Decision to erase

[Paddy Goose]

The poll is open for your convenience.

Paddy

[sdreid]

Wrong! In America that would be a crime as it should be.

[Graham]

I have long held that the GSG had nothing whatsoever to do with the Ripper, but even so it shouldn't have been erased. It should have been photographed first. Walter Dew said that walls throughout the East End were 'decorated' with similar slogans.

Cheers,

Graham

[bolo]

It was wrong to erase the GSG from a criminological point of view, a possibly valuable piece of evidence got irreversibly destroyed, that's why I chose option #2.

However, the decision was more than understandable if we take into consideration the strong anti-Jewish ressentment in the East End and technical difficulties. The cameras of the era were huge wooden boxes on tripods that required quite a bit of space to operate, it would have been very difficult to cordon off the area and sent for a photographer to take pictures without attracting huge attention that eventually may have turned into a riot.

[George Hutchinson]

It should have been erased, but it also should have been accurately drawn, like the Foster sketch, beforehand. And I am as certain as I can be it has nothing to do with JtR.

PHILIP

[Monty]

When considering if the writing should be erased one (one? ooo, get 'er) must consider the socio-climate of the day.

Has anyone thought through what would have happend if it wasnt rubbed out? Not a lot Id say.

However, in the spirit of all avenues and all that, Id say it was an error to erase it straight away, though thoroughly understand why it was.

Monty

[revpetero]

I believe that if it was written in chalk then by looking at the writing you maybe able to judge if it is new or if it has been there a while.

If the second looks likely then it should be erased so as not to heighten any situations that could be unrelated.

If the writing looks fresh and new then a photograph would have been perfect before erasing but maybe not practical at the time. The other option which seems to have been used is to get somebody to write it down.

Written on a wall or in a notebook, surely the evidence is still valid just no physical evidence.

Peter

[bolo]

Has anyone thought through what would have happend if it wasnt rubbed out? Not a lot Id say.

Do you mean pertaining to the Ripper case or the social situation in the East End?

If it's the former - today, a photo of the GSG and the bloody piece of apron probably would have the same level of importance (or insignificance) as the Lusk Letter, but who knows what an analysis of the handwriting could have unearthed.

If it's the latter - Warren couldn't afford another Bloody Sunday. According to The Facts, he arrived there as it began to get light so police activity in that area would have attracted a large crowd of spectators in no time. Yes, anti-Jewish graffiti may have been quite common in the East End but I guess there weren't a lot of them with a bunch of policemen and photographers in front of them, making a big fuss about it, only a few hours after yet another ghastly murder.

From what I've read about the "stormy" situation in the East End during the autumn of terror, it did not take much for a larger group of spectators and passers-by to turn into a lynch mob so IMO they had no choice but to rub it out as quickly as possible.

[Victor]

With all the fuss over what the second word says it'd be much better if we had a photo or accurate drawing.

And how difficult is it to cover it for a while until the photographer turned up?

[Monty]

Bolo,

Do you mean pertaining to the Ripper case or the social situation in the East End?

Both. At the time I dont think it would have caught Jack, Im pretty certain on that.

As for the rioting, I can see Warrens concerns but would like to think the general populus would have understood should he have decided against removal.

After all, it was all out at the inquest and no rioting occurred then.

Monty

[Jon Guy]

Hello

While the Met`s were making a painfully poor decision to erase crime scene evidence, the City Police had the City Surveyor drawing plans of the body in situ, the body in the mortuary,and the routes to Goulston Street from Mitre Sq. the City Policethen taking photos of the victim after the post mortem.

At the very least,a professional person should have copied the writing, and closing Goulston Street until daylight was the next and obvious decision.

[sdreid]

When did the public learn what the message said?

[perrymason]

I'm always puzzled by the support for having it erased, either after a photo or written representation has been taken. We still do not know today whether it was Pro-Jew or Anti-Jew.

The decision was based on the social climate, and their immediate surroundings, not on it potential value as a piece of evidence. Heck, there are even a few different versions taken down.

This was a move that shows the Police were to some degree in fear of the East End at this time. In no small part to Warren and Bloody Sunday I'd imagine. Who is it again that demands it be erased?

Best regards all.

[The Good Michael]

Michael,

Either Pro-Jew or Anti-semitic the outcome would be Anti-Jewish sentiment. That's what the erasure was for.

Cheers,

Mike

[perrymason]

Michael,

Either Pro-Jew or Anti-semitic the outcome would be Anti-Jewish sentiment. That's what the erasure was for.

Cheers,

Mike

Mike, were talking about an immediate area where 90% of the residents were Jewish....whose going to get upset about a Pro Jew message in an almost exclusively Jewish neighborhood?

Cheers bud.