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Deposition of PC Joseph Allen, witness in the Alice McKenzie murder. My emphasis in bold.
Police-constable Joseph Allen, 423 H, deposed, - Last night I was in Castle-alley. It was then 20 minutes past 12 when I passed through. I was through the alley several times. I remained there for five minutes. I entered the alley through the archway in Whitechapel-road. I had something to eat under the lamp where the deceased was found. Having remained in the alley for five minutes, I went into Wentworth-street. There was neither man nor woman there. There were wagons in the alley - two right underneath the lamp.
[Coroner] Would you swear there was no one in the wagons? - I would not swear to that, as I did not look into them; one of the wagons was an open one. Everything was very quiet at the time. The backs of some of the houses in Newcastle-street faced the alley, and in some of the upper windows were lights. That was not an unusual thing at that time. I cannot say if any of the windows were open. No sounds came from those houses. On leaving the alley I met Constable Walter Andrews, 272 H, in Wentworth-street. It was about 100 yards from the alley where I met Andrews. I spoke to Andrews, who then went towards Goldston-street. [Goulston Street]
[Coroner] How did you fix the time? - I looked at my watch. It was 12:30 when I left the alley. At the end is a public house - the Three Crowns - and as I passed the landlord was shutting up the house. After leaving Andrews I went towards Commercial-street and met Sergeant Badlam, [Badham] 31 H, who told me a woman had been found murdered in Castle-alley, and he directed me to go to the station. When the sergeant spoke to me it was five minutes to 1, and 1 o'clock when I got to the station.
"I looked at my watch." It was that simple.
That beat constables, including those associated with the Buck's Row murder, didn't carry watches is an assumption rather than an ascertained fact. If their beat ended in the early morning hours, when they were expected to 'knock up' residents, I suspect carrying a watch would have been quite common.
I've even seen accounts of beat constables who were robbed of their watch while on patrol.
Unfortunately, it appears to have been rare for a Coroner to directly ask a constable (as Allen was asked) how he fixed the time, so speculation will continue.
Police-constable Joseph Allen, 423 H, deposed, - Last night I was in Castle-alley. It was then 20 minutes past 12 when I passed through. I was through the alley several times. I remained there for five minutes. I entered the alley through the archway in Whitechapel-road. I had something to eat under the lamp where the deceased was found. Having remained in the alley for five minutes, I went into Wentworth-street. There was neither man nor woman there. There were wagons in the alley - two right underneath the lamp.
[Coroner] Would you swear there was no one in the wagons? - I would not swear to that, as I did not look into them; one of the wagons was an open one. Everything was very quiet at the time. The backs of some of the houses in Newcastle-street faced the alley, and in some of the upper windows were lights. That was not an unusual thing at that time. I cannot say if any of the windows were open. No sounds came from those houses. On leaving the alley I met Constable Walter Andrews, 272 H, in Wentworth-street. It was about 100 yards from the alley where I met Andrews. I spoke to Andrews, who then went towards Goldston-street. [Goulston Street]
[Coroner] How did you fix the time? - I looked at my watch. It was 12:30 when I left the alley. At the end is a public house - the Three Crowns - and as I passed the landlord was shutting up the house. After leaving Andrews I went towards Commercial-street and met Sergeant Badlam, [Badham] 31 H, who told me a woman had been found murdered in Castle-alley, and he directed me to go to the station. When the sergeant spoke to me it was five minutes to 1, and 1 o'clock when I got to the station.
"I looked at my watch." It was that simple.
That beat constables, including those associated with the Buck's Row murder, didn't carry watches is an assumption rather than an ascertained fact. If their beat ended in the early morning hours, when they were expected to 'knock up' residents, I suspect carrying a watch would have been quite common.
I've even seen accounts of beat constables who were robbed of their watch while on patrol.
Unfortunately, it appears to have been rare for a Coroner to directly ask a constable (as Allen was asked) how he fixed the time, so speculation will continue.
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