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In the days after Annie Chapman's murder, some rumours were published in the press concerning chalked graffiti found on a wall in the yard of 29 Hanbury Street that read something like: "Five; 15 more, and then I give myself up." It was suggested this message was left by the murderer. The reports state that this was uncorroborated and as far as I can establish it was never confirmed to be true. Nevertheless, it does appear that such a message was suggested to have been left by the murderer by some in the area.
These reports were in early September (eg the evening standard on 10th September reported -
This was of course a few weeks before the more famous GSG chalked message following Catherine Eddowes murder.
My first thought was that if the message had been there, perhaps the police had erased this in the same way as they did the GSG for a reason I could only speculate (to avoid panic, or to keep out of the public domain so police could test if the killer was caught or someone confessed - or a whole range of possible reasons).
Another thought that came to me was that it was simply an untrue rumour, but that the murderer seeing it reported in the paper was inspired to leave the GSG after his next murder.
Not sure what I think about any connection between the two messages yet - but wonder if the Hanbury Street graffiti, whether real or imaginary, does provide a reason to believe that the GSG was a message left by the killer.
These reports were in early September (eg the evening standard on 10th September reported -
No corroboration of the story that she [Annie Chapman] was served in a public house at Spitalfields Market, on its opening at five a.m., could be gained; nor of the report that the murderer left a message on a wall in the yard, which was made out to read: "Five; 15 more, and then I give myself up."
My first thought was that if the message had been there, perhaps the police had erased this in the same way as they did the GSG for a reason I could only speculate (to avoid panic, or to keep out of the public domain so police could test if the killer was caught or someone confessed - or a whole range of possible reasons).
Another thought that came to me was that it was simply an untrue rumour, but that the murderer seeing it reported in the paper was inspired to leave the GSG after his next murder.
Not sure what I think about any connection between the two messages yet - but wonder if the Hanbury Street graffiti, whether real or imaginary, does provide a reason to believe that the GSG was a message left by the killer.
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