The Matter of Dr Stanley: Part II

Abstract

Part I of this article discussed Leonard Matters' early years as a journalist in his native Australia, his voluntary service as a trooper in the Boer War, and his decision to leave Australia and pursue a career as a freelance writer. He married Emilia Domela, another Australian, in Reno, Nevada. After a year or two in London, he accepted a post as manager at the Buenos Aires Herald, and soon rose to become its editor. He remained in Argentina for nearly a decade before settling in London, albeit with frequent trips abroad. In early 1925, several articles appeared in Australian newspapers citing a story from a Buenos Aires paper about Dr Stanley's confession to one H Maris, that he was Jack the Ripper. The Australian stories appeared a full twenty months before Leonard's first known telling of the story in 'The People' and 'The Syracuse Herald'. In 1929, his fuller version of the story was published as 'The Mystery of Jack the Ripper'. None of his known versions mentioned H Maris as the person who heard the confession.