Jack the Ripper Script

Episode 1: Who is Jack the Ripper?

Music Introduction music

Narrator: Good evening, everyone, welcome to the first episode

of my series, Jack the Ripper where in three
episodes I will be focusing on his victims, the
suspects and theories around the mystery. For those
who are new listeners, I am Madeleine Rees and I
discuss true crime and unsolved mysteries.

Sounds Horse trotting sounds and 19th century chilling

music*

Narrator: Setting the scene, Jack the Ripper operated in

Whitechapel, London in the mid 19th century.
Whitechapel was known to be a bit of a slum as there
was lots of poverty, homelessness, prostitution and
drug abuse. This became one of the best-known
unsolved cases with the ripper’s identity never
discovered. The name "Jack the Ripper" originated in
the "Dear Boss letter" written by an individual
claiming to be the murderer, which was published in
the press. The letter is widely believed to have
been a hoax, and may have been written by
journalists to heighten interest in the story and
increase their newspapers' circulation. The "From
Hell letter" received by George Lusk of the
Whitechapel Vigilance Committee came with half of a
preserved human kidney, presumably taken from one of
the victims. The public came increasingly to believe
in the existence of a single serial-killer known as
Jack the Ripper, mainly because of the
extraordinarily brutal and sadistic nature of the
murders and media coverage of the crimes.

Narrator: ‘What was the motive of his murders?’

Narrator: His murders were extremely brutal, mutilation to the

abdominal area with the victims barely recognised.
The only continuous clue from the murders that all
the victims were female prostitutes working and
living in the slums of East London. A police
investigation into a series of eleven brutal murders
committed in Whitechapel and Spitalfields between
1888 and 891 was unable to connect all the killings
conclusively to the murders of 1888. Five victims:
Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride,
Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly are known as
the "canonical five" and their murders between 31
August and 9 November 1888 are often considered the
most likely to be linked. The murders were never
solved, and the legends surrounding these crimes
became a combination of historical research,
folklore, and capturing public imagination to the
present day. Most experts point to deep slash wounds
to the throat, followed by extensive abdominal and
genital-area mutilation, the removal of internal
organs, and progressive facial mutilations as the
distinctive features of the Ripper’s manner of
operating. The first two cases in the Whitechapel
murders file, those of Emma Elizabeth Smith and
Martha Tabram, are not included in the canonical
five. Emma Smith was robbed and sexually assaulted
in Osborn Street, Whitechapel, at approximately 1:30
a.m. on 3 April 1888. She had been bludgeoned about
the face and received a cut to her ear. A blunt
object was also inserted into her vagina and she
died the following day at a London hospital. Emma
stated that she had been attacked by two or three
men, one of whom she described as a teenager. This
attack was linked to the later murders by the press,
but most authors attribute Emma's murder to general
East-End gang violence unrelated to the Ripper case.
Martha Tabram was murdered on a staircase landing in
George Yard, Whitechapel, on 7 August 1888 she had
suffered 39 stab wounds to her throat, lungs, heart,
liver, spleen, stomach, and abdomen, with additional
knife wounds inflicted to her breasts and vagina.
All but one of Martha's wounds had been inflicted
with a bladed instrument such as a penknife, and
with one possible exception, all the wounds had been
inflicted by a right-handed individual. Martha had
not been raped. The savagery of her murder, the lack
of an obvious motive, and the closeness of the
location and date to the later canonical Ripper
murders led police to link this murder to those
later committed by Jack the Ripper. However, this
murder differs from the later canonical murders
because although she had been repeatedly stabbed,
she had not suffered any slash wounds to her throat
or abdomen. Many experts do not connect Martha’s
 murder with the later murders because of this
difference in the wound pattern.

Narrator: ‘Who were the canonical five?’

