Message #259199

[Keira Kensington]

While in London, fate stepped in for Kelly and brought Sarah Brider into his life in 1881, which one would think could stabilize Kelly’s emotions. The two seemed fairly happy and by the beginning of 1882, the two were living with Sarah and her family at 21 Cottage Lane (Eddleston 217). Kelly began to cut down his drinking and began to spend more time with Sarah and her family (Casebook). It seemed that Sarah had made Kelly a better man but it was only a matter of time until Kelly’s need for sexual fulfillment brought back old demons. On June 4 1883, the two got married and problems began to arise in their marriage (Eddleston 217). Sarah could not fulfill Kelly’s sexual needs and he claimed she had a malformation (Tully 20). It is not certain whether Kelly caught a venereal disease before or after his marriage with Sarah but his disease was the cause of a big fight that broke out between the two (Casebook). After Sarah’s mom found syringes and ointment that Kelly was using to treat his venereal disease, she asked Sarah if she knew of Kelly’s disease. It was at this time that Kelly flew into a rage and accused Sarah of giving him the venereal disease (Tully 29). On June 18, 1883 Kelly tried to make up for his behavior by taking Sarah out once she returned from work. When she did not show until 9:00, over an hour late, Kelly got very angry. He dragged her into the parlor and threatened to stab her with a carving knife unless she disclosed where she has been all night. When she told Kelly that she was out getting medicine for his disease he let her go and began to sob (Casebook). Not only does this instance show Kelly’s negative view on women but his immediate violent reaction proves that he is more than capable of murder. On Thursday June 21, 1883, Sarah returned home from work at her usual time and she and Kelly began to argue for an unknown reason. Kelly threatened Sarah and called her a **** then he dragged her head down to the floor and stabbed her with a pocket knife in the throat and continued to dig at her with the knife causing further damage. When Sarah’s mother tried to help, Kelly threw her over the bed and knocked her unconscious and then ran into his room (Tully 33). This demonstrates that Kelly was certainly capable of committing a crime with viciousness and insanity. It seemed that Kelly’s hate for women had been taken out on his undeserving wife, proving that nothing could stabilize his erratic behavior.

Kelly’s behavior exhibited such insanity that it is not hard to believe him as the Ripper himself. On the morning of June 22, 1883, Kelly was charged with attempted murder. The charge was later changed to murder when Sarah died at half past ten on June 24. Kelly did not believe he would be sentenced to death because he believed that God had a mission for him (Casebook). This mission could possibly be to rid London of the women he thought so little of throughout his whole life. He was set to be executed on August 20, 1883 but on the 17th he was reprieved and was sent to Broadmoor Asylum (Eddleston 217). He started out on Block four of the asylum with the suicidal and quite mad. Kelly did not respond to treatment and felt that he had done nothing wrong, further showing his insanity and lack of remorse for his actions. He kept to himself and was considered a quiet young man with signs of religious mania (Tully 52). His lack of contact with woman was the likely reason for his somewhat good behavior in the asylum because women were the spark that ignited his insanity. Without being surrounded by women, Kelly was able to maintain a calm exterior and move his way forward in the institution with good behavior. He was given a violin and a private room and he joined the asylum band. With Kelly’s good behavior he was rewarded more freedom within the walls of the asylum. A normal man would use this for good, but the insane Kelly would find a way to use this to his benefit in the worst of ways. A quite insane man was about to be on the run.