by Ivor Edwards
Lloyd’s Weekly London Newspaper, 7 October, 1888, printed Kidney’s inquest testimony giving 33, Dorset Street as his address. At the inquest he stated that on the day of the murder he expected Stride to return to his address. Various tabloids of the period including The Daily News, 6 October, 1888, also placed Kidney as living in Dorset Street. The Times, Saturday, 6 October 1888, quoted Sven Olsson, Clerk to the Swedish Church in Princes Square, as stating that Stride had lived in Devonshire Street in 1886.
Map showing the small area in Spitalfields in which the five victims lived. The Ten Bells public house (Kelly’s patch) can be seen middle top of the map on the corner of Church Street. Map O/S Scale 1in/88ft
Catherine Eddowes alias Mary Ann Kelly (1842–88)
1881: 55, Flower and Dean Street (next to Nichols) with John Kelly. Also at one time lived in Dorset Street (Daily Telegraph, 10 November 1888).
Mary Jane Kelly alias Marie Jeanette (1863–88)
April 1887: Thrawl Street.
Paternoster Row, Dorset Street.
1888: Millers Court, Dorset Street (opposite Chapman).
All the above addresses (apart from Devonshire Street) are located within a very small area of Spitalfields.
After having located the exact spots on which the five victims were found, I transferred the locations on to several period Ordnance Survey Maps, scale 1/2500 and measured the distances from victim to victim. Victims three, four and five were all killed on the line of a 500-yard radius.
The scene of crime in the rear yard of 29, Hanbury Street
This is the first time since 1888 that anyone has measured the distances from victim to victim. The distances are accurate to within two metres and show that the murders were planned on a map. Kelly was the only victim who was killed indoors in her own room. So, if the murder sites were planned in advance on a map, then the killer knew in advance that a victim was to die in room 13, Millers Court. This can only mean that the killer either knew Kelly personally or knew of her. He knew enough to pinpoint her room on a map.
The killings were carried out on foot and the killer knew the area well. He resided in the area during the murders but he was not a native of the area. I know the area as well as the killer knew it and I do not reside there. The killer did his homework as I did mine. He used the four busy main roads in the area to move about on. Using these routes gave him the advantage of moving in the most efficient manner, in a straight line.
The main roads on which he moved were some of the busiest streets in London. Do not forget that on the Whitechapel Road in 1888 a market lined the pavement. When I went to the area in the small hours I was surprised to find it busy. In 1888 it was far busier than it is today. One only has to view the street traffic in old period photographs to realise how busy the main roads were.
We know that the killer moved about on weekends when the markets and main roads in the area (even early mornings) were very busy with people and traffic. The area was buzzing on weekends and it was a busy time for the prostitutes.
If the necessity of moving sites 1 and 2 a very short distance to achieve the required cover had not arisen then all distances from victim to victim (excluding site 5) when measured on an O/S map of the period, scale 1/2500, would be 950 yards forming a parallelogram.
The trail the killer left from the first murder site in the locality of his address at the London Hospital. Note how the trail leads away from the area of the London Hospital and finally leads to 13, Millers Court, 26, Dorset Street, Spitalfields. Another trail (marked as -----) was left from Site 4 to Goulston Street which led in the direction of Dorset Street. The killer wanted the police to believe that he was heading to a lair in Spitalfields. He was in fact heading back to the hospital after leaving the message (and false trail) at Goulston Street
There has never been any evidence to suggest that the killer used back alleys, it has only been assumed that he did. Hundreds of local people including undercover plainclothes detectives dressed in many diverse and various disguises, private detectives, vigilantes, uniformed officers, reward seekers, all and more were scouring the pubs, dens, passageways, back alleys and back streets searching for the invisible killer at night.
When sites 1, 2, 3, 4 are joined they make an occult symbol. This occult symbol was utilised by the Nazis as their symbol for the SS. The plan called for four prostitutes to be killed at the four points of the cross. I believe that Kelly was the odd one out in more ways than one. She was in some way separate from the first four victims and was possibly more of a personal matter to the killer
Many various types also flooded into the area to catch the killer. Didn’t the police realise that their hunted prey could quite as easily have altered his appearance as they had done? And quite simply move about on the four busy main roads, keeping out of the pubs, etc.
A Reconstruction of the Killer’s Routes
I travelled the routes several times at a quick pace and at a normal pace. The routes were busy day and night when I walked them.
