled detectives were left to puzzle over half clues and supposed suspects. Theories in Books and arguments still rage to this day, as to the true identity of Jack the Ripper.

The clues also suggest that police at the time were probably searching for the wrong kind of man.

The serial killer, who strangled and butchered five prostitutes in east end of London in seemingly motiveless attacks in 1888, is thought to have been aged between 25 and 35, about 5ft 6in (1.68m) tall and stockily built.

There were many suspects at the time, including doctors, slaughterers, sailors, and lunatics of every description.

The Two-man theory
Another theory is that Jack the Ripper could have been Two People.
one lookout, the other murderer.
There has been a lot of debate about elizabeth stride being a Ripper Victim.If elizabeth stride was a jack the ripper victim, Then there is a strong chance that the ripper could have been two people working together.
Why two Rippers?
Below is Actual eyewitness accounts and Police reports of 1888.
12:45 AM Israel Schwartz a witness, on the night elizabeth stride was killed stated that turning into Berner Street from Commercial Road, and having gotten as far as the gateway where the murder was committed, he saw a man stop and speak to a woman, who was standing in the gateway. He tried to pull the woman into the street, but he turned her round and threw her down on the footway and the woman screamed three times, but not very loudly. On crossing to the opposite side of the street, he saw a second man lighting his pipe. The man who threw the woman down called out, apparently to the man on the opposite side of the road, "Lipski" and then Israel Schwartz walked away, but finding that he was followed by the second man, he ran as far as the railway arch, but the man did not follow so far.
Assistant Commissioner Sir robert Anderson admitted that he was open to the possibility of an accomplice to the Ripper.
1:00 AM: Louis Diemschutz enters Dutfield's Yard driving his cart and pony and Finds elizabeth stride murdered with her throat cut.
(12:45am) since Israel Schwartz witnessed the argument and the woman being thrown to the floor and the time frame of the body being found by Louis Diemschutz on his pony and cart. (1:00am) Within the space of 15 minutes Raises serious questions.
Please Read on..

The Two-man theory

Jack the Ripper could have been two people. one look-out, the other murderer.
There has been a lot of debate about elizabeth stride being a Ripper Victim.
If elizabeth stride was a jack the ripper victim, Then there is a strong chance that the ripper could have been two people working together.

Why two Rippers?

Below is Actual eyewitness accounts and Police reports of 1888.

12:45 AM Israel Schwartz a witness, on the night elizabeth stride was killed stated that turning into Berner Street from Commercial Road, and having gotten as far as the gateway where the murder was committed, he saw a man stop and speak to a woman, who was standing in the gateway. He tried to pull the woman into the street, but he turned her round and threw her down on the footway and the woman screamed three times, but not very loudly. On crossing to the opposite side of the street, he saw a second man lighting his pipe. The man who threw the woman down called out, apparently to the man on the opposite side of the road, "Lipski" and then Israel Schwartz walked away, but finding that he was followed by the second man, he ran as far as the railway arch, but the man did not follow so far.

Assistant Commissioner Sir robert Anderson admitted that he was open to the possibility of an accomplice to the Ripper.

1:00 AM: Louis Diemschutz enters Dutfield's Yard driving his cart and pony and Finds elizabeth stride murdered with her throat cut.

(12:45am) Israel Schwartz witnessed the argument and the woman being thrown to the floor. Then the body being found by Louis Diemschutz on his pony and cart at (1:00am) Within the space of 15 minutes Raises serious questions.


Please Read on..


Victorian Slum Streets

It wasn´t easy being poor in Victorian London, if you had a job you would properly only earn enough to survive and if you didn’t… Starvation and malnutrition was common and hygiene was bad. Typhus, tb, smallpox and cholera flourished and many kids didn´t live to see their first birthday. The living conditions were horrible, old, worn-down houses with families crammed together in a single room, no pluming and properly high rent. But even among the poor there where different rank. The “rich” lived in the front house and the more poor you where the further in, in the dark backyards you lived.
Within the shadow of The City walls is London's oldest synagogue, the Bevis Marks, whereas Whitechapel is where the Salvation Army was founded and the original Liberty Bell was forged. However, what everyone remembers most about this area are the Victorian slum streets that were stalked by the most infamous serial killer of all, Jack the Ripper.
At No. 90 Whitechapel High Street once stood George Yard Buildings, where Jack the Ripper's first victim  was discovered in August 1888. A second murder occurred some weeks later, in hanbury Street, behind a seedy lodging house at No. 29, is where Jack the Ripper left his third mutilated victim, "Dark" Annie Chapman. A double murder followed, and then, after a month's lull, came the death on this street of Marie Kelly, the Ripper's last victim and his most revolting murder of all. He had been able to work indoors this time, and Kelly, a young widow, was found strewn all over the room, charred remains of her clothing in the fire grate. Jack the Ripper's identity never has been discovered, although theories abound, including, among others, the cover-up of a prominent member of the British aristocracy, the artist Walter Sickert, and Francis Twomblety, an American quack doctor.