Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer (Hardcover)

by Stewart P. Evans (Author), Paul Gainey (Author) "Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, died at 7.22 a.m. on Saturday 15 April 15 1865..." (more)
Key Phrases: large dossier, common lodging houses, herb doctor, Jack the Ripper, New York, Scotland Yard (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The murder and mutilation of at least five prostitutes in the Whitechapel district of London in the fall of 1888 continues to fascinate students of true crime, largely because the perpetrator, Jack the Ripper, was never caught. The slayings have prompted dozens of books, and more than 100 identities for the killer have been suggested. The British authors?Evans is a police officer, Gainey a constabulary secretary?here argue that the killer was an American, a quack doctor named Francis Tumblety who at the time was suspected by Scotland Yard. Tumblety, a peddler of fake nostrums, had earlier been temporarily charged with complicity in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. At the time of the Ripper murders, Tumblety, who was living in London and was out on bail for other charges, fled England and made his way back to the U.S., where he died in 1903. Evans and Gainey make a case as tenuous as most, theirs based on a contemporary letter written by the head of Scotland Yard's Special Branch, John Littlechild, who suspected Tumblety. Their book will interest only the most dedicated Ripperologists, who may also find merit in the grisly photos.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Tumblety must now be considered the prime suspect in the Ripper killings." -New York Post
"May help solve one of the most enduring mysteries in the annals of crime." -People
"Evans and Gainey make a persuasive case for Tumblety." -Newsweek (International Edition)
"For nearly a century, Tumblety was completely forgotten. But now, he's very much in the news." -Baltimore Sun
"An intriguing new angle on the most celebrated criminal case ever. It will take its place in fact and folklore.... A must." -Bury Free Press
"If you accept the fact that the police thought it was Tumblety...it explains a lot." -Nick Warren, Ripperana
"Intriguing. . . one of the most significant cities yet." -The London Daily Mail
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 293 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha America (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568361602
• ISBN-13: 978-1568361604
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,130,480 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling new evidence, January 30, 2000

By	Andrew R Esposito (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer (Paperback)

The emergence of Tumblety as a major suspect in the Ripper murders is a stunning revelation by the authors, Evans and Gainey. Equally amazing is the linkage to Whitechapel via a series of very similar murders that occured in South America and New York. The globetrotting Tumblety appears to have been in the limelight consistently in the 1890s and it is intriguing that the British press virtually ignored his importance in the case, giving some support to the authors theory on cover-up and conspiracy by the Yard. The authors convey the frustration of the case quite well, including the competitive nature of Scotland Yard and the USA authorities. Anyone interested in the Ripper murders should buy this book. It is far more credible than the rubbish published by Daniel Farson or the laughable accounts concerning James Maybrick.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book and a must read for all interested in JTR, March 20, 2001

By	Todd O. Craven (Cabot, AR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer (Paperback)

I have read most of the well-known books on Jack the Ripper and I think this is probably my favorite. I found this in my school's library (I teach high school English) and thought the author did a very good job pointing out the problems with the suspects generally believed to have been the Ripper and painting a good case for Dr. T. An excellent read. Also, if you're intested in books about serial killers, check out "Zodiac" by Robert Graysmith. An incredibly interesting case (and still unsolved).

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The REAL Jack the Ripper FINALLY Unmasked, September 13, 2004

By	Brian G. Ehlert (Coushatta, LA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer (Paperback)

Contrary to what Reviewer #2 has to say with his low rating, having read MANY "Studies" of the Ripper over the years, I find the case brought against "Dr." Tumblety to be by FAR the MOST likely; there is just TOO much coincidence for it NOT to be this man. Of particular interest are a SIMILAR rash of murder/mutilations performed AFTER the Whitechapel murders in another locale where Tumblety was proven to have been in at the same time as THAT series occured. PLUS Tumblety's collection of fetuses, etc. HIGHLY recommended, to me one of the MOST compelling books yet written on the topic, with more than enough proof provided to prove Tumblety's guilt.