Thursday, January 20, 2011

NI (B1) Workshops: Jack the Ripper - From Hell

"Dear Boss,

I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they wont fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits. I am down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now. I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear of me with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with but it went thick like glue and I cant use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope ha. ha. The next job I do I shall clip the ladys ears off and send to the police officers just for jolly wouldn't you. Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work, then give it out straight. My knife's so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get a chance. Good Luck.

Yours truly
Jack the Ripper

Dont mind me giving the trade name
PS Wasnt good enough to post this before I got all the red ink off my hands curse it No luck yet. They say I'm a doctor now. ha ha."

31 August 1888. Whitechapel, London. Mary Ann Nichols, also known as Polly, was found dead in terrible circumstances. A few days later, Annie Chapman appeared dead in similar circumstances. In the following weeks, other victims would appear, all of them with a deep cut in their throats and disembowelled. Meanwhile, numerous letters were received at the Scotland Yard Headquarters. Many of them were fake, but some others are thought to be authentic. Among those, the one which starts this post, known as the "Dear Boss letter." That letter was signed "Jack the Ripper." In that moment, a legend was born. As there is no doubt whatsoever that this "monster" whose real identity was never found became one of the most famous serial killers of all time, fascinating all kinds of people even nowadays.

Today, in our Nivel Intermedio workshop, we read a text on Jack the Ripper, and listened to an interview to an expert on this infamous murderer and his crimes. So an opportunity presented itself to get to know one of the blackest episodes of the history on London.

Did you know that you can take a tour around the very same places where these events took place. To know more click on Jack the Ripper walk.

If you want to learn more on the mystery of Jack the Ripper, watch this interesting documentary from Discovery Channel (sorry, no subtitles!):


Would you like to watch the rest of the documentary, click on the links below:

Many films and TV shows have been made on the Mystery of Jack the Ripper. Here you have the trailer of a film by the Hughes brothers, starred by Johnny Depp: "From Hell"



And the mystery remains unsolved...

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