"Dear Boss" letter
Item
of 1
- Title
- "Dear Boss" letter
- Description
- A letter, written in red ink, mailed to the Central News Agency between September 25-27, 1888, and then sent to Scotland Yard (London Metropolitan Police), claims responsibility for the murder of Annie Chapman and includes details from the crime scene that were not known by the public. The content of the message and threats of future victims implied that the author of the note could be the real killer. The famous pseudonym "Jack the Ripper" comes from the signature line on this letter.
- Contributor
- Transcription by The National Archives (UK)
- Creator
- The National Archives (UK)
- Date
- September 25 1888
- Extent
- 2 pages
- Format
- Document
- Language
- English
- Provenance
- The National Archives, sourced from the Central News Agency and the London Metropolitan Police; available in the public domain
- Publisher
- The National Archives
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Subject
- The murder of Annie Chapman by Jack the Ripper, taunts to the police, and threats of future killings.
- Temporal Coverage
- 1888
- Type
- Correspondence
- Item sets
- Jack the Ripper Correspondence
Linked resources
| Title | Class |
|---|---|
 "East End Outrages: Another Brutal Murder. Mutilation of the Victim, Panic in Whitechapel, Special Details" |
Image |
 "Saucy Jacky" postcard |
Image |
 "Sir Charles Warren's Resignation" |
Image |
 Death Certificate of Annie Chapman |
Image |