The minor categories of Ripper correspondence themes were further
subdivided into large and small minor themes. The ‘large’ minor themes included; 1)
Ripper could not finish the job, 2) Ripper’s inactivity explained, 3) Future mutilations
predicted, 4) Murders explained, 5) References to press coverage, 6) Descriptions of the
Ripper, 7) Americans, 8) “Ripping,” 9) “Funny little games,” 10) Other letters
mentioned, 11) Response to people in the news, 12) Undiscovered bodies, 13) Request
for publicity, 14) Certain murders denied, 15) Multiple events, 16) Blood, 17) Irrelevant
items, 18) Torso slayings, 19) Ripper talks with the police, 20) Police threatened, 21)
Different Ripper handwriting explained, 22) “Excuse writing,” 23) Can’t afford
postage/paper, 24) Indoor murder and mutilation, 25) Cannibalism, and 26) Upper-class
women as victims. The ’small’ minor themes included; 1) Ripper was a cop, 2) Ripper
was caught or nearly caught, 3) Bodies thrown in Thames River, 4) Leather Apron, 5)
Ripper holiday, 6) Embargo requests, 7) Ripper was paid, 8) Reward, 9) Victims
named, 10) Christmas, 11) Jews, 12) George Lusk, 13) “Buckled,” 14) Police families
threatened, 15) “Sorry,” 16) Future letters promised, 17) Ripper is invisible to police,
18) Ripper’s health, 19) “Ah ah,” 20) Paris/France, 21) “I’m not mad,” 22) Jack the
MD, and 23) Queen Victoria.
Keywords: “Buckled, ” Cannibalism, Embargo Requests, “Funny Little Games, “
Jack the MD, Jews, Police Threatened, Publicity Requested, Reward, Ripper
Invisibility, Ripper was a Cop, Ripper was Caught, Ripper was Paid, Ripper‘s
Health, Ripper‘s Holiday, “Ripping, ” “Sorry, ” Torso Slayings, Queen Victoria.
