The Rest Is History

626. Jack The Ripper: The Killer Strikes Again (Part 3)

December 15, 2025

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  • The episode details the 'Double Event' murders of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes on September 30, 1888, highlighting the extreme mutilation of Eddowes compared to the relatively untouched body of Stride, leading to theories about the Ripper being interrupted. 
  • The investigation following the double murder was complicated by separate police jurisdictions (Metropolitan Police and City of London Police) and the discovery of the 'Jews are the men that will not be blamed for nothing' graffiti, which was quickly erased by Sir Charles Warren to prevent anti-Semitic riots. 
  • The period following the double murder saw widespread public panic, commercial impact, and a flood of hoax communications, including the infamous 'From Hell' letter sent to vigilante George Lusk, which contained a human kidney and suggested cannibalism. 

Segments

Atmosphere and Lodging House Reading
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(00:01:43)
  • Key Takeaway: A journalist’s account from October 5, 1888, captured the intense public atmosphere and dread in Cooney’s lodging house following the latest murder.
  • Summary: An investigative journalist described the lively yet fearful atmosphere in Cooney’s lodging house, which was used by Jack the Ripper’s latest victim. The occupants were singing songs and reciting verses about the killer, indicating widespread public obsession and terror. This setting was located in Spitalfields, Whitechapel, during the autumn of 1888.
Recap of Double Event Murders
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(00:04:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The ‘Double Event’ on September 29/30 involved the murder of Elizabeth Stride in Dutfield’s Yard and the subsequent, far more mutilated murder of Catherine Eddowes in Mitre Square.
  • Summary: The hosts recap the previous murders, culminating in the night of September 29th/30th when the killer struck twice. Elizabeth Stride was found first, and 45 minutes later, PC Edward Watkins discovered the body of the second victim in Mitre Square, just inside the City of London boundary.
Catherine Eddowes Crime Scene Details
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(00:05:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The City Police surgeon, Dr. Frederick Gordon Brown, reported that Catherine Eddowes’ body was horribly mutilated with the abdomen exposed and intestines placed over her shoulder, with the killer taking her womb and left kidney.
  • Summary: Dr. Frederick Gordon Brown provided gruesome details of the Mitre Square murder scene, noting the victim was lying on her back with her throat cut and her intestines arranged around the body. The killer efficiently removed the left kidney and womb, likely completing the act in under 15 minutes before vanishing. This level of mutilation was significantly more extreme than the Stride murder.
Elizabeth Stride Murder Analysis
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(00:07:59)
  • Key Takeaway: Elizabeth Stride’s body was found without the characteristic mutilations, leading to theories that the Ripper was interrupted by Louis Diemschutz’s cart, prompting him to seek a second, more complete kill.
  • Summary: Elizabeth Stride, a Swedish immigrant, was found with only her throat cut, lacking any further mutilation seen in other canonical murders. This lack of mutilation suggests the killer was disturbed, possibly by the arrival of Louis Diemschutz, explaining the subsequent, immediate second murder to fulfill his violent urges. Witnesses near the scene included a man described wearing a deer stalker hat.
Witness Testimony and ‘Lipski’ Taunt
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(00:12:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Witness Israel Schwartz reported seeing two men, one of whom shouted ‘Lipski’ at him, linking the event to the controversial 1887 hanging of Israel Lipski, a name used as an anti-Semitic taunt in the East End.
  • Summary: Multiple witnesses described the man with Stride using similar features (peaked cap, 5'5"-5'6"), but Schwartz’s account introduced a second man and the shout ‘Lipski.’ This name was notorious due to the recent, controversial execution of Jewish umbrella maker Israel Lipski, suggesting the shout was an anti-Semitic taunt directed at Schwartz, implying the Ripper was likely not Jewish and familiar with local slang.
Catherine Eddowes Identification and Life
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(00:19:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Catherine Eddowes, 46, originally from Wolverhampton, was identified by her partner John Kelly and was released from police custody just 40 minutes before her body was discovered in Mitre Square.
