Ripper Reminiscences

A phase of the famous Jack the Ripper case as presented in the reminiscences of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry Smith, late Commissioner of Police for the City of London. Sir Henry does not believe the stories that have been told lately regarding the discovery of the identity of the famous murderer. He has no more idea now who the culprit was than he had twenty years ago. One clue that might have been very valuable was lost owing to the rather stupid act of a man high in authority. A woman had been murdered in the usual brutish fashion and a piece of her apron was missing. One of the detectives who were dealing with the case was scouring Whitechapel, and in a main street he found a constable of the Metropolitan Police looking at important fragment of cloth. It was lying, folded up, in the door of one of the Peabody model dwellings, and on the woodwork, written in chalk were the words: "The Jews are the men that won't be blamed for anything." The find seemed to show that the murderer had passed that way, and the hand-writing might have assisted the police to trace his identity. A constable was left to guard the door while arrangements were made for photographing the inscription, but before the camera had been secured a high officer from headquarters arrived and promptly ordered that the chalk marks should be obliterated. He feared that riots against the Jews might be caused, and at the touch of a handkerchief the clue disappeared. On another occasion Sir Henry got into communication with a man who indicated that he could give some information in regard to the murders, but the individual failed to keep a second appointment and could not be traced. Even at this late period it would give the old Police Commissioner pleasure to touch Jack the Ripper upon the shoulder.

Source: Grey River Argus, 24 November 1910, Page 2