Sir Henry Smith,1888 acting City Commissioner of Police

[Robert]

I'd like to know how he could be 5 minutes behind the Ripper AND with a very fair description of him.

[Chris]

I'd like to know how he could be 5 minutes behind the Ripper AND with a very fair description of him.

I assume he means the one provided by Lawende.

[Robert]

But then surely he can't be referring to the night of the Eddowes murder, since Lawende wasn't found till next day. So on the face of it, it looks as though Smith is claiming to have somehow got on the trail of the man seen by Lawende after Lawende had given his description. That's hard to swallow.

[Chris]

But then surely he can't be referring to the night of the Eddowes murder, since Lawende wasn't found till next day. So on the face of it, it looks as though Smith is claiming to have somehow got on the trail of the man seen by Lawende after Lawende had given his description. That's hard to swallow.

I see what you mean, but I didn't read it as implying that he had the description at the time he was "within five minutes" of the murderer - only that at one time he was "within five minutes" of the murderer and that (at another) he had a description of him. But I'm not sure whether Smith's account will stand a close textual analysis.

[Robert]

No, not when he seems to be saying that the Ripper was within 5 minutes of himself. Henry "Murray Walker" Smith.