Missing hour between Mitre Square and Goulston Street

[Rosella]

It would have had to have been a room in a house where Jack could have come and gone with impunity . I can't imagine many landladies renting rooms in their homes not asking questions if their lodger made a habit of coming back to the home in the early hours of the morning, especially after there was a murder.

[pinkmoon]

It would have had to have been a room in a house where Jack could have come and gone with impunity . I can't imagine many landladies renting rooms in their homes not asking questions if their lodger made a habit of coming back to the home in the early hours of the morning, especially after there was a murder.

Unless he paid very very well indeed the glint of gold can short circuit some people's common sense.

[Jon Guy]

There was the engineer at the Goulston Street Bath and Wash house.

He could have had a bath, and then dropped the rag.
He had the whole Baths and Wash houses to himself (if he was quiet, as the superintendent lived on site)

[Fisherman]

It seems bordering on the ridiculous to refute the absolute surety of a policemans statement just because you can't fathom the behavior of a serial killer.

Bravo, Abby. Yes, the weight of the evidence leaves us with no questions to answer other than why some people have an itch to reshape recorded history. "I passed the spot where the apron was found about 2.20, the apron was not there when I passed then."

All very clear, and with no element of doubt. And Long had no reason at all to lie about it.

" ...the apron was not there when I passed then."

The best,
Fisherman

[Amanda]

It would have had to have been a room in a house where Jack could have come and gone with impunity . I can't imagine many landladies renting rooms in their homes not asking questions if their lodger made a habit of coming back to the home in the early hours of the morning, especially after there was a murder.

Hi Rosella,
Thomas Cream did exactly that, and his landlady didn't bat an eyelid.

There could have been all sorts of reasons for Jack to be coming and going at odd hours. His job, for example. Or maybe Jack was of 'no fixed abode' and used different doss-houses each night.

I like Pinkmoon's idea that Jack wanted to mingle with the crowd and gloat.
Amanda

[Rosella]

Yes, although Cream was a poisoner and therefore wouldn't have had bloodied clothing of any description, (or messy souvenirs in his pocket.) Also, a gentlemanly medical background helps with landladies.

Of course, as you say, if Jack was working shifts at say, an abattoir, then bloody clothing wouldn't be a problem.

As Jack seems, from the times and days of the murders, to have been in regular work, you'd think he'd have a bolt-hole of his very own rather than sitting fantasising and gloating in a crowded doss house. He wouldn't be able to concentrate!

[Elias]

I wonder how significant his location after killing Eddowes might be in the lost time. He's relatively far away from his usual beat, and might have felt particularly exposed and vulnerable as a result. A much longer walk home than he was used to. This, coupled with a heightened police presence, might have forced to some sort of safe house whilst things calmed down a touch, somewhere he felt secure, but somewhere he didn't want to dispose the apron for fear of it being traced back to him. A place of work for example.

[RockySullivan]

If we accept the police did they job properly and we have no reason to believe they didn't then the most obvious conclusion has to be our killer dropped the kidney of at home and then made his way towards the murder scene and dropped the piece of apron by then other people would be attracted to the murder scene so he could mingle with the crowd and gloat.

Good post, I think the ripper would return to the crime scene to watch also. Highly doubt police would be looking at the gawkers as potential killers and he would have been as safe as can be in the crowd.

[pinkmoon]

I wonder how significant his location after killing Eddowes might be in the lost time. He's relatively far away from his usual beat, and might have felt particularly exposed and vulnerable as a result. A much longer walk home than he was used to. This, coupled with a heightened police presence, might have forced to some sort of safe house whilst things calmed down a touch, somewhere he felt secure, but somewhere he didn't want to dispose the apron for fear of it being traced back to him. A place of work for example.

When our killer was nearly caught with Liz stride he must have found it quite a shock he might well have sought sanctuary I'm pretty sure he was on his way home when he bumped into poor Catherine and I think he found the opportunity to tempting .

[Rosella]

Would he have lived on the borders of Whitechapel, in that case?

[Hatchett]

Or in or near Mitre Square!

[Wickerman]

When our killer was nearly caught with Liz stride he must have found it quite a shock he might well have sought sanctuary I'm pretty sure he was on his way home when he bumped into poor Catherine and I think he found the opportunity to tempting .

In that case, why does he then head off in the direction of Goulston St.?

[Hatchett]

Hi

I think Wickerman that is a very important question. He would have known that the police were fanning out across Whitechapel after the Stride Killing. If of course he was the killer of Stride.

Best wishes.

[pinkmoon]

In that case, why does he then head off in the direction of Goulston St.?

Could he have gone home dropped his stolen kidney of cleaned up and returned for a good gloat have to remember we are dealing with quite a disturbed individual (that's the killer not me by the way)

[Wickerman]

Hi

I think Wickerman that is a very important question. He would have known that the police were fanning out across Whitechapel after the Stride Killing. If of course he was the killer of Stride.

Best wishes.

Indeed Hatchett, however, rather awkwardly this direction of flight is consistent with a killer who was not aware of the Stride murder.