Narrator: ‘Chapter 1: Mary Anne Nichols’

Mary Anne Nichols also known as Polly Walker was

born Mary Ann Walker on 26 August 1845 in London.
She was the second of three children born to Edward
Walker, a locksmith, and Caroline, a laundress.
Little is known of her early life, although she is
known to have been christened in the year 1851.
Nichols was 5 feet 2 inches tall, had brown eyes,
high cheekbones and, at the time of her death,
greying dark-brown hair.
Mary Anne married a man named William Nichols and
had five children. Their marriage ended quickly due
to Mary’s heavy drinking and soon after the
separation, authorities told him Mary was practising
prostitution. Over the following years, Mary amassed
a lengthy police record, although all of her arrests
were for minor offences such as drunkenness,
disorderly conduct, and prostitution. She spent a
lot of her remaining years in workhouses and
boarding houses, living off charitable money and
small earnings from prostitution. That was the last
time Mary Ann Nichols was seen alive. At 3.40am, a
carter found her lying in the darkened doorway of a
stable. Her throat had been slit and her body
horribly mutilated. Mary's body is discovered in
Buck's Row by Charles Cross, a carman, on his way to
work at Pickfords in the City Road., and Robert Paul
who joins him at his request. "Come and look over
here, there's a woman." Cross calls to Paul. Cross
believes she is dead. Her hands and face are cold
but the arms above the elbow and legs are still
warm. Paul believes he feels a faint heartbeat.

Paul: I think she's breathing, but it is little if she is.

Narrator: The two men agree that they do not want to be late
for work and after arranging Mary's skirts to give
her some decency, decide to alert the first police
officer they meet on their way. They eventually meet
PC Jonas Mizen at the junction of Hanbury Street and
Baker's Row and tell him of their find.

In the meantime, Mary’s body has been found by PC

John Neil. He signals to PC Thain who then joins him
and the two are soon joined by Mizen. Thain calls
for Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn, who resides nearby.
The two return a few minutes later (around 3:50
A.M.) and Dr. Llewellyn pronounces life to have been
extinct "but a few minutes."
According to the inquest testimony from The Times,
Mary was left with several injuries including two
deep cuts to the throat, both of which had
penetrated down to the spine. The first cut was
approximately 4inches (10cm) long and the second was
approximately twice the size, 8inches (20cm) in
length and stretched from ear to ear, deep enough to
sever the large artery. The cuts were framed by two
small bruises to both sides of the jaw that were not
unlike the impressions left by recent pressure of a
thumb and finger, suggesting that the killer had
held the women’s throat prior to slitting it twice.
There were also a number of abdominal injuries
thought to have been made with the same instrument –
a strong bladed knife. One deep hacking gash had
jaggedly torn the left side of the lower part of the
abdomen and as far up as the sternum (or
breastbone), leaving the intestines exposed. Similar
cuts were found on the right side of the torso
including further slashes across the abdomen, but no
internal organs had been removed from the body by
the murderer.

Initially, based on the visible injuries and

mutilations, Dr Llewellyn believed that the killer
was left-handed and had attacked the victim from the
front. The Dr would later express doubts about his
original assumptions as the throat wounds would also
have been consistent with a right-handed killer
attacking the victim from behind.
After the post-mortem, Dr Llewellyn concluded that
the murderer must have had “some rough anatomical
knowledge” and that the wounds would have been the
work of a single killer, taking only a mere four or
five minutes to inflict.
Mary Anne was buried on the 6th of September 1888,
her funeral expenses paid for by her father and ex-
 husband. Almost a century later, cemetery
authorities decided to get Mary a plaque.

Music: Exit music

Narrator: ‘Chapter two: Annie Chapman’

Music: Eerie music introduces

Narrator: Annie Chapman married John Chapman on the 1st of May

1969. Unfortunately, their marriage was short lived,
John died around Christmas time leaving Annie
penniless as he was her main source of financial
stability. Annie afterwards, living in lots of
different lodgings and houses, decided to start
working as a prostitute to support herself. There is
a lot unknown about her life from the day her
husband died until her unfortunate death, however
she meets a man called Edward Stanley, a man she was
fond of and who often gave her shillings. Annie
became desperate,

Annie: I must pull myself together before I have no house

or lodgings.

