15 October 1888
In reference to the writing on the wall of a house in Goulston-street, Sir Charles Warren states that his attention having been called to a photograph in several papers mentioning that in Yiddish dialect the word "Jews" is spelt "Juwes", he made inquiries on the subject and finds this is not a fact. He learns that the equivalent in the Judæo-German (Yiddish) jargon is "Yidden". It has not been ascertained that there is any dialect of language in which the word "Jews" is spelt "Juwes".
Mr Lusk, of Mile-end, has received another communication from the Home Office, in which he is informed that the Secretary of State has had under consideration the question of granting a pardon to accomplices. It is obvious, however, that not only must such a grant be limited to persons who have not been concerned in contriving or in actually committing the murders, but the expediency and property of making the offer must largely depend on the nature of the information received from day to day, which is being carefully watched with a view to determining that question. With regard to the offer of a reward, Mr Matthews has nothing to add to his former letter.
Last Friday Mr Lusk, who is a member of the Whitechapel Vigilence Committee, received the following letter:-
I write you a letter in blank ink, as I have no more of the right stuff. I think you are all asleep in Scotland-yard with your bloodhounds, as I will show you tomorrow night (Saturday) I am going to do a double event, but not in Whitechapel. Got rather too warm there. Had to shift. No more till you hear me again.JACK THE RIPPER
The letter was shown to the police. It bears a Kilburn postmark, and the handwriting is very similar to the post-card sent to the news agency, which has been copied and posted on the hoarding throughout the East-end by the police.
To the EDITOR of the PALL MALL GAZETTE.
Sir, - Being a constant reader and in general accord with your policy of defending the weak against the strong, I felt much pain in your yesterday's issue grave insinuations against the Jews who live in my constituency. In Jewish history there are frequent record that, when epidemics have occurred, or murders have taken place, false accusations have been made against the Jews, inciting the ignorant and the criminal classes to acts of violence. In this enlightened country, with an educated working class, no such fear need be entertained; but why recall the red spectre of bygone ages when religious persecution was a matter of course, whichever Christian creed was in power? Few have greater experience than I of the Jews of this and other countries, thus I am able to state with confidence that no similar class of human beings is as free from acts of violence as the Jews of Europe and America. You may be right in blaming the authorities for not preserving a facsimile of the chalk inscription, which could have dispelled any chance of accusation against the Jews, although I cannot see how the atrocious acts of one man should affect a class. It has been generally admitted that the murderer had considerable practical knowledge of anatomy, and I do not believe that there exists such an individual among the Jews of East London. If the "handwriting on the wall" was done by the monster himself, can there be any doubt of his intention to throw the pursuers on a wrong track, while showing hostility to the Jews in the vicinity? Permit me also to take exception to the statement in an Occasional noe, in the same paper, which asserts that "popular" outbreaks have taken place in Russia and Roumania against the Jews. I have visited in 1886 the Russian and Polish cities where Jews mostly congregate, and have ascertained from Christian and Jewish sources that outbreaks arose invariably through outside influences; also that Jews, as a rule, live on amicable terms with their gentile neighbours. In Roumania, the laws affecting Jews have recently been greatly modified by the present Government, so that the Jews no longer complain of their treatment. Thanking you in advance for publishing this letter, I am, &c.
October 13
SAMUEL MONTAGU,
Member for Whitechapel.