More than fifty people gathered at the Tower Hill tube station on Sunday, March 28th, drawn by the opportunity to hear respected Ripper scholar Donald Rumbelow. As darkness shrouded the narrow streets of London's oldest quarter, these ghoulish tourists huddled nervously, uncertain what to expect from the serious-looking man. Rumbelow led the group through an opening in the ancient wall that once demarcated London's borders--and into the past. Without the growl of traffic, the rain and cobblestones created an eerily timeless atmosphere.

Rumbelow, author of The Complete Jack the Ripper and former curator of the city of London Police Crime Museum, is a dedicated historian. Other Jack the Ripper tours passed by our group, their members laughing or their dressed in theatrical garb. Rumbelow was simply sober, knowledgeable and eloquent. His spare descriptions of the events and crime scenes surrounding the case brought the violence and depravity of the case to life in a way no actor could have ever done.

Whether you agree with Rumbelow's book or not, his research and intelligence are impressive. His descriptions of life on Dorset Street--known as the "worst street in the world" for its nightly inhabitation of close to 1500 destitute people in squalid conditions--and well-research accounts of the life and habits of 19th century prostitutes are heart-breaking, disgusting and fascinating. Just to hear him lecture is worth the seven pound admission fee.

But of course the best--or worst--part of Rumbelow's tour is lagging behind the ground and standing alone at a site soaked in such dark history. Whether it was the rain, my imagination or something stranger, I felt something in those dim streets. And with goosebumps, I hurried to catch up to my friends, and the light.

[For more information about Donald Rumbelow's "Jack the Ripper Haunts" tour, visit www.londonwalks.com.]

Little Miss ZomCon

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