Narrator: After months of rivalry with other prostitutes,

alcohol problems and selling herself to keep alive,
the one fateful day, the 7th of September, would be
her last day on earth. Lodging owners chastised her
for having insufficient funds.

Man: You won’t find any money in your bed, nor in your
beer bottle.

Narrator: The last time Annie Chapman was seen alive, she was
walking out of her house and seen talking with an
unknown man on the street.

Unknown man: Will you?’

Annie: Yes.
Narrator: Could this strange man been Chapmans killer? Her
body was found roughly 20 minutes later. Doctor
George Bagster Phillips describes the body of Annie
Chapman as he saw it at 6:30 AM in the back yard of
the house at 29 Hanbury Street. At the inquest he
testified.

The doctor: “The morgue examination revealed that part of her

uterus and bladder was missing.” Chapman's tongue
and swollen face led me to believe that she may have
been strangled with the handkerchief around her neck
before her throat was cut, and that her murderer had
held her chin as he performed this act. No trace of
these parts could be found and the incisions were
cleanly cut, avoiding the rectum, and dividing the
vagina low enough to avoid injury. Obviously the
work was that of an expert, at least, who had such
knowledge of anatomical or pathological examinations
as to be enabled to secure the pelvic organs with
one sweep of the knife, which must therefore must
have at least 5 or 6 inches in length, probably
more. The appearance of the cuts confirmed him in
the opinion that the instrument, like the one which
divided the neck, had been of a very sharp
character. The mode in which the knife had been used
seemed to indicate great anatomical knowledge.’

Narrator: Annie Chapman was buried on the 14th of September

1888 with her funeral expenses paid for by
relatives. Her funeral was a secret and only a few
attended.
Music: outro music ends

Narrator: Chapter 3: Elizabeth Stride’

Music: eerie music starts again

Narrator: Elizabeth Stride was born Elisabeth Gustafsdotter on

November 27, 1843 in Sweden.

At the time of her death she was 45 years old. She

had a pale complexion, light gray eyes and had curly
dark brown hair. All the teeth in her lower left jaw
were missing and she stood five foot five inches
 tall. On a Certificate of Change notice filed in
Sweden at the time that Liz moved to London it is
stated that she could read quite well but had little
understanding of the Bible. Lodgers described her as
a quiet woman who would do a "good turn for anyone."
However she had frequently appeared before the
Thames Magistrate Court on charges of being drunk
and disorderly, sometimes with obscene language. She
made money by sewing and charring, received money
from Michael Kidney and was an occasional
prostitute. Stride would live in different lodging
houses or on and off with Michael Kidney, who she
had been with for three years. On September 28th
Annie shows up to Elizabeth Tanners lodging house.

Narrator: On the 30th of September, Elizabeth was last seen

alive by a man named Shwartz, he claimed that:
Shwartz: The mysterious man was about 5’5 with a fresh
complexion, dark hair and a brown moustache, I saw
him with Elizabeth who was unwilling to go with
him.’
Elizabeth: No not tonight, another night.’
Narrator: Elizabeth Stride was later found and pronounced
dead. Dr George Baster Phillips, who also handled
the Chapman and Kelly murders) claimed that:

Dr George Baster Phillips:

‘As Elizabeth’s cut throat was her only visible
injury, some suggested that she wasn't actually a
Jack the Ripper victim as her injuries did not match
those of the previous Ripper victims. Instead, it
was suggested that she was merely the unfortunate
victim of a violent customer or local gang – perhaps
the man that Schwartz had seen assaulting her.
However, as the cut throat was perceived to be one
of Jack the Ripper’s trademarks, it was more widely
believed that Elizabeth was indeed a Ripper victim.’
Narrator: The day after the murder, a citizen mob formed
outside of Berner Street protesting the continuation
of the murders and the seemingly poor work of the
police to catch the Ripper. From here on in, the
Ripper is public enemy number one, and Home Office
begins to consider offering awards for his capture
and arrest.
Narrator: Elizabeth Stride was buried on the 6th of October
1888.

