Henley House Hotel London- London Article

Jack the Ripper

The Jack the Ripper murders occurred in the East End of London in 1888 and although Jack the Ripper was only a threat to a very small section of the community in a relatively small part of London, the murders had a huge impact on society as a whole. Between August and November 1888 the Whitechapel area of London was the scene of five brutal murders. All the women murdered were prostitutes and all except of one - Elizabeth Stride - were horribly mutilated.

The first murder of Mary Ann Nicholls took place on 31 August. Then, Annie Chapman was killed on 8 September, Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddoweson were murdered on 30 September and Mary Jane Kelly on 9 November and he continued with the murders. The Jack the Ripper murders also serve as a reminder of a not too distant past when a whole section of London society fought a daily battle against poverty and starvation.

The surviving Whitechapel murders police files allow a quite detailed view of investigative procedure in Victorian times. A large team of policemen conducted house-to-house inquiries, lists of suspects were drawn up and many were interviewed, forensic material was collected and examined. A close reading of the investigation shows a basic process of identifying suspects, tracing them and deciding whether to examine them more closely or to cross them off the list. This is still the pattern of a major inquiry today.

Jack the Ripper was never caught and he is not thought to have killed again after November 1888.

Therefore, visitors of London can attend several London tours to find out more about these mystery.