  • Summary: Catherine Eddowes was identified by her partner, John Kelly, after being found in the City of London. She had a difficult life, separating from a violent soldier and eventually living with Kelly, likely engaging in casual prostitution. Her last recorded words were to a constable who released her from a cell at (1:00) AM, shortly before she was murdered around (1:40) AM.
Eddowes Mutilation and Expertise
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(00:21:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Eddowes suffered the most horrific mutilations, including the removal of her left kidney and part of her uterus, and the cutting off of one ear lobe, suggesting the killer possessed anatomical knowledge.
  • Summary: The surgeon believed the killer had anatomical expertise to remove the left kidney carefully, possibly indicating a butcher or medical student. The removal of the ear lobe was noted as potentially fulfilling a boast in an earlier letter, though the mutilations were otherwise extensive. The murder occurred very quickly after she was released from police custody.
The Mitre Square Graffiti Discovery
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(00:24:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Catherine Eddowes’ bloody apron was found near Galston Street, accompanied by chalk graffiti reading, ’the Jews are the men that will not be blamed for nothing’ (spelled J-U-W-E-S), which Sir Charles Warren immediately ordered erased.
  • Summary: PC Alfred Long discovered the victim’s apron and the chalk message on the wall shortly after the murder. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Charles Warren ordered the immediate wiping away of the graffiti at dawn, fearing it would incite a riot against the Jewish community. The meaning remains debated: coincidence, a genuine taunt by the Ripper, or a deliberate plant by the police to mislead.
Public Panic and Cultural Absorption
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(00:33:47)
  • Key Takeaway: The double murder caused intense panic, leading to deserted streets and shopkeepers petitioning the government, while the press compared the savagery to contemporary colonial violence, such as that attributed to Native Americans.
  • Summary: Following the double murder, the East End experienced severe panic, with women seeking safety elsewhere or huddling together, and shopkeepers reporting lost livelihoods due to public fear amplified by a mid-October fog. The press frequently compared the Ripper’s mutilations to the violence associated with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show participants, reflecting anxieties about savagery lurking within the imperial capital.
Police Investigation Failures and Hoaxes
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(00:40:10)
  • Key Takeaway: The investigation stalled due to internal conflict between the Home Office and Commissioner Warren, failed police tactics like using bloodhounds, and an overwhelming deluge of hoax letters, including the infamous ‘From Hell’ message.
  • Summary: The police faced criticism for incompetence, exacerbated by the resignation of Sir Charles Warren and the absence of CID head Dr. Robert Anderson. Attempts to use bloodhounds failed due to bureaucratic disputes over insurance, and a plan to use male officers disguised as women ended violently when one was stabbed. The police were inundated with 994 active files, making progress nearly impossible.
The Infamous ‘From Hell’ Letter
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(00:49:33)
  • Key Takeaway: The ‘From Hell’ letter, sent to George Lusk on October 16th, contained half a human kidney, which the sender claimed to have fried and eaten, suggesting a link to the removed organs of Catherine Eddowes.
  • Summary: The letter, addressed to the vigilante leader George Lusk, arrived with a preserved human kidney, which a pathologist confirmed was human, though not definitively linked to Eddowes. Handwriting analysis suggested it was written quickly and smoothly, possibly by someone with an Irish background, and was distinct from the earlier ‘Dear Boss’ letter. This communication is considered harder to dismiss as a hoax than previous messages.
The Final Victim’s Discovery
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(00:55:09)
  • Key Takeaway: On November 9th, the day of the Lord Mayor’s Show, Mary Jane Kelly, who was significantly behind on rent, was discovered murdered in her room at 13 Miller’s Court after her landlord sent an assistant to check on her.
  • Summary: Mary Jane Kelly, who knew about the murders from stories read to her, was found by her landlord’s assistant, Thomas Bowyer, after failing to answer repeated knocks. Bowyer looked through a broken window and was horrified by the sight inside. The police officers who subsequently viewed the scene were deeply shocked, setting the stage for the revelation of the final, most gruesome murder in the next episode.