A Cold Gust of Wind, A Tale of Jack the Ripper and other vicious killers

CHAPTER 13 : THE DOUBLE EVENT

    Elizabeth Stryde was stumbling around the cold Whitechapel Streets on September 30th , 1888 . The night was cold , and Stryde ended up there by accident. She worked in a local lodging house . An old rundown establishment charging 4 pence a night . She washed broken dishes for a week now . But she also had a promiscuous night life . So much so that she became known as "Loose Liz" around those parts . The owner of the lodging house tried to take advantage of her , but she refused, and thus was fired and kicked out . And ended up on the cold muddy pavement of the narrow Whitechapel streets .

   Stryde turned into Dutfield's Yard , where she was approached by a man . Who introduced himself as Bill Wilks . Few words were exchanged, and they went deeper into that fateful alley . As Stryde began to undress, a cold gust of wind swept off her bonnet . But she did not think anything of it . But Wilks began to panicked and act strange.

   "What's wring love ?" Asked Stryde .

   "There...There... it's a m... a.. man..." Wilks said through shaking lips .

   "What do you want ?!" Wilks began yelling .

   "Come on dearie, he's just a creeper , here now..."

   "You're him... aren't you... you're ... you're ... you're the..."

   With a sudden rush , Wilks threw Stryde onto the ground and tremblingly said .

   "You can have her!"

    Then he took off running, he looked over his shoulder to see another man . This one's face was visible, and he was just as horrified. He had on a derby , and a scarf , so Wilks took him for a Jew , and yelled out "Lipski !!" to scare the man away , then took up pace and ran away .

   Stryde was grabbed by the shadowy man , who she now saw . It was Jack . He picked her up with one hand , and began squeezing her throat . She tried fighting back , kicking , scratching, screaming. But to no avail . Until she threw her fist and nearly hit the man . He didn't react , but let her go . Then took out his knife , and cut her throat with ferocious rage , letting blood flow like a fountain, nearly decapitating her . Why he did this was because he had heard the footsteps of a pony cart approaching . Then still thinking on the spot , and monstrously angry , he began running.

   At that  point , Wilks took a breath, thinking he was safe , when the Ripper appeared from the shadows , and began stabbing him in the chest , then he wiped his knife , and looked at his gloves . There was no blood , then hid the knife in his overcoat, and vanished into the shadows.

***

   That same night , Catherine Eddowes also ended up in those cold Whitechapel streets . Catherine was not a rich woman , but she wasn't a prostitute , she was married , but had a drinking problem. To rid her of her problem , her husband paid off a Constable to arrest her . She spent a day in prison , and got out at about 8 o'clock . But she didn't go home . She just wandered, and eventually came upon Mitre's Square .

   At that hour the night got warmer, but when she entered that large Square, surrounded by buildings , she felt a harsh cold . Then an even colder breeze swept her by . Eddowes saw the back of a local Jewish socialist club , and decided to look inside. But as her nose pressed onto the window , the glass got cold . Cold to a point of even cracking. She pulled away , and turned around, and saw a man . The man was wearing a burlap sack tightly pressed on his face , and a black topper . That's all she could see . Then the man began slowly walking. She saw it , but his footsteps were unheard.

   "Well 'ello darlin'" said Eddowes, with a frightful confidence.

   The man went closer and said with a deep whisper,

   "Well Hello !"

   "Want the business?" Catherine said , now with confidence, yet with a note of regret .

   "What did you have in mind ?" The shadowy man replied.

   Catherine's face took on a smile . She bit her lip and came closer to the man , but when she was about to speak , the man grabbed her by the throat , then with an inhuman ferocity threw her across almost the whole large square. Then ran up to her and slammed her into an old rusted pipe , which felt painfully cold upon impact. Then he began choking her with both hands . She was too weak to resist . Then he released one hand , and slammed her head against the old brick wall with it . Then again, and again . Then he released the other hand , and took out his blade . And slit her throat. This time with passion and sadistic satisfaction. After that was done , he began furiously cutting her . Slicing off her nose , eyelids , fingers... Then he began cutting triangles into her body .
   After that , he began his mutilations . Taking out many of her inner organs . After which , he took out a small postcard, and an ink bottle , took some of her blood , leaving her a bloody husk of her former self . But before he left, he took her apron , and cut a piece of it off , he started running away and wiping the blood .    Then turned the corner to Goulston Street , and disappeared into the thick smog and dark shadows of the night .