The Halse version

[The Grave Maurice]

Interesting, Neil. I had forgotten about Rumbelow's endorsing the Halse version. However moving the "not" doesn't aid in my interpretation of the message. I still don't understand it and, in any event, like you, I don't believe that it was written by JtR.

[Stephen Thomas]

The versions change little but what I'm interested in is if Halses version is the correct one, does it change peoples interpretation of its meaning?

Both versions have exactly the same meaning and the same number of words. Only the word 'not' is in a different place and this does not affect the meaning of the message. I imagine that the officer who was ordered to transcribe the message before it was erased would have taken care to get it dead right. In my opinion the sentence includes a simple double negative (not/nothing) and hence means 'stop blaming the Jews for everything' and a frenzied disemboweller who had killed one or two women not a million miles away would not, I think, play silly word games.

[lynn cates]

versions

Hello Neil. I think you have an astonishingly good idea here.

You are right that Halse spent a good deal of time looking at the graffito and, if I recall properly, made a good bit of noise concerning Sir Charles' proposed deletion of it.

As regards meaning, I think Halse's version makes a good bit more sense than the standard one. Whatever one's view of the GSG, the standard version is all but meaningless.

Cheers.
LC

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi Monty

Frankly whichever version was the correct one, and I do think you make a good argument for Halse being right with his rendering, there is still the same double negative. Thus, the statement remains rather nonsensical and hard to interpret in either version.

All the best

Chris

[Monty]

Yes, I know, yet another wall writng thread....yawn.

Its confession time. The wall writing has many variations with the most common one, 'The Juwes are the men that will not be blamed for nothing" being the most favoured.

However, I personally take Halses version, "The Juwes are not the men that will be blamed for nothing". Don Rumbelow is of similar mind and cites his reason for taking Halses version as the fact Halse was at the scene for some time, and her also argues this version conforms to the 3 lines described.

Now I know Warren had it copied and to be honest, my conviction isn't 100%. Also, as some of you are aware, I do not feel the killer wrote it.

The versions change little but what I'm interested in is if Halses version is the correct one, does it change peoples interpretation of its meaning?

I'm just merely curious.

Monty