Jack the Ripper Tech

[RivkahChaya]

If it were a bayonet that was indistinguishable from a knife, I think they would have said "knife." It must have been a spikey, hiltlessy bayonet, or something distinctively non-knifey for the report to say "bayonet." It could have been a sawn off fence spike, but who thinks of that? "Bayonet" was the best guess. If knife was a better guess, the report would have said that.

[sdreid]

Some bayonets do have a hilt however.

[sdreid]

That might have been their view

[RivkahChaya]

Maybe it was the lack of a hilt bruise? could there have been fist-shaped bruises around the entrance wounds, as though someone had a blade with no handle?

More ideas for my novel.

[Wickerman]

I find it highly unlikely that even the most ignorant onlooker would describe a triangular wound (as from the spike bayonet) as potentially the result of a Sword bayonet.
Surely the common spike bayonet can be effectively ruled out.

The real contention should center around whether the wound in the breastbone was indicative of a large single-sided weapon, a strong knife (dagger?), with an elongated triangular silhouette..




Or, a double-sided (like stiletto) weapon, leaving a diamond or to some degree elliptical silhouette, also known as a dagger.

[Hunter]

A bowie knife's blade is usually more broad and has a single sharpened edge.

[sdreid]

I don't know how you could tell a wound from a knife bayonet and that of something like a Bowie Knife.

[sdreid]

The knife bayonet was more useful in other applications than the other types or at least that was the thought, I believe.

[GUT]

G'Day RivkahChaya

maybe better for a novel than a real theory.

Sorry but I actually agree.

[RivkahChaya]

Bayonets used up through at least the US civil war were essentially spikes. They were long, with little taper, and I think the wound would be like a giant ice pick wound. I always assumed the wound was something like this.

I suppose it could have been a really large awl, or a straightened-out meat hook, or even a fencing foil-- theaters had them, and someone could have taken the ball end off, and sharpened it.

Has anyone ever proposed a stagehand as a candidate? He'd have access to costumes, and could dress better than his income could afford, and he'd know the actors trick of one breakaway costume on top of another for quick changes, as a way of getting rid of bloody clothes, and changing his appearance, plus, back then, you had to be physically strong to work as a stagehand, and the lowest level people weren't very well-paid nor educated.

Random late-night thought, maybe better for a novel than a real theory.

[GUT]

I plead insanity and/or exhaustion.

[GUT]

G'Day Steve

Yes I'll accept triangular, you'll note I put diamond in inverted commas I couldn't think of the description. I know miss triangle Huh!!!

[Steve S]

Triangular for the MH socket......

[GUT]

G'Day Stan

A knife as a rule has one cutting edge, a dagger 2 and a Bayonet either two or is "diamond" shaped f its an older one. That will be what it was based on I expect.

[sdreid]

BTW, as 1888 saw the British replace the Martini-Henry and socket bayonet with the Lee-Metford and knife Bayonet, I wonder which type was thought to have been used on Tabram.........?

I always assumed that it was some sort of bayonet shaped like something other than a knife otherwise why would they assume it was anything other than a knife wound.