The writing - a name?

[Tom_Wescott]

It would be an extreme coincidence, since the graffiti would have only been written within a short amount of time from when the apron was dropped, since none of the residents of the building appear to have recalled it. Apparently, there was no other such graffiti on the entire street, and the Ripper happened to drop his apron piece just at this precise spot? This may have been the only time the Ripper felt compelled to communicate something with the police, which would explain why there was no graffiti attached to other crime scenes.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Hunter]

Hi Tom,

Especially if he had the nerve to return later to dispose of the apron and unless both Long and Halse were derelict in their duty, that may be just what he did. If everything that happened that night can be linked to one individual ( and in my "traditionalist" viewpoint I think they do) This guy was really feeling his oats that night.

One more note. Halse was acually in the area looking for clues or the killer at that time and didn't see anything at first.

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Hunter,

I'm sure the Ripper left the apron and graffiti at the same time, but he clearly did not do this immediately after leaving Mitre Square, unless - as you noted - we choose to disregard the evidence of two police officers.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[JacknJill]

Typed Juwes into Google and this came up:

In the ritual of Master Mason, Hiram Abif was slain by three ruffians collectively termed The Juwes. According to C.C. Zain, these three represent the Midheaven, the Ascendant and the Descendent position of the sun (1). The solar motif is picked up because their collective name has the gematria value of 1908 and thereby measures a Seal of Solomon with sides of 318, hence Ηλιος - the Sun. They also, in some fashion, personate the new moon because 1908 divided by three is 636, value of Η Νου Μηνια - The New Moon. The conjunction of the sun and the new moon are a central part of the ritual of Master Mason.

Just thought it interesting that a Masons link has been mentioned before, and wasn't it claimed that the murders may have been committed by more than one person.
Just goes to show that I can make nothing out of nothing. LOL

looby64 - that's interesting. Strangely enough, despite the common saying of "when in doubt... Google it" I never actually thought to type the word Juwes into Google. It's weird that never passed my mind seeming as I've been thinking it over for ages.
This thread has actually done a hell of alot better than I thought it would. I remember hearing somewhere about Juwes appearing in a separate criminal record - however, I'm not sure if it was speculation or fact. Anyone here know anything about that?

[DVV]

It would be an extreme coincidence, since the graffiti would have only been written within a short amount of time from when the apron was dropped, since none of the residents of the building appear to have recalled it. Apparently, there was no other such graffiti on the entire street, and the Ripper happened to drop his apron piece just at this precise spot? This may have been the only time the Ripper felt compelled to communicate something with the police, which would explain why there was no graffiti attached to other crime scenes.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

This post is a joy to read.
Thanks Tom.

[DaveMc]

It would be an extreme coincidence, since the graffiti would have only been written within a short amount of time from when the apron was dropped, since none of the residents of the building appear to have recalled it. Apparently, there was no other such graffiti on the entire street, and the Ripper happened to drop his apron piece just at this precise spot? This may have been the only time the Ripper felt compelled to communicate something with the police, which would explain why there was no graffiti attached to other crime scenes.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

What great message, then, is the killer saying to the Police?
If it's that kind of message, then it's important to his thinking.

[JacknJill]

What great message, then, is the killer saying to the Police?
If it's that kind of message, then it's important to his thinking.

I actually sorta liked the idea that it could be an anagram or some sort of other code left by the killer. If anyone can figure anything out from it then we'd have a whle new arguement on our hands. Wow - this has amounted to alot more than I thought it would, lol.

[DaveMc]

I actually sorta liked the idea that it could be an anagram or some sort of other code left by the killer. If anyone can figure anything out from it then we'd have a whle new arguement on our hands. Wow - this has amounted to alot more than I thought it would, lol.

You're a wodnerful troublemaker.

For "A Christmas Story" fans:

TJATM TWNBBFN
DRINK OVALTINE

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

So, an anagram out of the following:

"The Juwes are
The men that
Will not
be Blamed
for Nothing."

Here it comes:

"Blaa, the names owe nothing truth for Jill B.M. Weed-Wheett"

No, really; it was probably some anti-semitic fraffito, that just happened to be there at the time!

