The meaning of the GSG wording

[mariab]

Hi Archaic,
I hope you're fine.
your knowledge in English verse form is highly needed here.

Also, the Goulston Street graffito isn't particularly anti-Semitic. Its language is surprisingly mild. There are no racist epithets, no foul language, no direct insults; instead it's merely cryptic and confusing. My guess is that typical East End anti-Semitic graffiti would have been quite a bit shorter and ruder!

I disagree. “Lipski“ is a pretty subtle anti-semitic insult, its meaning clear only to the connoisseurs.

In my opinion the Goulston Street graffito really only makes sense in the context of the apron and the Double Event.
I can see why the perp didn't write "I'm Jack the Ripper, I just killed a woman in Berner Street and another in Mitre Square, ha ha." Not only would it not give him the same immense satisfaction of puzzling the police that the more ambiguous graffito gave him, but he had just successfully gotten away with 2 murders.
The cryptic graffito would only have greater meaning if discovered by the police, who could be expected to identify Kate's bloody apron-piece and realize that the strange graffito might be connected to it, and hence might have been written by the murderer. In my view the graffito writer's goal wasn't so much to insult Jewish people, it was a way to let him celebrate his post-homicidal high by teasing and taunting the police.

Totally with you on this. Plus, my opinion is that he wanted to let steam off after his frustrating, interrupted experience in Dutfield's Yard.

[Archaic]

Location of Graffito & the Fact That It Doesn't Seem Overtly Ant-Semitic

Hi everyone. Tom said earlier that "anti-Semitic graffiti was not uncommon in the East End". I'll buy that.

I was thinking though that anti-Semitic graffiti might have been less common in certain areas of the East End such as Goulston Street, which I believe had one of the densest populations of Jews, and perhaps less common still in the doorways of buildings where a large number of Jewish residents lived.

My reason for thinking this is that bullies and bigots tend to be cowards and to operate where they feel safe, which tends to be either on their own turf or within a group context. But the doorway of a largely-Jewish building in a largely-Jewish neighborhood isn't a particularly "safe" place to write anti-Semitic graffiti at any time of the day or night, because residents coming in or out of the building might catch the writer in the act.

Also, the Goulston Street graffito isn't particularly anti-Semitic. Its language is surprisingly mild. There are no racist epithets, no foul language, no direct insults; instead it's merely cryptic and confusing. My guess is that typical East End anti-Semitic graffiti would have been quite a bit shorter and ruder!

In my opinion the Goulston Street graffito really only makes sense in the context of the apron and the Double Event.
I can see why the perp didn't write "I'm Jack the Ripper, I just killed a woman in Berner Street and another in Mitre Square, ha ha." Not only would it not give him the same immense satisfaction of puzzling the police that the more ambiguous graffito gave him, but he had just successfully gotten away with 2 murders. What if he took direct credit for them in his graffito, and some residents really did come in or out just then and observe him in the act? They might make a grab for him, and if he ran away they would almost certainly go immediately to the police with his description. But the graffito as written wouldn't give his identity as a murderer away, it would just seem like odd mumbo-jumbo, and the torn apron piece below it would just look like trash.

The cryptic graffito would only have greater meaning if discovered by the police, who could be expected to identify Kate's bloody apron-piece and realize that the strange graffito might be connected to it, and hence might have been written by the murderer. In my view the graffito writer's goal wasn't so much to insult Jewish people, it was a way to let him celebrate his post-homicidal high by teasing and taunting the police.

Best regards,
Archaic

[mariab]

Ripper the bard?

Let's not go overboard here. A lot of us don't think the grafitto has anything to do with the killer. However, I agree with you that it does have a musical quality (which may or may not be accidental).

I'm not completely convinced that the GSG was connected to the apron piece, but I don't believe too much in coincidences.
On the other side, it doesn't surprise me in the least that a Victorian graffito might come in verse form, and I would call writing a message in verse an automatic or accidental reflex for a Victorian.

It fits nicely with a hi-hat rhythm - tshh, ta-ta tshh, ta-ta tshh etc. No doubt you will correct me, but doesn't iambic pentameter have ten syllables?

If I'm not mistaken, a Shakespearean pentameter counts as 10 syllables because the last (11th syllable) doesn't count.
To-be-or-not-to-be,-that-is-the-ques-tion. (iambic, technically 11 syllables)
The-Ju-wes-are-the-men-that-won't-be-blamed-for-no-thing. (iambic, technically 13 syllables, in French known as a 12-syllable aléxandrin)
Iambic, 13 syllables is a meter used by Homer (in the original), by the by! Insert a very big LOL here.