Sites Timed at a quick pace with a stopwatch
Centre to Court Street (and hospital) 8 minutes, 38.22 seconds
Centre to site of 29, Hanbury Street. 7 minutes, 41.82 seconds
Centre to Berner Street 4 minutes, 5.18 seconds
Top of Berner Street to site 1 minute, 5.22 seconds
Centre to Site 3 total time 5 minutes, 10.4 seconds
Centre to Dukes Street 3 minutes, 51.03 seconds
Duke Street to St James Passage 32.09 seconds
Top of St James passage to site 29.78 seconds
Centre to site 4, total time 4 minutes, 52.99 seconds
*Centre to Dorset Street 4 minutes, 36.04 seconds
* Timed to the original street line of 1888 which was 4m shorter than the present corner.
Distances between the centre and murder sites were measured, using a surveyor’s wheel, as follows:
Sites Distances (m)
Centre to Court Street (and hospital) 881.01
Centre to 29, Hanbury Street 745.17
Centre to Site 3 555.11
Centre to Dukes Street 371.08
Corner of Dukes Street to the entrance to St James Passage 61.4
Entrance to St James Passage to victim 51.3
Centre to victim four 483.15
*Centre to Dorset Street 440.08
*Taken to the original 1888 street corner. Routes were taken as they would have been taken in 1888. No subways were used and barriers were climbed over to keep the routes as straight as possible.
Sites Timed at normal pace with wristwatch
Centre to site of 29, Hanbury Street 8 minutes,30 seconds
Centre to Court Street and the hospital 10 minutes, 30 seconds
Centre to site 3 6 minutes, 27 seconds
Centre to site 4 6 minutes, 05 seconds
Centre to Dorset Street 5 minutes, 18 seconds
Gardner’s Corner is the main junction for the area and is a hub of activity. After murders two, three, four and five the killer headed in this direction. The routes used by the killer and the times given to walk them have all been reconstructed. On two occasions I timed myself from the centre point marked on my map to the original south corner of Dorset Street walking at a military pace. There was only a difference of one second over a distance of 440.08m. This fact gives an indication as to the accuracy which can be achieved when timing is of the essence.
Jack’s chosen routes to and from the sites had to be very efficient, thus he made them as straight as possible. When one views the photo (page 109) of the 500-yard view taken from Dorset Street to the centre point, one can appreciate how busy, open and straight the killer’s chosen routes were. Access to all side streets (from the centre point) in which a murder was committed are as efficient as shown in this photo.
The killer had no need to move through the labyrinths and back streets of the area when he had such efficient routes to move on. One will note that of the five main roads leading from the centre only on
e did not have a murder committed off it. This was Leman Street where Kelly frequented and the direction in which she was seen to go just hours prior to her murder.
My suspect signed himself into the London Hospital as a private patient prior to the murders. But due to the evidence, including certain unexplained missing times, the layout of the sites, a link by association between my suspect and a lodging house owner in Leman Street, and the fact that this killer was devious and smart, I believe that Jack did the unexpected and chose a site to go to ground as soon as possible near the centre.
Shown above is the layout of each site from Gardeners Corner at the main junction. We have five victims off four main roads.
Shown right is how the layout of the murders should have appeared without the necessity of elaborate planning if the killer had decided in principle to take each victim (in any order) off a main road down a side road, and kill them off the side road. This would give us five victims killed off five main roads. Because he was following a plan with certain objectives and considerations in mind he could not commit the murders in the simple logical pattern shown below.
My suspect was known to wear a wide-brimmed soft felt hat and a long overcoat, and a suspect at Berner Street was seen in such attire. It is feasible that the suspect left the hospital and went straight to Berner Street in his own attire, knowing that no mutilations were to take place on Stride. He just cut her throat once knowing that the chances of blood getting on his person were minimal.
He then went in the direction of Mitre Square stopping halfway there, at his bolthole in Leman Street. He then changed his attire, as he knew his next murder was to be a relatively messy affair. More to the point, such action would alter his appearance, which would help him if he was seen with a victim by chance. If seen in different attire at various sites it would confuse the issue and the police would be looking for several people instead of one.
Note how easy it is to reach all the side roads which contain the murder sites by simply walking in a straight line from the centre point. Common sense dictates that the killer used these routes.
From looking at the maps, the ease of access to sites is clearly illustrated.
From the centre point to site 1:
Walk up the Whitechapel Road, a left turn gives access into Bucks Row.
From the centre point to site 2:
Walk up Commercial Street, a right turn gives access into Hanbury Street.
From the centre point to site 3:
Walk down Commercial Road, a right turn gives access into Berner Street.
From the centre point to site 4:
Walk down the High Street, a right turn gives access into Mitre Square.
From the centre point to site 5:
Walk up Commercial Street, a left turn gives access into Dorset Street.
CHAPTER NINE
JACK THE RIPPER’S OCCULT PLANS FOR THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS
31 AUGUST–9 NOVEMBER 1888
EVEN WITHOUT THE introduction of occult symbols there is already much material here to suggest an occult element to the mystery.
