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

[FrankO]

Hi c.d.,

The only official pointers we have on the position of the writing and apron are:

- Warren, who on 6 November wrote in a letter to the Home Office that the "writing was on the jamb of the open archway or doorway visible to anybody in the street and could not be covered up without danger of the covering being torn off at once. -"
- Arnold, who on the same day wrote in a report "that it (the writing) was in such a position that it would have been rubbed by the shoulders of persons passing in & out of the Building."
- Long, who, as per Hunter's post, clearly stated that the apron piece was in the passage. Plus, he noticed the apron piece first, then he started searching for blood marks by the aid of his lamp and then his attention was attracted by the writing.
- Swanson, who wrote in a report dated 6 November that Long "found in the bottom (my emphasis) of a common stairs leading to No. 108 to 119 Goldston Street Buildings a piece of bloodstained apron."

So, from these statements it seems that the apron piece was inside the entrance, while the writing was on the jamb of the open doorway, at about shoulder height, which might give the impression that the apron and writing weren’t directly next to one another.

All the best,
Frank

[c.d.]

Hi Frank,

Thanks for that information. It would seem that even if the apron and the writing were not directly one above the other that the distance between them was not significant enough to reach any conclusion as to whether Jack was involved.

c.d.

[FrankO]

That would indeed seem so, c.d.. I think the police also just had to consider the possibility that the Ripper wrote it.

Frank

[caz]

I don’t think it matters what we'd consider normal or logical in this instant, Caz. Simply because it doesn’t change the fact that, at least 3 times, the Ripper left the crime scene without being seen or heard and apparently didn't attract any attention to himself between each murder sight and ‘bolt hole’.

Well quite, Frank. That was precisely my original point, that it only matters what the killer himself would have considered worth risking. We already knew he considered public murder and mutilation worth risking - which we presumably wouldn't. And we already knew that he managed to get away with it on each and every occasion he attempted it, without leaving a single physical "clew" that would ever connect him directly with his crimes.

We also know that nobody was caught chalking that message or identified later as the graffiti artist responsible. So I still cannot see how it's possible - or logical - to conclude that the killer could not have had his own reasons for leaving this legible but ambiguous message above the apron and would not in any case have considered it worth the risk of writing.

Love,

Caz
X

[Gman992]

Publishing the Dear Boss letter...once that was out thousand more letters came in forcing SY to track them all down...wasting time.

[Rubyretro]

Personally, I don't think that it's a given that he wrote that graffiti -or he might have written it earlier on, before committing the crimes.

The area where the graffiti was written was not far from Mitre Square, back towards a very busy area where he could lose himself in the crowds, and it was shielded from the road.

I think that he took the apron piece expressly to leave by this graffiti, of which he was aware, with the intention of inflaming the population against the jewish community.

That it WOULD inflame the population was immediately recognised by Sir Charles Warren -so he understandably had it erased forthwith.

[GregBaron]

Graffito.......

And, with a nod to retribution, I agree with you Rubyretro..


Greg

P.S. Writing the graffito before the crimes shows planning; ie, psycho not schizo..............but of course only speculation...............

[Rubyretro]

yes, Greg -I don't think that he was Schizo at all..if he had been , he would eventually have been caught covered in blood etc. Jack was one cool operator, able to stroll away from the crime with all precautions as to his own
cleaniless and secure in sentiment that he would never be suspected as he didn't fit the popular image of 'Jack'. I expect that he felt superior to everyone, and untouchable infact...the profile of a psycho..

[caz]

Does anyone suppose that Kate's killer was well aware that his escape route was taking him - plus all his incriminating evidence - over the border into Met territory, ie away from his immediate City Police pursuers?

And would that not have been a distinct advantage for him, whether he was aware of it or not?

The Met cops were, after all, looking for a killer quite a way east in the Berner St/Commercial Rd vicinity, while the City Police were similarly occupied on their own turf around Mitre Square/Aldgate. Presumably there was no chance of 'joining forces' so to speak, even if it could have done them a bit of good, which seems unlikely.

