October 1, 1888
I was not codding dear old Boss when I gave you the tip, you’ll hear about Saucy Jacky’s work tomorrow double event this time number one squealed a bit couldn’t finish straight off. Had not time to get ears off for police thanks for keeping last letter back till I got to work again.
Jack the Ripper
On October 1, 1888, a postcard signed “Jack the Ripper” was sent to the Central News Agency in London. It has become known as the “Saucy Jacky” postcard from the writer’s use of that phrase. It made reference to the “Dear Boss” letter and, although its authenticity was not verified, it was published with the hope that the handwriting might be identified.
The “Saucy Jacky” postcard was both postmarked and received on October 1, 1888, shortly after the murders of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes on September 30. The “Saucy Jacky” writer referred to these murders as the “double event,” a term that continues to be in use in research. The writer appeared to have detailed knowledge of these murders.
Elizabeth Stride
The author of “Saucy Jacky” wrote that “number one squealed a bit couldn’t finish straight off.” The body of Elizabeth Stride was found with the throat cut, but otherwise unmutilated, suggesting that the murderer had been interrupted or scared off. Less than an hour later, the second victim, Catherine Eddowes, was murdered.
Catherine Eddowes
In writing of the second victim, “Saucy Jacky” wrote “Had not time to get ears off for police.” This is a reference to the fact that part of Catherine Eddowes’s ear was cut off and found at the crime scene.
A Journalist Confesses
The police later claimed that both the “Saucy Jacky” postcard and the “Dear Boss” letter were hoaxes written by a journalist. In 1931, journalist Fred Best of The Star newspaper claimed that he and colleague Tom Bullen had written all of the letters signed “Jack the Ripper” in order to “keep the business alive.”
In 2018, forensic linguistic analysit Andrea Nini argued that there was compelling linguistic evidence connecting the “Saucy Jacky” postcard and the “Dear Boss” letter, suggesting that they were written by the same person. See Nini, Andrea (September 2018). “An authorship analysis of the Jack the Ripper letters”. Digital Scholarship in the Humanities. 33 (3): 621–636. doi:10.1093/llc/fqx065.
“Saucy Jacky” Stolen
At some point, the “Saucy Jacky” postcard was taken from the police files, as was the “Dear Boss” letter. The “Dear Boss” letter was recovered in 1987, but the “Saucy Jacky” postcard is still missing.
The Letters of Jack the Ripper
“Since the murders in Berner Street, St. Georges, and Mitre Square, Aldgate, on September 30th […] no fewer than 1,400 letters relating to the tragedies have been received by the police, and although the greater portion of these gratuitous communications were found to be of a trivial and even ridiculous character, still each one was thoroughly investigated.” The Times, 12 November 1888.