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TERROR IN LONDON: THE DUNGEON MUSEUM

Robert Kent

Over the centuries
the people of London
have survived
plague,
fire, war and disaster
.

And, on a smaller scale, they have also lived  through times when cruelty was an everyday fact of life.

In Southwark, one of the very oldest parts of London, an unusual museum reminds Londoners of these much harder times. The L
ONDON DUNGEON
has exhibits which look at the way in which people were punished, tortured and executed as a matter of course in the past. But, the most chilling exhibit of all relates to Jack the Ripper, the name given to the man who committed some of the most dreadful murders London has ever known. These took place between August 30th and November 9th in 1888. The murderer seemed to appear out of the thick fogs which shrouded the city at this time and then disappear without a trace.

JACK THE RIPPER

The first known victim of Jack the Ripper was Mary 'Polly' Nicholls. Police Constable John Neil found her body in the streets in the early hours of the morning on Thursday 30th August. He was shocked to find her throat cut and her body badly hacked by a knife. It looked like the work of a surgeon gone mad. But Mary Nicholls was lucky compared to the Ripper's other victims. The Ripper had cut their throats and opened their bodies to take out many internal organs. The Ripper mutilated his last victim so badly it was almost impossible to recognize her. London went mad with fear and loathing. To what purpose could the murderer possibly put the body parts he had taken from his victims?

THE SUSPECTS

The police came under enormous pressure to solve the crimes. But no-one was ever brought to trial. Many people still speculate to this day about the Ripper's real identity. Among the suspects are: George Chapman, a poisoner who was hanged in 1903; John Pizer, a shoemaker; Aaron Kosminski, a madman who hated women; the Queen's doctor, Sir William Gull; and, even, such members of the royal family as Prince Albert or the Duke of Clarence. Whatever the truth about the identity of Jack the Ripper, staff at the London Dungeon can tell you that his evil influence lives on to this day.

SEPTEMBER 30 AT THE DUNGEON

Every year on 30th September, the museum experiences major technical problems with the installation dedicated to Jack the Ripper. The lighting goes out on the scenes of the two women murdered on that day. The atmosphere crackles with a strange tension. At other times employees have experienced bizarre happenings when alone. Candles suddenly light in the darkness. Sound effects come on in the middle of the night. Shadowy beings flit across the visual displays. Voices murmur from the Ripper exhibit. Whatever the cause of these strange happenings, it is certainly true that Jack the Ripper has left a mark on the minds of Londoners that no amount of time can remove.

Source: New English Digest

GLOSSARY

plague: epidemic disease (plagaa)
cruelty:
  deliberate infliction of pain and suffering (la crueldad)
punished: penalized (castigado/a)
chilling: scary (escalofriantes)
dreadful: atrocious (atroces)
shrouded: wrapped (envolvieron, rodearon)
throat:
pharynx (garganta)
hacked:
cut (destrozado)

loathing:  hate (aborrecimiento)
trial: legal proceedings (juicio)
poisoner: someone who kills with poison (asesino envenenador)
lives on: continues to live (perdura, continúa vigente)
crackles: makes crunching noises (cruje)
flit:
move along rapidly (pasan, se mueven)

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