A Grandad’s Confession To His Grandson, 1888 England

In my hand, good sir, rests the message, wherein I confess to my culpability for most grievous transgressions that have perplexed the constabulary and instilled fear in the hearts of the unfortunate women of the impoverished White Chapel Hill. This riddle endures to this very day.

Upon the thirty-first day of August in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and eighty-eight, a bystander discovered the lifeless form of Mary Ann Nichols.

In the chronicles of yore, there shall arrive a day when gentlemen shall ponder the murky depths of history and proclaim that I, the bearer of terror, did indeed summon forth the most infamous wretch of the Twentieth Century. This phantom deftly evaded the grasp of justice with disquieting grace. Your esteemed grandfather, a figure enveloped in shadow, did roam the thoroughfares in the year of our Lord 1888.

Slaughter was never the purpose I had envisioned for my existence. Verily, it is not so. From my earliest years, the emotional yearning to grasp the scalpel and explore the enigmas of the human physique didst consume my very being, and in due course, I did attain that noble aspiration. Yet that endeavour did not bring forth any infamy. Although not figures of enduring renown, surgeons were esteemed as individuals of considerable intellect and cunning.

One circumstance did indeed deliver me from the grasp of the constabulary. Yet, here I delve further into my sombre contemplations; it is important to clarify how these unfortunate beings have entwined themselves within my very being, ultimately rendering themselves the objects of my macabre designs.

My fascination with the fair maidens of the evening kindled on the day I received my first remuneration from the esteemed master of the most splendid tea house in all of London. I laboured for him, conveying his concoction through the dimness and performing nightly deliveries across the urban expanse. The constables did observe my presence, exchanging knowing nods, and, on rare occasions, did partake in libations with me at the tavern closest to the tea shop.

Notwithstanding her vocation, the rapture of discovering oneself enmeshed with a well-versed lover stands as one of the most splendid gratifications a gentleman may ever confer upon himself in this transient life. Pray, heed my counsel, dear grandson; many believe that every gentleman should partake in the company of a courtesan at least once to comprehend the delights that remain unexplored fully.

Yet, upon this fateful eve, I did find myself in the company of a lady of the night, her affections bestowed with great liberality, for she did harbour a tender regard for my presence. The other ladies of the evening did tarry in the adjoining chamber, their murmurs wafting to my ears, heavy with accounts of my being and the gentlemen who sought my companionship.

“That tea driver doth send a shiver down my spine,” quoth one.

“I grasp your sentiment,” quoth another.

“The profoundness of Nadine's affection for him escapes my comprehension,” remarked a third party.

Miss Nadine didst persist in her noble endeavours to bestow upon me a measure of joy, and ere long, the storm of wrath that once did consume my spirit did fade into naught, supplanted by a most profound sense of contentment. In a fleeting moment of rapture, fair Nadine did lead me to the pinnacle of ecstasy, and even in those instances when my vigour did falter, she cast not a shadow upon my spirit, nor did she deign to belittle my manhood. Yet Nadine was most assuredly distinct from the one I had first yearned for.

Yet another fair maiden hath been bestowed with the name Sally. Yet she did disappear into the shadows following our solitary eve spent in each other's company.

Most curiously, the fair maidens did weave a narrative concerning Sally and myself, insinuating that she doth remain hidden from mine eyes, for she doth declare, “He is most repugnant.”

She doth recoil at the very sight of him and his countenance. His breath emitted a most unpleasant stench, reminiscent of the vile nature of his diminutive appendage, adorned with a wicked hook, accompanied by the foul odour that clung to his miserable being. Then the ladies did cackle, fully cognizant that I lingered but a breath away, absorbing every utterance of their mirth.

It did kindle within me a fervent zeal, a sombre fire of vengeance that burgeoned into a great conflagration, devouring the lives of women in the dimly lit thoroughfares of Whitechapel, their destinies fading into obscurity as though I were naught but a phantom in the twilight. When the wanton women who did deride my very being lay cold and lifeless, I didst cease my pursuit of their ilk. And I did cease my visits to them, for I chanced upon your grandmother.

In the year hence, we did embark upon the sacred union of matrimony, and I have maintained a veil of silence upon this matter until this very moment as I inscribe this missive to you.

Verily, it is a most degrading pursuit—conveying tea from the foul docks to the establishments that peddle it, even unto the splendid halls of the Royal Palace. By a stroke of fortune, my esteemed father did bestow upon me the noble art of reading and writing.

Verily, I witness the dire happenings in this lamentable city. It is most lamentably disgraceful. The untimely demise of those most unfortunate souls It is but a trifling distance from my residence to that location, is it not?

At the very least, such is the presumption they hold. As I partake of my beverage beneath the veil of night, I discover a certain camaraderie with the phantoms that wander the thoroughfares. In the dim recesses of my thoughts, I find myself ensnared by their sinister essence, and within this warped semblance, I have transformed into one of their ilk.

The constables do indeed turn a blind eye to my affairs—some tea merchants seem scarcely capable of doing aught beyond that. Possessing a most cunning disguise, enabling one to traverse the thoroughfares at any hour, unchallenged by any soul, is a remarkable stroke of genius.

Pray, how is it that they have perceived my inclination towards the dismemberment of fowl, vermin, and felines despite my advanced years rendering me unfit to wield a blade?

It is quite the spectacle to behold them flitting about like wretched creatures upon a beset ship in pursuit of the elusive phantom, yet accomplishing naught in their endeavours.

They shall reveal their suppositions. The newspapers are indeed replete with such matters, are they not?

If thou hast perused these words, thou shalt come to know that thy grandfather bore a most notorious reputation. Though enshrouded in the mists of anonymity to the external world, merely acknowledged as the Tea Delivery Man, thou art aware that I encompass far more than that mere facade. You are indeed cognizant of the verity that dwelleth beneath my outward semblance.

On Sep 30, 1888, Elizabeth Stride found Catherine (Kate) Eddowes.

Pray; envision the whispers that would meander through the shadows should my genuine essence be laid bare for all to behold. They would be shocked that a simple wretch like me, the humble Tea Delivery Man, possessed a mind more cunning than their own. Orchestrating the demise of these unfortunate souls right before their very eyes in the harsh light of day.

I did not give up on my routine activities. With the utmost diligence, I did send forth those unfortunate beings, each deed bestowing upon me the sinister satisfaction I so ardently desired. The truth will come to light in the end, my dearest child.

If thou hast perused these words, thou shalt come to know that thy grandfather bore a most notorious reputation. Though cloaked in obscurity to the external world, merely acknowledged as the Tea Delivery Man, thou art aware that I represent far more than that humble facade. You are indeed cognizant of the verity that dwelleth beneath my outward semblance.

Esteemed reverence for Grandfather, the renowned personage of the murky depths.

On November 9, 1888, the year of our Lord, Mary Jane Kelly's body was found.

The inaugural harlot was a most expeditious undertaking, a veritable ballet of surgical skill, as I skillfully liberated her organs from the tender embrace of her corporeal form. Yet, the remainder were bestowed with enhanced incisions and had their vital organs removed. To traverse beyond the officers who did observe my presence yet remained oblivious to my true identity was indeed a most delightful experience.

If thou hast perused these words, thou shalt come to know that thy grandfather bore a most notorious reputation. Though enshrouded in the mists of anonymity to the external world, merely acknowledged as the Tea Delivery Man, thou art aware that I encompass far more than that humble facade. Thou art well acquainted with the verity beneath my outward semblance.

Reverence for Grandfather, that notorious personage of the Twilight.