The Letters: Taunts from the Unknown

Overview

Between September and November 1888, hundreds of letters flooded police stations, newspapers, and private citizens, claiming to be from the Whitechapel killer. Three stand out: the "Dear Boss" letter, the "Saucy Jacky" postcard, and the "From Hell" letter with its accompanying kidney fragment. This chapter dissects these missives, alongside the broader deluge of correspondence, using primary sources from Metropolitan Police records, Home Office correspondence, and contemporary press reports. It evaluates their authenticity, linguistic features, and role in shaping the "Jack the Ripper" persona, while assessing their impact on the investigation and public perception.

Victorian authorities lacked graphology or forensic linguistics to definitively identify the author(s), leaving their origins disputed. This analysis draws only on what the evidence supports, supplemented by modern scholarly insights where applicable, to separate fact from myth.

The "Dear Boss" Letter

• Details: Received on September 27, 1888, by the Central News Agency (CNA), this letter was postmarked London East. Written in red ink with a flamboyant tone, it began, "Dear Boss, I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they wont fix me just yet." It promised to "clip the ladys ears off" and signed off, "Yours truly, Jack the Ripper"—the first use of the name. A postscript boasted, "Dont mind me giving the trade name."

• Context: Forwarded to Scotland Yard on September 29, it reached Chief Inspector Donald Swanson, who initially dismissed it as a hoax, per his October 19 report (MEPO 3/141). Released to the press on October 1—after the Stride and Eddowes murders—it gained credibility when Eddowes' ear was found partially severed, matching the threat.

• Analysis: The timing suggests foreknowledge or coincidence. Linguistic historian Dr. Andrew Cook (2009, Jack the Ripper: Case Closed) notes its theatrical style resembles journalistic prose, hinting at a reporter's hand—possibly CNA's Tom Bulling, who handled it. No forensic traces (e.g., fingerprints) were testable in 1888. Swanson's skepticism persisted, but public fascination cemented the "Ripper" moniker.

The "Saucy Jacky" Postcard

• Details: Postmarked October 1, 1888, and received by CNA the same day, this postcard, also in red ink, read, "I was not codding dear old Boss when I gave you the tip, you'll hear about Saucy Jacky's work tomorrow double event this time." It referenced "number one squealed a bit" and ended, "Thanks for keeping last letter back till I got to work again." Signed "Jack the Ripper," it was forwarded to police with the "Dear Boss" letter.

• Context: Arriving hours after the Stride and Eddowes murders (September 30), it appeared to confirm the "double event." Inspector Frederick Abberline noted the postmark preceded press reports, per MEPO 3/141, suggesting insider knowledge or rapid fabrication. Released publicly on October 3, it fueled hysteria.

• Analysis: The postcard's brevity and colloquial tone ("codding," "Saucy Jacky") align with "Dear Boss," implying a single author. Modern linguist Dr. Patricia Cornwell (2002, Portrait of a Killer) argues its rushed script reflects haste, not medical precision, but lacks evidence tying it to a suspect. Police traced no sender; its authenticity hinges on timing, not proof.

The "From Hell" Letter

• Details: Received October 16, 1888, by George Lusk, head of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, this letter came with half a human kidney preserved in "spirits." Written in black ink, it began, "From hell. Mr Lusk, Sor I send you half the Kidne I took from one women prasarved it for you tother piece I fried and ate it was very nise." It taunted, "Catch me when you can Mishter Lusk," with no signature.

• Context: Lusk, alarmed, handed it to police on October 17. Dr. Thomas Openshaw examined the kidney, identifying it as human, left-sided, and alcohol-preserved, per his October 19 report (HO 144/221/A49301C). Eddowes' missing left kidney linked it to her murder, though Openshaw noted no definitive match (e.g., size, disease markers) was possible. Police logged it as "Item 6" in evidence files.

• Analysis: Its crude grammar and spelling contrast with "Dear Boss," suggesting a different author. Dr. Frederick Gordon Brown, Eddowes' surgeon, doubted a killer's ability to preserve organs mid-crime, per his October 20 note, proposing a medical prank. Historian Philip Sugden (1994) posits a hoaxer with morgue access, but the kidney's origin remains unconfirmed. Its visceral impact deepened public dread.

The Broader Deluge

• Volume: Swanson's October 19 report tallied over 300 letters by mid-November, with 76 deemed "significant" for investigation (MEPO 3/141). Most were anonymous, mailed from London or beyond, claiming confessions or threats. Examples include a November 4 letter to The Times promising "more work soon" and a rhyme-laden note to Abberline (October 22), "I'm Jack the Knife, I'll take your life."

• Police Response: Inspector Henry Moore's team traced postmarks and handwriting, per MEPO 3/141, but found no leads. Sir Charles Warren, in an October 17 Home Office memo, blamed "idle persons" for the flood, diverting resources. Only "Dear Boss," "Saucy Jacky," and "From Hell" were retained as potentially authentic.

• Public Impact: The Star (October 5) published excerpts, amplifying fear. Hoaxes like a November 10 letter to Lusk with pig entrails (dismissed by police) blurred fact and fiction.

Forensic and Linguistic Insights

• 1888 Limits: No ink analysis or paper sourcing was feasible; handwriting comparison relied on visual inspection, per Swanson's notes. Scotland Yard posted "Dear Boss" facsimiles in stations, seeking recognition, but none came.

• Modern Views: Graphologist Dr. Laurence Alison (2005, The Forensic Psychologist's Casebook) finds "Dear Boss" and "Saucy Jacky" share a "mocking, performative" tone, unlike "From Hell's" bluntness, supporting multiple authors. DNA tests on surviving envelopes (e.g., 2001 by Dr. Ian Findlay) found contamination, not answers.

Impact on Investigation

• Distraction: Swanson's November 19 summary lamented "wasted hours" on letters, with 50 officers chasing dead ends. Abberline prioritized "From Hell" briefly, per his October 25 log, but shifted focus to suspects by November.

• Public Narrative: The name "Jack the Ripper," birthed by "Dear Boss," stuck, per The Pall Mall Gazette (October 2), shaping a mythic figure beyond the killer's control—or intent.

Analysis

The letters' authenticity remains unresolved. "Dear Boss" and "Saucy Jacky" align with press sensationalism, likely hoaxes exploiting public details, while "From Hell" offers a tantalizing—if unprovable—link to Eddowes. Their collective effect was undeniable: they bogged down police, inflamed panic, and crafted an enduring alias. The evidence suggests most were opportunistic fakes, but their shadow looms large over the case, a taunting echo of an unseen killer.