All Roads Lead to Dorset St.,

[Batman]

I wonder if we can compile a list of all the times Dorset St., comes up in relation to the Whitechapel murders outside of the time of Mary Kelly's murder at 26 Dorset Street, including statements at the time from people who lived/stayed there like Maxwell, Cox, etc,

1. They were ‘done up for cash’, as Kelly put it, but Kelly pawned his boots, Eddowes taking them to a broker named Smith, who had premises in Church Street, where she pledged them in the name of ‘Jane Kelly’, giving her address as 6 Dorset Street, - Begg, Paul. Jack the Ripper: The Facts.
2. Yarmouth letter giving a Dorset Street address for Jack as 14 Dorset St., before Mary Kelly was murdered, published on 2nd November 1888. https://www.jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=15280
3. Mary Ann Connelly 'Pearly Poll', lived in Crossingham's lodging house, (35) Dorset Street East London Advertiser, 25 August 1888.
4. Annie Chapman (Sievey) lived at 30 Dorset St. and 35 Dorset St.
5. Stride lived at 38 Dorset Street.
6. Some women viewed Eddowes body and said she had stayed before at 26 Dorset St. 'shed', a front room. (note that Eddowes pawned boots the day of her murder under the address of 6 Dorset St.,)

[Trevor Marriott]

I wonder if we can compile a list of all the times Dorset St., comes up in relation to the Whitechapel murders outside of the time of Mary Kelly's murder at 26 Dorset Street, including statements at the time from people who lived/stayed there like Maxwell, Cox, etc,

1. They were ‘done up for cash’, as Kelly put it, but Kelly pawned his boots, Eddowes taking them to a broker named Smith, who had premises in Church Street, where she pledged them in the name of ‘Jane Kelly’, giving her address as 6 Dorset Street, - Begg, Paul. Jack the Ripper: The Facts.
2. Yarmouth letter giving a Dorset Street address for Jack as 14 Dorset St., before Mary Kelly was murdered, published on 2nd November 1888. https://www.jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=15280
3. Mary Ann Connelly 'Pearly Poll', lived in Crossingham's lodging house, (35) Dorset Street East London Advertiser, 25 August 1888.
4. Annie Chapman (Sievey) lived at 30 Dorset St. and 35 Dorset St.
5. Stride lived at 38 Dorset Street.
6. Some women viewed Eddowes body and said she had stayed before at 26 Dorset St. 'shed', a front room. (note that Eddowes pawned boots the day of her murder under the address of 6 Dorset St.,)

Dorset Street was regarded as one of the worst streets in London and its reputation remained so until 1901.

https://www.trevormarriott.co.uk

[Sam Flynn]

Dorset Street was renowned for its doss/lodging-houses, with room for more than 800 people; it was a veritable "go to" destination for many poor people, so it's hardly surprising to see its name turning up. In this context, it's noteworthy that Greenfield Street, Flower & Dean Street and the Victoria Home, each with a comparatively smaller population than Dorset Street, can be connected with more than one person associated with the case.

With specific regard to Dorset Street's connections to the victims, there are some factors we need to bear in mind, for instance:

1. There is some doubt as to the veracity of the story of Eddowes having lived in a "shed" in Dorset Street. At any rate, the story is not widely attested and only turns up (I think) retrospectively, in connection with the Kelly murder.

2. Notwithstanding the "shed" reference, I can't recall offhand that Eddowes is known to have lived in Dorset Street.

3. Stride is only known to have been in Dorset Street in 1885, three years before the murders. She seems to have spent much of her remaining time in and around St George in the East where, significantly I think, she met her end.

4. Apart from Chapman and Kelly, I don't recall that any of the women lived in Dorset Street at the same time.

[MrBarnett]

4. There is, to my knowledge, no record of Polly Nichols having lived in Dorset Street.

Gareth,

Polly's address on her death cert was 35, Dorset Street.

Gary

[Sam Flynn]

Polly's address on her death cert was 35, Dorset Street.

Thanks for the correction, Gary. I'll remove that from my previous list.

[MrBarnett]

Thanks for the correction, Gary. I'll remove that from my previous list.

I think Tom Wescott was the first to point that out (in print at least). He also highlighted the connection of various victims/witnesses to 18/19, George Street.

[Busy Beaver]

Which is probably why the Killer was lucky to find a victim with a room in Millar's Court to kill, otherwise he would have had 800 plus people looking at him if he killed right on Dorset Street. Rather than having a hit list of women he wanted to kill, did he have a list of streets, where he thought "I'll give them a go"

[MrBarnett]

Well, someone fatally stabbed Mary Ann Austin in a cubicle in 35, Dorset Street a decade or so later.

[Batman]

Rather than having a hit list of women he wanted to kill, did he have a list of streets, where he thought "I'll give them a go"

Could have had both. However, the street hit list is almost a must because he needs to escape and he needs to know how to avoid being stopped. Unless he is a PC himself, that took some planning and not just blind luck, although luck obviously plays a part too. He made his own luck by knowing his routes.

[Batman]

Well, someone fatally stabbed Mary Ann Austin in a cubicle in 35, Dorset Street a decade or so later.

This is really interesting because of comparisons to Emma Smith and Martha Tabram.

Thanks.

[Sam Flynn]

Well, someone fatally stabbed Mary Ann Austin in a cubicle in 35, Dorset Street a decade or so later.

Which neatly illustrates Trevor’s earlier point about the street's bad reputation.

[Sam Flynn]

This is really interesting because of comparisons to Emma Smith and Martha Tabram.

Emma Smith wasn't stabbed, Tabram was over-stabbed, and both were attacked in public places. I see no grounds for comparison.

[MrBarnett]

This is really interesting because of comparisons to Emma Smith and Martha Tabram.

Thanks.

The big difference, of course, is that Smith and Tabram were attacked in secluded spots. Whoever attacked Austin was either extremely reckless of discovery or felt he was in some way invulnerable.

Local Inspector Thomas Divall, who investigated the case, was of the opinion that the killer was a 'well-known local character' who was being shielded by the staff and residents of Crossingham's.

[Batman]

Which neatly illustrates Trevor’s earlier point about the street's bad reputation.

Which is impossible to miss just by reading a basic wikipedia on Dorset St.,

However as the facts of the case are, Dorset St., is obviously important.

[MrBarnett]

Emma Smith wasn't stabbed, Tabram was over-stabbed, and both were attacked in public places. I see no grounds for comparison.

Gareth,

If you go along with Tom's argument re Tabram in TBHM, then the location of the wounds is comparable.

Gary