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Details on Jack the Ripper & Mary Jane Kelly, by an eye-witness...
Details on Jack the Ripper & Mary Jane Kelly, by an eye-witness...
Item # 577755
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November 14, 1888
THE TIMES, London, England, Nov. 14, 1888
* Jack the Ripper - Whitechapel murders
* Mary Jane Kelly - eyewitness account
"Jack the Ripper" reports were common in the latter half of 1888, capturing the interest of people on both sides of the Atlantic as evidenced by the reports in many newspapers in the United States. It was the international "sensation" of the era, and a case which was never conclusively solved. Not surprisingly, issues of the respected "Times" newspaper from London are the most sought after, being the primary source for Jack the Ripper reports.
An inside page has a half column report headed: "The Whitechapel Murders" which begins by reporting the arrest of a man: "...found to have in his possession a somewhat formidable looking knife with a blade about ten inches long...confused & controdictory accounts which Murphy gave of himself..." & further on is a report noting: "...The funeral of the murdered woman Kelly will not take place until after the arrival from Wales of some of her relatives & friends...If they are unable to provide the necessary funeral expenses, Mr. H. Wilton...has guaranteed that the unfortunate woman shall not be buried in a pauper's grave...". Mary Jane Kelly was one of the "canonical five" victims generally accepted as having been murdered by Jack the Ripper. Nine others are suspected but evidence linking their deaths to Jack the Ripper was inconclusive.
What then follows is a fascinating & detailed account of an eye-witness to a meeting between the victim Mary Jane Kelly and the man presumed to be Jack the Ripper, bits including: "...I met the woman Kelly, whom I knew very well, having been in her company a number of times. She said, 'Mr. Hutchinson, can you lend me a sixpence?' I said I could not...The man who as standing at the corner...then came towards her & put his hand on her shoulder & said something to her..." with much more (see). Near the end the witness testified: "...went down to the Shoreditch mortuary today & recognized the body as being that of the woman Kelly, whom I saw at 2o'clock on Friday morning..." with more (see). One of the better reports we have seen on Jack the Ripper.
Complete in 16 pages, very nice condition & not fragile as is more typically the case, as this issue was obviously stored by an institution in an excellent environment.
Category: Post-Civil War
No Longer Available
