Was Pizer a Mason?

[Tecs]

Dear all,

I know the answer is almost certainly "no!", but I was going through some documents and came across this, from the East London Observer concerning Pizer's court appearance:-

"......appeared somewhat splay footed - at all events, he stood with his feet meeting at the heels, and then diverging almost at right angles."

Now, I'm not a mason, but I am sure that I have read that this arrangement of the feet is part of a masonic form of recognition, ie for one mason to secretly let another know that he is a mason. But, I believe that it has to be accompanied by other signs too? Any masons out there to confirm or deny this?

I know that the idea of someone like Pizer being a mason sounds ludicrous, but in reality, as opposed to in "From Hell", they are supposed to allow membership from all walks of life, especially skilled tradesmen who started the whole thing anyway!

I have always felt that there is a possibility that Pizer's court appearance was set up in order for him to publicly clear his name once and for all. If so, why was he given such special treatment? Was his friend, William Thicke a mason? Did he agree to help Pizer out? Did Pizer show his masonic ties to the judge by way of this strange arrangement of his feet?

And in case of any misunderstanding, I am not suggesting that Pizer was the Ripper, or that the Ripper was a mason etc etc. In fact, quite the opposite.

Discuss!

Kindest Regards,

[Steven Russell]

Hello, Tecs.
During a recent, thankfully brief, stay in hospital, I got chatting to the bloke in the next bed who was a retired police sergeant. He was a keen mason and showed me a flyer detailing membership and order of business for the next lodge meeting. Although he had not been a high ranking officer, he had several times been the president (or whatever they call it) of the lodge which shows, I suppose, that membership is not restricted to the upper echelons of society. My new friend insisted that the secrecy element of masonry is restricted mainly to recognition of fellow masons and likened the society to a harmless amateur dramatics club. Whatever the truth may be at the very high levels, this bloke seemed sincere so I suppose it is not impossible (but still unlikely) that Pizer was a member.

Pizer's appearance at the inquest does seem to have been engineered to clear his name but I would suggest that this was a measure calculated to staunch the rising tide of anti-semitism which was threatening to engulf the East End and not because of any masonic connection.

I'm pretty confident that Pizer was not the Ripper but less convinced that he was actually the original Leather Apron. Sergeant Thick's, "You're just the man I want" has often struck me as strange although I can't really say why it should. Just a feeling.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Chris]

Not that it helps with the question, but one statement about Pizer that I've never really understood is the following:
"Some East-end Liberals to whom it now appears he is well known, and among whom he has been an active worker, have also called to sympathise with the family in the trouble apparently brought upon them by a police blunder, and also to congratulate John Piser on his release with unstained character."
[The Star, September 12]

http://www.casebook.org/press_reports/star/s880912.html

This hardly seems consistent with the rest of what we know about Pizer, but presumably it's not a complete fabrication.

[lynn cates]

Leather Apron

Hello Steven. Glad you are out of hospital.

I agree with you concerning Piser as Leather Apron. He may well have been called by that epithet, but that would be like "cookie" for a cook, or "doc" for a doctor, or something of that sort.

Mason? Doubtful. I don't think he would have "become a Freemason if someone went down on their lousy stinking knees and begged him." (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[The Grave Maurice]

Pizer a Mason? Can't see it myself, even though he already had the leather apron.

[Adam Went]

Wouldn't Pizer's bizarre behaviours, name and reputation amongst certain locals as well as the police be somewhat risky for a Masonic group which harboured at least some secrets and "inner sanctum" privacy?

Would Sir Charles Warren, as a fellow Mason, be trying to make sure that Pizer got as little publicity as possible and sweep his antics under the table to an extent if it were true?

It's always possible, definitely, but I for one would be surprised if he was a Mason. And, in any case, there is no definite Masonic connection to the JTR case anyway.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Steven Russell]

One thing my hospital buddy did point out was that the masons do not swear to protect each other at all costs. I was reading "Scotland Yard Investigates" (paperback edition) at the time and turned to page 131. As I began the quote, he was able to complete it verbatim.

Apparently, "In the third degree the candidate swears: 'that my breast shall be the sacred repository of his secrets when entrusted to my care - murder, felony, and all other offences contrary to the laws of God and the ordinances of the realm being at all times most especially excepted'". [My emphasis].

So really, the idea of someone like Sir Charles Warren covering up for a low-ranking "brother" just because he is a mason is ridiculous.

Indeed, one might think that identification of Jack the Ripper would have reflected well on the masons even if he had been a member.

Best wishes,
Steve.

PS Thanks for the good wishes, Lynn.

[Steven Russell]

I agree with you concerning Piser as Leather Apron. He may well have been called by that epithet, but that would be like "cookie" for a cook, or "doc" for a doctor, or something of that sort.

Cheers.
LC

My thoughts entirely, Lynn.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Tom_Wescott]

Not that it helps with the question, but one statement about Pizer that I've never really understood is the following:
"Some East-end Liberals to whom it now appears he is well known, and among whom he has been an active worker, have also called to sympathise with the family in the trouble apparently brought upon them by a police blunder, and also to congratulate John Piser on his release with unstained character."
[The Star, September 12]

http://www.casebook.org/press_reports/star/s880912.html

This hardly seems consistent with the rest of what we know about Pizer, but presumably it's not a complete fabrication.

William Wess and the Berner Street club.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Adam Went]

Steven:

Interesting. But would Masonic protocol in 1888 be the same as it is in 2011, especially if it involved not just an average policeman, but the already under fire commissioner himself?

Whatever the case, I think the position of Pizer's feet is a bit of a jump to make. He was known to the police, maybe once upon a time be broke his legs whilst jumping out of a second storey window to avoid the cops or something!

Cheers,
Adam.

[mariab]

Tom, do you mean to say that John Piser had ties to the East End anarchists?

[Tecs]

Steven,

Thanks for your reply and sorry for not replying sooner. After several months of people viewing but not replying, I thought that I must have said someting daft and figured this thread was dead! So imagine my surpirise when I had a quick look this morning!

I'm assuming that you are not still in touch with your masonic friend, otherwise I would be interested to know (if he were allowed to say) what the other part of this recognition process is. For example, in another case described in Stephen Knight's "the Brotherhood", an old man at a difficult part of his case put his arm straight down by his side, shaded his eyes and then craned his neck as if looking at a plane in the corner of the courtroom! At the time it was put down to his eccentricity, but later, because the description was so accurate, it was confirmed that it was the masonic sign of distress and sure enough, the judge went easy on him from that point.

If we had more details, it may suggest strongly that Pizer was in fact a mason.

But to clarify, I'm not suggesting that the killer was Pizer, that the killer was a mason or that there are any masonic connections in any way.

Just simply that with the pressure on, pizer may have spoken to his "buddy" who concocted a plan to clear him once and for all.

If we did want to go crazy, then we could suggest that if Pizer was a mason then maybe his masonic police mates made up his fire-watching alibi?

For the record, I don't believe this for a moment! But it does show how you could get carried away if you wanted to.....or if you were unscrupulous.

As for Leather Apron, I see a slight contradiction in terms when it is said that he hadn't worn a leather apron in ages as he had been recently out of work. (Paraphrase of casebook description) Surely it is either a long time or recently? Recently to me is 2-3 weeks? I wouldn't say that was long enough for him to lose the tag "Leather Apron.?"

Kind Regards,