When news of the Diary leaked into the circles of ‘Ripperology’, several well-regarded authors and researchers asserted that the document was the product of an inventive forger. Uncertainty surrounding the journal’s provenance and composition appeared, initially, to support this position. The claim that the Diary was a modern creation was bolstered when, in June 1994, ‘Diary-finder’, Michael Barrett, announced to the that the document was a hoax and that he was the forger, “the greatest in history”. Barrett signed a series of affidavits detailing the techniques he employed to construct the Diary, which according to Barrett, took approximately 11 days. Curiously, the affidavits contained conflicting information as to the timing and mechanisms of the alleged forgery. Those holding to ‘modern forgery’ position argue that the disparate information contained within the journal would not have been known to any one person in 1888 and must have been collated from modern source material, for which reason it can be dismissed as a hoax. Linguistic solecisms and disputes over the historical accuracy of the Diary’s narrative have also been cited as pointing towards a modern forgery. It should be noted that in sharp contrast to other modern fakes, such as the Hitler Diaries, the identities and techniques of the would-be hoaxers have never been established. Kelly Mary (1863-1888) She was the last Ripper victim and the one to be mutilated the most. She was murdered on the night of Friday 9th November 1888 in Miller’s Court. She was the only Ripper victim to be killed indoors, which is probably the reason why she was so savagely mutilated.

Aronson, Theo (1994). Prince Eddy and the Homosexual Underworld. John Murray. p.117. ISBN 0-7195-5278-8. It was on the return voyage from America to Liverpool on the SS Baltic in 1880 that James met Florence Chandler. Florrie, as she was affectionately known, was a five-foot three strawberry blonde with blue eyes. She had been born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1861 (possibly 1862) and was only 17 or 18 years old (James was then 41). Florence was travelling with her mother, Baroness von Roques. Her mother’s title came from her third marriage to her then estranged husband who was a Prussian cavalry officer. Her first husband, William G. Chandler, who was Florence’s father, had died soon after Florence was born, leaving her and her elder brother, Holbrook St. John Chandler, fatherless. Florence’s mother came from a well-connected family and James may have been as much attracted by the prospect of inheriting Florence’s wealth (which he probably over-estimated) as he was by her good looks. It was a whirlwind romance and, according to some accounts, James had proposed and was accepted by Florence before the end of the voyage. October 1887 - Florence writes to her mother about the perilous state of her debts and the poor state of James’ finances. She also criticises the children’s nanny. Tin match box empty’ These words written in the Diary and relating to the murder of Catherine Eddowes, have proved to be one of the most controversial of all the passages in the whole document. To some this is clear proof that the document is genuine, to others it is definitive proof that the Diary is a modern fake. The reason for the controversy is that the empty tin matchbox was not known to the general public until 1987 when a The wait to read about my triumph seemed long, although it was not. I am not disappointed, they have all written well. The next time they will have a great deal more to write, of that fact I have no doubt ha ha. I will remain calm and show no interest in my deed, if anyone should mention it so, but I will laugh inside, oh how I will laugh.

Ripper as myth

Historians and most committed Ripperologists are extremely dismissive of the first category. The idea that the brutal murders were committed by a senior member of the royal family, for example the Duke of Clarence, and covered up by members of the Masonic Lodge is a conspiracy theory devoid of evidence. Dodd, PaulHe is the current owner of the whole of Battlecrease House in Riversdale Road, Aigburth, Liverpool. He has lived in the house for most of his life. Mr Paul Dodd and his wife live in one half of the house (number 6) and he has converted the other half (number 7) into flats.

Brierley, Elizabeth (Bessie) She was a housemaid at Battlecrease. She tried to mediate between James and Florence on the night of the Grand National in March 1889. The following day it was Bessie Brierley who found the flypapers and reported the matter to Nurse Yapp. I'm 100% clear that Florence did not kill James," he said. "He was a serial user of both strychnine and arsenic, and the symptoms he exhibited leading up to his death suggested a strychnine overdose - not poisoning by arsenic. September 1881 - James and Florence listed as travelling on steamship Adriatic to New York. First trip as a married couple. Florence’s birthday occurs during the voyage.June to September 1888 - James visits Dr Hopper on at least 20 occasions. In July 1888, James went to Harrogate for his health. Stayed in the Queen’s Hotel. Affair: In March 1889, Florence spent two nights in a Flatman's Hotel in London with Alfred Brierley. He was a Liverpool cotton merchant who was a friend of her husband. In 1887, Florence found out James was paying money to another woman, presumably Sarah Ann Robertson. She was upset and angry and considered divorcing James. In November 1888, Florence and Brierley developed a mutual attraction after a social event at Battlecrease. At her trial, the prosecution argued Florence's relationship with Brierley gave her a motive for murder.