36 Berner Street...............

[The Station Cat]

Saw the below thread on Facebook page, thought it might be of interest to our forum?

The house on the left of the picture is No 36 Berner Street and is where Mrs Fanny Mortimer stood and witnessed a young man carrying the shiny black bag at the time of the Elizabeth Stride murder. The man would report to the Leman Street Police Station the following day, his name was Leon Goldstein, and he carried empty cigarette packets in his bag.

Although the sighting was reported in the press the name of the person was not, this lead some to believe that Mrs Mortimer had seen the killer and the image of the black bag was born.

As he made his way home to 22 Christian Street he would have passed the shop of J. Minsky at no 34.

Berner Street photo courtesy of Stewart Evans.



Although this thread itself I found interesting, what I found of particular interest was that it offers a glimpse of Whitechapel not directly linked to the Ripper, which demonstrates life in the area. If only we could step into the photographs.

[The Station Cat]

To me it just adds more flavour to things like this...

A few years back I picked up a 1902 Coronation medal to PC W Boswell of H Division.

Although William didn't join the Metropolitan Police until 1900 and only served until 1907 (which included a period in Stoke Newington N Division), I have unearthed that he does have several Ripperesk connections.......

The first one being that on the 1901 census he is listed as being resident at Lemen Street Police Station, so would certainly have known if only by sight PC Ernest Thompson, of Ripper fame (and is highly likely to have been involved in his funeral in some capacity)........ too tenuous of a link for you?

Then how about this?

In 1902 he married a girl called Lousia Thersea Ritzler. (One assumes he would have been courting her for some time?) Lousia was born in Whitechapel in 1878 and lived with her parents and siblings at 5 Ellen Place, St George in the East. Ellen place was a little court, whose entrance came out onto Ellen Street and looked directly up Berner Street. Number 5 would have been right in the middle of Ellen Place, so their front door would have had an unrestricted view up Berner Street. They were certainly living there as early as 1881, so would have been well aware of the Lipski case of Batty Street fame. Their still in Ellen Place in April 1888, one of Lousia's sisters is listed as going to the infants school on Berner Street (right opposite Stride's murder scene), so it's a fair bet to say that Lousia must have gone there too? There can be no shadow of a doubt that the Ritzler family adults (if not Lousia herself), would have been aware of Jack's work on the night of the 30th September in Berner Street and indeed Jack in general. Perhaps they were even questioned by the police as well? I think it's also not unreasonable to assume that the Ritzler's would have used the Minski & or indeed Mathrew Packers shops as well? By 1891 the Ritzler's have moved to 39 Batty Street and there they remain until at least the 1911 census, with William. So would have been aware of the Pinchin Street torso and the murder of Francis Coles. Not to mention the Sidney Street siege.

Ok so he wasn't a Bobby on the beat at the time of Jack, but his wife's connection to the area at the time, to me is just as interesting and alluring.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Interesting stuff SC. Thanks for posting it.

[Sam Flynn]

The house on the left of the picture is No 36 Berner Street

Are those chalked scribbles on the window shutters, and on those of the house next door?

Great images, by the way.

[Robert]

Looks like someone's sketched a policeman on Mendel's door.

[MrBarnett]

Is it known where the Minsky shop in the photo was located?

[The Station Cat]

Is it known where the Minsky shop in the photo was located?

34 Christian Street

[The Station Cat]

Are those chalked scribbles on the window shutters, and on those of the house next door?

Great images, by the way.

So there is not noticed them before.

Perhaps one of the Ritzler children drew them

[MrBarnett]

34 Christian Street

Thanks, SC.

I tried to look him up in Charles Booth’s Jewish Tailors notebooks, but couldn’t find him. Not really a tailor, though.

https://booth.lse.ac.uk/notebooks/b108#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&z=0%2C-2075.2475%2C4800%2C7350.495

Booth and his team complied 400+ notebooks and only a small number have been digitised. The remainder are only accessible at the LSE library. There are some fascinating little snippets hidden in them, including info on Fanny Mortimer, Charles Lechmere, the mob on the corner of Breezer’s Hill and Pennington Street, the ID of the IWMC caretaker...

[The Station Cat]

Thanks, SC.

I tried to look him up in Charles Booth’s Jewish Tailors notebooks, but couldn’t find him. Not really a tailor, though.

https://booth.lse.ac.uk/notebooks/b108#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&z=0%2C-2075.2475%2C4800%2C7350.495

Booth and his team complied 400+ notebooks and only a small number have been digitised. The remainder are only accessible at the LSE library. There are some fascinating little snippets hidden in them, including info on Fanny Mortimer, Charles Lechmere, the mob on the corner of Breezer’s Hill and Pennington Street, the ID of the IWMC caretaker...

How interesting!!!

I wonder if it's known when this photograph was taken?

[Joshua Rogan]

34 Christian Street

Are you sure about that? It may be my eyes, but it looks very much like it says 32 on the shop sign!
Very interesting stuff though, good work. Do you know if this J Minsky is the Julius Minsky who was a member of the Berner Street club?

[MrBarnett]

Are you sure about that? It may be my eyes, but it looks very much like it says 32 on the shop sign!
Very interesting stuff though, good work. Do you know if this J Minsky is the Julius Minsky who was a member of the Berner Street club?

Yes, Joshua, that was one of the reasons I asked where it was.

[The Station Cat]

Are you sure about that? It may be my eyes, but it looks very much like it says 32 on the shop sign!
Very interesting stuff though, good work. Do you know if this J Minsky is the Julius Minsky who was a member of the Berner Street club?

Not your eyes Joshua, my sausage fingers. Your quite correct it is 32.

[The Station Cat]

Yes, Joshua, that was one of the reasons I asked where it was.

Something else that I wasn't aware of. I wonder whether that's the man himself outside the shop?

Is there a list of members of the Berner Street club? I wonder whether any Ritzler's were members? I believe they came from Germany originally. But I'm not sure whether they were Jewish or not.

[MrBarnett]

In 1884, a general dealer named William Harris was accused of selling adulterated milk from 32, Christian Street. He was still there in 1889 - and still selling dodgy milk.