ARGUMENTATION

Wu 1

Kitty Wu

Misty Smith

ENG 1123-00

8 February 2014

Demon from Hell: H.H. Holmes and Jack the Ripper

If there is one thing that most major religions can agree on, it is that demons come

straight out of Hell. At the end of the nineteenth century, one such fiend rose out of the pit and

terrorized what was at the time the world’s largest city, addressing his sadistic letters,

appropriately, “From Hell” (Graham 7). Preying on the outcast and despised, Jack the Ripper

managed to gruesomely slaughter at least five and possibly as many as eleven people—and he

got away with it, leaving in his wake the most famous unsolved mystery of modern history. Yet,

enduring as this mystery is, there is a plausible solution to it. Jack the Ripper was in fact an

American named Henry Howard (H.H.) Holmes, a confirmed serial killer whose crimes in the

United States beginning five years after the Ripper murders make his work in London look

almost trivial in comparison.

As Yarbrough reports, in 1888 the area of East London known as Whitechapel was a

cesspool of crime and vice. Over a thousand prostitutes were working in the area, and over the

course of four months five of them lost their lives to Jack the Ripper. The five victims—Mary

Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Kelly—had their

throats slashed with more than one cut, and most of the bodies had mutilated abdomens,

genitalia, and faces. In several cases, organs had been removed with surgical precision and were

taken along when the killer left the scene. Part of one organ, a liver that most likely belonged to

Eddowes, was mailed to a local official with a note claiming that the Ripper had eaten the

Commented [m1]: Notice how the title has a catchy phrase and then a colon followed by a phrase that clarifies the topic. This is

currently the preferred scholarly title formula.

Commented [m2]: Catchy, isn’t it? Your hook should also be catchy, not just a general boring statement.

Commented [m3]: Notice how I’m using bright, vivid language to make my writing more effective. Do this throughout the entire

paper.

Commented [m4]: I found out that London was the biggest city

in the world and saw a copy of the “From Hell” letter in Graham’s work, so I’m citing him. Notice how the period comes after the

closing parenthesis.

Commented [m5]: Here I’m using words to help set the tone of

my writing.

Commented [m6]: Notice how I use a bridging sentence to pave

the way for my thesis.

Commented [m7]: Notice how my thesis statement offers a

clear position on what the solution to the mystery is, a position that

the rest of the paper will back up.

Commented [m8]: Can you see how this intro moves from

general to specific?

Commented [m9]: This is my first context ¶ (¶ means

“paragraph”). Because my topic involves both JTR and Holmes, I’ll

have two context ¶s to set the stage for both of these things. Context helps your reader understand the general situation by providing basic

details and descriptions before you move into your main points.

Commented [m10]: This entire ¶ of context is paraphrasing

information that I got in Yarbrough’s article. To cite an entire ¶, mention the author’s name at the beginning to acknowledge that it’s

her work, then provide the page numbers at the end of the last

sentence of the ¶. This will only work if you’re putting the information in your own words; follow every sentence that uses a

direct quote with a citation for that sentence.

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missing half. The murders ceased suddenly in November of 1888 and, although Scotland Yard

investigated several possible suspects, the murderer was never found (Yarbrough 2-8).

In May of 1896, eight years after the last of the Whitechapel murders attributed to Jack

the Ripper, H.H. Holmes1 was hanged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harrison relates how

Holmes had spent the years leading up to his execution murdering dozens of people; the serial

killer confessed to killing twenty-seven, and historians such as Harrison argue that the real

number of Holmes’s homicides could amount to as many as two hundred. Holmes’s method was

as cunning as it was evil. He constructed a three-story hotel near the site of the newly-completed

Chicago World’s Fair and secretly fashioned some of the rooms as gas chambers or airtight

soundproof vaults with secret chutes that led to the basement. Women who were traveling alone

would be assigned to those rooms, and in the night Holmes would turn on the gas or turn off the

oxygen to kill them. He would then drop the bodies through the chutes to the basement where, in

addition to various torture devices such as a stretching rack, he had a functional operating room.

Holmes would mutilate the bodies and afterwards often strip them of flesh and sell the skeletons

to local medical schools. Several of the bodies were also used in his highly profitable insurance

scams. When he was finally apprehended and executed, the depravity and sheer number of his

crimes shocked America. The world had never seen anything quite like H.H. Holmes (Harrison

26-42).

