The meaning of the GSG wording

[Lechmere]

I think the Ripper wrote it, probably in connection with the Stride attack.
If you were to say, in the East End:
‘I won’t be blamed for nothing’, it would be taken to mean that I could do anything and not get blamed.
It is fairly clear that this is what it meant: The Jews can do anything and not get blamed.
Why say it?
Possibly out of annoyance or frustration that the Jews hadn’t been sufficiently blamed for his attacks.
Possibly out of some slightly misconceived motive to shift blame onto the Jewish community. Misconceived in that his wording was clumsy, but then again, the police seemed to think that it implicated the Jewish community so perhaps he was successful.

[Colin Roberts]

..., the police seemed to think that it implicated the Jewish community so perhaps he was successful.

The difficulty that I have with Sally's and your 'implication' scenario, - i.e. the one, in which 'Jack the Ripper' is attempting to deflect his outright responsibility for the murders committed thus far, away from himself, and toward the "Juwes" - is that it smacks of pre-adolescent mischief.

Whilst wiping the chocolate icing from his lips, young Johnny proclaimed: "I didn't steal the cupcakes. Bobby did!"

Whilst depositing the bloody apron beneath the chalk-written graffito, 'Jack' completed his scribble: "I didn't do it. The Juwes did!"

But, perhaps 'Jack the Ripper' was naive enough to believe that he could get away with that sort of sophomoric foolishness.

I am a staunch proponent of the notion that 'Jack the Ripper' had his own reasons for doing what he did: Reasons, which none of us will ever be able to comprehend.

I guess that makes me one of the lowly underprivileged 'Ripperologists' that wasn't blessed with the ability to read the mind of a certain serial-killer that operated a century past.

[The Grave Maurice]

I dunno. Like many of us, I've struggled with the meaning of the graffito for years. I tend to agree with Abby's third suggestion, i.e., it was written by a Gentile and means something to the effect that the Jews will not take the blame for anything. The last time this topic came up, I remember Monty made some very good points. It's too late to look for that thread tonight, but maybe I'll try to find it tomorrow.

[John Bennett]

I dunno. Like many of us, I've struggled with the meaning of the graffito for years. I tend to agree with Abby's third suggestion, i.e., it was written by a Gentile and means something to the effect that the Jews will not take the blame for anything.

That is my interpretation too. The Jews appeared to be taking stick for a lot of things in the East End at that time (see Rob House's book for a good overview of the local Jewish/Gentile friction).

One would assume that they felt compelled to defend themselves, or certainly that the Jewish community leaders would, hence the accusation.

[Lechmere]

Anti Jewish people tend to think that Jews are immune from criticism, due to their perceived wealth, control of the worldwide banking system and so forth. Hence I think it was a dig and an attempt at blaming the Jews for the murders. It was a clumsy dig as it seems unlikely that a Jewish person would accuse his own group of being immune from criticism... unless he was mad!
Nevertheless the graffiti served its purpose (if that was its purpose) in highlighting or reinforcing the idea that there was a Jewish angle to the murders.
Warren’s behaviour after the graffiti was discovered – in having it removed and refusing to let it be photographed – ironically fed the paranoia that the Jews were a shadowy, powerful conspiratorial group.

[Abby Normal]

I dunno. Like many of us, I've struggled with the meaning of the graffito for years. I tend to agree with Abby's third suggestion, i.e., it was written by a Gentile and means something to the effect that the Jews will not take the blame for anything. The last time this topic came up, I remember Monty made some very good points. It's too late to look for that thread tonight, but maybe I'll try to find it tomorrow.

Hi GM
Thanks for the response. I think that there is a good chance that what prompted him to write the GSG is that for the first time he beleived that witnesses got a good look at him and the fact that they were jewish and "interupted" him also pissed him off mightily. If he beleived that they would soon be going to the police with his description, that now would be a good time for some obsfucation and blame the people who just pissed him off and who were already under suspicion.

I don't beleive he set out that night to blame the jews, but the evening took a turn for the worse and he felt he had to do something to throw off the police. Hence by the time he finished with Eddowes, he decided to take some irrefutable evidence (portion of her apron) for that purpose. But not having planned this from the outset he did not have anything to write with. So I would posit that perhaps after Eddowes he hastened back to his place to drop off the knife, trophies, clean up a bit etc., and grab a piece of chalk. This would also explain the (relatively long)time lag from the murder of Eddowes to the discovery of the bloody apron and the GSG.

[GregBaron]

School boy/girl hand?

FYI-I am a dude

Now that's funny Abby.....I must confess I thought you were a female too....I guess I thought your name was probably Abbie rather than your creating a name based on Abnormal.....I must also admit I thought Lynn Cates was a woman for the longest time.....not that it should make any difference but perhaps we should attach an icon that indicates dude or dudette?

