Blind man's bluff

This cartoon by John Tenniel appeared in the 22 September 1888 edition of the weekly Punch magazine. Entitled 'Blind Man's Bluff' (as played by the police), 'Turn round three times and catch whom you may!' The cartoon was published at the height of the Jack the Ripper murder investigation and satirises the failure of the Metropolitan Police to identify and arrest the murderer. By 22 September 1888 Jack the Ripper had murdered two women. The week following the publication of the cartoon he claimed a further two victims, his last and fifth victim being murdered in November 1888. Jack the Ripper was never captured and the cartoon reflects widespread public dissatisfaction with the apparent incompetency of the police to solve the crimes.