The Locked Door

[Tani]

For what reason would the door of Miller's Court be locked and how? I can understand Ripper wanting it locked while he was in there, but what the purpose of having it locked on leaving? Why go to the trouble?

[I1ariusz]

Yes, this is interesting question. Even more so when we know that MJK supposedly had lost the key. Couple of reasons comes to mind:

• he took key with him to have somekind of souvenir;
• he didn't want for her to be found that easy or wanted to prevent just anyone from entering (it can mean e.g. that he actually had either remorse or was fully aware of what he had done and how horrible it was);
• it was just a matter of some sort of compulsion - people with OCD might have something like this; it was also observed that killers of this kind can have some unreasonable compulsion to create some order on the scene - like it was with Annie Chapman where she was found with items ordered in some fashion.
• he went out and got back to the room.

Anything else?

[Geddy2112]

Did I not read somewhere here it was a latched affair, in other words if you shut it behind you it would automatically lock?

[GBinOz]

Did I not read somewhere here it was a latched affair, in other words if you shut it behind you it would automatically lock?

That is my understanding.

[Tani]

Did I not read somewhere here it was a latched affair, in other words if you shut it behind you it would automatically lock?

This seems reasonable.

[Herlock Sholmes]

In The Telegraph 10th November:

“The last person to have left the place must have closed the door behind him, taking with him the key from the spring lock, as it is missing.”

A spring lock:

“……on a door refers to a latch mechanism that uses a spring to automatically secure the door when closed, typically found on interior doors“

[The Rookie Detective]

It is also interesting to note that it was subsequently reported that the missing key was later found.

If that's indeed true, that adds a spanner in the works.

[Geddy2112]

It is also interesting to note that it was subsequently reported that the missing key was later found.

If that's indeed true, that adds a spanner in the works.

There was a photo of a key on here somewhere, passed down from someone's grandfather that they claimed was found behind a bin or something next to the window of 13 Millers Court.

https://forum.casebook.org/forum/ripper-discussions/scene-of-the-crimes/829462-millers-court-key

[FrankO]

Hi all,

Another interesting thread about the lock & related items is this:

Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Message Boards: Archive through May 19, 2003

Cheers,
Frank

[Tani]

Seems like the kind of latch we have on our uni dorm doors. It locks behind you if set to do so, but can be manipulated not to; needs a key to be opened from outside, but you just turn the latch to open from within.

[Simon Wood]

The door to Room 13 was never locked. Just think about it.

[chubbs]

It is also interesting to note that it was subsequently reported that the missing key was later found.

If that's indeed true, that adds a spanner in the works.

You're suggesting my wife was involved in some way, aren't you? I think that referring to her as a spanner is a bit strong though.

[The Rookie Detective]

The door to Room 13 was never locked. Just think about it.

That's actually an interesting point.

Elizabeth Prater's door didn't have a lock; hence why she routinely barricaded herself in to her room with furniture before retiring to bed.

That may imply she had a lock but it was broken, or that she didn't have a lock fitted anyway.

So when we apply that to Mary's room; did the door have a lock?

One would assume that the reference to the key would indicate that there was indeed a lock.

But if it was a particular mechanism that didn't require a lock, then what was the need for the key in the first place.

Seeing as the key was later found (allegedly) then that must mean that the door was automatically locked when it was shut; ergo, the room wasn't accessible from the outside once the door was shut and needed a key to access the room.

But the timing of the window being broken may therefore be significant in terms of the timing of the murder.

In other words; if the window wasn't broken, then would the murderer have been able to commit the crime in the first place?

Now if for example, the killer was aware that the window could be accessed by reaching through the broken window with his left hand and lifting the latch, could the killer have entered her room while Kelly was sleeping?

[chubbs]

That's actually an interesting point.

Elizabeth Prater's door didn't have a lock; hence why she routinely barricaded herself in to her room with furniture before retiring to bed.

That may imply she had a lock but it was broken, or that she didn't have a lock fitted anyway.

So when we apply that to Mary's room; did the door have a lock?

One would assume that the reference to the key would indicate that there was indeed a lock.

But if it was a particular mechanism that didn't require a lock, then what was the need for the key in the first place.

Seeing as the key was later found (allegedly) then that must mean that the door was automatically locked when it was shut; ergo, the room wasn't accessible from the outside once the door was shut and needed a key to access the room.

But the timing of the window being broken may therefore be significant in terms of the timing of the murder.

In other words; if the window wasn't broken, then would the murderer have been able to commit the crime in the first place?

Now if for example, the killer was aware that the window could be accessed by reaching through the broken window with his left hand and lifting the latch, could the killer have entered her room while Kelly was sleeping?

Didn't I read somewhere, a long time ago, that the key had been lost for a while and the occupants used to put their hand in through the broken window to get in from outside? Probably they broke it for that specific purpose.