Anyway, and I hope I'm not derailing this thread myself but what I find intriguing about the graffito is not only its intent but whether it indicates the generally ignorant writing of an Irishman/Scotsmen/Cockney Englishman/Eastern European Jew or someone else? Or even more compelling, suppose it written by Druitt, is this also a deliberate attempt to implicate the working class?

I'll vote for #3 on the choices so as not to arouse too much wrath and I apologize if questions above are shooting us on a new tangent....


Greg

[Abby Normal]

Now that's funny Abby.....I must confess I thought you were a female too....I guess I thought your name was probably Abbie rather than your creating a name based on Abnormal.....I must also admit I thought Lynn Cates was a woman for the longest time.....not that it should make any difference but perhaps we should attach an icon that indicates dude or dudette?

Anyway, and I hope I'm not derailing this thread myself but what I find intriguing about the graffito is not only its intent but whether it indicates the generally ignorant writing of an Irishman/Scotsmen/Cockney Englishman/Eastern European Jew or someone else? Or even more compelling, suppose it written by Druitt, is this also a deliberate attempt to implicate the working class?

I'll vote for #3 on the choices so as not to arouse too much wrath and I apologize if questions above are shooting us on a new tangent....


Greg

Hi Greg
No-Abby Normal as in Not Normal-haha-from the Young Frankenstein movie.

On your point about the "generally ignorant writing" of the graffito. To me the misspelling of the word Jew indicates a less educated gentile, as does the incorrect use of the double negative.

[Sally]

Colin

Whilst wiping the chocolate icing from his lips, young Johnny proclaimed: "I didn't steal the cupcakes. Bobby did!"

Whilst depositing the bloody apron beneath the chalk-written graffito, 'Jack' completed his scribble: "I didn't do it. The Juwes did!"

But, perhaps 'Jack the Ripper' was naive enough to believe that he could get away with that sort of sophomoric foolishness.

I see what you're saying, but personally I'm not sure I'd read it quite like that. IF that was the intention of a Gentile 'Jack the Ripper' why couldn't he have simply been encouraging a popular view?

He may have actually thought the 'Juwes' were to blame in some way for his crimes, but equally, I don't see why he couldn't have just been pointing the finger at them - who's to say he wasn't anti-Semitic?

As for getting away with it - well, whatever the intention, he did, didn't he?

[richardnunweek]

Hi.
I agree that there is a Jewish angle to the murders, and I believe that Annie Chapman was put to death because she was soliciting on the Sabbath, the same applying to Stride, however the killer could not satisfy his lust, so took it out on poor Kate, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I therefore dismiss Tabram, also Nichols, and Mary Kelly as victims of the same killer, who were not killed on the Sabbath ,
Therefore I am suggesting that the graffiti was the frustration of the killer of Stride, in being disturbed.
'He who breaks the Sabbath shall be put to death''
Regards Richard.

[Lechmere]

At risk of derailing the thread I also always thought Abby Normal was a female but also assumed the name had some connection to the Abbey National Building Society – rather than Abnormal!

Richardnun – regarding the Sabbath - the Jewish Sabbath runs (roughly) from sun set on Friday to sun set on Saturday – so Stride wasn’t killed on the Sabbath! Does that destroy your theory?

[Abby Normal]

At risk of derailing the thread I also always thought Abby Normal was a female but also assumed the name had some connection to the Abbey National Building Society – rather than Abnormal!

Richardnun – regarding the Sabbath - the Jewish Sabbath runs (roughly) from sun set on Friday to sun set on Saturday – so Stride wasn’t killed on the Sabbath! Does that destroy your theory?

I am flattered that so many people thought I was female.

[Sally]

I am flattered that so many people thought I was female.

I did.

[Ben]

Damn it! I was just about to make a move, Abby...

[richardnunweek]

Hi Lechmere,
IF we ignore Tabram from the series, we have the following .
Nichols killed on a Friday ... the day the Sabbath will start.
Chapman on a Saturday morning [ whilst the Sabbath is in process]
Stride clearly out on the day of the Sabbath although killed after midnight.
Eddowes was more then likely a desperation event, even so the same would apply , if she was out for business , she would have more then likely in the eyes of a madman been soliciting before midnight.
And of course Mary Kelly, killed as with Nichols, on the day the Sabbath starts, ie Friday.
Rather shaky? perhaps, but a Jew being the killer fits in nicely with my 39 theory , if one adds 'The 39 strictures if the Torah'' into the mix.
Could 'Jack' have been looking out for his victims during Friday/ Saturday, who appeared soliciting?
Regards Richard.