By the end of September, 1888, tensions in the East End were reaching breaking point.

The Ripper, as he was now known, had not struck since early September, but he was the fascination of the London press, and rumours and speculation flew through the city like wildfire. Fear hung over Whitechapel like a fog, and the women who walked the streets after dark searched the shadows for a glint of a knife.

On the evening of 29th September, Elizabeth Stride was drinking in the Bricklayer’s Arms when she met a man. Her companion was dressed, described as about 5 feet 5 inches with a black moustache and sandy eyelashes. He wore a billycock hat and appeared to be in good spirits, kissing and hugging Stride and joking with those who passed by – “Watch out, that’s leather apron getting round you!” Long Liz and her jovial companion were seen setting off in the direction of Commercial Road a short time later.

By 11:45, Long Liz had moved to Berner Street, where a labourer by the name of William Marshall saw her standing in the door of number 64 on the west side of the street, between Fairclough and Boyd Streets. This time, her companion was a man in a short black cutaway coat and a sailor hat. He was teasing and joking with her. Marshall stated that they kissed, and that the man said, “You would say anything but your prayers.”

Yet another man joined Long Liz that evening. By 12:35, she was seen with a young man, approximately 28 years old, wearing a dark coat and a deerstalker hat. They were seen outside the International Working Men’s Educational Club on Berner Street by Constable William Smith. The man was carrying a parcel, approximately 18 inches long and 6 inches high and wrapped in newspaper.

Ten minutes later, Israel Schwartz saw a couple arguing in the gate of Dutfield’s Yard on Berner Street. Wanting to avoid the domestic spat, he crossed over the road. A moment later, the man – who Schwartz described as about 5 feet 5 inches with a brown moustache – called out “Lipski!” and another man began to follow Schwartz up the street. Afraid for his life, Schwartz ran up the road and did not look back at the couple.

Around 1 AM, Louis Diemshutz turned his cart in to Dutfield’s Yard. His horse shied, apparently terrified of a bundle lying inside the gateway. Curious, Diemshutz prodded the bundle with his whip, but couldn’t identify it in the darkness. He struck a match, and in the momentary flare of light, he saw a woman lying on her side. Unsure whether the woman was his wife or a drunk off the street, he walked in to the International Working Men’s club which was located in the Yard to investigate. Finding his wife inside, he gathered a few men and a light and went back outside. Moments later, Diemshutz was standing over the still-warm body of Elizabeth Stride.

Elizabeth Stride, or “Long Liz” as she was known (at 5 feet 5 inches, she was especially tall for her time), began life as Elisabeth Gustafsdotter in a small town in Sweden in 1843. By the age of 21, she was living in England and had been arrested at least once for prostitution. At 26, she married John Thomas Stride, but the marriage lasted only a few years. She kept her married name, however, and in 1885, she was living under the name of Elizabeth Stride with a labourer named Michael Kidney. According to reports, her relationship with Kidney fell apart in 1888, and on 25th September, she returned to the home that they shared, collected her belongings, and left. For the next several days, she slept in a doss house on Flower and Dean Street in Whitechapel. During her stay there, she famously met Dr Barnardo, who was visiting doss houses in the area. He would later be among those to identify her body.

This can all be relived on our Jack The Ripper Walks

Elizabeth Stride was found lying 3 yards inside the gateway, facing the wall with her legs drawn up. Although her corpse was still warm, she was clearly dead – her throat had been slit open with one sweeping cut. Blood oozed down into the gutter as Diemshutz gazed down at the Ripper’s latest victim. In her hand was a wrapped paper packet containing cashews.

Though blood flowed freely from the wound to Stride’s neck, her clothes were not stained with blood, suggesting that she was already lying on her back when the knife bit into her throat. A thorough examination of the body, performed later, would confirm this initial hypothesis – bruising was found on her shoulders which suggested that Stride had been grabbed and thrown to the ground by the killer before he slit her throat. However, there were no additional mutilations to the abdomen or any other part of the body. This fact, combined with the fact that the body was still warm when it was found, suggested that death had occurred only moments before the body was discovered, and that the killer was interrupted in the act of completing his gruesome ritual.

In all likelihood, therefore, Diemshutz entered the yard while the killer was crouched over the body of Elizabeth Stride. His horse shied away, not just from Stride’s body, but from the living presence of the killer. The Ripper, still clutching his bloody knife, hid in the shadows while Diemshutz initially investigated the body, and escaped while Diemshutz searched the club for his wife. Diemshutz’ testimony regarding the strange behaviour of his horse and his own feeling that someone was hiding in the darkness confirm this assumption. This begs the question – what would have happened if the night had not been windy, and the match in Diemshutz’ hand had illuminated the entire yard? Diemshutz might have laid eyes on Jack the Ripper himself.

As it was, however, the Ripper escaped the yard, but was forced to leave his most recent victim behind, his ritual incomplete. Fuelled by a rush of adrenaline following his near capture, the Ripper fled the scene, leaving behind the familiar streets of the East End and the swarm of police which would soon descend on Dutfield’s Yard. Desperate to slake his bloodlust, he crossed in to the City of London, and very quickly, he set his vicious knife in motion on another victim.