Jack the Ripper: The Secret Police Files Read online

  “JACK THE RIPPER”

  “THE SECRET POLICE FILES”

  Written by

  TREVOR MARRIOTT

  Copyright © 2013 by Trevor Marriott

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Trevor Marriott is a retired British police murder squad detective who joined the police service in 1970 and was soon promoted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where he was involved in the investigation of numerous murders, as well as assisting in the investigation of other major crimes throughout his long and distinguished career. He is the author of “Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation” (2007) and “The Evil Within” (2013) – a comprehensive analysis of some the world’s worst serial killers from around the world.

  His most recent publication is a Victorian crime mystery novel, based on the Whitechapel murders titled “Prey Time” (2013).

  To contact the author, to arrange press and media interviews, speaking engagements or any other personal appearances.

  Website: www.trevormarriott.co.uk

  E Mail: [email protected]

  Copyright Trevor Marriott 2013

  First published 2013

  All Rights Reserved

  The content of this book covers the second part of my long and protracted investigation into the Whitechapel murders. For continuity purposes and in order to highlight the results of significant new lines of enquiry it has been necessary to use some of the original material from my first book “Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation” published in 2007.

  “Jack the Ripper - The Secret Police Files”

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1 Introduction

  Chapter 2 Whitechapel 1888

  Chapter 3 The Victims

  Chapter 4 The Suspects

  Chapter 5 The Aberconway Version

  Chapter 6 The Swanson Marginalia

  Chapter 7 Carl Feigenbaum

  Chapter 8 The Medical Experts

  Chapter 9 The Anarchist Theory

  Chapter 10 The Secret Police Files

  Chapter 11 Freedom of Information Hearing Part 1

  Chapter 12 Informants

  Chapter 13 Freedom of Information Hearing Part 2

  Chapter 14 The Information Tribunal Decision

  Chapter 15 New Suspects from the Register

  Chapter 16 Police Officials in Later Years

  Chapter 17 125th Anniversary Tour

  Chapter 18 The Epilogue

  CHAPTER 1

  INTRODUCTION

  Jack the Ripper: man or myth, fact or fiction? Whoever he was, up until now his identity has remained a mystery. The horrendous murders attributed to the unknown killer spread terror among the residents of London’s East End and his nickname was known and feared the world over.

  One hundred and twenty five years have passed since the Ripper’s crimes were committed, yet the search for his identity has been ongoing. In fact the mystery had deepened so much that the truth about the murders has been totally obscured. Innumerable press stories, books, plays, films and even musicals have dramatised and distorted the facts, with the unfortunate result that the public have now accepted the fiction more readily than the facts, and the most worrying fact is that the public firmly believe what they have seen and read as being correct.

  As a modern day British murder squad detective I had been interested in this case for many years but due to a heavy workload, I never had the time to study it in great detail. However in 2002 with more time at my disposal I decided to reinvestigate the murders. I felt that all the experience, knowledge and insight into the criminal mind I had gained by interviewing and talking to murderers, rapists and robbers would be invaluable in my attempt to view the murders not only through the eyes of an experienced investigator, but through the eyes of the killer. So I set out to conduct a 21st century cold-case investigation into this fascinating series of 19th century murders.

  I looked closely at the murders themselves, the victims, and the suspects at the time, and both the evidence available at that time and the new evidence and new suspects that have emerged in the intervening years. I knew I would also need to analyse and assess all the new evidence recently put forward, with a view to either proving or disproving some of the accepted theories about the murders, which have been with us for many years. In doing so I hoped I might find something new that would unlock the mystery and lead me to the identity of Jack the Ripper.

  It has been widely accepted that Jack the Ripper killed only five women all of whom were prostitutes. They have become known as the “canonical five”. However, my lengthy and protracted investigation revealed a total of eight women were in fact murdered. All were killed in similar circumstances and all the murders occurred in or near Whitechapel, East London, between August 7th 1888 and 13th February 1891, and all were prostitutes. All had their throats cut, and their bodies subjected to mutilations and in the case of two of the victims, it was suggested that the killer also removed vital organs, taking them away with him from the crime scenes. In addition, I discovered two other similar murders of prostitutes, which occurred in central London many years before the Whitechapel murders commenced. Both of these murders bore many comparable similarities to the later murders.

  Further investigative work would cast a major doubt surrounding the removal of the organs from the victims at the crime scenes. I would later discover the existence of missing police files, which had never before been made public, which contained the names of new Ripper suspects never before previously discussed. I would also discover new photographic evidence, which could perhaps connect at least one of the Whitechapel murders to a series of similar murders, which took place in New York and Germany, following the cessation of the Whitechapel murders. It soon became apparent that the mystery was not a singular one but involved intrigue and false trails, with a number of mysteries within the mystery.

  CHAPTER 2

  WHITECHAPEL 1888

  All the murders were committed in squalid poor areas, and all the victims were prostitutes. Many prostitutes in those days were forced to work the streets by gangs, who would inflict their own violence on these poor women if they did not conform and hand over the money they earned through prostitution. It is documented that in Whitechapel alone, at the time of the murders, there were in excess 1600 prostitutes actively working.