Music: *Outro music*

Narrator: ‘Chapter 4: Catherine Eddows’

Music: *Eerie intro music*

Narrator:
Catherine Eddowes is born on April 14, 1842 in
Graisley Green, Wolverhampton. At the time of her
death she is 5 feet tall, has hazel eyes and dark
auburn hair.

At the time of her death, Catherine Eddowes is

suffering from Bright's Disease, a form of Uremia.
Friends spoke of Catherine as an intelligent woman
but one who was possessed of a fierce temper.

Reporter: Her father and his brother William left their jobs
as tinplate workers in Wolverhampton during the
tinmen's strike, about 1848. They and their families
walked to London. In London they eventually found
employment. George and his family stayed, while
William took his family back to Wolverhampton and
resumed work at Old Hall Works. In the early 1860s
Catherine returned to Wolverhampton to visit her
family. Her relatives recalled the visit and
described her "as very good looking and jolly sort
of girl.’

Narrator: She had been in a common-law marriage to Thomas

Conway, a relationship which produced four children
and one grandchild. However, the ‘marriage’ fell
apart either due to Catherine’s excessive drinking
or Thomas’ violent nature (the stories differ
depending on which family was doing the talking). It
is also unclear whether or not Catherine Eddowes was
actually a prostitute. John Kelly, the partner she
was living with at the time of her death, was
adamant that she never earned a living in that way
throughout their seven-year relationship. The couple
had been living together at 55 Flower and Dean
 Street throughout their relationship, but the last
time Kelly saw Eddowes was during the afternoon of
29th September. She was penniless and said she was
going to see her daughter to borrow some money. She
never made the visit, however, she somehow made
enough money later that day to drink enough to earn
her a stay in the cells at Bishopsgate Police
Station.
Annie: When will you ever take care of yourself Mum? It is
too late for you to have a drink

Catherine: I can look after myself.

Narrator: That was the last time Catherine Eddows was seen
alive. Passerbyers claimed her to be with a man of a
medium build, brown mustache and 5’7 in height.
Later on Eddows would be found dead. Dr. Frederick
Gordon Brown, London police surgeon called in at the
murder, arrived at Miter Square around 2:00 AM. His
report is as follows.

Dr Frederick Gordon Brown:

Her throat had been cut to the spine, her abdomen
was laid open, and portions of her intestines were
found around her body. Her face had been delicately
cut with various seemingly deliberate incisions, and
most shockingly of all, her uterus and left kidney
had been extracted and removed from the scene of the
murder.’

Narrator: The murder was quick and silent. Catherine Eddows

was buried on the 8th of october 1888, only two days
after Elizabeth Strides burial.

Music: outro music

Narrator: ‘ Chapter 5: Mary Jane Kelly’

Music: intro music

Narrator: We are now introducing the final victim of Jack the

Ripper, thank you all for getting this far. As a
 token of my appreciation, on my next episode I will
be mentioning my first loyal mystery enthusiasts
with a gifted free subscription to my favourite
unsolved mysteries TV show. As this episode
concludes, I would like to thank Isla and Hayden for
voicing the males and females in my podcast,
bringing it to life so everyone listening feels they
are really in the small world of Jack the Ripper.
Next episode, I will be discussing theories and how
Jack tormented the police and how he got his
terrifying name. Last but not least, lets talk about
Mary Jane Kelly.

Music: *eerie music*

Narrator: Mary Jane Kelly is generally considered to be the

final Jack the Ripper victim. She had a fairly
mysterious past and at the age of 25, was the
youngest of the Ripper’s victims by far. Mary Jane
Kelly was born in Limerick, Ireland, and after her
family moved to Wales, she married a man named
Davies at the tender age of 16. However, she was
widowed just a few years later when her husband was
killed during a mining explosion.