There is ample evidence that Holmes was also behind the Ripper murders. First of all,

Holmes closely resembles the physical description given by several eyewitnesses of the suspect

seen leaving the scenes of the Whitechapel murders. Jack the Ripper was described as “a bit

shorter than six feet tall, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a long, full mustache” (Yarbrough 5).

1 Holmes’s real name was Herman Webster Mudgett. He began calling himself H.H. Holmes in 1884 to cover the

tracks of his previous insurance scams and establish a way to begin new ones (Yarbrough 4).

Commented [m11]: I indicate that my information from

Yarbrough ends at the end of this ¶ by providing a citation. The material in this ¶ is paraphrased from pages 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8, so I list

2-8 to cover this range of pages. Notice again that the period comes after the parenthetical citation, not before.

Commented [m12]: A footnote is a great way to briefly provide information that helps explain your information but doesn’t

necessarily fit well into the ¶ itself. The footnote number comes

directly after the detail that you’ll be elaborating. See the bottom of the page for this footnote information. You must still provide a

citation in footnote material if necessary. To insert a footnote, click

on the “References” tab, then on “Insert Footnote.”

Commented [m13]: Again, this context ¶ is based on material I got from Harrison, so I indicate that at the beginning of the ¶ and

then provide page numbers at the end of the last sentence of the ¶.

Commented [m14]: Notice how I’m using transitions to

indicate the order of my main points and also when I’m moving

from one point, detail, or position to another.

Commented [m15]: Every main point ¶ should have a clear

topic sentence like this, one that tells the reader clearly and exactly

what this ¶ is about.

Commented [m16]: Whenever you use an author’s exact

words, you must use quotation marks and provide a citation at the

end of the sentence.

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Photographs of Holmes reveal a dark-haired, dark-eyed man of average height with a mustache

conspicuous enough to be noticed even if he is rushing by in a dark London alley. In addition,

the Ripper was described as “elegantly but shabbily dressed” (Green 46). Holmes himself liked

expensive clothes, but between scams his fine suits often became threadbare and worn (Harrison

38). Altogether, there is a striking consistency between the suspect in the Whitechapel murders

and H.H. Holmes.

A more intriguing clue lies in the fact that Holmes chose his victims in the same manner

as Jack the Ripper. By preying on prostitutes, the Ripper was ensuring that his chances of being

apprehended were far lower than if he had murdered “respectable” citizens. Especially in the

nineteenth century, prostitutes were outcasts, reviled by their own families as well as the

government and police that should have been protecting them. Essentially, few people cared

when a “fallen woman” was killed, and many even thought that she had gotten what she

deserved. Similarly, Holmes’s victims were mainly women who were traveling alone, isolated

from their families and friends and, at a time when women were still expected to have an escort

on any trip farther than their own front door, likely to be accused of “asking for trouble.”

Holmes also murdered several “fallen women” with whom he had engaged in sexual affairs. In

both Whitechapel and Chicago, Holmes covered his bases by preying on victims who whose

deaths were less likely to evoke public outrage or concern.

Even more convincingly, the modus operandi2 in both sets of murders was virtually

identical. Both the Ripper cases and the murders confirmed to Holmes involved dissection, the

removal of organs, and mutilation of the face and female areas such as genitalia and breasts.

Both appeared to have a great deal of hostility toward women that drove their crimes. Finally, it

has been believed since the nineteenth century that Jack the Ripper must have had some form of

2 This is a forensic term that means “method of operation” in Latin.

Commented [m17]: Notice how these ¶s also have strong

closing sentences that sum up what’s been accomplished or proven

in the ¶.

Commented [m18]: At this point, you can already tell by my

choice of transitions that my main points are in emphatic order.

Commented [m19]: Topic sentence

Commented [m20]: Closing sentence

Commented [m21]: Topic sentence

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medical knowledge due to the skill and precision with which he dissected the bodies (Yarbrough

7). H.H. Holmes, interestingly enough, successfully graduated from medical school in 1884—

four years before the Whitechapel murders (Harrison 29). Nor is surgical skill the only tie

between the hands of Jack the Ripper and H.H. Holmes; in a book titled Bloodstains, Holmes’s

descendant Jeff Mudgett demonstrates that Holmes’s handwriting is strikingly similar to that of

the “From Hell” letter written by Jack the Ripper (16). Even his own family agrees that Holmes

is the most likely suspect.