The killer always got his victims into a position from which they could not escape. His MO was to place his victims in a corner and asphyxiate them from behind. He would then lay them down on their left side (Kelly was on her right side when her throat was cut) at which point he would proceed to cut their throats, from left to right while kneeling behind them. He would then lay them on to their backs to mutilate them.
The Pattern
Victim one. Found on her back with her left side parallel with the stable door.
Victim two. Found on her back with her left side parallel with a wooden fence.
Victim three. Found on her left side parallel with wall. (Only victim not mutilated.)
Victim four. Found on her back with her left side parallel with a wall.
Victim five. Found on her back with her right side parallel with a wall.
The Differences
Victim one. Found with her feet in the corner, which one would expect if attacked from behind in a corner then laid down.
Victim two. Found with her head in the corner instead of her feet. Witness Mr Cadosch said that he heard a woman’s voice cry, ‘No’, and shortly after he heard a bump against the fence. It is feasible that this victim was aware of the killer’s intention and cried, ‘No’, before he had time to place her in the corner and manoeuvre behind her. Therefore, this victim was attacked close to the corner. Rendering the victim unconscious the killer bumped her against the fence whilst laying her down.
Victim three. Found as one would expect with her feet facing a corner.
Victim four. Found with her head facing a corner. Either the same scenario applied with this victim as with victim two or she was killed in the passage with her feet in the corner, as one would expect, and then pulled out feet first which would place her head in the corner of Mitre Square, where it was positioned.
Victim five. The initial attack by the killer was made easier by this victim prior to her death. She was murdered while already lying down on her bed with her head near the corner.
Certain points in relation to these crimes have never been satisfactorily explained, in fact many have been ignored. For example, it is taken for granted by many that the killer was a local man, yet it is most unusual for any serial killer to take his victims from his own neighbourhood! A simple dictum, for any criminal, is don’t crap on your own doorstep.
The question of why Jack the Ripper took the missing body parts has never been properly addressed. It is most obvious that the killer had a use for the stolen body parts otherwise he would not have taken them. There are not many reasons why the killer would need to take the missing parts so this considerably narrows the field in assisting to find the true motive for the murders. One such reason can be found in occult murder.
Other Evidence for the Occult
The first four victims were killed at the four points of the compass
Occult murder decrees in some instances that the victims must be placed at the points of the compass.
Heinous mutilation of the dead occurred
The occult dictates that uteri, or wombs, taken from mutilated victims are to be used in the manufacture of holy candles.
The killer had a set number of victims, five in total
His task was completed with Kelly’s murder. Occult murder can often specify a set number of victims for sacrifice. Serial killers keep on killing until caught and they do not pick a specified number of victims to kill and then cease.
How the Ripper Put his Plans into Practice
It should be clear by now that the Ripper planned his crimes with a great deal of precision. The centre of operations can be reached from sites 3, 4 and 5 by a difference in time of only 18 seconds. The first four murders were placed east, west, north and south. These results cannot be achieved without the aid of a map, and a compass.
I defy anyone who states that the murders were not planned with precision in advance on a map to place five sites at random in a built-up area and achieve the same results. This was a man on a mission.
The First Phase
The planner knows that he is to murder five victims so he makes his plans accordingly. He starts his plan at the main cross-roads. A line is run down the left-hand side of Commercial Street. Then a line is taken along the bottom of Whitechapel High Street until it converges with the line from Commercial Street.
The point where both lines converge is used as the starting point for his plan.
Example
A line is then taken from the point at the junction where the two previous lines converge. The line is taken to Room 13, No. 26, Millers Court a distance of exactly 500 yards.
The Second Phase
Now the planner picks site 4 on the map. Using a square he uses the centre point for his vertical line and a spot he has chosen for his horizontal line. The 500-yard line from the centre to Kelly’s abode is then moved until it converges with t
he horizontal line. The exact point at which the two lines converge is site 4.
The planner then reverses the square and swings the line from site 5 until it meets with the horizontal line from site 4.
Example
We have a 500-yard radius from the centre which cuts through the exact spots on which victims five, four and three were found.
The Third Phase
The killer now has his base line (the line from site 3 to site 4) from which he is to determine the location of site 2. To achieve this objective both ends of the base line are arced. At the point of convergence site 2 is chosen.
We now have a triangle the base and sides of which are 950yds. These three lines are of importance and are drawn into the plan. Note how site 2 became located in the middle of a crossroad, which was not viable for the killer. It was when he checked out this site on foot for suitability he decided to move it 63yds to afford himself greater privacy and cover.
Centre to site 2. (29 Hanbury St.) Up Commercial Street, turn right, then left.
The Fourth Phase
To locate site 1, two lines are arced out and the point at which the two lines converge is site 1. The line from site 2 to site 4 is arced and then the line from site 3 to site 4 is also arced.