In August 1888, the district of Whitechapel in London became aware for the first time of the presence of a monster in its midst. Whitechapel is known for being home to the most unfortunate souls, the poorest of the poor, prostitutes, the mentally ill and alcoholics. Prostitutes used tricks to earn their money (the money needed for a night's accommodation), often to then spend it on drink. Most of Whitechapel's residents were physically ill, either from poor diet, lack of medical care, dirty living conditions, sexually transmitted diseases, or any other factor which, under such conditions, contributed to a unhealthy community. Jack the Ripper, as he is still known today, preyed on these unfortunate misfortunes while they made a living the only way they knew how. His victims: Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols, Annie Chapman (Dark Annie), Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly occupied the lowest rung of Victorian society. The Ripper himself may have been one of the Whitechapel members; or, based on what little evidence the police managed to gather, he might as well be an upper-class gentleman. Speculation and theories abound as to the identity of this brutal butcher; but it seems that no one will ever be able to pronounce the Ripper's name with any certainty. Jack the Ripper On August 31, 1888, at 3:40 a.m., the body of 42-year-old Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols was found. discovered on a street called Buck's Row. She had last been seen alive around 2:30 a.m., walking toward Buck's Row and drunkenly proclaiming that she had earned her money three times that night, but had spent it and she was there to win it again (Whitechapel Road). Polly was 1.70m tall with brown grammars middle of paper......tituteso was in London at the time of the murderso had anatomical knowledgeso had a collection of potted uterusesso no more murders after he left England on November 24, 1888o had the wealth to change his clothes frequentlyo had a tendency toward violenceo several acquaintances in America thought he was probably the Ripper. These are just two in a long list of Ripper suspects. Hundreds of people have, at one time or another, been suspected of being Jack the Ripper. Friends and acquaintances have debated this matter for over a century. A renowned crime author conducted her own investigation and came to her own controversial conclusion about Jack. Films and board games have been made around Jack the Ripper. It seems like we'll never know the truth about who the Ripper is, but in reality, do we really want to know?