Just wondering about the logistics here. For example, what would police procedure have been if they had wanted to follow a potential suspect across the City/Met border in either direction, or get him apprehended on the other side? No mobile phones, no Audi Quattros, no talking brooches, not even a bleedin' whistle.

Love,

Caz
X

[Rubyretro]

I think that Caz has a very good point..if so, not a 'mad man'......

[Hunter]

If the killer headed back into the Whitechapel/Spitafields area after the Eddowes murder to evade the City police, it could have backfired. The Met was already alerted due to the Stride murder and the City police did indeed attempt to pursue the killer into Met territory. We know that DC Halse passed through Goulston St. before PC Long noticed the apron and he had ordered various officers to fan out in a search before leaving Mitre Square. Warren, himself noted a mixture of City and Met police when he arrived at the Model Dwellings just before dawn. Halse later went to the Leman St. station with Detective Hunt to confer with Met officials there.

At Mitre Square, Dr. Brown sent for Dr. Phillips to help in the examination of Eddowes' body and conversely, Phillips carried the piece of apron to the Golden Lane mortuary for a match of the remaining piece.

There was a previous plan established by both forces in case such an event (as did happen) should take place. This gets overshadowed by the graffiti affair and Warren's decision to erase it.

The murderer was likely just trying to head home after Mitre Square... an action that required no more cunning than a wounded animal, familiar with its own territory, would posess. If one believes that the killer may have written the graffito also, as well as murdered Stride, we may or may not be dealing with a calculating individual, or someone who was running on adrenaline and impulse.

This guy could have outsmarted the police in that regard... but I tend to believe that he was lucky as Hell.

[FrankO]

Well quite, Frank. That was precisely my original point, that it only matters what the killer himself would have considered worth risking.

Hi Caz,

Although ultimately that’s true, that isn’t the end of it as far as I'm concerned.

The Ripper murdered & mutilated 3 times out in the streets and he got away on each of those occasions without being seen & noticed or leaving a useful ‘clew’ for the police. From that we may conclude that murder & mutilation was of major importance to him and that he didn’t want to get caught.

On the other hand, there’s only one instance such as the GSG with that bloody apron piece found close by, in which the Ripper would at least risk becoming a suspect. The only thing we may conclude from this instance, though, is that the Ripper passed that spot somewhere between 1.45 am and 2.55 am.

But I agree it’s still possible the Ripper had his own reasons for leaving the ambiguous message, considered it worth the risk of at least becoming a suspect and chalked it on that wall.

All the best,
Frank

[protohistorian]

my vote is for....

The canonical 5 grouping as legitimately the work of a single criminal. Dave

[Rubyretro]

I don't think that it was the biggest blunder at all..

It is perfectly understandable given the inflamatory nature of the graffiti and the potentially extremely explosive situation regarding racial hatred/suspicion of the Jewish community at that time.

Personally, I'm convinced that Jack left the bloody apron piece there in order to 'pour petrol' on the situation, although I'm not convinced that he wrote the graffiti (my mind is totally open on that) ; he may just have known that the writing was there and planned his route back that way.

I don't think that he wrote the letters, so I don't think that a photo of the handwriting would have made any difference.

The detail of the word 'nobody' and Eddowes comes down to whether you think that is just a coincidence or not -and I do personally.

As to Jack being potentially caught near the graffiti and his risk of being a suspect -I think that a) he was someone who appeared perfectly anodyne and looked totally different from the suspect descriptions being circulated so he felt 'safe' and b) he was a 'narcissist' who thought he was much smarter than the police and would easily be able to convince them that he was innocent.

[Vingle]

On the other hand, there’s only one instance such as the GSG with that bloody apron piece found close by, in which the Ripper would at least risk becoming a suspect. The only thing we may conclude from this instance, though, is that the Ripper passed that spot somewhere between 1.45 am and 2.55 am.

Hello Frank

Is there any mileage in thinking about a scenario where the piece of apron is left by someone other than the ripper. I guess this would mean some type of police involvement in dropping the evidence where it was found (sounds a bit too conspiracy related for me but...) taken in isolation could just be an evidence plant as opposed to being involved in murder. If the word amongst the constables was that their seniors thought it was a jewish immigrant - could they have thought they were helping?

Vingle