Duke of Clarence

[John Simkin]

Interesting passage in today's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2201207,00.html

Attempts to link the Duke of Clarence, son of King Edward VII, with the Jack the Ripper murders stem in part from his dealings with blackmailing prostitutes. Letters auctioned in London five years ago showed that a Mrs Richardson was paid £200 to keep quiet. The duke sent the money (£12,000 at today's values) via an aide in return for letters he had written. He noted it was "rather expensive but I presume there is no other way of getting them. I will also do all I can to get back the one or two letters written to the other lady."

[Guest Stephen Turner]

Thanks for that John. The main problem with linking the Duke with the ripper murders, is that Court records show him to have been at Balmoral during the time of two of the murders. I suppose the records could have been falsified, but otherwise he is out of the frame.

[Norman T. Field]

Thanks for that John. The main problem with linking the Duke with the ripper murders, is that Court records show him to have been at Balmoral during the time of two of the murders. I suppose the records could have been falsified, but otherwise he is out of the frame.

If he worked alone. It has been suggested that he had help, if in fact he was the source of the rippings. But I personally doubt the Duke is involved.

[Guest David Guyatt]

Very interesting article below, I thought.

Drac the Ripper - Dramatis Personae…

Note the unusual use of capitalisation in the Juwes message below. It arguably is a cipher – a device much beloved of Masons: In this case it spells the initials TJTWB.

It is also interesting to note the reference to Shakepeare’s play Macbeth played the Lyceum to take over from Faust. The name “Shakespeare” is also a cipher which literally means the “Spear Shaker” – the Shaker of the Spear.

http://www.theirvingsociety.org.uk/ripper_and_the_lyceum.htm