the Goulston St Graffiti

[Natasha]

As it's been pointed out the GSG was actually written in tiny letters. This tells alot about who wrote it. If it was someone who was sure of themselves and believed 100% what they were writing or even wanted to make a bold statement to perhaps ensure that the jews were to blame it would have been written alot bigger.

Based on that, I think the writing wasn't written by the killer, I think the writing was written as a joke by someone else. I would even say it may have been written as perhaps a dare.

That's my take on it anyway.

[Abby Normal]

As it's been pointed out the GSG was actually written in tiny letters. This tells alot about who wrote it. If it was someone who was sure of themselves and believed 100% what they were writing or even wanted to make a bold statement to perhaps ensure that the jews were to blame it would have been written alot bigger.

Based on that, I think the writing wasn't written by the killer, I think the writing was written as a joke by someone else. I would even say it may have been written as perhaps a dare.

That's my take on it anyway.

Hi Natasha
The fact that it was written in small letters IMHO points MORE to it having been written by the killer.


Graffiti is normally written large, no matter what the reason-art, message etc., Its meant to be seen. Its meant to draw attention.

In this case, since the attention is brought to it by the bloody apron, it doesn't need to be writ large.

[Batman]

That's true.

Also the criticism that the locals couldn't read it, means whoever wrote it, in the place they wrote it, wouldn't be able to insult the people they where aiming it at and why would they put it in a stairwell jamb to residentials, if shoppers where supposed to be the ones seeing it?

[Natasha]

Hi Abby,

Hi Natasha
The fact that it was written in small letters IMHO points MORE to it having been written by the killer.

Graffiti is normally written large, no matter what the reason-art, message etc., Its meant to be seen. Its meant to draw attention.

Small writing is indication of someone being unsure. My best bet would be that the ripper may have seen this and then placed the apron there.

If the GSG was important to the ripper, by way of writing it, wouldn't he want to make it bold, important & evidently noticeable?

In this case, since the attention is brought to it by the bloody apron, it doesn't need to be writ large.

Why not leave graffiti near the body of Eddowes? It doesn't matter weather jews lived near there or not, the GSG speaks for itself.
I think placing the apron by the GSG was a last minute thing.

[Batman]

Warren et al., where pretty confident that had it been left where it was, the residential area surrounding it would have been burned to the ground by the mob. That would mean the destruction of one of the most important Jewish quarters in the heart of Whitechapel.

[Natasha]

That's true.

Also the criticism that the locals couldn't read it, means whoever wrote it, in the place they wrote it, wouldn't be able to insult the people they where aiming it at and why would they put it in a stairwell jamb to residentials, if shoppers where supposed to be the ones seeing it?

So if that's the case, that means the writing was for police to find or more specifically Warren. I guess that makes sense.

But I'm not sure weather the killer necessarily wrote it.

This makes sense if one of the policemen wrote it, after finding the apron there.

[Natasha]

Warren et al., where pretty confident that had it been left where it was, the residential area surrounding it would have been burned to the ground by the mob. That would mean the destruction of one of the most important Jewish quarters in the heart of Whitechapel.

It's interesting to note that if all the C5 are connected, then wouldn't the ripper make a point to further incriminate the jews?

[Batman]

Kinetoscope characters

It's interesting to note that if all the C5 are connected, then wouldn't the ripper make a point to further incriminate the jews?

Isn't it interesting that the mysterious George Hutchinson did exactly that? Even put a gold chain dangling around his belly and described him with a stern look like a bad buy in a theatrical performance. All this Jew had to do was twiddle the corners of his moustache and tie a damsel to the train-tracks to get hired for a part in the early days of the Kinetoscope.

[Wickerman]

As it's been pointed out the GSG was actually written in tiny letters. This tells alot about who wrote it. If it was someone who was sure of themselves and believed 100% what they were writing or even wanted to make a bold statement to perhaps ensure that the jews were to blame it would have been written alot bigger.

Precisely. It's more like a whisper than anything.
Considering PC Long could only see it with the aid of his lamp, how is anyone going to write it, so small, and in a "good school boys round hand" - in the dark?

