Did Jack carry a lantern?

[JSchmidt]

I guess it is also a question of practicality The lantern would have to be very concealable and with good insulation as to not burn the carrier if it was not handheld.
And it would have to be quite sturdy so that it does not shatter during a possible struggle.

[Robert]

Folks, I can't see Jack lugging a lantern around with him. What next? A camera and tripod, so he could re-live the murder at home?

I suppose if he dropped one of these things, he was handed a cabbage.

[Natalie Severn]

Folks, I can't see Jack lugging a lantern around with him. What next? A camera and tripod, so he could re-live the murder at home?

I suppose if he dropped one of these things, he was handed a cabbage.

its beginning to sound like a grotesque version of a "Carry On" film about Jack the serial murderer,Robert

[Monty]

Robert,

You mean a la CrackerJACK?

Monty

[Robert]

Well Nats, I suppose the Chapman murder suggests "Carry On,
Don't Lose Your Head" and Cutbush would be "Carry On Behind."

Don't people think that he'd have needed both hands to subdue the women?

Did he carry an umbrella in case it rained?

[Robert]

That's right, Monty. Only instead of getting a Crackerjack pencil I suppose he got a Crackerjack chalk.

[Cap'n Jack]

Not a cabbage, Robert, but rather a turnip.
Not many realise that when they light a hollowed out pumpkin for the witches night they are carrying on a tradition that was started back in Ireland in the 1700's when the rural poor used hollowed out turnips to light their way.
Curiously enough the lights were called 'Jack 'o lanterns'.
When the Irish emigrated en-masse to the East End of London they brought their 'darkies' with them, for that is what these small and handy lanterns were called by that time. Their distinguishing feature was the ability to carry it lit without being seen unless they pulled aside a blind or shutter, allowing the lantern to be carried lit without showing a light, much like a modern torch which we can switch on or off at will. This 'dark lantern' had exactly the same facility and purpose, and became the vital tool of all thieves and house breakers of that time.
I see no good reason why a murderer would not have employed such a device to light his work from time to time when he felt undisturbed; and as I have shown, such devices could easily be concealed beneath a hat.
Although smacking slightly of Monty Python we should not dismiss history because of that, but I did enjoy the 'wick', Robert.

[Robert]

Hi AP

But I thought your idea was that Jack never knew, when he left home, that he would be killing someone that night.

[Cap'n Jack]

But he couldn't have seen himself in his mirror if he didn't have a light, Robert.

Anyways, the following from the Old Bailey shows conclusively the difference between a 'dark lantern' - which could be concealed in a pocket, I have 120 cases of this, and even under a woman's skirt - and a police or watchman's lantern:

'"Lay hold of him;" we instantly apprehended all three of them, and took them to Islington watch-house - I searched Johnson and Davis, but found nothing particular. I left Newman with them while I went out, and just on the curb stone of the pavement, about twelve yards from the watch-house door I picked up a chisel and a watch, in the exact direction we had brought them. I went on till I came to the court, got a watchman's lantern, and looked down by the garden gate, and found a small crow-bar. I returned to the watch-house, locked the prisoners up, and noticed that Johnson's shoes were loosely tied, as if they had been recently put on. I went to Mrs. Marratt's house, and found the back parlour window open as high as the sash would go; it looks into the garden; and at day-light, about three o'clock, I alarmed the people of the house. I went into the garden, and found a dark lantern, part of a phosphorus box, and a bundle of matches under the window, all scattered about. We were let into the house by the boy, and found a pane of glass broken in the parlour window, and the catch undone; a time-piece stand stood on a chair in the window. I found the door at the bottom of the stairs leading into the garden nearly open, except the bottom bolt, which was not quite undone, and just by the garden gate were several footmarks on the fresh mould. I went to the watch-house, and took a shoe off each of the prisoner's feet; I tried them to the various footmarks, and each shoe fitted one mark or other. I have no doubt but the marks were made by those shoes. The parlour window had been opened by breaking the glass over the catch, and then an arm could he put through to undo it. I found a bell under the window in the garden, and a handkerchief, which has not been claimed.'

[Natalie Severn]

Come to think of it he could have re-opened the turnip"s home made "door"when he had completed operations ,snuffed the candle wick and popped in the covetted organ .Job done he would place it carefully under his hat,smoothed his jacket,straightened his tie and Bob"s your uncle,fanny"s your aunt,all that was needed was a bit of pickling!

[Cap'n Jack]

Simpler than that, Natalie.

' Phosphorus boxes were used by inserting and withdrawing a taper from a bottle internally lined with phosphorus, this would then ignite if rubbed on a piece of cork to create heat. More popular than the phosphorus box was the instantaneous light box, introduced to England from France in around 1810. The box contains a match-head coated with chlorate of potash, sugar and gum. When dipped into a bottle of vitriol and quickly removed the match head will burst into flames. Two kinds of box are pictured, one with a lid, one without. The box on the left is made of tin and has a hinged lid with a candle. These examples are from the Bryant and May collection of firemaking at the Science Museum, London. '

[Natalie Severn]

Oh Well,Cap"n Jack, no wonder witnesses at two of the murder sights say they saw a man "with a parcel" under his arm.[PC Smith in Berner street and George Hutchinson in Commercial Street].
Seriously I guess it was quite possible he had something like this.A sort of " home-made murder kit" we were told belonged to the Yorkshire Ripper .
Everything needed was pre-planned for and placed in his "kit" even down to him having a specially adapted suit to wear under his outer garments with pads at the knees or something like that.Grotesque but true apparently.

[Robert]

He brings all this but doesn't bring a cloth to wipe his hands on?

[Natalie Severn]

He brings all this but doesn't bring a cloth to wipe his hands on?

you see Robert,thats where I believe he was leaving a message.He didnt have access to Kate"s apron before killing her but once he divided the apron
he had an item which would directly link him to the murder.He had already got
some chalk all ready to use and it was then but a short step to write his message in white chalk on the black tiles and place the apron directly underneath the writing on the wall for PC Long to stumble upon.
Natalie

[Robert]

Well, Nats, all that light didn't stop him getting crap on his hands.