Maxwell's statement

[Michael W Richards]

Hi Harry,

Originally Posted by Harry D

It's been suggested that this was an embellishment by Mrs. Maxwell at the inquest to back-up her testimony. There was no mention of it in her original statement to the Central News.

My response would be... at what point do we assume then that she didn't embellish?

Have you read William Beadle's book, Jack the Ripper: Unmasked? There's a section where he makes a credible argument for Mary Kelly's murder occurring later in the morning. Dr. Bond was basing the TOD on the advancement of rigor mortis and coldness of the body, but in his book Beadle opens this inexact science to doubt.\

I have, although I disagree with some of the leaps of faith in it. The stomach contents in terms of her last meal also helped Bond determine when her body stopped processing food...because she was dead. In any Maxwell quote do you recall any mention of Mary telling "Corrie" that she had eaten that morning?

[David Orsam]

Originally Posted by Michael W Richards

Caroline Maxwell had known of Mary for a few months and had barely said hello to her in those fleeting meetings. So now Mary is calling her "Corrie"?

There is no information that shows us Mary would even know the womans name, let alone use it casually.

You say all this, Michael, like it's something that never been thought of before but the coroner specifically asked Maxwell about it during the inquest over 126 years ago and she gave her answer:

And yet you say you had only spoken to her twice previously; you knew her name and she knew yours ? - Oh, yes; by being about in the lodging-house.

So there is the answer. There is the "information" that Mary knew Mrs Maxwell's name was Carrie (not Corrie incidentally). It is the evidence of Mrs Maxwell.

Had the coroner and/or the jury been unsatisfied by her answer they would no doubt have questioned her further.

And you have mischaracterised the evidence of Maxwell when you say that she had "barely said hello" to Kelly, because she testified: "I knew the deceased for about four months….On two occasions I spoke to her." You have no idea what was said on those two occasions.

And I don't know about you but I often only need to speak to a person once to know their name. Sometimes, and quite frequently, in fact, I know someone's name when I've never even spoken to them.

[andy1867]

Originally Posted by David Orsam

You say all this, Michael, like it's something that never been thought of before but the coroner specifically asked Maxwell about it during the inquest over 126 years ago and she gave her answer:

And yet you say you had only spoken to her twice previously; you knew her name and she knew yours ? - Oh, yes; by being about in the lodging-house.

So there is the answer. There is the "information" that Mary knew Mrs Maxwell's name was Carrie (not Corrie incidentally). It is the evidence of Mrs Maxwell.

Had the coroner and/or the jury been unsatisfied by her answer they would no doubt have questioned her further.

And you have mischaracterised the evidence of Maxwell when you say that she had "barely said hello" to Kelly, because she testified: "I knew the deceased for about four months….On two occasions I spoke to her." You have no idea what was said on those two occasions.

And I don't know about you but I often only need to speak to a person once to know their name. Sometimes, and quite frequently, in fact, I know someone's name when I've never even spoken to them.

Its fairly easily explainable in my humble opinion...You meet someone
"Hello I'm Mary"
Hello my name is Mrs Maxwell, but call me Carrie"...