Mary Jane Kelly then moved to Cardiff, where she

allegedly fell into the world of prostitution and is
believed to have spent time with a well-to-do
gentleman in the London area. Around this time, she
accompanied the gentleman to Paris, although she was
not too fond of the city. She also acquired the
alternative name of ‘Marie Jeanette’ and reportedly
lived the life of a lady. Kelly’s death
wasparticularly violent, her body was found inside
her home in Miller’s Court, Dorset Street, mutilated
beyond recognition, with multiple body parts removed
and placed around the room. Her death caused an
uproar in the community with crowds forming at her
funeral and she is by far the most famous of the
Ripper’s victims, as well as the most investigated
throughout the years.
On the last evening of her life, she had been out
drinking in Whitechapel and left in the early
morning. People heard an unknown women shout:

Unknown woman: Murder!

Narrator: but chose to ignore it as shouts of this nature were
rather common occurrences in Dorset Street. The
following morning, on 9 November 1888, landlord John
McCarthy sent his assistant, Thomas Bowyer, to room
13 at 11.45 am to collect Mary’s rent money. Bowyer
knocked on the door of Mary’s room, but receiving no
reply, he decided to go around to the windows.
Noticing the broken pane of glass, he then put his
hand inside to pull aside the curtain. Peering into
the gloom of the room, Bowyer saw the body of Mary
Jane Kelly lying on the bed in the most appalling
condition, literally ripped and hacked to pieces.
Quite simply, Mary Jane Kelly’s injuries were
horrifying, and this was all revealed by the
following Mary Jane Kelly post-mortem…

Bowyer: ‘The whole of the surface of the abdomen and thighs

was removed. The breasts were cut off, the arms
mutilated by several jagged wounds and the face
hacked beyond recognition of the features. The
tissues of the neck were severed all round down to
the bone. The internal organs were found in various
parts, the uterus and kidneys with one breast under
the head, the other breast by the right foot, the
liver between the feet, the intestines by the right
side and the spleen by the left side of the body.
The flaps removed from the abdomen and thighs were
on a table. The chest was open below and the heart
absent.’

Narrator: Mary Jane Kelly was buried on the 9th of November.

This murder was unique because photographs were
taken at the Mary Jane Kelly crime scene; this was
the only Ripper murder where the lengthy process of
photography was practical. The Mary Jane Kelly
photos that survive to this day (if indeed there
were more) are a testament to the sheer carnage that
doctors and the police faced as they forced entry
into the room later that day. In hindsight, it was
the absolute horror of this murder that led many to
judge Mary Jane Kelly’s murder as the final
atrocity. Whether the Ripper had finally satisfied
his thirst for violence or, in the words of Sir
Melville:
Sir Melville: that the murderer's brain gave way altogether after
his awful glut...and that he immediately committed
suicide, or, as a possible alternative, was found to
be so hopelessly mad by his relations, that he was
by them confined in some asylum”

Narrator: News of Mary Jane Kelly’s murder spread quickly,

with the public panic and outrage disrupting even
the Lord Mayor’s Show, which was taking place in the
city at the time. Mary’s funeral took place on 19
November at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in
Leytonstone. To this day, Mary Kelly’s grave remains
in this location. At the funeral, few official
attendees were present, including no family members,
but there was a colossal outpouring of grief from
the public, with huge, respectful crowds lining the
procession route through the East End. Even today,
the concept of a young life cut tragically short has
helped to maintain a public fascination in the case
that still remains today. She was the youngest
Ripper victim at just 25 years old, leaving Mary
Jane Kelly without any descendants. Many people are
convinced that Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror
ended with the awful murder of Mary Jane Kelly on 9
November 1888, but we must be aware that as the
weeks, months, and even years passed, and the Ripper
remained uncaught, the very real threat of another
murder was always in the air.

Music: *eerie music ends*

Narrator: Thank you so much for listening in today, make sure

you download the next episode so we can discuss
together the possible suspects and theories. Happy
horror!
Music: *outro music*