Jack The Ripper in Uxbridge ?
The local Advertiser newspaper reported
"A scare in High Street, Uxbridge" on 19th October 1888
On Saturday evening last, about eight o'clock, no small amount of interest was awakened among the people in the High Street Uxbridge by a report of a mysterious nature with which the now notorious and dreaded name of "Jack the Ripper was associated.
Buckinghamshire Advertiser, Uxbridge & Watford Journal
26th October 1888
Note
London was in a state of near hysteria over the horrific murderous activities of "Jack the Ripper" a situation exacerbated by the newspaper coverage, and incidents like that reported above.
What is less well now is that in the same streets as these atrocities against women were occurring working class women like the famous match girls at Bryant & May (at Bow) were fighting a heroic battle for a living wage and trade union rights.
It has been argued that some of the newspaper coverage of "Jack the Rippers" activities were a deliberate attempt to frighten women off the streets and away from political activity.
Certainly at this period in history the East End was the cauldron of a huge upsurge in working class militancy and even a possible revolution. A situation fanned by the alleged links between "Jack the Ripper" and the Royal Family and/or the ruling classes.
