'the biggest blunder in the search for Jack the Ripper'

[Hunter]

D. C. Halse may have been on Met turf, but the evidence related to a City murder. If they had wanted to keep the message hidden for another 30 minutes so it could be photographed, they could have done it. The handwriting was fairly small and would not have been readable at any considerable distance. The news of its existance became public knowledge anyway.

At least they could have copied it right.

...And at least there was better co-ordination between the City and Met forces after this... so someone recognized there had been a significant problem that couldn't happen again.

[Suzi]

The GSG must be one of the big 'fall out' points here on casebook. The Warren 'wash-off' OK is irritating and the different copies of the script are even more irritating. IMHO for what it's worth I just wish that it had been photographed and then we'd be clear on it- One more argument out of the way!

Rant over

Suzi

[Bob Hinton]

Warren washed off the message?

I've always understood that other police officers wanted the message washed off but were waiting for Warren to see it before they did so.

I think it was Superintendent Arnold who briefed Warren at Leman St Police station at about 5am who wanted the message washed off, but he wanted Warren to see it first.

After Warren had seen it and had the message copied he then gave the go ahead. This is a bit different from Warren washing off the message, he was after all taking advice from the senior officer on the ground.

The only police officer who did not agree with this was, I think, DC Halse who since he was on the Mets patch as a courtesy was a bit disingenuous. After all if a riot had started he could have gone back to the City patch saying "Nothing to do with me guv".

[FrankO]

This man was, in that moment, wrapped up in his own tiny world of highly risky behaviour, all connected with the highly irrational stuff of murder, mutilation and organ removal. That was all he would be thinking about, and arguably all he could perceive that anyone else would be thinking about. There was nothing else from his narrow point of view.X

Hi Caz,

Just came across your post containing this quote.

I agree that, if the Ripper wrote the GSG, it may very well have been the illogical and ambiguous message for the reason you’ve outlined.

However, you seem to be forgetting something. Even though murder and mutilation are irrational and unfathomable to us, the Ripper was as logical as any of us in the sense that, although luck must have played its part, he was keen on getting away scot-free. So it seems more likely that, directly after each murder, his first priority was to get away without being caught instead of keeping his head inside this bubble of murder, mutilation & organ removal, and writing whatever message for himself under circumstances that could lead to his capture – and death.

All the best,
Frank

[Hunter]

We can't conclude anything... though a lot of people try.
Welcome to the boards.

[Busy Beaver]

such the "importance" of the GSG placed on the murder of Katerine Eddows probably freaked out the person who wrote the graffitti. But then due to it's high profile, you would think that the writer would want his or her fifteen minutes of fame and would come forward to confess. After all how many people came forward to say they knew the victim, they sold the victim her last meal etc etc.

Going back to other comments made on the boards, it would not have been a stupid decision to photograph the message and use it to compare handwriting.
Could the GSG have been the start of the Dear Boss Letters?
If the writing was pretty straight and neat, I doubt a hurrying killer would have wrote it. Can we conclude that it was a school boy prank that got caught up in a slice of history?

Busy Beaver

[Barnaby]

One answer to the original question depends upon how one defines "blunder." If it means a mistake that the police made that potentially would have led to the capture of JTR, then it probably is not a big blunder for the reasons already given. If it simply refers to shoddy police work, then it most certainly is one. Even if it wasn't common to take pictures of crime scenes, at least the message could have been accurately recorded.

[tnb]

Sounds good Simon. Breath well and truly baited.

[Simon Wood]

Hi TNB,

I've got a pile of stuff on the Millers Court doctors which I'll post after I've finished loading files onto my new computer.

Regards,

Simon

[tnb]

I would agree with that Simon - that they must have discussed the murders; in fact, I would be so bold as to suggest it may well have been a large part of the reason for the meeting, to not only pool info but perhaps try to avoid any further embarassment from doctors disagreeing ala Phillips and Bond. Plus similarly, and as Monty has already suggested, ironing out any future Met/City co-operation issues.

Do we know anything about the other doctors listed, other than the familiar names?

[Simon Wood]

Hi Monty,

They must have discussed details and opinions on the four murders. Maybe their meeting explains the presence of so many doctors at Millers Court.

Just a thought.

Regards,

Simon

[Monty]

Simon,

I'll ask you this, though its not covered in the piece however what do you think the chances are that the murders were discussed, at some stage...even off record?

Monty

[Simon Wood]

Thanks Monty,

Whoops! I need an appointment with the optician.

Sir Robert Anderson was right. It does make you go blind.

Regards,

Simon

[Monty]

I assumed Bond was there Simon.

See the red cropping.

Monty

[Simon Wood]

Hi Monty,

Many thanks for that. Interesting that Bond wasn't amongst their number. I thought he didn't resign until around 14th November.

Thanks, too, for your PS.

Regards,

Simon