London's Autumn of Terror ended suddenly135 years ago, when Jack the Ripper's final
prey was discovered, horribly mutilated in
her lodging room.
25 year old prostitute Mary Jane Kelly was
the killer's fifth and youngest canonical
victim - she was the only one murdered
indoors.
Friday November 9th was the day of the
annual Lord Mayor's parade. At about 11
am, Kelly's landlord sent his agent to
collect her rent at 13 Miller's Court, off
Dorset Street in Spitalfields, but instead
he found her corpse.
Two witnesses claimed to have seen Kelly
alive earlier that morning, at around 8.30
and 10 am. This interesting discrepancy has given rise to a theory (used
as a plot device in the From Hell graphic novel, and the subsequent film
version), that another women was mistaken for Kelly and slain in her
place. Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Charles Warren
bowed to mounting criticism, and had already decided to resign on
the same day as Kelly's murder.
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