In the early stages of the police hunt for Jack the Ripper, the prostitutes of Whitechapel began telling the police about a sinister character whom they had given the nickname of “Leather Apron”, so called because he was often seen wearing such a garment of attire.
OUR DOCUMENTARY ON LEATHER APRON
We’ve now made an in depth documentary that tells the full story of the “Leather Apron” scare, that gripped the East End of London in the first few weeks of September, 1888.
You can watch the full video below.
RUNNING AN EXTORTION RACKET
Apparently, this man was running a sort of extortion racket amongst the street walkers of the area, luring them into empty houses on the pretence of giving them money, and then robbing and attacking them.
THE STAR AND LEATHER APRON
Although there were mentions of him in the newspapers as early as the first of September, 1888, the name didn’t really become public knowledge until the 4th of September, 1888, when The Star newspaper began a series of lengthy and detailed articles that brought this sinister and menacing character tot a wider audience.
The result of these sensationalised articles was that the people of the East End of London, at first at least, became both terrified and angered by this figure of fear, and, in consequence, anyone who resembled the description of him that was beginning to appear in The Star and other newspapers, was in danger of being lynched by the Whitechapel mobs.
THE MURDER OF ANNIE CHAPMAN
The other unfortunate thing about the scare was that the leather apron was a garment that was worn by a wide variety of Jewish tradesmen in the area.
There had, throughout the 1880s, been an influx of Jewish refugees who had arrived as immigrants to the East End of London, fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe.
The “Leather Apron” scare fed into a growing resentment of the immigrant community that had been gaining momentum throughout the 188os.
When, following the murder of Annie Chapman, on the 8th of September, 1888, word got out that a freshly washed leather apron had been found close to her body, the anti-Semitism in the district suddenly boiled over into full scale anti-Jewish unrest.
THE ARREST OF JOHN PIZER
On the the 10th of September, Sergeant William Thick, of the Metropolitan Police’s H Division, arrested John Pizer, insisting that he was the man that was known in the district as “Leather Apron.”
Pizer was able to provided cast iron alibis for the nights of the murders of Mary Nichols and Annie Chapman, and was released without charge after a day in police custody.
USURPED BY JACK THE RIPPER
Thereafter, the name of “Leather Apron” began loose its menacing associations, and when, in early October, 1888, the police made the “Dear Boss” letter public, the name “Leather Apron” – at least as far as its relation to the Whitechapel murders was concerned – was eclipsed by the sobriquet with which the “Dear Boss” missive was singed – Jack the Ripper.
WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY
Our documentary on this fascinating aspect of the case provides a detailed account of this fascinating aspect of the case.
It is just one of many documentaries that you can watch on our YouTube channel.
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