The Graffiti Blunder

Women Killings in London.

Investigations into the murdered woman named Catherine Eddowes are now closed but, without, however, managing to get any clues about the murderer. The investigation, however, has brought a curious circumstance to light. About an hour after the murdered woman's corpse had been discovered, police found a bloodstained piece of an apron, just next to an inn. On the wall opposite to the place, where the bloody garment was found, was written in chalk: "The suspicion is not directed against Jews." These words were probably written by the murderer to send the police on the wrong track. In any event, they had a written statement which appears to be linked to the murder and that seemed to be evidence and it is the police's duty to preserve it. But instead of doing this, the police rushed to erase the words. The reason for which the police gave for committing this blunder, did hold some credit. It is feared that Jews would be the subject of people's fury, if they did not immediately erase the words. It occurred to none of the constables that it would have been enough to just wipe out that single word or cover the writing and set a vigil at the wall, until they had time to fetch a photographer. Jack the Ripper, who prior to the recent murder in London informed the police that he would continue his dreadful work, seems to have now turned up in Belfast, where he had sent to a Journal a despatch of containment, that next Saturday he would begin his work in Belfast, because London had now become too hot for him. Thursday, October 18 the police arrested in Belfast, a suspicious individual, who possessed a long knife and three razors. He refused to give information about who he was. One of the razors was ground with blood. The day before, one of the city's newspapers received a letter of which reads as follows:
"Dear Boss, I have come to your city, as London has been too hot for me, I will now do my surgery here. I have seen for myself some well-to-do fat girls that it would be my pleasure to rip up. I can not wait to start, because I enjoy my work. Jack the Ripper."

Source: Westra Finland, 31 October 1888, No. 9, Page 4

Hi Karen, Just shows there was so much mis-reporting of facts, or made up material, or just mistakes. ie the 4 on eddowes arm [tattoo] it was TC and a picture of her clearly shows it. I must say at this point I have found some good stuff on your site and a lot original finds from you are interesting. You have done a lot of work.

Thank you very much ajrocker!