I suspect more like some young man or teenager, and in daylight.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby,



Small writing is indication of someone being unsure. My best bet would be that the ripper may have seen this and then placed the apron there.

If the GSG was important to the ripper, by way of writing it, wouldn't he want to make it bold, important & evidently noticeable?



Why not leave graffiti near the body of Eddowes? It doesn't matter weather jews lived near there or not, the GSG speaks for itself.
I think placing the apron by the GSG was a last minute thing.

Hi Natasha
I think he probably didn't want to waste too much time near eddowes body writing it nor too much time where the apron was found which is why he wrote it small and quick. Again, he knew it would be seen by the police, since it was marked by a clue, the bloody apron of Eddowes.

[Batman]

Replacement comparisons

What are the chances that shortly after the Chapman murders which caused anti-Semitic mobs chasing Jews, for the apron just happening to land under an anti-Semitic piece of graffiti, in one the largest Jewish business districts in Whitechapel, only a few hours after 3 Jews spot JtR, and another Jew is called Lipski by JtR a few minutes before that?

Would we be having this discussion if the apron landed under some graffiti accusing the police, in one of the largest police headquarters in Whitechapel, only a few hours after 3 PCs spot JtR and another hears him call out a degrading name for 'policeman', a few minutes before that? Here would we say they are not connected and that JtR has demonstrated no hatred of the police or trying to heap the blame on them?

I think not. I think we would accept it. No questions. JtR doesn't like the police.

Yet there is something truly anti-Semitic and ingrained in the perception of the Goulston St graffiti because it is linked to Jews.

I don't think the modern perceptions that reject it are deliberately invoking anti-Semitism, but that some sort of social dark shadow that still echoes through the past, as if there where some truth to anti-Semitism 'back then' in 1888 Whitechapel.

[Wickerman]

It isn't difficult to find a Jewish connection to all the murders, if that is the intent. Nichols was murdered near a Jewish cemetery, and there is the Berner St. club, and the Mitre Sq. synagogue. That covers three of the murders. Mrs Long described her suspect as looking "foreign" (Jewish), and likewise, so did Hutchinson.

Given that the East End was over endowed with immigrant Jews, there is bound to be an abundance of Jewish homes, places of business, religious establishments, schools, tailors, etc.
It would be exceptional if any of these crimes were not committed close by anything related to the 'Jewish' people. And that includes dropping a piece of apron in a doorway, ...surprise, surprise, we find Jews were living there!

Yes, and anti-Semitism was rife across the East End.

[The Cenci]

I don't think he wrote it but that makes sense.

If he wanted to make a statement then he'd already made two in Berners St and Mitre Square. If there's a 'you can't catch me' elements to it then the apron, if deliberately dropped, was good enough.

I think he either dropped it accidentally or didn't even think it could come back and haunt him. And he was right. I doubt he needed to write the graffito.

[Rosella]

But he may have thought that the apron wouldn't be picked up by a passing police officer, which was a possibility.

I mean, it could have remained there until morning in theory, and then been thrown away by one of the building's residents. It wasn't as if it was shining white there in the doorway. By all accounts it was absolutely filthy, and that was without the blood and other matter smeared on it.

I do think that the GSG was written by Jack and that it was a jeering message about the killings aimed at Jews and anyone else who cared to read it, written near the rag he'd just thrown down with the greatest contempt at a Jewish residence.

[c.d.]

"Yet there is something truly anti-Semitic and ingrained in the perception of the Goulston St graffiti because it is linked to Jews."

Only the author of the graffiti knew its intent. It could just as easily be a defense of Jews. As I have stated before, whenever you see derogatory graffiti aimed at a group you are almost assured of seeing someone defending that group by firing back at the original author in a graffiti war. So if a Jew was sick of seeing graffiti aimed at chastising Jews, this could be his way of responding. All it would take would be a wall and a piece of chalk. He doesn't have to risk a personal encounter and a possible punch in the nose.

If that doesn't seem logical or reasonable just consider these message boards. When someone fires off a particular personal and nasty post he is almost always assured of a nasty response. It's just human nature.

Since the graffiti contains a double negative it can also be interpreted as saying the Jews are sick and tired of being blamed for everything that happens. Again, we can all say what we think it means but only the author really knows.

c.d.