  The population of the East End of London at the time was believed to have been around 900,000, of which 80,000 resided in Whitechapel. The "poor" made up about 8% of the population and consisted of men who worked as builders, market porters etc. earning what was described as a "meagre" but regular income of between 18 – 21 shillings a week. (Before decimalization in the UK, 20 shillings equalled 1 pound.)

  The "very poor" totalled about 11 % of the population, and their income fell below the aforementioned level. The former struggled to make both ends meet, and the latter lived in a state of total poverty. 2% consisted of the lowest class and was made up of down-and-outs and the homeless. In one area alone it was documented there were approximately 146 registered lodging houses, with a number of beds exceeding 6,000. Some of the houses contained as few as four beds, whilst others had as many as 350. For those who could not afford lodgings there was no other option than to sleep on the streets and alleys, as some still do to this day.

  CHAPTER 3

  THE VICTIMS

  MARTHA
TABRAM

  Martha Tabram was a plump, thirty–nine-year-old prostitute; she was stabbed to death in George Yard Buildings on 7th August 1888. On the evening of her death Tabram was seen with another prostitute “Pearly Poll” in various public houses in Whitechapel, and the last anyone saw of her was around 11.45pm; she was seen going into George Yard with a soldier, presumably to have sex. There were no more sightings of her before her body was found at 4.45am, on the stairs in George Yard Buildings. Her lower garments were in a state of disarray, suggesting intercourse may have taken place. She had been stabbed 39 times to her chestal area. One different sized stab wound was found to her abdomen, suggesting that perhaps her killer was armed with two knives. The police failed to identify her killer, and also failed to trace the identity of the soldier. Her murder remains unsolved. Some experts do not subscribe to the theory that she was a Ripper victim. However, in regard to the ferocity of the attack on her and the ferocity of the attacks on some of the later victims, she should not be discounted. Furthermore, this murder is referred to as one of the Whitechapel murders in various reports compiled by Chief Inspector Swanson who was put in overall charge of the investigation between August and December 1888.

  MARY ANN NICHOLS

  The second murder occurred on Friday August 31st the victim was Mary Ann Nichols, known as Polly, aged 43. She was found murdered in a narrow, cobbled street called Buck’s Row. Nichols was last seen alive around 2.30am and was found dead in the street at 3.45am. Witnesses who found her suggest she may have been clinging to life. If that was so, the killer was very lucky not to have been seen either committing the murder or making his escape.

  She had been stabbed several times in the stomach and abdomen and her throat had been cut to the point that she was almost decapitated. Bruising found around the neck and throat suggests she may have possibly been strangled before having her throat cut. It was suggested that her killer used a long-bladed knife to inflict the wounds. There were no witnesses and no descriptions of anyone seen with Nichols before her death or at the spot where she was murdered. Her killer simply vanished unseen into the darkness.

  As is required by English law an inquest took place into her death. The inquest opened on September 1st 1888 by Mr. Wynne E. Baxter, the coroner for South East Middlesex. I do not intend to publish the full details of that inquest but will set out the evidence given by the Police Surgeon, Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn. I will continue to include all the medical testimony from the various police surgeons again when discussing the deaths of later victims. This medical evidence would be a pivotal part of my investigation in proving or disproving some of the accepted theories, which have been a part of the mystery for over 125 years. I will also include other parts of witness testimony given during the inquests, which I deem to be relevant to my investigation.

  Dr. Llewellyn arrived at the murder scene at 4.00am on August 31st. After only a brief examination of the body he pronounced Polly Nichols dead. He noted that there was a wine glass and a half of blood in the gutter at her side but claimed that he had no doubt that she had been killed where she lay. He failed to notice the abdominal wounds the killer had inflicted upon her, a glaring professional mistake.

  In court he gave the following testimony:

  “In the mortuary I saw that the abdomen was cut very extensively. I have this morning made a post-mortem examination of the body. I found it to be that of a female about forty or forty-five years. Five teeth were missing, and there was a slight laceration of the tongue. There was a bruise running along the lower part of the jaw on the right side of the face that might have been caused by a blow from a fist or pressure from a thumb. There was a circular bruise on the left side of the face, which also might have been inflicted by the pressure of the fingers. On the left side of the neck, about 1 in. below the jaw, there was an incision about 4 in. in length, and ran from a point immediately below the ear. On the same side, but an inch below, and commencing about 1 in. in front of it, was a circular incision, which terminated at a point about 3 in. below the right jaw. That incision completely severed all the tissues down to the vertebrae.

  “The large vessels of the neck on both sides were severed. The incision was about 8 in. in length. The cuts must have been caused by a long-bladed knife, moderately sharp, and used with great violence. No blood was found on the breast, either of the body or the clothes. There were no injuries about the body until just about the lower part of the abdomen. Two or three inches from the left side was a wound running in a jagged manner. The wound was a very deep one, and the tissues were cut through. There were several incisions running across the abdomen. There were three or four similar cuts running downwards, on the right side, all of which had been caused by a knife, which had been used violently and downwards. The injuries were from left to right and might have been done by a left-handed person. All the injuries had been caused by the same instrument."

