Read Naming Jack the Ripper: The Biggest Forensic Breakthrough Since 1888 Online
Authors: Russell Edwards
With this personal knowledge, I find myself caring even more about the unfortunates, the women whose sad lifestyle made them prey for the man we have always called Jack the Ripper.
That name will never go away. But now, thanks to the shawl, the scientific brilliance of Jari Louhelainen, and my determination, persistence and refusal to be sidetracked, we have his real name.
He is no longer just a suspect. We can hold him, finally, to account for his terrible deeds. My search is over:
Aaron Kosminski is Jack the Ripper.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would never have reached the end of this special journey without the help of so many people, most of whom have shown me kindness, support and understanding over the
years.
I initially wish to thank the experts and historians whose passion for the Ripper story gave me the grounding and information that helped me gain my first true understanding of the mystery. They
are Paul Begg, Martin Fido, Stewart Evans and Donald Rumbelow.
Without Dr Jari Louhelainen’s dedicated and painstaking forensic work on the shawl, my story wouldn’t be where it is today. I wish to acknowledge his professionalism, support,
understanding and kindness, and his utmost patience with me, a non-scientist. To Karen Miller and ‘M’, without whose contributions we wouldn’t have had the DNA vital for the
testing.
Andy and Sue Parlour, for the many years in which they have given me the will to keep going: their support has been tremendous. To my literary agent, Robert Smith, my sounding board, to whom I
would turn at any time of frustration, anxiety and elation. He has always been there for me. My special thanks to my publisher, Ingrid Connell at Sidgwick & Jackson, who took a chance on me
when I was halfway through my story.
To Jean Ritchie and John Bennett, who have provided me the
friendliest and most nurturing help in order to understand my life, Alan McCormack and Paul Bickley at the
Black Museum in Scotland Yard, David Melville-Hayes, Chris Phillips, Pat Marshall, Robert House, Diane Thalman and Darren Nicholhurst.
To the institutions who were so helpful and informative: the National Archives in Kew, the London and Metropolitan Archives in Farringdon, the Public Record Office, the London Hospital Museum in
Whitechapel, Cambridge University Library, Sotheby’s, Christie’s, the Huguenot Society, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Encyclopaedia Britannica and Lacy Scott & Knight
Auctioneers.
PICTURE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
All images © Evans Skinner archive excluding:
Section One
© Lacy Scott and Knight Auction Centre
;
© Mary Evans/Peter Higginbotham Collection
;
© Mary Evans
Picture Library
;
courtesy of Library of the London School of Economics & Political Science, LSE/BOOTH/E/1/5
Section Two
courtesy of Andy and Sue Parlour
;
© Adam Wood and the Swanson family
;
© Mary Evans/Peter Higginbotham
Collection
;
© Mary Evans/Peter Higginbotham Collection
;
© Dr Jari Louhelainen
;
© Dr Jari Louhelainen
Integrated
Appendix
Note: all street names are in London unless otherwise stated.
Abberline, Inspector Frederick
ref1
,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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Aberconway, Lady Christobel
ref1
Acton, Suffolk
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Abrahams, Aaron,
see
Aaron Kosminski
Albert Victor, Prince
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Aldgate
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,
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,
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,
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,
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Aldgate High Street
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,
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,
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Alexander II, Tsar of Russia
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Anderson, Assistant Commissioner Dr (later Sir) Robert
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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Christian faith of
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Angel Alley
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Angel, Miriam
ref1
Annals of Human Genetics
journal
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‘Annie Sivey’,
see
Annie Chapman
anti-Semitism
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
,
ref4
,
ref5
Arabella Vincent Fine Art
ref1
Arnold, Superintendent Thomas
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,
ref2
Ashcroft Road, Bow
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Ashworth, Dawn
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ASP Historical Research
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Atlantic Productions television company
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Autumn of Terror
book
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Aylmer, Alfred
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Badham, Sergeant Edward
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Barnes, Ian, Professor of Molecular Palaeobiology
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Barrett, Mike
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Barrow Hill, Suffolk
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Barton, Eric
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Batty Street
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Baxter, Wynne
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Beck, Inspector Walter
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Benelius, Nikaner
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Bermondsey Workhouse
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Berner Street
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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Best, John
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Bevis Marks
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Billingsgate market
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Bishopsgate
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Bishopsgate Police Station
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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Black Museum
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
Black Museum: New Scotland Yard, The
, book
ref1
Black Museum, Australia
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Black Swan pub
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Blackfriars
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Blackfriars Bridge
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Blackwell, Dr Frederick
