The original post: /r/television by /u/Hot-Significance2075 on 2025-09-25 12:44:59+00:00.
I started watching American Ripper (the History Channel series) and it dives into the story of H.H. Holmes, the so-called “Devil in the White City.” The show lays out how he built his infamous “Murder Castle” in Chicago, right around the 1893 World’s Fair. It had hidden rooms, trapdoors, secret passageways, even soundproof chambers. On top of that, Holmes was running insurance scams, using fake names, and constantly shifting identities to keep the money flowing and the suspicion away.
The series also entertains the theory that Holmes could have even been Jack the Ripper, slipping between countries at a time when travel records weren’t as closely tracked. What struck me most is how much he thrived by taking advantage of the gaps in the system back then. No national databases, no digital footprint, and very little coordination between law enforcement agencies. It was almost like he existed in a world where you could just erase yourself and start fresh whenever you wanted. Crazy to think how different the world is today, where you can’t make a move without being tracker and sold something.
Love series that make you wonder how times have changed. Has anyone else seen it, what did you think of it?