The Meaning of the Goulston Street Graffiti

As heated debates still continue as to the actual meaning of the word "Juwes" found written in a doorway of the Wentworth Model Dwellings, aka "The Goulston Street Graffiti", why don't we allow an expert to define the word in the following:

Jack the Ripper Walk - and Masonic Intrigue.

One of the many things "to do" in London and especially in the East end, is to take the walk through the streets where the Whitechapel murders were committed by the infamous "Jack the Ripper."
On a pleasant sunny Saturday afternoon of September 17th along with other enthusiasts I trotted off around this notorious area to discover the sites of the gruesome murders of five prostitutes, always late at night, and committed in the autumn months between 31st August 1888 and 9th November 1888. The last and fifth murder was that of twenty five year old Mary Kelly in her room in Millers Court, in Dorset Street. It was approximately 4 a.m. when the neighbours were awakened by a cry of "murder", but all chose to ignore it. It wasn't until 10:45 a.m. when Thomas Bowyer, the rent collector, called to collect her overdue rent and discovered her mutilated body beyond recognition, with various parts of her body removed and strategically placed on or around her body. Nobody at that time realised that the reign of terror would end suddenly and as mysteriously as it had begun.
Throughout the walk the "Ripper" curiosity builds up, and your own imagination suddenly brings you to a vivid realisation that he stalked those very streets and committed his crimes, and despite so many suspects being arrested and released, the true identity of Jack the Ripper remains a mystery to this day, although several names have been put forward as possible candidates to presume the name of "Jack the Ripper." Through all the various books and literature that is available, we are led in different directions as to who he could be, with about fifteen candidates for the true identity of the Ripper, from Royalty, notably the grandson of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, shoemaker John Pizer, Montague Druitt who as the number one suspect for at least 20 years, and there was a lot of evidence linking him as the Ripper, but all the evidence was destroyed. After being dismissed as a schoolteacher in Blackheath, Druitt committed suicide in the Thames around November 30th 1888, three weeks after the last Ripper murder. Also in the lineup of suspects were British poet Francis Thompson, American doctor Thomas Cream, two different Russian doctors, Michael Ostrogg and Alexander Pedachenko, and even the Royal Physician Sir William Gull, who at the time was reported to be an eminent Freemason. With Queen Victoria's keen interest in Jack the Ripper, this would lead to the expected accusations, and for Royalty to have been involved would make sensational storylines for the newspapers. The basis of the link to Royalty was the last victim of the Ripper, Mary Kelly, who was at one time a nursemaid to Prince Albert and his wife around this time. According to one theorist, it is claimed that Prince Albert secretly and illegally married Annie Crook, a Catholic girl, and to avoid a Royal Scandal, the authorities had Annie locked away in a lunatic asylum. Mary Kelly was proposing blackmailing the Government by making her story public knowledge. It is theorised that the then Royal Physician, Sir William Gull became involved, and in an attempt to silence the scandal picked up all the possible prostitutes whom Mary Kelly may have informed. It is thought he used the Royal carriage to pick up the women, and slaughtered them inside the carriage, and then disposed of the bodies. This would explain the lack of noise and blood at the scenes of the murders, but this is largely based on recent speculation.
The name "Jack the Ripper" is derived from a postcard sent to "Dear Boss" the head of the Central News Agency on 25th September 1888, and signed "Yours truly Jack the Ripper." Many believe this postcard was written by a journalist, though no evidence exists to the contrary. The only clue left by the Ripper was the "Goulston Street Graffito (graffiti)", with the words "The Juwes are the men that Will not be Blamed for nothing", and were chalked on a doorway immediately above a portion of the bloodstained apron of the fourth victim Catherine Eddowes, who had been released just 45 minutes before her death by the police for being drunk after sleeping it off at Bishopsgate Police station. It has not been established that these words were written by the Ripper, but some believe that the word "Juwes" was a code-word for the Freemasons, who allegedly employ similar terminology in their ceremonies. It is unclear if the graffiti was supposed to blame the Jews or point to their innocence.
Out of interest, "Juwes" has nothing to do with Jews, but refers to Jubela, Jubelo and Jubelum who murdered Hiram Abif and were eventually found and ritually killed. It is also well documented that the metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Charles Warren, had ordered the removal of the writing from the wall before photographers could record it, which again led many theorists believing that there was a "cover up" by the authorities to protect someone of great importance, possibly a member of the Royal Family? The Royal/Ripper connection is probably the most popular of all theories. According to a book written by Dr. Thomas Stowell, who was the son-in-law of Sir William Gull, the Royal Physician, he cites Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, the eldest son of the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII allegedly killed the five prostitutes with the assistance of Sir William Gull. Clarence was only 28 when he died in 1892 from pneumonia and influenza.