Yet the most persuasive evidence of all is the fact that, although Holmes was very active

professionally and socially, there is a section of his life in late 1888 during which he seems to

have disappeared. His actions in the years leading up to the first Whitechapel murders are

accounted for, and his life after the last Whitechapel murder is also well-documented; during the

five months of terror in London’s East End, however, H.H. Holmes is remarkably absent from all

American records (Harrison 27-28). There can be only one reason why a man as concerned with

social status as Holmes would allow himself to be left out of the social world for such a long

period: he did not want to be noticed during that time. Given the evidence discussed earlier, it

stands to reason that he wanted to be out of the public eye because he was committing more

sensational murders across the Atlantic Ocean.

Despite this persuasive evidence, other theories regarding the identity of Jack the Ripper

have been posited. For instance, in an article titled “Evidence for Jack the Ripper,” historian

Renea Johnson has suggested that the man behind the Whitechapel murders was a local butcher

named Martin Weatherby, citing Weatherby’s “frequent visits to the very women who were later

murdered,” his “practice with hacking up meat,” and his history of mental instability (36, 42).

However, Johnson is failing to take into account the fact that, while Weatherby did in fact often

Commented [m22]: Titles of books are italicized.

Commented [m23]: Closing sentence

Commented [m24]: Topic sentence

Commented [m25]: Closing sentence

Commented [m26]: Titles of articles are in quotation marks.

Commented [m27]: Notice how I’m using transitions to clearly

indicate when I’m talking about the opponents’ views rather than my

own.

Commented [m28]: Notice how my ack/ref ¶s also have a clear topic sentence.

Commented [m29]: I don’t just state what other people believe,

I also spend some time discussing why they believe these things and

reporting some of their evidence. This makes me look fair, unbiased, and knowledgeable about both sides of the issue.

Commented [m30]: I’m also using transitions to clearly

indicate when I move back into my own position.

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employ prostitutes, he did so at random and there is no evidence that he ever did business with

three out of five of the victims (Bowie 79). In addition, as stated earlier, Jack the Ripper is

believed to have extensive skill in dissection, human anatomy, and precise medical utensils;

Weatherby would only be experienced in roughly hacking up beef and poultry with a heavy

butcher’s knife. Furthermore, if mental instability is a key aspect of the Ripper, Holmes had a

much darker and more extensive history of mental illness and trauma than Weatherby, who only

briefly committed himself to a mental institution due to his depression following the death of his

wife (Yarbrough 16, Bowie 81). Altogether, Holmes is much more likely suspect.

Another theory has been proposed by Bruckner, Faulkner, and Welty, who claim that the

Ripper was an American sailor named Billy Budd (4). Their theory is based on Budd’s history

of assaults on women, the fact that the “From Hell” letter used language that sounded distinctly

American in style, and Budd’s presence in London at the time of the murders (Bruckner 4).

However, Budd’s assaults on women never resulted in more than superficial injuries, while

Holmes is established as a sadistic killer (Bruckner, Faulkner, and Welty 8). The “Dear Boss”

letter sent by the Ripper to a news agency does indeed hold evidence of an American author, but

Holmes, too, was American. Lastly, ship’s records from the United Kingdom Department of

Maritime Records show that Budd was on board his vessel on the nights of three of the murders,

while Holmes’s whereabouts during those crucial periods are unknown. Again, the evidence

points more directly to Holmes than anyone else.

Perhaps the most intriguing theory has been proposed by historians such as Dr. Philip

Crenshaw. Crenshaw contends that Jack the Ripper was actually Prince Albert Edward,

grandson of Queen Victoria of England. His evidence is that Prince Albert was suffering from

syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that he contracted from a prostitute. Because syphilis

Commented [m31]: My ack/ref ¶s also have sound closing sentences.

Commented [m32]: Some works may have more than one author. If it’s three or less, credit all three in the order in which

they’re listed by the source.

Commented [m33]: Topic sentence

Commented [m34]: Since there are three or less authors, I

credit them all in the parenthetical citation.

Commented [m35]: This is a government website that provides

records and statistics but lists no individual authors and has no page

numbers. Therefore, in the sentence itself I cite the source as the

United Kingdom Department of Maritime Records instead of listing an author.

Commented [m36]: Notice how my refutations are longer than

my acknowledgements. This helps demonstrate that my position is the better one.

