The writings on the wall

[Mike Covell]

Hi all, no i have not posted in the wrong thread.

Last night i was reading "Jack the Ripper" by Daniel Farson when I came across the following story on page 26 of the book.

It regards a young man telling his story to Farson many years later.
He told Farson he was riding on the back of a cart when he heard the cry "Murder", jumped off and went to take a look, cuasing him to lose his job.
He described her entraisl hanging out and being steaming "Ot", and she had red and white striped stockings on.

Next up Farson mentions that a woman had seen writing scrawled on the door of number 29 Hanbury Street, the writing stated,

"This is the fourth. I will murder sixteen more and give myself up"

Any thoughts?
Is it a myth passed on orally as there are no names mentioned or did these people witness something?

Regards Mike

[Chris G.]

Hi all, no i have not posted in the wrong thread.

Last night i was reading "Jack the Ripper" by Daniel Farson when I came across the following story on page 26 of the book.

It regards a young man telling his story to Farson many years later.
He told Farson he was riding on the back of a cart when he heard the cry "Murder", jumped off and went to take a look, cuasing him to lose his job.
He described her entraisl hanging out and being steaming "Ot", and she had red and white striped stockings on.

Next up Farson mentions that a woman had seen writing scrawled on the door of number 29 Hanbury Street, the writing stated,

"This is the fourth. I will murder sixteen more and give myself up"

Any thoughts?
Is it a myth passed on orally as there are no names mentioned or did these people witness something?

Regards Mike


Hi Mike

The supposed graffiti, "This is the fourth. I will murder sixteen more and give myself up" is discussed in Sugden, The Complete History of Jack the Ripper, 2001 edition, p. 126.

Sugden says a woman said that inscription was chalked on the door of 29 Hanbury Street. Sugden indicates that it was one of a "regular stream of stories and rumours, mostly unfounded, [that] kept excitement at fever pitch the first few days after the murder."

Chris

[Mike Covell]

Thanks Chris, that should have read

"The woman had seen the writing on the wall":doh:

I thought it may well have been something of a myth as Farson rarely names his source, simply that he "met and old man" or "spoke to an old lady".

[Celesta]

These little bits of story that come up are so enticing. I often feel that it is some little story like this that could crack the case open, if not all the way, then enough for us to get a better look at what really happened. Once can see why the police were running themselves ragged.

[Mags]

I certainly can understand the temptation to "embroider". If I were an oldster being interviewed about the most extiting that had ever happened in my neighborhood, I'd probably to some creative remembering too.

[Dan Norder]

As I mentioned in a recent article, this story most likely evolved from a disjointed retelling of the fact that an envelope with writing on it was found in the backyard and was for a while was thought by police to have been left by the killer as a message... and it is also plausible that the story that writing from the killer was found on the wall is what inspired Jack to leave the Goulston Street Graffito later, assuming he did.

[Mags]

And it's also plausible that the story of the envelope and the GSG melded together to form the "countdown" mesage in the popular mind.

When did that story first turn up? It reminds me of the Heirens message on the wall " ...stop me before I kill again".

[Celesta]

I guess what I was saying earlier is that it's often the little things that make a difference in the long run. I.E. some little thing we've not paid much attention to, could later be an important clue.