All the best
Jukka

[martin wilson]

I played around with D.C. Halses' version to implicate William Bury

The Juwes are not the men.
Who?
Will B blamed
4-0

all the best martin

[JacknJill]

You're a wodnerful troublemaker.

For "A Christmas Story" fans:

TJATM TWNBBFN
DRINK OVALTINE

I am flattered, really I am. :P
I do think it's possible that there is something there from JTR though. Not definite course - but /possible/. It's surprising how many Ripperologists hate the word possible. They try to make things so black and white alot of the time.
I've been doing a little more reading up on the Jewish situation in Whitechapel and - although there was anti-semitism... Something just strikes me as odd about this message being written by a Jew-hater.

[curious]

Juwes

Typed Juwes into Google and this came up:

In the ritual of Master Mason, Hiram Abif was slain by three ruffians collectively termed The Juwes.
Just thought it interesting that a Masons link has been mentioned before, and wasn't it claimed that the murders may have been committed by more than one person.
Just goes to show that I can make nothing out of nothing. LOL

Since Emma Smith said she was attacked by 3, perhaps 4, men, I'm wondering if there was a gang around who perhaps called themselves the Juwes?

I think Warren was called out of his bed that night instead of some of the lesser ranking officials because Warren was so exalted in the Masons. Someone at the scene connected the reference to the Masonic Order and called for Warren.

curious

[chudmuskett]

"The Juwes are the men who will not be blamed for nothing." (or any of the other various versions).

Hi, I was just wondered (and try not to laugh at this) isnt there some sort of technology that may be able to make these words visible on the wall where this was written.

[DaveMc]

I think Warren was called out of his bed that night instead of some of the lesser ranking officials because Warren was so exalted in the Masons. Someone at the scene connected the reference to the Masonic Order and called for Warren.

... but more likely the political pressure was his reason.
The Queen herself phoned the Home Office after the Stride/Eddowes murders.
Warren was already under the gun.

[Tom_Wescott]

Solution to the graffiti?

What great message, then, is the killer saying to the Police?
If it's that kind of message, then it's important to his thinking.

Hi Davey Mac. Well, it's not a popular theory, but here it is. To start of with, any careful study of the graffiti from those who actually saw it can lead to only one conclusion - no two people, from Warren to Halse to Long to Foster, et al, recorded it the same way. DC Halse spent more time in the company of the writing than did anyone, yet even his version slightly differs from that provided us by Warren. What these two variations have in common is their rendition of the second word of the sentence - Juwes. Every other version offered by someone else has it different, i.e. Jewes, Juews, etc.

What occurred to me was that the witnesses were trying to make a word out of something that was quite possibly not a word, and the best they could arrive at was something like Jews. Due to my study of Berner Street, I knew that the large sign hanging outside of the socialist club read 'International Working Men's Educational Society'. One evening, the answer occurred to me that the graffiti actually read The IWMES Are The Men...' Written in a cursif-style, 'IWMES' strongly resembles 'JUWES', but is different enough to explain the confusion of the various men reading this. The 'I' of course is similar to a 'J', the humps and hills of the W and M are like the humps and hills of U and W, and both end in ES.
The Ripper, aware that the Eddowes slaying did not bear his trademark mutilation, merely wanted to let police know that he and not the socialists were to be blamed for Stride's murder. That's all it was. I think this theory will find far more currency in decades to come when the curent fad of minimalism, led by Monty, Sam Flynn, and crew, comes to pass.

In opposition to my theory, Don Souden pointed out that acronyms were not nearly as popular in the LVP as they are now. This appears to be true, although they certainly were used, and in the case of the Ripper, where time was of the essence and he was writing with an uncomfortable implement (chalk) on an uncomfortable surface (dado), an acronym which in his haste he assumed would be instantly recognized (and perhaps it should have been), an acronym was the economical choice.
The newspapers in the days following the murder made two things clear to the Ripper - the police had completely bungled their affairs in Goulston Street, and his message was moot because the police had clearly come to the conclusion that Stride was a Ripper victim; although he must have been amused that the medical opinion suggested Eddowes was a copycat!
Anyway, there it is.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott