Dressed To Kill

[Natasha]

Just out of curiousity, how easy was it to obtain a police uniform? I ask firstly about a police uniform cause it occurred to me that one of the policemen (can't remember who now) who was present when the GSG was found had no idea who one of his fellow policeman was. So could it be possible for the murderer to have dressed up as a policeman, that is if he wasn't already one? It would fit if he wanted to blend in and have an excuse to hang around the crime scene, perhaps to enjoy the attention the murder brought.

[Errata]

Just out of curiousity, how easy was it to obtain a police uniform? I ask firstly about a police uniform cause it occurred to me that one of the policemen (can't remember who now) who was present when the GSG was found had no idea who one of his fellow policeman was. So could it be possible for the murderer to have dressed up as a policeman, that is if he wasn't already one? It would fit if he wanted to blend in and have an excuse to hang around the crime scene, perhaps to enjoy the attention the murder brought.

I guess it depends on how secure your laundry is?

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Just out of curiousity, how easy was it to obtain a police uniform? I ask firstly about a police uniform cause it occurred to me that one of the policemen (can't remember who now) who was present when the GSG was found had no idea who one of his fellow policeman was. So could it be possible for the murderer to have dressed up as a policeman, that is if he wasn't already one? It would fit if he wanted to blend in and have an excuse to hang around the crime scene, perhaps to enjoy the attention the murder brought.

I think it was PC Long, the man who found the apron and the graffiti.
I'm guessing the reason he didn't who the other police officer was, was because this was his first time on this particular beat, like he said at the inquest.

[jerryd]

I think it was PC Long, the man who found the apron and the graffiti.
I'm guessing the reason he didn't who the other police officer was, was because this was his first time on this particular beat, like he said at the inquest.

Hi Sir John,

The 254A on PC Longs collar number is probably the answer. He was drafted in from "A" Division (Westminster) to help out during the height of the Whitechapel murders.

[Joshua Rogan]

Also, although Long didn't know the name of the other officer, he noted his police number I think - 190H. So it should have been possible to identify him from that.

[Rosella]

They did identify him, didn't they? Wasn't 190H PC Willie Bettles, who had joined H Division (Whitechapel) in 1887. He's in the JTR A-Z.(He ended up as a sergeant.)

Didn't most young single policemen live in station houses and do their own washing? I think it would be a pretty brazen sort of thief to venture into a station house yard and swipe a uniform from a line, or a uniform from a married constable's house, come to that. What if you were hanging about a crime scene wearing these and a nearby copper recognised his stolen uniform?

[GUT]

They did identify him, didn't they? Wasn't 190H PC Willie Bettles, who had joined H Division (Whitechapel) in 1887. He's in the JTR A-Z.(He ended up as a sergeant.)

Didn't most young single policemen live in station houses and do their own washing? I think it would be a pretty brazen sort of thief to venture into a station house yard and swipe a uniform from a line, or a uniform from a married constable's house, come to that. What if you were hanging about a crime scene wearing these and a nearby copper recognised his stolen uniform?

But Jack was pretty brazen, don't you think?

[Joshua Rogan]

That's as may be, but wouldn't his colleagues have noticed if one policeman had turned up for work wearing nothing but his underwear?

[GUT]

That's as may be, but wouldn't his colleagues have noticed if one policeman had turned up for work wearing nothing but his underwear?

Maybe, maybe not.

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Vice squad?