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Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, "From Hell" is a richly sculpted, fictionalized version of the suppressed history of England - how a cabal of Freemasons orchestrated the so-called "Jack the Ripper" murders.
Abberline follows the clues, leading him to a conspiracy at the highest levels of Government and Freemasonry -- Sir William Gull (Ian Holm), the Queen's physician, and Sir Charles Warren (Ian Richardson), Commissioner of Police and member of the Ars Quator Coronatorum Masonic Lodge - confidants to Queen Victoria herself.
A gripping, well-styled movie, "From Hell" is a bold revision of history based on Knight's ground-breaking research.
Historically, this cabal of high-level Masons was determined to "protect" the Monarchy - and preserve their own control of the Government.
After all, conspiracies of States are always informative because of the depths of depravity that show what men will do to preserve the status quo of the Ruling Class and Power Elite. In this case, the movie deftly illustrates that xenophobia and unvarnished hypocrisy are the hallmarks of the outwardly prim and proper Victorian Age. The flood of immigrants. The rising tide of socialism. The perceived threat of Catholicism to the Crown. The possibility of working-class uprising. These were all political factors in an age when the debauchery of the Ruling Class was a fact of life, as were the ruthlessness and corruption of the Crown.
"A great deal is at stake if the Establishment considers it necessary to operate a full scale cover-up," writes Knight. "For the truth of the Jack the Ripper affair to have been painstakingly concealed can mean nothing less than State security was at risk, or that someone high in the Government or the Royal Family was involved."
Author Stephen Knight, in his out of print masterpiece, "Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution," explains how Britain's entire political system at the end of the 19th century was threatened by the hidden facts -- Prince Albert Victor ("Eddy") was not only bisexual, but he had married a Roman Catholic girl and fathered a child with her. Evidently these debaucheries were so scandalous that the Ruling Class would not abide even the slightest hint of this revelation.
When a group of working girls (Annie Chapman, Marie Kelly, Elizabeth Stride and Mary Nichols) decided to blackmail the Royals, the Marquess of Salisbury, then Prime Minister, had to take care of the problem. He entrusted Sir William Gull, physician and abortionist to the Royal Family, for the mission.
One of the country's most prominent Freemasons, Gull understood that "Freemasonry was the power behind the Government and it was the unseen influence of the Masonic elders which dictated major policies, not the pleasing façade of Commons debate."
The deliberately engineered panic, i.e., the murder of five prostitutes, was done according to Masonic ritual. The ritual murder and disembowelment "met with such ghastly success because of the audacity with which they were executed," said Walter Sickert, Knight's informant whose painter-father had intimate knowledge of the Cleveland Street murders. This so-called "audacity" is a trademark of Masonic "mischief-making."
"Freemasons applaud violence, terror and crime, provided it is carried out in a crafty manner," writes Knight. "Humor is all important and the most appalling crimes may be committed under its cloak."
"If Masonic supremacy appears in jeopardy, it is reestablished by a show of strength, by crimes of violence, perpetrated to demonstrate the continuing power of Freemasons for the benefit of Brothers abroad," writes Knight. "Crimes of violence would have been committed to reestablishing Masonic authority in the eyes of Masons everywhere."
"All Jack the Ripper victims were dispatched according to age-old Masonic ritual," Knight continues. The mutilations of the "unfortunates" were done according to Masonic tradition, the standard way of dealing with "traitors." In fact, the oath recited by initiates promises a ghastly death and mutilation -- in the case of "betrayal."
"From Hell" actually shows a Masonic ritual of initiation, and the candidate's recited vow of promised retribution in the case of his "betrayal" sounds like a dictation from the devil himself.
It is, after all, the standard Illuminati Two Fer (Two, Two, Two for the Price of One). In this case, Number One is to eliminate the blackmailers and witnesses, the prostitutes who knew about Eddie's indiscretions. And Number Two is to instill terror in the general populace by horrific murders (and "unsolved mysteries"), which traumatize the people into deeper submission and subconscious programming.
The "deliberately engineered panic" to which Knight refers has been used historically to shift the paradigm from a scam which is about to be uncovered to a new collective "concern."