[Wickerman]

Tom,
I can see the need to dispose of the apron,but I cannot see an urgency to compose and write messages at that particular time.

Exactly, it is sufficient to take the rag to a predominantly 'Jewish' street, and discard it in the doorway of a predominantly 'Jewish' residence.
Assuming, his intent was to throw suspicion on Jews.

Regards, Jon S.

[mariab]

I'll most certainly look, possibly even the day after tomorrow. It's just that I'm a bit overwhelmed with different crap.

[Rob Clack]

I think I prefer cart (as in Diemshitz'?). By the by, Rob, I hope to manage looking for your Bertillon stuff in Paris soon – if you still want me to.

It's up to you Maria, it would be beneficial to a lot of people.

Rob

[Steven Russell]

It's not just musicality, it's most clearly an iambic 13 syllable verse, just 2 syllables longer than a Shakespearian pentameter! I'm not too good in English versification (vs. French/Italian), but it's a known fact that the Victorians often engaged in rhyming in their natural speech, also in Cockney.
By the by, this verse construction (iambic 13 syllables) is also very close to the French aléxandrin verse, which might even imply a familiarity of the author with the French language (though not necessarily). Hmmm... there is already a suspect documented as possessing multi-lingual capabilities and having resided in France. LOL.
“.

Let's not go overboard here. A lot of us don't think the grafitto has anything to do with the killer. However, I agree with you that it does have a musical quality (which may or may not be accidental). It fits nicely with a hi-hat rhythm - tshh, ta-ta tshh, ta-ta tshh etc. No doubt you will correct me, but doesn't iambic pentameter have ten syllables? Nevertheless, an interesting observation on your part, Maria, and I wish you luck finding a source which may have been paraphrased.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[mariab]

I think I prefer cart (as in Diemshitz'?). By the by, Rob, I hope to manage looking for your Bertillon stuff in Paris soon – if you still want me to.

[Rob Clack]

That's not the cabal way.

Monty

I prefer Cartel myself

Rob

[Monty]

Just keeping an open mind

Rob

That's not the cabal way.

Monty

[mariab]

I personally feel an inclusion of any info regarding the murders more striking. The Zodiac did it with Stines shirt. He left the police in no doubt who he was, what he did and what he was saying. Attention was grasped. Yet Jack, if he indeed is the writings author, failed to do that. I see no reasonable reason why. It could have been oh so more effective.

Agree about the Zodiac parallels yet discrepancies. Pertaining to attention grasping in the Ripper case, there are obviously the letters, about which I personally doubt that any of them had their provenance genuinely from the killer (apart perhaps from the “From Hell“ letter and the October 6 letter of “sending your ears to your wife“ fame, but I digress.)

That's interesting, Maria. Now you mention it, the thing does have a certain musicality to it.

It's not just musicality, it's most clearly an iambic 13 syllable verse, just 2 syllables longer than a Shakespearian pentameter! I'm not too good in English versification (vs. French/Italian), but it's a known fact that the Victorians often engaged in rhyming in their natural speech, also in Cockney.
By the by, this verse construction (iambic 13 syllables) is also very close to the French aléxandrin verse, which might even imply a familiarity of the author with the French language (though not necessarily). Hmmm... there is already a suspect documented as possessing multi-lingual capabilities and having resided in France. LOL.
I'm sure Chris George would have things to add here.
And I'm really gonna look if it's a paraphrase of a quote. Though most plausibly, if it were, some Ripperologist would have encountered it already?

Maria,
I can see why you think that. I feel its simple due to the fact it was written on the jamb and space necessitated its construction.

It was written on the jamb and ended up being iambic, hehe.

Interesting that Rob sees “nothing“ as referring to Eddowes. I see “nothing“ as referring to “ruining my evening, with their stupid Club“.

[Rob Clack]

Rob,

Are you stating Jack was either Byfield, Hutt or a City PC?

Or are you having a subtle josh?

If the latter, stick to taking photos mate

Monty

Just keeping an open mind

Rob

[Rob Clack]

Do you mean "Nothing" is a reference to Eddowes, Rob? Reaching a bit, isn't it?

Best wishes,
Steve.

Probably, it's a possibility and the Graffito makes a bit more sense.

It's an option.

regards

Rob

[Monty]

Rob,

Are you stating Jack was either Byfield, Hutt or a City PC?

Or are you having a subtle josh?

If the latter, stick to taking photos mate

Monty

[Steven Russell]

Do you mean "Nothing" is a reference to Eddowes, Rob? Reaching a bit, isn't it?

Best wishes,
Steve.