Sherlock Holmes and the Hunt for Jack the Ripper

By Gerard Kelly

Many people have asked why the paths of Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper never crossed, since the two men were contemporaries in London in 1888? There have even been some scurrilous suggestions that Holmes was himself the Ripper. The paths of the two men did indeed cross. Holmes and Watson knew precisely who the real Ripper was and even where he lived. They also knew exactly what happened to him. If you have the stomach for it read on and all will be revealed!

• Language: English
• Publisher: MX Publishing
• Release date: Feb 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781780925639

Gerard Kelly

Gerard Kelly is a writer, speaker and poet, and a director of Café.net. He is an avid reader and abject failure in the realm of diet and fitness

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Kelly

Chapter One

The lurid headlines in the Telegraph newspaper assaulted my eyes that morning in early November 1888. THE RIPPER HAS STRUCK AGAIN. This latest murder in Whitechapel brings the total to five unfortunates butchered! I groaned involuntarily when I read the grisly summary of the madman’s handiwork. Holmes was just enjoying his first pipe of the day and on hearing my groan deduced its cause.

‘Has Jack been busy again?’ he asked.

‘I’m afraid so, old fellow, the only saving grace being that this is a single slaying, unlike last month’s double murder. This poor soul was called Mary Kelly. When are they ever going to catch this maniac?’

Holmes shook his head despairingly and put down his pipe. ‘Not any time soon I fear. They are really struggling with this case.’ He came over to my chair and read the headlines over my shoulder. ‘I’ve already offered my services to Inspector Abberline and Chief Inspector John Littlechild, but they have both declined my help. In truth I’m not sure that I could do any better than they are. This fellow is a veritable phantom seemingly able to kill with impunity before disappearing into the mists. I have not told you this, Watson, but I have even spent several nights patrolling the streets and alleyways of Whitechapel myself, armed with my swordstick and dressed as a businessman, in the hope of spotting the fiend, but without any luck. In fact I had to give it up because I was in danger of becoming a suspect myself.’

Holmes re-lit his pipe, which had gone out, settled himself at the table with his notebook and pen and began adding the details of this latest horrific killing to the growing list of the Ripper’s victims. The first had been Mary Ann Nichols, who was killed on the 31st of August in Bucks Row. She had been disembowelled. The second was Annie Chapman on the 8th September at the address of 29 Hanbury Street. She had had her uterus cut out amongst other mutilations. The third was Elizabeth Stride. She had been found at 1.00pm on Sunday 30th September in Dutfields Yard, Berner Street and bore no mutilations. The fourth unfortunate was discovered three-quarters of an hour later in Mitre Square. Her name was Catherine Eddowes. Her uterus and left kidney had been removed and her face had been cut with an inverted ‘V’ shape on each cheek.

Holmes sighed heavily and said, ‘I fear these killings will not be the last, Watson, and the list of suspects is growing in line with the murders. The Daily papers are having a field day especially with the letters mocking the police, purportedly from Jack himself. I’ve been able to see a few of these grisly notes, thanks to Inspector Lestrade, and they appear to have been written by different hands suggesting some at least are not genuine. I’ve also seen the letter that was sent to the Central News Office in London, which is directed to Dear Boss. It is dated 25th September and in it the writer taunts the police and laughs at the notion that he wore a leather apron to protect his clothes from all the