Commented [m37]: Closing sentence

Commented [m38]: Topic setnence

Commented [m39]: This information comes from a personal

interview that I’m pretending I did with Dr. Crenshaw. Because it

was an interview there are no page numbers, but I still clearly indicate that these are Dr. Crenshaw’s ideas, not mine.

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was incurable in the nineteenth century and often led to madness, Crenshaw argues that Prince

Albert, who was known to frequent prostitutes, contracted syphilis from one. His resulting anger

toward them and his escalating madness due to the progressing disease led him to murder

prostitutes, and Crenshaw asserts that the Ripper was never caught because the Queen instituted

a major cover-up to protect her grandson. Yet, fascinating as this theory is, it does not stand up

under research. Government records and dozens of eyewitness accounts, including society

pieces in London newspapers before any cover-up could have taken place, prove that the Prince

was visiting with other English noblemen at the times of the murders (Wilde et al. 16).

Furthermore, there is no conclusive evidence that Prince Albert suffered from syphilis. When he

died in 1892, it was a result of influenza, not of syphilis (Wilde et al. 18). The Prince also had

no medical training, a key aspect of the Ripper. Holmes, however, had a window of time, a

history of sadistic violence against women, medical training, and the ability to slip through the

streets of London without drawing attention. It is he, not Prince Albert, who was Jack the

Ripper.

Ultimately, the evidence clearly points to H.H. Holmes as the man behind Jack the

Ripper. He fits the physical description of the murderer, he chose and mutilated his victims in a

similar manner, and his whereabouts during the Whitechapel slayings are mysteriously unknown.

Establishing Holmes as the Ripper is important for many reasons: solving this murder will

demonstrate to potential serial murderers that they will eventually be identified and thereby

discourage them from killing, raise confidence in forensic techniques, and demonstrate the

relevance of exploring cold cases in addition to putting an end to one of the greatest unsolved

mysteries in human history. A name and long-deserved culpability will finally be assigned to the

sadistic slayer who gloated that he “laughed when [the police looked] so clever and talk[ed]

Commented [m40]: If the work has four or more authors, I list the first one listed in the source itself followed by the phrase et al.

Commented [m41]: Closing sentence

Commented [m42]: The first sentence of my conclusion

restates my thesis, using different words.

Commented [m43]: The second sentence of my conclusion

briefly revisits my main points, reminding my readers what they are.

Commented [m44]: The third sentence establishes the

significance by answering the “So what?” and making it clear why

readers should care about my argument.

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about being on the right track” (Yarbrough 21). The games of H.H. Holmes, aka Jack the

Ripper, will finally be at an end.

Commented [m45]: My last sentence (or two) provides a sound

closing for my essay.

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Works Cited

Bruckner, Jordan, William Faulkner and Eudora Welty. The Evidence against Billy Budd,

Sailor. New York: Schribner, 2008. Print.

Crenshaw, Phillip. Personal interview. 1 February 2014. Interview.

Graham, Judson. London in the Nineteenth Century. New York: U of Mississippi P, 2013.

Print.

Harrison, Kristina. The Life of H.H. Holmes. University of Southern Mississippi, 2004. eBook.

Johnson, Renea. “Jack the Ripper.” Unsolved Mysteries. Fox. WKGB, Jackson. 22 January

2014. Television.

London’s Darkest Terror. Dir. Talmadge Green. Paramount, 2011. Documentary.

Maritime Statistics and Records. United Kingdom Department of Maritime Records, 2002.

Web. 30 January 2014.

Wilde, Oscar et al. “Defending Prince Albert.” United Kingdom Historical Review 8.1 (1999):

26-48. Web.

Yarbrough, Victoria. “The Case of Jack the Ripper.” The Journal of Violent Crime 12.3 (1997):

2-14. Web.

Commented [m46]: My works cited entries are listed in

alphabetical order according to the first letter of each entry.

Commented [m47]: Part of your research includes researching

how to cite sources. I’ve pointed you toward these resources,

including the pages in your textbook. Refer to those to get further details. Listed below are examples of the most common types of

sources.

Commented [m48]: A work with two or three authors.

Commented [m49]: An interview that you conduct yourself.

Notice that the person you interview must be an expert in the field.

Commented [m50]: A book.

Commented [m51]: An electronic book such as those accessed via Google Books or Kindle.

Commented [m52]: A television show.

Commented [m53]: A documentary.

Commented [m54]: A government website with no listed author.

Commented [m55]: A work with four or more authors.

Commented [m56]: An article from a scholarly journal

accessed through ECCC’s library site.