The plan deepens further still, arguing that Sir William Gull and a conspiracy of Freemasons, acting on the orders of Prime Minister Lord Salisbury, killed Mary Kelly and other prostitutes who were collectively trying to blackmail the government through their knowledge of the secret Royal marriage, and according to this view, much in the five murders scented of the language and customs of the Freemasons, and was, in fact, a Masonic "ritual murder". But the Royal/Masonic Ripper theory appears to be obvious nonsense from beginning to end without a shred of evidence to support it. The whereabouts of the Royals is known with considerable precision.
Clarence was in Scotland or Yorkshire at the time of all murders. There is no evidence that Clarence entered into an illegal marriage with anyone. Sir William Gull was seventy-one in 1888, and had suffered two serious strokes the year before. If Gull and his collaborators murdered Mary Kelly, they would have done it more sensibly by luring her into a carriage, chloroformed her and hit her on the head and thrown her into the River Thames. The apparent drowning of a drunken East End prostitute would not have received more than five lines in any newspaper.
As for the Freemasons link, over the past 250 years or more, tens of thousands of Englishmen have been Freemasons in hundreds of Lodges, without any Masonic "ritual murders" being reported, so the theory is resolutely destined for the dustbin. Although there is no concrete evidence of the Duke of Clarence having committed the "Ripper" murders, he was in fact a Freemason, and the involvement of the Queen's Physician Sir William Gull who at the time of the murders was stated as being a Freemason, but there have been many enquiries to the Library at Freemason's Hall, and their response is that the Masonic membership of a number of the supposed protagonists including Sir William Gull in the "Jack the Ripper" case has been thoroughly researched in the past. Although they do not have complete indexes in the Library at Freemason's Hall for the London area during the 19th Century, no trace of Sir William Gull's involvement in Freemasonry has ever been established. It is probably safe to say that Gull was not a Freemason. Most of the Masonic myths connecting Freemasons to Jack the Ripper case, stem from Stephen Knight's book, "Jack the Ripper": The Final Solution. Knight claims that many of those involved in the case were Freemasons, despite the research carried out on his behalf by the then Librarian and Curator John Hamill, proving the opposite. David Peabody wrote a very good article on the links between Freemasonry and the Ripper case for the Journal MQ.
The background to the Masonic Link of Prince Albert Victor the Duke of Clarence, is that Prince Albert the Duke of Sussex formed a private Lodge under his control in 1813, the members of which were to be personally hand picked. The "Well Disposed Lodge" which met in Waltham Abbey was chosen for the role. It was renamed the "Alpha" and moved to Kensington Palace. In 1824 it left the Palace and met at various other places. Notable members in the 1880's included, Duke of St. Alban's, Earl of Carnarvon, Earl of Derby, Earl of Limerick, Marquess of Lincolnshire, and the Earl of Euston. HRH Prince Albert Victor (afterwards Duke of Clarence and Avondale) was initiated into the "Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16" on 17th March 1885, became the Worshipful Master from 1887 to 1891 and Provincial Grand Master of Berkshire from 1890 to 1892. Other subsequent members of the Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16 in 1932 were, HRH Prince of Wales, HRH Duke of York, who both withdrew on accession to the throne.
(Excerpts from History of the Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16 dated 1891 and 1963.)
While on the walk there are many interesting sites linking to the era of Jack the Ripper, and as you come out of Aldgate East Station (Whitechapel Gallery exit), turn right and you arrive at the White Hart Pub, on the corner of Gunthorpe Street, and on the wall is a sign giving details of George Chapman who lived in the cellar of the pub, and was hanged for poisoning his three wives, and may be a candidate to be considered as Jack the Ripper.
At the end of Brushfield Street, just down from the Gun Public House, which is still in use as a Masonic Venue, there is Christ Church Spitalfields, and should you ever venture down Brushfield Street, you should take time to visit the Church with its magnificent Tuscan porch. The Church had been in a state of neglect since the 1960's and it was restored to its pre-1850 condition, using original building documents in 2004. Opposite Brushfield Street is the Ten Bells Pub which is said to have been established in 1753 and was a frequent haunt of most of the Ripper Victims. As you continue on the route of the Ripper Murders you get to pass the Repton Boxing Club in Bethnal Green, and of course pass over Vallance Road, the home of the notorious East End gang, the Kray Twins. There are so many historical places in the East End, and the walk proved to be very interesting and revealing venture for a sunny Saturday afternoon, ending with the usual East End pursuit of a pint and a ploughman's lunch (I skipped the jellied eels), and resting my tired and aching legs and back.

W. Bro. Allan De Luca

Source: Chingford Area Masonic Social Group, Newsletter No. 12, 2005, Page 2

Profiler Hans Schlusselgruber v "Mindhunter"