Jack The Ripper: Letters From Hell

Between August and November 1888, 6 prostitutes were found mutilated in Whitechapel in the east end of London. The murders provoked massive interest in the press, and dozens of letters appeared, all of which claimed to have been written by the killer.

Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell

History

Evans, Stewart P.

Skinner, Keith

Europe

Sutton Pub Ltd

James Berry, a pious Yorkshireman, was Britain's hangman during the latter half of Queen Victoria's reign, and throughout the period of the Whitechapel murders. A man of strange contradictions - capable of cold, callous detachment but so affected by his job that he was often unable to speak before an execution - Berry was the last hangman able to write freely about his work. Through Berry's experiences, Stewart Evans takes us on a journey into the world of Victorian crime and punishment. 
Berry was an ex-policeman who took a genuine interest in his 'victims' - even creating his own 'black museum'. Aiming to be both efficient and merciful he worked to a table of drops of his own creation. Unfortunately, this did not prevent a few horrific incidents. The most notable was the execution of Robert Goodale who was decapitated by the force of the drop. In contrast, in the famous case of John Lee, Berry was unable to open the gallows trap. After three attempts - during which the gallows trap worked perfectly when Lee was removed - Lee was reprieved.
During his eight years as hangman, Berry executed over 130 men and women - and even claimed to have hanged Jack the Ripper. He enjoyed publicity and toured the country talking of his experiences and showing lantern slides of grim prison scenes and executions. Yet in later life this contradictory character suffered from depression and became almost suicidal.
Executioner is a biography which offers insight into the world of the public executioner. It will appeal to all those interested in crime and punishment in the Victorian era.

Executioner: The Chronicles of James Berry Victorian Hangman

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

James Berry, a dour and somewhat pious ex-policeman who hailed from Yorkshire, was Britain's hangman from 1884 to 1892 and was responsible for carrying out 200 executions. As an amateur criminologist he built his own black museum and kept scrapbooks relating to his activities. He was also something of a showman, and not averse to publicity, whose press coverage caused the government acute embarrassment. Capable of cold, even callous detachment, Berry's sensitivity meant that he was often too upset before and after one of his 200 executions to be able to speak.There were also a few horrific incidents on the gallows and his job evidently had its effect on him as, in retirement, Berry became so depressed that he took steps to commit suicide. In this biography, Stewart Evans here takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the world of Victorian crime and punishment. Evans is a leading crime historian, widely considered one of the Victorian era. His previous books include Jack the Ripper, Letters From Hell and Jack the Ripper and the Whitechapel Murders. He lives in Cambridgeshire.

Executioner: The Chronicles of a Victorian Hangman

Sutton Publishing

Between August and November 1888 six women were found murdered and mutilated in London's East End and Aldgate. All were prostitutes; one was found on a common landing, one in the street, one in a backyard, one in an entry, one in a public square and the sixth in a house. The murders provoked massive interest in the press and dozens of letters quickly appeared, claiming to have been written by the killer. The origin of the name Jack the Ripper itself was a letter, famously written to 'Dear Boss,' the head of the Central News Agency. 
Certain letters have been reproduced or quoted in previous books but Stewart Evans and Keith Skinner are the first to have read and examined every one. This book reproduces and transcribes all the letters, including the 'Dear Boss' correspondence and the horrific letter sent to the chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee together with a piece of human kidney. The authors relate the letters to the complete story of the Whitechapel murders, tracing the hysteria and misconceptions that dogged both the police and Fleet Street during 1888-9 and providing revealing insights into the Victorian psyche.
For the first time the cases of three people arrested by the police for sending 'Jack the Ripper' letters are explored, including that of Maria Coroner, the attractive 21-year-old Bradford girl. Evans and Skinner also examine the letters of seven suspects, including Dr. Roslyn D'Onston Stephenson and Nikaner Benelius. The story of the Ripper letters ends by posing a controversial question: was Jack the Ripper merely a press invention?

Drawing on their unparallel knowledge of the Jack the Ripper murders and their professional experience as police officers, the two doyens of serious Ripper writing join forces for the first time to write the definitive book on the case from the perspective of the police investigation. As the title declares, this is the complete investigation and is full of new insights and information on the murders and who might have committed them. The authors reopen every aspect of the case and offer a balanced account that does not favor any one suspect or motive. By viewing the case through the lens of police procedure, they have uncovered clues and links that have remained undetected for more than a hundred years. Evans and Rumbelow also extend the investigation beyond the canonical five victims and add other murders investigated at the same time that bring the total to twelve. This study strips away much of the nonsense that has accumulated since 1888 and draws the reader into the world of police investigation in Victorian London, reopening files on a case that will perhaps never be solved, but will always fascinate.

Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates

Rumblelow, Donald

True Crime

The History Press

Stewart P. Evans, a retired police officer and curator of the Suffolk Police Museum in England, has researched the Whitechapel Murders for more than thirty years. He is the coauthor of Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer. Keith Skinner, for three decades a historical researcher of the Ripper case, is coauthor of such titles as The Ripper Legacy and The Jack the Ripper A to Z.

The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Companion: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

Basic Books

"Ripper Notes: Suspects &amp; Witnesses" is a collection of essays about the famous unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper and related topics, focusing on a number of people who have been accused of the crimes. Andrew J. Spallek starts things off with a comprehensive look at the reasons why Montague John Druitt was named as the top suspect by a high-ranking police official at the time, as well as new information that has been discovered since then. Stewart P. Evans, author of several of the most respected books on the case and a former police officer, takes an in-depth professional look at George Hutchinson, who is sometimes considered a suspect because of the puzzling aspects of the witness statement he gave of a man seen with Mary Jane Kelly, the last of the Ripper's known victims, shortly before her death. Leanne Perry follows with details on Kelly's former lover Joseph Barnett, also believed by some to have been her killer, and the job he lost as a fish porter at Old Billingsgate Market. Wolf Vanderlinden tackles another high profile suspect, Dr. Francis Tumblety, while trying to get to the truth about some of the stories of his life that have always been considered to be damning evidence against him but appear to be quite different from how they have been previously portrayed. Jeffrey Bloomfield comes next with the life and crimes of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream, the man whose executioner claimed was trying to admit to being Jack the Ripper while being hanged for the poisoning deaths of prostitutes in London's East End. Don Souden critically examines all the major witness to see how reliable they were in offering clues to the murderer's identity. Des McKenna compares the two different versions of Tom Slemen's claims that Claude Reignier Conder should be considered to be Jack the Ripper. Tom Wescott then brings the main section to a close with a bang by revealing a largely forgotten contemporary suspect who has not been mentioned in print since the 19th century. There are also short pieces on various claims that the killer was locked up in an asylum and not prosecuted because of being insane, a look at the current state of Ripperology, and reviews of recent books. Ripper Notes is a nonfiction anthology series covering all aspects of the Jack the Ripper case.

Ripper Notes: Suspects & Witnesses

Norder, Dan

Vanderlinden, Wolf

World

Inklings Pr

In 1888 the unknown brought death and terror to the streets of Victorian London's East End. The Man Who Hunted Jack the Ripper is the story of Detective Inspector Edmund Reid, who was head of the Whitechapel detective force. Having joined the Metropolitan Police Force, Reid rose through the ranks and was eventually transferred to the notorious East End. It was at this time that he assumed responsibility to lead his men in a relentless pursuit of Jack the Ripper; his pursuit of the Whitechapel murderer spanned the years 1888 to 1891. Reid retired from the police force in 1896 but, in the subsequent years, he often reminisced on his involvement in the hunt for the infamous serial killer; from the comfort of his armchair he carefully considered any new theory that came to light about the identity of Jack the Ripper. The Man Who Hunted Jack the Ripper recounts the full story of a series of murders that shocked the world.

The Man Who Hunted Jack the Ripper: Edmund Reid and the Police Perspective

Connell, Nicholas

Amberley Publishing

Examines the people, places, and theories connected to the lingering mystery of Jack the Ripper and presents newly discovered information and evaluates conflicting theories

Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer

Politics & Social Sciences

Gainey, Paul

Social Sciences

Kodansha USA Inc

The legendary Jack the Ripper terrorized London’s prostitutes in 1888, and horrified the world with his cruelty. These horrific unsolved murders and stories of the terrifying desecration of his victim’s bodies still captivate the world 100 years later. Police reports, newspaper articles, photographs, commentary, illustrations and much more, this is the ultimate resource for any researcher or follower of Ripper lore.

Skyhorse

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Evans, Stewart P.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Evans, Stewart P.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Evans, Stewart P.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell

Executioner: The Chronicles of James Berry Victorian Hangman

Executioner: The Chronicles of a Victorian Hangman

Jack The Ripper: Letters From Hell

Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates

The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Companion: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

Ripper Notes: Suspects & Witnesses

The Man Who Hunted Jack the Ripper: Edmund Reid and the Police Perspective

Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer

The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Companion: An Illustrated Encyclopedia