Knight maintains that Inspector Abberline was historically part of the cover-up himself, and that the real "hero" was actually Ernest Parke, a twenty nine year old editor of the North London Press, "who pinpointed in his newspaper the deliberate mishandling of the brothel investigation and trial. He attacked the police not only for allowing one of the conspirators to escape to the Continent, but also for giving him so much time in which to do so that he managed to take his furniture with him. He attacked the court for passing a sentence of four months for Veck, who has been one of the worst offenders in an unsavory case."
Then Parke himself was charged with criminal libel in an unrelated case and sentenced to a year's imprisonment, effectively silencing him for probing much too deeply.
Though finding out that the "Jack the Ripper" murders, masterminded by Freemasons and perpetrated according to Masonic ritual, is an astonishing revelation to many people, the Whitechapel Murders are not the first to be attributed to Masonic skullduggery.
Freemason Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who left the brotherhood in his later years, was allegedly poisoned for his "betrayal," as well as for revealing their esoteric secrets in "The Magic Flute."
William Withey Gull was born on December 31st 1816 aboard the barge "The Dove" which was moored at St Osyth Mill in the parish of St Leonard, Colchester. He was the youngest of eight children and his father John Gull was a barge owner who died of cholera in London in 1827.
In 1837 Gull was accepted as a pupil at Guy's Hospital and this began a association with that establishment which was to continue for the rest of his life. In 1841 he graduated with a BA from the University of London, became a lecturer in Natural Philosophy in 1843 and received his MD in 1846. He was a medical tutor and lecturer at Guy's Hospital and Fullerian Professor of Physiology in 1847-1849. He married Susan Anne Dacre Lacy in 1848 and they had two children Cameron and Caroline.
Gull was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1869 and in 1871 he achieved national prominence when he treated the Prince of Wales for typhus. He was rewarded by being made a Baronet in 1872 and also became Physician Extraordinary and subsequently Physician-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria. He became even more widely known due to his peripheral involvement with the Bravo poisoning case in 1896. This was probably not welcomed by Gull because a Dr Gully was much more deeply involved and the similarity of names may have given Gull an undeserved notoriety.
Gull died on January 29th 1890. His death certificate was signed by his son-in-law Theodore Dyke Ackland. This was rather unusual because relatives were not really supposed to sign death certificates as it was possible the could benefit from the death. What Dr Ackland did was not illegal but a bit improper especially as he was not the only doctor in attendance.
When Stephen Knight was researching "Jack the Ripper : The Final Solution" he visited Gull's grave at Thorpe-Le-Soken. Mr Downes the verger said to him "This is a large grave, about twelve feet by nine, too large for two people [Gull and his wife]. Some say more than two are buried there. It is big enough for three that grave." He added that "Burial places for two just aren't normally that big" and "of course, it's possible somebody else is buried there, without anyone knowing who".
Knight was also able to discover a pauper named Thomas Mason who was born in 1817 and would have been just a little younger than Gull. Mason died in 1902 and not in 1896 as Knight believed.
Sue and Andy Parlour while researching "The Jack the Ripper Whitechapel Murders" uncovered a strong oral tradition at Thorpe-Le-Soken that Gull did not die when it was stated that he had, the funeral which was held was a sham and that he was buried in the grave, at night, several years later.
Gull's will was probated in 1890 as would be expected but it was also probated again in 1897 even though nothing had apparently changed.
So did William Gull really die in 1890 as his death certificate stated or did he live on until 1897 or beyond? If his death was faked was it because this brilliant medical man had become the the insane killer Jack the Ripper or could there have been other reasons for the pretence?
Michael Harrison (who suggested J K Stephen as the killer) remembered hearing a story that the Ripper was a royal surgeon avenging his son who had died from venereal disease. Thomas Stowell (who suspected the Duke of Clarence) wrote that he saw in Gull's notes that he informed --- that his son was dying from syphilis of the brain. It is pure speculation but what if these are distortions of the truth and it was Gull that had contracted syphilis? His son-in-law could have signed the death certificate either to hide the fact that Gull had actually died from syphilis or to fake Gull's death and have him spirited away to some institution where he remained until his real death. The moral climate in the late Victorian period was such that had it become known that Gull had contracted syphilis there may have been a scandal and his family could have been excluded from polite society.
