Why were the police unable to catch Jack the Ripper?.
In the following essay I will attempt to portray an alternative answer to the above question. If the Whitechapel Murders table (above) is observed it can be seen that the Ripper murders followed a curious pattern of occurrence:.
7th August.
31st August.
8th September.
30th September.
30th September.
9th November.
These dates could be interpreted so as think that the murders occurred on every 7/8th of the month and every 30th/31st of the month. Interestingly these dates also coincide with the phases of the moon which existed in 1888, the first and last murders, Tabram and Kelly, were both committed on the exact full and half moon phases of their month. The four remaining murders were all carried out two days before a moon phase. It is said that by offering blood sacrifices coinciding with moon phases that an inverted occult pentagram can be constructed (Five being a very significant figure in the occult). This ritual, once completed gives the individual, among other things, 'favour in the sight of the Old Ones when They once more walk the Earth' and a cloak of invisibility or immunity from discovery. But it could be raised that there were six victims, Martha Tabram was the first (incidentally her death again has an occult significance; she was stabbed thirty-nine times, three times thirteen apparently being an occult formula, perhaps part of the aforesaid ritual). On the 30th of September there were two murders, Stride and Eddowes, Stride however was not a proper victim. It is evident from the inquest at the time and the subsequent events that the Ripper was disturbed in his mutilation of Stride and did not have time to complete his ritual slaying. Perhaps it was essential enough that he had to find a second victim quickly in order to have a sacrifice for that particular moon phase, this was to be Eddowes.
If this theory is to function how can the lack of killings in October be explained? It is known that Inspector Abberline traced and questioned three medical students at the beginning of October about the murders, perhaps one of those students was in fact the Ripper.