 Lamb returned to the police station and charged William with Ellen 's murder . Ellen 's jewellery , found in William 's pockets , was confiscated . A preliminary search of the premises revealed chalk graffiti on the rear door of the flat , which read " Jack Ripper [ sic ] is at the back of this door " , and on the stairwell leading up from the rear of the property , which read " Jack Ripper is in this seller [ sic ] " . The press and the police thought they had been written by a local boy before the tragedy , but the writer was never identified . A more extensive search the following morning found blood @-@ stained clothing in the crate that had contained the body , and the remains of more clothing and some of Ellen 's personal effects burned in the fireplace . The flat was bereft of furniture , indicating that it may have been burnt on the fire , either for heat or to destroy evidence . A large penknife was found with human flesh and blood upon it , and the rope that William had bought on the morning of 4 February was found with strands of Ellen 's hair caught in the fibres . 