So it is perhaps just within the bounds of probability that Gull could have died in 1890 from syphilis or he could have died several years later from syphilis or from other causes. However, the most likely explanation is that he died from stroke in 1890 as his death certificate says. Later the rumours surrounding him became linked with the myth of Jack the Ripper but whatever else Gull may have done during the Autumn of Terror it is almost certainly did not include killing prostitutes in Whitechapel. If any conspiracy did surround his death it would have been for reasons which were in no way connected to Jack the Ripper.
Theodore Dyke Acland1851 - 1931
Theodore Dyke Acland, Theodore a surgeon, was married to Caroline Gull, daughter of Sir William Withey Gull (Queen Victoria's Physician in Ordinary, often suspected of being Jack the Ripper).
Born: 14th Nov 1851 Baptised:
Died: 1931 Buried:
Family: Acland
Medically the slight stroke that Gull had in 1887 was the first attack of severe paralysis. Although he recovered from it, its effects were serious enough to prohibit him from further medical practice. Taken with the fact that he was 70 years old at this time, this is surely enough to cast doubts on the story of his roaming about Whitechapel. Finally, Gull did not die in a lunatic asylum. He died at home on 29 January 1890, after a third stroke which left him speechless.
Also their is no direct connection to the Masons at all in any of the Ripper killings. Their is no evidence for anyone in the Police, the Royals or even Gull being linked or a member to the Masons.
BUT its still interesting and fun. However, I do not think Gull was the ripper, I do however, believe Aaron Kosminski was the Ripper.
The prostitutes had their throats cut, their chests cut open and the innards placed over the shoulder, exactly the same death that anyone giving away masonic secrets is supposed to be killed. Since the prostitutes were spreading rumours about Prince Eddies homosexuality, in a way tellingt tales on a mason, then the way the prostitutes were killed should not be much of a surprise. . !
Casebook: The Royal Conspiracy, Not so Royal.
The Knight theory, though interesting and entertaining in its own way, has been effectively debunked by many Ripperologists. Most notable was Rumbelow's refutation in his revised edition of Jack the Ripper: The Complete Casebook where Rumbelow provides evidence that Annie lived longer than Knight claims, spent time after 1888 in workhouses, and had Alice with her through some of this time. There are no marriage or birth records listing Eddy as Annie's husband or as Alice's father. Aside from rumor or secondhand statements, there was never any hard evidence linking Eddy to Cleveland Street, Annie Crook, or even Walter Sickert. The lack of evidence, conspiracy theorists purport, proves the theory because all evidence was destroyed! Regardless of the legitimate criticisms, the Royal Conspiracy remains one of the most popular theories with several movies, novels, and graphic novels built around it.
In the end, it is difficult to consider Eddy a serious suspect. Although rumored, there is no concrete evidence that Eddy had mental problems (either through syphilis or any other reason), he is reported being out of the country during the murders, and no solid evidence has been produced that links Eddy to sexual relationships with either James Stephen or Annie Crook. Despite these facts, it appears likely that (outside of serious Ripper circles) the theory of Eddy's involvement in the murders in some way will never completely fade.
Aaron Kosminski couldn't have been Jack The Ripper. For one thing, he couldn't talk English yet witnesses heard the ripper talking to his victims . .. Also, he was less than nine stones in weight and ate and drank from the sewers. He was also an imbecile. How can a slight, scruffy man of limited mental capability manage to restrain a fully grown woman? If he had gone near any of the victims they would have easily fought him off.
There is also some uncertainty surrounding Kosminski's involvement. He is mentioned by McNaughton as being a good suspect yet nobody knows why. . !He went into Colney Hatch lunatic asylum at the same time that another jewish man who had a fit of mania in the east end named David Cohen. It seems that the two have become confused as the moment Cohen was arrested all the police stood down and ceased looking for the killer. They, at least, thought they had there man. I think it's a good possibility that McNaughton got Kosminsky, a Polish jew, mixed up with Cohen, another Polish jew.