ref1
Blackwood’s Magazine
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Blenkinsop, James
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his profile of the Whitechapel murderer
ref1
Boot, Oliver
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Booth, William
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‘Borough Poisoner’,
see
George Chapman
Bourton-on-the Water, Gloucestershire
ref1
,
ref2
Bowyer, Thomas
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Brady Street
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Brick Lane
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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Bricklayers Arms pub
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Bright’s disease
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Broad Street
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Broadmoor
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Bromley sick asylum
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Brown, Dr Frederick Gordon
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Brown’s Stable Yard
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buccal cells
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Buckland, Richard
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Bundy, Elizabeth
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Bundy, John
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Buki, Mrs
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Bull, William
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Burdett Road
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Burrell, Emily
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Burridge, Mary
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Burton, Harry
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Butchers’ Row, Aldgate
ref1
Buxton Street, Mile End
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Byfield, Sergeant James
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Cadosch, Albert
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Caine, Michael
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Cambridge University Library
ref1
‘Canonical five’ Ripper murders, the
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
,
ref4
Carroll, Lewis
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Carter Lane
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Carthy, Mrs
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Cassell’s Saturday Journal
magazine
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Caunter, Sergeant Eli
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Chamber Street
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Chandler, Inspector Joseph
ref1
Chapman, Annie
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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inquest into the death of
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Chapman, John
ref1
Chapman, Mark
ref1
Chappell, Mary
ref1
Charing Cross railway station
ref1
Chase, Richard Trenton ‘the Vampire of Sacramento’
ref1
Cheapside
ref1
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
ref1
Cheshunt, Hertfordshire
ref1
Chikatilo, Andrei ‘the Rostov Ripper’
ref1
Christ Church, Spitalfields
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
Christie, John
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Christie’s auctioneers
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,
ref2
Church Passage
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
,
ref4
Church Road, Hove
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City of London Corporation
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Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
ref1
,
ref2
Clapp, George
ref1
Clarendon Villas, Hove
ref1
Clewer, Berkshire
ref1
Clugston, Jennifer
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Cohen, Jacob
ref1
Coldstream Guards
ref1
Collard, Inspector Edward
ref1
Collins, PC Edward
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Colney Hatch Asylum
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,
ref2
,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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Commercial Road
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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Commercial Street
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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Commercial Street Police Station
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,
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,
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,
ref4
,
ref5
common lodging houses
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,
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,
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,
ref4
,
ref5
,
ref6
,
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,
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,
ref9
,
ref10
Connelly, Mary Ann
ref1
Conway, Alfred
ref1
Conway, Thomas
ref1
Cooney’s lodging house
ref1
Cooper, Eliza
ref1
Corbett’s Court
ref1
Cornwell, Patricia
ref1
Cox, Detective Harry
ref1
Cox, Mary Ann
ref1
Crippen, Dr
ref1
Cripples’ Home, The
ref1
Crook, Annie
ref1
Crossingham’s dosshouse
ref1
Crossman’s lodging house
ref1
Crow, Alfred
ref1
Crowndale Road, St Pancras
ref1
Cullen, Tom
ref1
Cunningham, James Gilbert
ref1
Daily Mirror
newspaper
ref1
Daily News
newspaper
ref1
‘Dark Annie’,
see
Annie Chapman
Davies, Dr Christopher
ref1
Dawkes, S. W.
ref1
Deeming, Frederick
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
,
ref4
Devonshire Street
ref1
Diary of Jack the Ripper
book
ref1
Dickens, Charles (son of the author of the same name)
ref1
Diemschutz, Louis
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
diphtheria
ref1
disease, prevalence of in the East End
ref1
DNA testing
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
,
ref4
,
ref5
,
ref6
,
ref7
,
ref8
,
ref9
,
ref10
,
ref11
Donovan, Tim
ref1
Dorset Street
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
,
ref4
,
ref5
dosshouses,
see
common lodging houses
Dowler, John and Janice
ref1
,
ref2
Druitt, Montague John
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
,
ref4
Drury Lane
ref1
Duke Street
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
,
ref4
Duke’s Place
ref1
‘Dynamitards’
ref1
East London Advertiser
newspaper
ref1
East London Observer
newspaper
ref1
,
ref2
Eastern Orthodox Church
ref1
,
ref2
Eddowes, Catherine
ref1
,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
ref30
,
ref31
,
ref32
,
ref33
Eddowes, George
ref1
Eddy, Prince see Prince Albert Victor
Ellis, Ruth
ref1
Emin, Tracey
ref1
Enderby murders
ref1
enzyme method reaction test (the KM method)
ref1
epithelial cells
ref1
,
ref2
,
ref3
,
ref4
,
ref5
Essex Wharf
ref1
Evans, Stewart
ref1