Was Jack the Ripper a prominent London abortionist? Well, maybe

LifeSiteNews ^ | 11-3-11 | John Jalsevac

[ReformationFan]

It’s one of the most notorious unsolved mysteries in history: who was Jack the Ripper, the Victorian serial killer who surgically disemboweled five prostitutes in the fall of 1888?

According to claims that are currently getting a great deal of media attention in Britain, he may be none other than prominent surgeon Sir John Williams – who, in addition to serving as Queen Victoria’s surgeon in London, was also a well-known abortionist.

In a new book, Sir John’s great-great-great-great nephew, Tony Williams, presents evidence for Sir John’s guilt, including his discovery of a six-inch surgical knife among his ancestor’s possessions that he believes was the murder weapon.

The knife was found along with three glass slides that, according to tests performed on them, contain smears of a uterus.

“The person who carried out the killings had significant medical knowledge and Sir John was an accomplished surgeon,” said Williams, pointing out that he “routinely performed abortions on women.”

There is also evidence that Sir John – who was known as “Uncle Jack” by his relatives - was acquainted with at least one of the prostitutes: he may have performed an abortion on one of them, Mary Ann Nicholls, three years prior to the murders.

[ReformationFan]

It certainly would explain a lot.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I read over 40 years ago that these were probably botched abortions.

[JMS]

A botched abortion doesn’t explain what happened to Mary Kelly. Also there’s a lot of dispute over whether or not Jack the Ripper had extensive medical knowledge.

[BereanBrain]

whoever did it was a Freemason, from the clues (as warnings to other masons) left at the scene.

[Jeff Chandler]

there’s a lot of dispute over whether or not Jack the Ripper had extensive medical knowledge.

Indeed. so what does this make, suspect number one hundred and...

[Huntress]

In a new book, Sir John’s great-great-great-great nephew, Tony Williams, presents evidence for Sir John’s guilt, including his discovery of a six-inch surgical knife among his ancestor’s possessions that he believes was the murder weapon.

A surgeon had a knife. How unusual. /s

[gman992]

Oh don’t get me started on this one....

[kelly4c]

We will never know for sure but the Jack the Ripper story is interesting to me because my ancestors lived in that area during the time of his reign of terror.

[stormer]

Not even close.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Abortionists could care less about women - they don’t hate them violently. Jack left these women like fully gutted deer.

He wasn’t after money, undesireables reduction (not enough victims) or stealing souls from God. He was just psycho hateful.

This relative needs to get a life - his own.

[MacMattico]

Exactly what I was thinking.. I’ll just say this wasn’t the guy.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Already solved;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKGicNPeKtw

[Tredegar]

Not sure if this is a new book. I could swear I read ‘Uncle Jack’ a couple of years ago. The book is utterly unconvincing. Almost as unconvincing as Patricia Cornwell’s atrocious attempt to finger the artist Walter Sickert as Jack.

We’ll never know who he really was.

[Vinnie]

Almost as unconvincing as Patricia Cornwell’s atrocious attempt to finger the artist Walter Sickert as Jack.

I'm about half way through her book right now.

Whether Sickert was the Ripper or not, the mutilations the Ripper performed on these women certainly didn't require him being a surgeon.

[Tredegar]

You’re quite right Vinnie. The problem with Cornwell is she started with a solution, and tried to cobble together (VERY dubious) evidence to fit her theory, rather than the other way around. Still not sure how Cornwell has the gall to dodge the fact that Sickert appears to have been in France during the murders. Prepare to be disappointed with that book.

Sickert and the nonsensical ‘Royal Conspiracy’ drive me up the wall. The case is fascinating enough without the need for fantasy.

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks ReformationFan. These often get added, but seldom pinged because they're of modern history, but this is imho sufficienctly fascinating. :') He was actually seen in the vicinity of one of the murders, and that proximity was previously seen as evidence that the Duke of Clarence was Jack the Ripper. :') To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[ElkGroveDan]

my ancestors lived in that area during the time of his reign of terror.

...and you haven't come forward to name them as suspects yet???

[NYer]

Ping!

[wildbill]

Interesting show on National Geographic channel today which had some modern forensic pathologists, forenensic pyschiatrists, etc. examine the case.

The leader turned his attention to reports of some similar cases that occurred in NYC after the Whitechapel murders stopped—on the thory that serial killers don’t stop voluntarily. A German seaman was caught and confessed to the NYC crimes and the rest of the show focused on proving the German was possibly in London at the time and was the Ripper.

This conclusion conveniently bypassed the parricipants earlier conclusions that someone without medical training of some kind couldn’t possibly have performed the mutilation and precise removal of organs in the dark and in a short time.

The show also revealed that at least 103 people have been named as suspects as the Ripper in various books and treatises. Ripper books, tv shows and theories continue to be the most popular form of ‘true crime’ genres.

[wagglebee]

Ripper books, tv shows and theories continue to be the most popular form of ‘true crime’ genres.

I think the Ripper stories have always remained popular due to the fact that many of the suspects have direct links to the British royal family and were prominent in Victorian England. Additionally, the Ripper was the first publicized serial killer.