  I have also included other additional witness testimony from the inquest hearing, which I feel is relevant and the reasons will soon become apparent.

  Detective Sergeant Enright of Scotland Yard, told the coroner that following the removal of the body to the workhouse mortuary, two workhouse officials had without permission stripped the body and the said clothes, which were lying in a heap in the mortuary yard. They consisted of a reddish-brown ulster, with seven large brass buttons, and a brown dress, which looked new. There were also a woollen and a flannel petticoat, belonging to the workhouse. Inspector Helson had cut out pieces marked ‘P. R., Princes-road,’ with a view to tracing the body.

  Inspector John Spratling, J Division, Metropolitan Police stated that the clothes were fastened when he first saw the body.

  Inspector Jos. Helson deposed that he first received information about the murder at 6.45am on Friday morning. He afterwards went to the mortuary, where he saw the body with the clothes still on it.

  Dr Llewellyn recalled, he had re-examined the body and there was no part of the viscera missing…

  Robert Mann, the keeper of the mortuary, said the police came to the workhouse, of which he was an inmate. He went, in consequence, to the mortuary at 5am. He saw the body placed there, and then locked the place up and kept the keys. After breakfast he and another inmate of the workhouse, undressed the woman.

  A verdict of wilful murder by person or persons unknown was recorded. To this day her murder remains unsolved.

  ANNIE CHAPMAN

  The next victim was Annie Chapman 47, she was found dead in the backyard at 29, Hanbury Street on 8th September 1888. Her throat, like Mary Ann Nichols’s, was dissevered deeply. She had been disembowelled and her uterus plus the fallopian tubes still attached, were found to be missing at the time the post-mortem was carried out. Her intestines had allegedly been placed over her right shoulder and other parts of her stomach were found outside the abdominal cavity on her left side.

  It was also noted that some of her possessions were found near to a railing in the rear yard. I will comment on this issue before discussing the murder and the subsequent post-mortem and inquest.

  The suggestion in recent times was that her possessions had been placed there by the killer and arranged as part of some ritualistic ceremony... These items were a small piece of coarse muslin, a small toothcomb, and a pocket comb in a paper case. I do not subscribe to this and would suggest there is a simple, less sinister explanation.

  It is obvious that Chapman met her killer and they both went to the rear of 29, Hanbury Street to engage in some form of sexual activity. She was not carrying a handbag and would probably have had her possessions in the pocket of her dress or apron. On entering the rear yard and in order to engage in a sex act, which would have resulted in her lifting up her dress and apron, she could have simply taken out her own possessions and placed them on the floor so as to not lose them, intending to pick them up when she had finished and before leaving.

  Chapman was allegedly last seen alive at around 5.30am, talking to a man near to where her body was
found. The man was described as shabbily dressed, over forty-years of age, with a dark complexion, possibly of foreign appearance. He was wearing a brown deerstalker hat and what is believed to have been a dark overcoat, although this evidence of identification like many other suspect sightings throughout the investigation is unsafe and should not be totally relied upon. Another witness who lived next door to 29, Hanbury Street would say that he heard noises in the rear yard of Hanbury Street at 5.40am. In fact Dr. Phillips, the police surgeon, would later suggest that her death could have occurred at around 4am.

  The inquest to her death was opened on September 11th by the coroner Mr. Wynne Baxter, among the first witnesses called were two workmen who were called to the murder scene by John Davies a tenant of 29, Hanbury Street who initially found the body. The first witness was James Kent who testified as follows :

  “I work for Mr. Bayley, 23A, Hanbury-street, and go there at six a.m. On Saturday I arrived about ten minutes past that hour. Our employer's gate was open, and there I waited for some other men. Davis, who lives two or three doors away, ran from his house into the road and cried, "Men, come here." James Green and I went together to 29, Hanbury-street, and on going through the passage, standing on the top of the back-door steps, I saw a woman lying in the yard between the steps and the partition between the yard and the next. Her head was near the house, but no part of the body was against the wall. The feet were lying towards the back of Bayley's premises. (Witness indicated the precise position upon a plan produced by the police officers.) Deceased's clothes were disarranged, and her apron was thrown over them. I did not go down the steps, but went outside and returned after Inspector Chandler had arrived. I could see that the woman was dead. She had some kind of handkerchief around her throat, which seemed soaked in blood. The face and hands were besmeared with blood, as if she had struggled. She appeared to have been on her back and fought with her hands to free herself. The hands were turned toward her throat. The legs were wide apart, and there were marks of blood upon them. The entrails were protruding, and were lying across her left side. I got a piece of canvas from the shop to throw over the body, and by that time a mob had assembled, and Inspector Chandler was in possession of the yard. The foreman gets to the shop at ten minutes to six every morning, and he was there before us.”