Dr. Brown determined that Catherine Eddows had hemorrhaged from her severed left carotid artery, that death “was immediate,” and that the other mutilations were inflicted postmortem. He believed there was only one weapon, probably a knife, and it was pointed. Much more could have been said. The autopsy report indicates that the Ripper cut through Catherine’s clothing. Considering the many layers she was wearing, this poses questions and difficulties.
Not just any type of cutting instrument could be used to cut through wool, linen, and cotton, no matter how old and rotted some of the fabrics might have been. I experimented with a variety of nineteenth-century knives, daggers, and straight razors and discovered that cutting through clothing with a blade that is curved or long is tricky, if not treacherous. The blade would have to be very sharp, strong, and pointed. The best choice, I found, was a six-inch dagger with a guard that prevents the hand from slipping down the blade.
I suspect the Ripper didn’t actually “cut through” the clothing, but rather stabbed through layers and tore them open, exposing the abdomen and genitals. This is a variation of his method and worth analyzing, because it does not appear that he cut through Mary Ann Nichols’s or Annie Chapman’s clothing. One simply can’t be certain of the details in earlier cases. Records appear to be incomplete and possibly were not meticulously made or kept at the time. Although the City would come no closer to capturing Jack the Ripper, it was better equipped to handle his carnage.
Catherine Eddows’s records are surprisingly well preserved and reveal that the examination of her body was very thorough and professional. The City Police had certain advantages, not the least of which was learning from recent, much-publicized mistakes. City Police had a substantially smaller, wealthier jurisdiction to control, a suitable mortuary, and access to superb medical men. When Catherine was transported to the mortuary, the City Police assigned an inspector whose only responsibility was to look after the body, clothing, and personal effects. When Dr. Brown performed the autopsy, he was assisted by two other physicians, including the Metropolitan Police surgeon, Dr. George Phillips. If one assumes that Catherine was the first victim whose clothing was “cut off” instead of pushed up, the change of MO shows an escalation in the Ripper’s violence and confidence, as well as a heightened contempt and need to shock.
Catherine’s body was almost nude, her legs spread, and she was butchered in the middle of a sidewalk. The blood flowing out of her severed carotid artery seeped under her and left an outline of her body on the pavement that was visible to passersby and trodden on the next day. The Ripper struck practically within view of a watchman, a sleeping constable who lived on the Square, and a City officer whose beat took him past the murder scene every twenty-five minutes. The damage the Ripper inflicted on Catherine’s body required not so much as a glint of surgical skill. He simply slashed like mad.
The cuts to her face were quick and forceful, the slices to her lips completely dividing them and cutting into the underlying gums. The cut to the bridge of her nose extended down to the angle of her left jaw and laid open her cheek to the bone. The tip of the nose was completely severed, and two other cuts to the cheeks peeled up the skin into triangular flaps. The damage to her abdomen, genitalia, and internal organs was just as brutal. The incisions that laid her open were jagged and were mixed with stabbing injuries. Her left kidney was removed and taken, and half of her uterus was sloppily cut off and taken as well.
She had cuts to her pancreas and spleen, and one in her vagina that extended through her rectum. Hacks to the right thigh were so deep they severed ligaments. There was nothing careful or even purposeful in the damage. The intention was mutilation, and the Ripper was frenzied. He could have done this damage to Catherine Eddows’s body in less than ten minutes – maybe as few as five. It was requiring more daring and savagery to achieve the same thrill. The Ripper’s “catch me if you can” taunt seemed to be straining to the limit.