At least, that’s who he told the police he was.
The report noted: “The police think that he is misrepresenting the facts.”
An unprecedented media frenzy followed.
Featuring the latest news and theories in the 130-year-old worldwide quest to identify the person dubbed Jack the Ripper, responsible for the murder of 5 common prostitutes around the seedy district of Whitechapel in London's notorious East End between 31 August 1888 and 9 November 1888. Will this serial killer's identity ever be revealed through DNA or other evidence?
Picture of Buck's Row Whitechapel in London's East End (now Durward St) - site of Jack the Ripper's first murder on 31 August 1888. Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols' body was discovered 3 metres back from the corner of the tall brick building.
Take a Ripper virtual tour from the first murder scene. Click on the map below to view all 5 murder scenes and other key locations in the hunt for the world's first recognised serial killer.