We've all heard the story of Jack The Ripper. Between August 31 and November 9, 1888 someone went on a killing spree in London, England, killing and mutilating at least 5 ladies of the evening, launching what has become one of the world's most studied and talked about unsolved crimes.

The five women killed, or at least the five attributed to the killer who became known as "Jack The Ripper" were 43 year old 
Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols, found with her throat cut and with slight stomach mutilation on August 31, 1988. 

The second, was Annie Chapman, 47, sho had her throat cut, her stomach and genitals badly mutilated and some of her entrails placed around her neck on September 8th. 

On September 30th, Elizabeth Stride, 45, was found with her throat cut. 

That same night, September 30th, 46 year old Catharine Eddowes, died from a slit throat and severe mutilation of her face and stomach. 

Things slowed up until 25 year old Mary Kelly was found on the 9th of November with her throat cut and her whole body grossly mutilated.

The killings apparently ended with Mary Kelly. 

The murders occured in a slum known as Whitechapel, a place with lodging houses, brothels, and every other factions that British high society would rather pretend not existed. In the late 1800's the number of prostitutes working the streets and brothels at Whitechapel was estimated to be over 1200.

Much has been written and theorized about Jack The Ripper, far more than I intend to write about, but one theory, that the killer was either a Mason, or a member of the Royal Family, or both. Therefore, a conspiracy began to cover up any possiblity of solving the crime, in fact, it was made impossible by people interested in protecting the killer or killers.

Of course, all of that is speculation and theory, because, apparently, no one knows who was responsible for the murders. There were something in the vicinity of 150 suspects at the time, and that list has grown as writers, historians, both amateur and professional try to convince us that they know the answer. 

Masons and secret organizations certainly existed in large numbers in those days, and many held very high prominent positions in government, including police. If nothing else, they could have been called upon to assist in covering up a crime, perhaps of a member of the Royal Family, or someone else with the right connections. Whether or not they would have done such a thing remains to be seen.... 

The fact that the killings stopped when they did, if they did, leaves one to wonder what happened to Jack the Ripper. As the attached link shows, modern serial killers typically don't stop after 5 or 6 murders, instead they continue to kill until they are stopped. Did Jack continue, or was he stopped? If he was, how was he stopped? Perhaps the person responsible was killed himself, made to disappear forever, by persons who did not want his identity made public. Or perhaps only one killing actually mattered, and the others were done to cover up the first. Although similar, there are differences in the murders that could be the result of a different hand at work. 

Coincidentally, Prince Albert Victor, known as "Eddy" and heir to the Throne of England, died in 1892, reportedly as part of an influenza pandemic. It has been theorized that he died of other means, including being poisoned. It is never completely safe being heir to the throne of anything....

Although it was has been postulated that the Prince fathered a child with a prostitute in Whitechapel, and that the killings were done by others to cover that up, it is only a theory, and one that apparently has not much fact to back it up. Experts cite alibis such as the night of September 30th, when Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were killed, "Eddy" was safely ensconced at Balmoral in Scotland. He was surrounded by other members of the Royal Family including Queen Victoria, visiting German Royals and staff, no where near to Whitechapel.

Well that is the story anyway.....

Was it a Mason, or a member of the Royal Family who was really Jack The Ripper? For more of the story, Click Here