destroying the only clue

[spyglass]

Hi all,
Im guessing this has been gone over many times on the boards, But does anyone really believe the reason for wipeing the GSG off.?
How many riots have accured over a chalk message on a wall.
I feel it was the only lame reason Warren could think off, and was hiding something he knew ( or thought he knew ).

Regards.

[Bridewell]

Hi Spyglass.

I don't disbelieve the reason, but nor do I see the necessity for wiping it off. Warren seems to have believed that the GSG was unrelated to the Eddowes murder and I think it more likely than not that he was right. That said, I still think he should have taken a more cautious approach to the destruction of what might have been evidence. The GSG became public knowledge at the time of the inquest anyway, so I really don't see what he achieved by the hasty obliteration.

[Ginger]

IIRC, a number of his colleagues disagreed with his decision, but if any of them ever expressed doubt as to the sincerity of his motives, I've not heard of it. The police had already had to deal with conditions just short of a riot in the aftermath of Annie Chapman's murder, when 'Leather Apron' was arrested and conducted to the police station. I think Warren's decision may have been an overly-cautious one, but the fear he expressed certainly had a basis in reality.

[pinkmoon]

If the police had photographed the message and the newspapers had got hold of this fact by the time it was reported I think all hell would have broken loose across the east end against the Jews because let's face it the press would have left no doubt that our killer was a Jew.The police had to decide what was the best thing to do at the time and in their eyes that was wiping it of and in my opinion I think that was the right thing to do.

[Ginger]

Remember as well that both murders that night had occurred close to Jewish social clubs, with Stride's taking place right outside the door. The fact that the habitues of each would have considered those of the other beneath contempt isn't the sort of thing that angry mobs stop to ponder.

[Harry D]

Didn't the graffito become common knowledge, anyway, after the inquest? And no such riot took place. IMO, erasing what might have been a vital piece of evidence could be viewed as perverting the course of justice. As to what Warren's real motives were, I can only speculate.

[spyglass]

Remember as well that both murders that night had occurred close to Jewish social clubs, with Stride's taking place right outside the door. The fact that the habitues of each would have considered those of the other beneath contempt isn't the sort of thing that angry mobs stop to ponder.

And these facts were printed in the papers and were known....I dont recall any riots taking place or a large back lash againt the jewish community.

Regards

[Hunter]

...The GSG became public knowledge at the time of the inquest anyway, so I really don't see what he achieved by the hasty obliteration.

Eleven days after the event took place. This information was not presented on Oct. 4th. And it could have been since the information about the apron was discussed at that session. Time was probably allowed for passions to subside a bit, whether real or imagined. Warren was trying to avoid another Trafalgar Square by being preemptive this time.

[Monty]

Eleven days after the event took place. This information was not presented on Oct. 4th. And it could have been since the information about the apron was discussed at that session. Time was probably allowed for passions to subside a bit, whether real or imagined. Warren was trying to avoid another Trafalgar Square by being preemptive this time.

Precisley.

It also bought time for secondments to arrive.

Monty

[pinkmoon]

whitechapel fiend is a jew

No one is safe as long as this mad jew is at large his bloodlust will never end till every women in London if not England is butcherd.The police today confirmed they are hunting a Jew so we urge every one to avoid Jews.we always thought the Whitechapel fiend was foreigner because no british subject could have carried out these foul deeds.......Just a guess of how a newspaper might have reported things if the police had taken time to photograph the message .

[Natasha]

I don't think Warrens reason for destroying vital evidence was good enough, as its been said the public would have knowledge of it anyway.

I have tried to look at who else, other than Jews, the GSG was indicating. As we don't know what the handwriting looked like, it may have looked like another word was written. I know its been mentioned on here before but the word DUWES/DEWES could have been a second name. There is a house in Wiltshire called DEWES house.

It also occurred to me that the word may have looked liked the word DUKES, again I'm making an assumption based on the handwriting and we don't, unfortunately, know what it looked like.

If it was targeted at the Jews then as I mentioned in another post it does seem to indicate someone's irritation at a kind of diplomatic immunity that the Jews were protected under.

[Cogidubnus]

Who is to say, at this distance in time, what the atmosphere was really like in Whitechapel at the time? Warren could well have been perfectly correct, in that any provocation at all might've sparked a riot...heaven knows we've seen such in the past twenty years or so...

So was any evidence really destroyed? In that the handwriting style adopted when using chalk on brickwork is totally distinct to that used when using pencil or pen (themselves different) on paper, then I would contend no...

Smith had axes to grind, and besides was at best an exaggerator, at worst an outright self aggrandising liar

All the best

Dave

[spyglass]

Hi,
In my mind, Warren would have only seen it as trouble if he really thought it was written by the Ripper.
If he just thought it was some racist graffiti aimed at jews, then I am guessing that it was proberbly quite common.
Correct me if Im wrong, but I dont think the police combed the area for any other such graffiti did they?
And we now know that future JTR related graffiti was photographed.