Jack the Ripper

Are you up for another unsolved mystery?  I've got a whopper for you this time!  A figure that instills fear by name alone - Jack the Ripper.

For as much publicity as his story has gotten, very little is actually known of Jack the Ripper.  He was never captured, so no one knows what he looked like.  He lived and killed during a time when murders were on the rise.  A lot of those murders were extremely violent and seemingly unconnected, so we don't even know how many people Jack the Ripper really killed.  In fact, there are so many theories about who this man was that there is a term given to the study of related cases - "ripperology."

Between April 3, 1888 and February 13, 1891, eleven murders were reported in and around Whitechapel, the town in London where Jack the Ripper's victims were found.  Of these eleven cases, five victims are thought to be those of Jack the Ripper.  The things each of these victims had in common were slashed throats, abdominal/genital mutilation, missing internal organs, facial mutilation, and they were prostitutes.

Though the man that committed these dastardly deeds was never captured, an investigation was conducted.  As per the method of the times, policemen went door-to-door to question people.  It has been said that over 2000 people were interviewed, about 300 people were investigated, and 80 people were arrested.  Just like with many other historical outbreaks of hysteria, certain sorts of people were targeted more than others.  With the case of Jack the Ripper, butchers, slaughterers, surgeons and physicians were under heavy scrutiny because of the condition of the suspected victims.  Other speculations were that the killer lived close by (because of the location of the bodies) and that he was a member of the upper-class (because of his possible attire as per some witnesses).

Lizzy Borden

Lizzy Borden took an axe

And gave her mother forty whacks.

When she saw what she had done

She gave her father forty-one.

 

How's that for a little rhyme?  In just a few short days, it will be the anniversary of the gruesome murders that inspired the passage above.

 

On August 4, 1892, Andrew Jackson Borden and his wife, Abby, were murdered in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts.  The rhyme above is a little off.  Andrew suffered 11 whacks to the head while he slept on the sofa.  Abby was dealt 19 blows while she was cleaning an upstairs room.

 

The number one suspect in their murders was their daughter, Lizzy.  For the time, it was the trial of the century.  I mean come on...how could a woman murder anyone like that?  Yep, that was what a lot of people said.  Anyway, after a long, hard trial, Lizzy was released from police custody.  If you haven't heard the story, I highly encourage you to do a little research.  It's a very interesting piece of historical information!

 

The house that Lizzy Borden grew up (and possibly committed these heinous murders) in is now a bed and breakfast.  The business also gives ghost tours.  I've taken the tour twice.  The first time, I went with my husband, the second with a friend.  On my first visit, there was a large crowd and not much ghostly activity was experienced. 

 

The second visit was different.  My friend and I were the only ones taking the tour that day.  We heard a voice in the house and my friend's camera stopped working.  The camera began working again after leaving the house.  AND THE CAMERA WAS A FILM CAMERA!!! 

 

How's that for a ghost story?  Have you been to the Lizzy Borden house?  Did you have any experiences?