Conditions in London in 1888

[Fleetwood Mac]

At the Catherine murder scene, by the time the police had a co-ordinated search underway it was around 20 minutes after the murder. That's easily enough time for the WM to have been long gone.

Given that he operated when it was dark, the WM had the advantage of being able to hear footsteps approaching and so he could disappear before a witness/policeman was on top of him. In the absence of catching him red handed, there wasn't a lot the police could do.

In terms of being local, I don't think he necessarily had to be given the aforementioned points. I don't think the WM necessarily used an extensive knowledge of the streets in order to get around.

What may point to him being local, however, is connections between the victims and particularly the lodging houses, e.g. 35 Dorset Street. Tom Wescott pointed out that four women who lived at 18 and 19 George Street were assaulted in a short space of time, three of them murdered. Given that murder was rare in Victorian London, that really is extraordinary.

[DJA]

A person could reside local,yet not be a local.How long does it take to become familiar with a district such as Whitechapel?

25+ years.

[GBinOz]

What may point to him being local, however, is connections between the victims and particularly the lodging houses, e.g. 35 Dorset Street. Tom Wescott pointed out that four women who lived at 18 and 19 George Street were assaulted in a short space of time, three of them murdered. Given that murder was rare in Victorian London, that really is extraordinary.

Canonical five lodgings around time of death shown as V, W, X, Y, Z.
B is Chapman murder site, and E is MJK.

Could it be possible that Jack lived in this area and knew the victims??

Cheers, George

[Fleetwood Mac]

Canonical five lodgings around time of death shown as V, W, X, Y, Z.
B is Chapman murder site, and E is MJK.

Could it be possible that Jack lived in this area and knew the victims??

Cheers, George

Possible, George. I've often wondered whether or not he knew Mary and was a friend. 'Not murdered out of revenge or anything like that, but the only way the WM was able to achieve his goal and so Mary was expendable.

[MrBarnett]

At the Catherine murder scene, by the time the police had a co-ordinated search underway it was around 20 minutes after the murder. That's easily enough time for the WM to have been long gone.

Given that he operated when it was dark, the WM had the advantage of being able to hear footsteps approaching and so he could disappear before a witness/policeman was on top of him. In the absence of catching him red handed, there wasn't a lot the police could do.

In terms of being local, I don't think he necessarily had to be given the aforementioned points. I don't think the WM necessarily used an extensive knowledge of the streets in order to get around.

What may point to him being local, however, is connections between the victims and particularly the lodging houses, e.g. 35 Dorset Street. Tom Wescott pointed out that four women who lived at 18 and 19 George Street were assaulted in a short space of time, three of them murdered. Given that murder was rare in Victorian London, that really is extraordinary.

I couldn’t agree more re the local knowledge. What kind of local knowledge could have prevented the killer from being caught in the back yard of Hanbury Street, or on his way out through the passageway? Once out in the street the choice is simply turn left or right.

[MrBarnett]

25+ years.

A week would suffice.

[Fleetwood Mac]

Canonical five lodgings around time of death shown as V, W, X, Y, Z.
B is Chapman murder site, and E is MJK.

Could it be possible that Jack lived in this area and knew the victims??

Cheers, George

'Should have said, George, surely that is not a coincidence when the following are considered: rarity of murder, number of lodging houses in the area and number of prostitutes operating outside of that immediate vicinity. 'Maybe someone well acquainted with the lodging houses and even followed the victims prior to their murder. Having said that, Catherine wouldn't fit.

[Ozzy]

Something I have read in a few books were the rules, or lack of them, when it comes to building and planning. It meant that even on a summer afternoon, in some places in the East End you didn't get as much sun light reaching the ground as you do now as it was so built up.