How common was knife carrying?

[GUT]

Originally Posted by Sam Flynn

If he was the only bloke in town to carry a knife, he was likely responsible for most, if not all, of the Whitechapel Murders - canonical or otherwise. If there were plenty of blokes who carried knives - and there were - then it has a huge bearing on the case.

Not sure I follow the last bit.

[Sam Flynn]

Originally Posted by GUT

Not sure I follow the last bit.

To take a deliberately silly example by way of illustration:

If there were only one man who owned a knife in a neighbourhood in which a spate of knife-crimes occurred, then the odds are very high that he was responsible for all those crimes.

Conversely, if every person in that neighbourhood owned a knife, then the odds of any one man being responsible for all the knife-crimes is diluted.

[GUT]

Originally Posted by Sam Flynn

To take a deliberately silly example by way of illustration:

If there were only one man who owned a knife in a neighbourhood in which a spate of knife-crimes occurred, then the odds are very high that he was responsible for all those crimes.

Conversely, if every person in that neighbourhood owned a knife, then the odds of any one man being responsible for all the knife-crimes is diluted.

Thanks, not sure that many men carrying knives impactson the number of killers, but I understand your idea now.

[Joshua Rogan]

Originally Posted by Ginger

Market porters such as John Richardson would have needed a good knife as part of their job.

Is that right? I thought Richardson said he was only carry a knife (a somewhat blunt table knife) because he'd used it to cut up a carrot for his rabbits and absentmindedly pocketed it.

[Michael W Richards]

Originally Posted by Sam Flynn

To take a deliberately silly example by way of illustration:

If there were only one man who owned a knife in a neighbourhood in which a spate of knife-crimes occurred, then the odds are very high that he was responsible for all those crimes.

Conversely, if every person in that neighbourhood owned a knife, then the odds of any one man being responsible for all the knife-crimes is diluted.

The Old Bailey can attest to plenty of men carrying knives during this period in time Sam, let alone all the press reports during the Fall of Terror of men threatening women with knives.

And your logic above is impeccable.

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by Joshua Rogan

Is that right? I thought Richardson said he was only carry a knife (a somewhat blunt table knife) because he'd used it to cut up a carrot for his rabbits and absentmindedly pocketed it.

He lied about that, I'm convinced.

[Joshua Rogan]

Originally Posted by Ginger

He lied about that, I'm convinced.

I'm less convinced, but fair enough it's a possibility.