Hypothetical Question - What Would You Do?

[fanoofez]

So, here's a hypothetical question for you...

Imagine you are gifted with the ability to travel back in time. It's a one-off deal and you can only visit the past for five minutes.

The place that you arrive is outside the door of 13 Millers Court on the early morning of 9 November 1888. It's dark and inside the small room, you can faintly hear the murderer carrying out his slaughter of Mary Jane Kelly.

You know your time is short. What would you do knowing that this would be your one and only time to positively identify the killer?

Knowing that a frenzied and armed murderer was in the room, would you have the courage to kick the door down knowing what you'd find inside and that he would be in very close proximity to you?

The clock is ticking...

Richard

[richardnunweek]

Hi Richard,
A good question, first of all , i would make sure i had a watch on, keeping a accurate check on the timepiece would be a priority with that limited time avaliable.
I would quickly look around the court for any kind of weapon which could assist me, a brick, a peice of broken pipe , etc, if none avaliable, i would not be brave enough to enter that room with all the gore that would be on show , and a maniac present with a large knife.
Instead i would carefully look through the broken window pane , rather like Bowyer, and have a look at the killer , and knowing that i would have been to late to save poor kelly anyway, anxiously waited my transport back to 2009.
What a coward , but honest.
Regards Richard.

[Sam Flynn]

I'd shout "Murder!", twice, in a high-pitched voice. In fact, that's precisely what I did

[ChrisGeorge]

I'd shout "Murder!", twice, in a high-pitched voice. In fact, that's precisely what I did

So it was you I heard!

Chris

[Christine]

You can only answer this if you have an understanding of time travel paradoxes. If you save MJK, then you would have no reason to travel back into time to see MJK. So you're not there.

Absent any guidance in this, though, I'd break in and try to save her and scream as loudly as I could in the meantime.

[Sam Flynn]

So it was you I heard!

... and that was one heck of a disguise you were wearing, Chris! Have you still got the 4d you begged off me?

[Stephen Thomas]

I'd shout "Murder!", twice, in a high-pitched voice. In fact, that's precisely what I did

Ah, you are so funny, Sam.

Will you lend me sixpence?

You didn't know I was in the 3 person loo at the back, did you?

[perrymason]

So, here's a hypothetical question for you...

Imagine you are gifted with the ability to travel back in time. It's a one-off deal and you can only visit the past for five minutes.

The place that you arrive is outside the door of 13 Millers Court on the early morning of 9 November 1888. It's dark and inside the small room, you can faintly hear the murderer carrying out his slaughter of Mary Jane Kelly.

You know your time is short. What would you do knowing that this would be your one and only time to positively identify the killer?

Knowing that a frenzied and armed murderer was in the room, would you have the courage to kick the door down knowing what you'd find inside and that he would be in very close proximity to you?

The clock is ticking...

Richard

I liked Christine's logic the best so far....but setting logic and reason aside,.....(as one must do to include Mary in a Ripper tally anyway), ...it seems as if youve placed the time traveler arriving without having time or opportunity to save her, you say the murdering is already under way. That being the case, Id "cork the bottle"....and block the archway with anything I could find...while yelling and waking the neighborhood. Grab a shovel or pick and wait until our boy tries to bail out.

You might say that risks those then stuck in the court with him...and I see that It could, but the only way I can see for sure trapping him is with help from the neighbors. And I cant leave the site looking for cops or to knock on doors to wake them. Get a cart in the way of the archway exit, arm myself with whatever is nearby, and yell for backup is my thinking.

Cheers Richard

[Archaic]

Hi, Fanoofez!

I'd help Perrymason block the door. And pray that McCarthy or someone had a pistol.

But I wonder if the Ripper were truly trapped in the room with Mary's corpse, would he have committed suicide, or tried to break out through the door or window (or even the partition) like a maniac on angel dust? I think I suspect the latter.

Archaic

[DVV]

You're right, Archaic,

No suicide possible.
Too far from the Thames.

Amitiés,
David

[DVV]

Seriously, if you have no weapon, the best thing to do is to shout out "Jack the Ripper is in Miller's Court !"
Dew saved Squibby, but he wouldn't have been around to save Jack.

Amitiés,
David

[Brenda]

Well, since it would be too late to save Mary, I guess I'd wander up the passage to see if I could find George Hutchinson and get his autograph for a handwriting sample.

[anna]

Well,I couldn't save Kelly,and I wouldn't know,if I was from the future,If I would be heard by anyone from 1888 if I shouted for help,or raise the alarm.....so I'd better just chill out, and try and get some answers from Jack.
I'd quickly reach through the broken pane of glass,and open the door.Jack would be far too busy with Kelly,to notice me doing this.As I went in,he'd look up,and towards me.
After he'd finished gawping at my clothes,I'd explain that I was from the future,and people there have a few questions for him.Now Jack would have had a big ego.He'd say,I am done here.Wait one moment,dear lady while I dress myself.I'd say..but I only have a short while.But I need to ask you so much.NO.I'm the one asking YOU the questions.I think not dear lady,tell me.....do they think I'm clever?..Oh well,if you're not going to answer,I'm gonna have a nose about outside.
You cannot do this to me,I need to know what they think of me,my crimes,my....where have you gone??
I never did get the answers you require,I left him pacing backward and forward in the room,holding his forehead in a theatrical manner...cursing females...They don't inprove with age...centuaries later and they're just the same...demanding,demanding,demanding.
On minute four and a half,I'd pop my head around the door.
Erm,I think you'd better leave now....
Do they catch me? NO. Oh,good...I hate tight things around my neck.
Are you leaving? I am...Tell them I was handsome.
Oh boy.....males never change.

[babybird67]

lol Brenda!

I'd cheat, and go back and assassinate Hitler instead...unless i was allowed to kill the Ripper first and then fast forward a bit.

[gary]

Hi Fanoofez,

Surely if you are close to the armed maniac in Millers Court, the question
should have read "what is the second thing you would do?"

Gary