The Jack the Ripper letters

Historical text, verbatim:

On 27th September a letter was received at a well-known News Agency, addressed to the '' Boss.'' It was written in red ink, and purported to give the details of the murders which had been committed. [...] This document was sent to Scotland Yard, and (in my opinion most unwisely) was reproduced, and copies of same affixed to various police stations, thus giving it an official imprimatur. In this ghastly production I have always thought I could discern the stained forefinger of the journalist — indeed, a year later, I had shrewd suspicions as to the actual author [...] gruesome stuff, it is certain to my mind that it was not the mad miscreant who had committed the murders.

Historical text, verbatim:

Thomas Bulling himself has also been accused of being the creator. This information was brought to light by the discovery of the Littlechild Letter in 1993[12] which stated that: With regard to the term 'Jack the Ripper' it was generally believed at the Yard that Tom Bullen [sic] of the Central News was the originator, but it is probable Moore, who was his chief, was the inventor. It was a smart piece of journalistic work. No journalist of my time got such privileges from Scotland Yard as Bullen.

Historical text, verbatim:

Despite being generally accepted as containing the first use of the name 'Jack the Ripper'[6], opinion on its veracity weighs heavily in favour of it being a contemporary hoax, most likely written by a journalist. Robert Anderson believed this to be the case, stating so in his memoirs[7] as did Melville Macnaghten:

Historical text, verbatim:

The Saucy Jacky postcard has often been cited in the past as potentially genuine on account of it being received on the morning of the day after the 'Double Event', which by modern standards suggests it was posted before the news was common knowledge. If this is to be accepted, then the Dear Boss Letter may also be considered genuine. Realistically, this is hardly the case. Knowledge of the 'double event' would have been widespread throughout the day of the murders, 30th September. Also, the postal service in the Victorian era was considerably more efficient (by necessity) than today, with many more collections which included Sundays. The postcard could easily have been written on the 30th September and posted in plenty of time to arrive at the Central News Agency on the 1st October.

Historical text, verbatim:

A practical joker, who signed himself "Jack the Ripper," wrote to the Central News last week, intimating with labored flippancy that he was going to commence operations again in Whitechapel shortly. He said he would cut the woman's ears off to send to the police. This morning the same agency received a postcard smeared apparently with dirty blood. It was written with red chalk. It says: "I was not codding dear old Boss when I gave you the tip. You'll hear about saucy Jacky's work to-morrow. Double event this time. Number one squealed a bit. Couldn't finish straight off. Had not time to get ears for police. Thanks for keeping back last letter till I got to work again. - JACK THE RIPPER."

Historical text, verbatim:

The Central News says: A post-card bearing the stamp "London, E., October 1," was received this morning, addressed to the Central News Office, the address and subject matter being written in red, and undoubtedly by the same person from whom the sensational letter already published, was received on Thursday last. Like the previous missive, this also has reference to the horrible tragedies in East London, forming, indeed, a sequel to the first letter. It runs as follows: "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. Number one squealed a bit. Couldn't finish straight off. Had not time to get ears for police. Thanks for keeping last letter back till I got to work again. "JACK THE RIPPER." The card is smeared on both sides with blood, which has evidently been impressed thereon by the thumb or finger of the writer, the corrugated surface of the skin being plainly shown. Upon the back of the card some words are nearly obliterated by a bloody smear. It is not, necessarily assumed that this has been the work of the murderer, the idea that naturally occurs being that the whole thing is a practical joke. At the same time the writing of the previous letter immediately before the commission of the murders of yesterday was so singular a coincidence that it does not seem unreasonable to suppose that the cool, calculating villain who is responsible for the crimes has chosen to make the post as medium through which to convey to the Press his grimly diabolical humour.

Historical text, verbatim:

Two communications of an extraordinary nature, both signed "Jack the Ripper," have been received by the Central News Agency, the one on Thursday last and the other yesterday morning. The first - the original of which has been seen by Major Smith, the Assistant Commissioner of the City Police - was a letter, bearing the E.C. postmark, in which reference was made to the atrocious murders previously committed in the East-end, which the writer confessed, in a brutally jocular vein, to have committed; stating that in the "next job" he did he would "clip the lady's ears off" and send them to the police, and also asking that the letter might be kept back until he had done "a bit more work." The second communication was a postcard, and as above stated, it was received yesterday morning. It bore the date, "London, E., October 1," and was as follows: - "I was not codding, dear old Boss, when I gave you the tip. You'll hear about Saucy Jacky's work to-morrow. Double event this time. Number One squealed a bit; couldn't finish straight off. Had not time to get ears for police. Thanks for keeping the last letter back till I got to work again." The postcard was sent to Scotland Yard. No doubt is entertained that the writer of both communications, whoever he may be, is the same person.