Topic: Jack The Ripper A Woman!
andrewzooms's photo
Thu 02/16/12 06:10 PM


This is Mary Peracey. She had stabbed her lover's wife and child to death and cut their throats, later wheeling the bodies into a secluded street. These crimes were committed in October of 1890.

Two striking similarities compared to the Ripper case. First, the "savage throat-cutting," and second the m.o. of killing in private and then dumping the body in a public place (which would explain why there were no witnesses who heard any Ripper victims scream.)

Mary Pearcey was described by Sir Melville Macnaghten. He wrote, "I have never seen a woman of stronger physique.... her nerves were as ironcast as her body." She was executed at the scaffold on December 23rd, 1890.

First, the fact that all of London was looking for Jack the Ripper (i.e. a man) would allow a female murderer to walk the streets of Whitechapel with considerably less fear of capture or discovery. Second, a midwife would be perfectly common to be seen at all hours of the night. Third, any presence of blood on her clothing would be immediately discarded as a result of her work. Finally, based on the evidence pointing to an anatomically educated murderer, a midwife would have the anatomical knowledge some believed the murderer possessed.

1. What sort of person was it that could move about at night without arousing the suspicions of his own household or of other people that he might have met.

2. Who could walk through the streets in blood stained clothing without arousing too much comment.

3. Who would have had the elementary knowledge and skill to have committed the mutilations.

4. Who could have been found by the body and yet given a satisfactory alibi for being there.

The 5th victim Mary Kelly was three months pregnant at the time of her death. She could barely afford her lodgings, let alone a baby, so, according to Stewart, she decided to terminate her pregnancy. He claims that the murderer was called in to abort the baby and killed Kelly once she was admitted into the room, later burning her bloodsoaked clothing in the grate and escaping wearing Kelly's clothing.

This is important, because it explains the sighting by Mrs. Maxwell at 8:00 the next morning -- she could possibly have seen the midwife/abortionist in Kelly's garb: the shawl of which she remembered to have been worn by Kelly.

no photo
Thu 02/16/12 07:16 PM
Interesting.


andrewzooms's photo
Thu 02/16/12 07:23 PM
Thanks. So many suspects in the case. No real definitive suspect.