Connections between IWEC and Mitre Square

[Barnaby]

In Robert House's book Jack the Ripper and the Case for Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect, he mentions the IWEC members marched from the Berner Street club to Mitre Square (directly behind the Duke Street Synagogue) on March 16, 1889 to demand workers' rights, etc. Apparently the police wouldn't let them meet in Mitre Square and they were rerouted but that is besides the point. House gives an 1889 citation of the Arbeter Fraint for this info. I realize that this happened after the murders, but I am extremely intrigued that we have two murder locations connected for a reason other than the murders.

My question: Has anyone investigated the connections between IWEC members and the Duke Street Synagogue beyond this point? Is this synagogue a likely spot where IWEC members would go to worship? Or were there other, perhaps closer, synagogues? Could anyone direct me to resources of how to go about investigating this further? If there is a strong connection between the IWEC and the Duke Street Synagogue, perhaps that influenced the movements of the murderer.

[Kattrup]

Hi Barnaby

The IWMEC was a club for radicals, anarchists and socialists, who as part of their political views rejected religion.
The Jewish members were generally not observant and would be unlikely to visit the synagogue often.

Star, September 1888:

While the orthodox Jews of the East-end were on Saturday celebrating the Day of Atonement by fasting and prayer, the Socialist and Freethinking Hebrews held a banquet at the International Working Men's Club, Berner-street, where speeches were made pointing out that the miseries and degradation of the people were not due to any Divine power, but that they were caused by the capitalists, who monopolised all the means of production and paid starvation wages. The orthodox Jews took great umbrage at this banquet, and assembled in Berner-street in great numbers. The windows of the club were smashed, and when three of the men in the club went out to secure the man who did the damage, they were very roughly handled, till about a hundred of their colleagues went to their assistance. The police subsequently dispersed the mob, and guarded the club till a late hour.

[seanr]

Yes, there is a potential connection beyond the Synagogue itself. Duke's Place, the square next to Mitre Square was a well-known Jewish run orange market. Although there were also jewellery markets which run in the pubs in the Square on every Sunday. One of the pubs, the City Arms aka Sam's Coffee House, was even referred to as the 'Old Jewellery Market'.

Louis Diemschutz was the Steward of the IWEC and a street seller of jewellery. It's plausible that he occasionally sold at or got stock from the Duke's Place market. In any case, the point is addition to the Synagogue, the area around Mitre Square, was known as Jewish area with many working class jews. As such, it may have had significance to the members of the IWEC.
The other notable Jewish working class market was the Petticoat Lane market, by which the graffito and a torn section of Kate Eddowes' apron was found.

The Jewelley market seems to have continued until well into the twentieth century, perhaps even operating until the area was destroyed during the blitz (there's at least one reference to it in the 1930s).

In December 1910, some members of a different anarchist Jewish gang were foiled in an attempt to rob a jewellery shop in Houndsditch. Houndsditch was about 1 or 2 blocks from Duke's Place and Mitre Square. The foiled robbery resulted in the deaths of three policemen, this horrible crime was referred to as 'The Houndsditch murders'.

The IWEC members may have been simply marching to a well-known Jewish neighbourhood.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

In December 1910, some members of a different anarchist Jewish gang were foiled in an attempt to rob a jewellery shop in Houndsditch. Houndsditch was about 1 or 2 blocks from Duke's Place and Mitre Square. The foiled robbery resulted in the deaths of three policemen, this horrible crime was referred to as 'The Houndsditch murders'.

What makes you think that that anarchist gang was a Jewish gang?

[Barnaby]

Thank you, I've learned from these replies that my original post was focused too much on religion as opposed to the the economic ones associated with the square that had relevance to IWEC members. I was not familar with the connection between Berner Street and Mitre Square (apart from the Double Event) until reading that nugget in House's book, which absolutely floored me.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

In December 1910, some members of a different anarchist Jewish gang were foiled in an attempt to rob a jewellery shop in Houndsditch. Houndsditch was about 1 or 2 blocks from Duke's Place and Mitre Square. The foiled robbery resulted in the deaths of three policemen, this horrible crime was referred to as 'The Houndsditch murders'.

They were Latvians, not Jews.

[seanr]

They were Latvians, not Jews.

Perhaps they weren't all Jewish, but the Jubilee Street Anarchist club which they frequented was certainly founded by the Jewish Arbeter Fraint Group.

https://www.thejc.com/life-and-culture/all/the-east-end-shoot-out-that-turned-churchill-against-jews-1.20172

The supposed (by some) connection between Steinie Morrison, Leon Beron and the Warsaw Restaurant in Osborn Street, if accurate, would also suggest a link to the Jewish emigre underworld and jewellery black markets.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

Perhaps they weren't all Jewish, but the Jubilee Street Anarchist club which they frequented was certainly founded by the Jewish Arbeter Fraint Group.

Most members of the gang were not Jewish.

One of its leaders, George Gardstein, used 12 aliases, one of which was Levi.

He was not Jewish.

Two of its members were Fritz Svaars and his cousin, Yakov Peters, a dockyard worker who was the son of a Latvian farm-labourer.

As for the anarchist club, the fact that the gang frequented a Jewish club does not mean they must have been Jewish.


At that time there were at least 3 anarchist clubs in London. The one at 165 Jubilee Street was opened under the guise of a Jewish Friendly Society and catered mainly for Jewish émigrés fleeing persecution from Tsarist Russia. It served more as a refuge and it was described as peaceful and friendly with a library and reading room, a kids’ Sunday school, lectures, dances, recitals and no alcohol. The police would often point homeless East European refugees in the direction of the Anarchist Club knowing they would get looked after.


https://thriftytraveller.wordpress.c...narchist-club/