Violence among Irish immigrants, especially when Racist attitudes meant all Irish immigrants were seen as
drunk in bar brawls, was commonplace probable Fenians and anyone with an Eastern
European as an anarchist. They were often the first to
be suspected and assumed as guilty of crimes
Eyewitness accounts of people who thought they saw Jews would rarely feel like going to the police – to
the Ripper were just as likely to describe a report crime or give evidence - because of the
stereotypical Jewish or Irish immigrant. treatment they received during the pogroms
Jewish tailoring businesses on the sweatshop model Racist attitudes led many to think that the Ripper had
did not follow government rules about fair working to be an Irish or Jewish immigrant – many in the police
conditions, and were against the law. assumed this also
On streets were both Eastern European and Irish Anti-Semitic articles in sensationalist newspapers and
immigrants mixed, tensions were particularly high and journals like the East London Observer and Pall Mall
the police considered them violent areas. Gazette increased during the Ripper murders.
The press printed imaginary sketches of Jack the Ripper With suspicions fuelled by the press that the Ripper
showed stereotypical views of Jewish people was Jewish, attacks on Jews rose in 1888
The police struggled to deal with Eastern Europeans as Resentment and suspicion of Jewish immigrants led to
they spoke little English and the police spoke nothing anti-Semitic attitudes and beating of Jews became
but English. It was only in 1904 that the police commonplace
considered learning Yiddish.
(((I put this as purple even though it could be blue too
as if there was a Jewish witness to the Ripper
investigation and they couldn’t speak English then this
would’ve made it harder to find the Ripper)))
Press accusations against a Jew known as “Leather Fears of an anti-Jewish riot meant Sir Charles Warren
Apron” led to the arrest of John Pizer, a Polish Jew, wiped away the Goulston Street graffiti before it could
who had strong alibis that proved his innocence. be photographed.
KEY FOR CATEGORIES:
Things that create more crime for the police to deal with
Things that cause problems for the police when solving crime in general
Things that hampered the police in the Ripper investigations specifically
Do now:
The map of 1901 shows that the Jewish populations is close to Whitechapel and are living
close together. Therefore, this shows that Jewish people had no freedom and were forced
to live in the poorest areas.
Why did immigrants come to Whitechapel?