Elizabeth Prater

[clark2710]

This Lady occupied the room directly above Mary Kelly's. Kelly was the Ripper's Opus, so to speak, I mean he had time to just lose it. You don't butcher anything to that degree without making noise. I am just wondering how the hell the Ripper did his "work" without any of the victims so much as getting a scream out, a noise, something. Did I miss something? I remember reading that she was awoken by her cat or something like that. But did she say anything?

[DJA]

Elizabeth Prater, a married woman, said: My husband, William Prater, was a boot machinist, and he has deserted me. I live at 20 Room, in Miller's-court, above the shed. Deceased occupied a room below. I left the room on the Thursday at five p.m., and returned to it at about one a.m. on Friday morning. I stood at the corner until about twenty minutes past one. No one spoke to me. McCarthy's shop was open, and I called in, and then went to my room. I should have seen a glimmer of light in going up the stairs if there had been a light in deceased's room, but I noticed none. The partition was so thin I could have heard Kelly walk about in the room. I went to bed at half-past one and barricaded the door with two tables. I fell asleep directly and slept soundly. A kitten disturbed me about half-past three o'clock or a quarter to four. As I was turning round I heard a suppressed cry of "Oh - murder!" in a faint voice. It seemed to proceed from the court.
[Coroner] Do you often hear cries of "Murder?" - It is nothing unusual in the street. I did not take particular notice.
[Coroner] Did you hear it a second time? - No.
[Coroner] Did you hear beds or tables being pulled about? - None whatever. I went asleep, and was awake again at five a.m. I passed down the stairs, and saw some men harnessing horses. At a quarter to six I was in the Ten Bells.
[Coroner] Could the witness, Mary Ann Cox, have come down the entry between one and half-past one o'clock without your knowledge ? - Yes, she could have done so.
[Coroner] Did you see any strangers at the Ten Bells ? - No. I went back to bed and slept until eleven.
[Coroner] You heard no singing downstairs ? - None whatever. I should have heard the singing distinctly. It was quite quiet at half-past one o'clock.

[clark2710]

That's just my point, as with Eddows, Prater said that she could've heard Mary Kelly walk about. That tells me that the walls are thin and she could hear Mary Kelly sneeze and such. My point is, I don't have personal experience with this, but you'd think the slaughtering of a living thing would make some noise especially with the time he spent on Kelly. How did he do it? There was a hole in the window for crying out loud. Not a peep, no noise, it's hard to swallow. I'm wondering how they reconciled that.

[Wickerman]

This Lady occupied the room directly above Mary Kelly's. Kelly was the Ripper's Opus, so to speak, I mean he had time to just lose it. You don't butcher anything to that degree without making noise. I am just wondering how the hell the Ripper did his "work" without any of the victims so much as getting a scream out, a noise, something. Did I miss something? I remember reading that she was awoken by her cat or something like that. But did she say anything?

Someone lived directly above Kelly, but it wasn't Prater.
Mrs Prater lived over the 'shed', her room #20 overlooked Dorset St.
However, the room above Kelly's was occupied, but they apparently slept through the whole thing.

[Ms Diddles]

Hi Clark,

I agree that the lack of noise during such brutal attacks does at first seem incredible.

My feeling is that the pre-MJK victims were incapacitated so swiftly in a blitz style attack, that there was simply no time for them to cry out.

The medical evidence appears to support this.

This is less certain in the case of MJK as it has been postulated that some of the cuts to the hands and arms may have been defensive wounds.

Then there's the cry of "Oh! Murder!'

I can only assume that if one was unlucky enough to be living in the east end slums at this time, one would become somewhat inured to all manner of nefarious activities from ones neighbours and would learn quickly to mind ones own business.

Violence was perhaps so common that it was completely unremarkable.

I imagine that in such an environment, things which would wake you or I with a start, and have us reaching for our phones to call the police, would barely register as the potential witness calmly slept on.

[clark2710]

Someone lived directly above Kelly, but it wasn't Prater.
Mrs Prater lived over the 'shed', her room #20 overlooked Dorset St.
However, the room above Kelly's was occupied, but they apparently slept through the whole thing.

my mistake, and I guess if you live above a prostitute noise doesn't affect you. I don't say that to be funny or disrespectful; it simply is.

[Losmandris]

I don't see how what JtR did would necessarily cause a lot of noise? I think everything postmortem could have been carried out in silence.

[clark2710]

I don't see how what JtR did would necessarily cause a lot of noise? I think everything postmortem could have been carried out in silence.

I don't know, I mean I would think if you're ripping someone apart that's going to make SOME noise, especially at first. Just my opinion though

[Marie Jeanette Davies]

Someone lived directly above Kelly, but it wasn't Prater.
Mrs Prater lived over the 'shed', her room #20 overlooked Dorset St.
However, the room above Kelly's was occupied, but they apparently slept through the whole thing.

I seem to recall it was the Picketts who lived directly above Mary. Catherine Pickett intended to borrow Mary's shawl on the morning of November 9th.

[Damaso Marte]

Silence is a hallmark of the Ripper. At every murder scene, unless you believe Israel Schwartz.

[Wickerman]

I seem to recall it was the Picketts who lived directly above Mary. Catherine Pickett intended to borrow Mary's shawl on the morning of November 9th.

The Pickett's lived across the yard at No.12, which was an upstairs room. All the odd numbers were downstairs.

[clark2710]

Silence is a hallmark of the Ripper. At every murder scene, unless you believe Israel Schwartz.

do YOU believe Israel Schwartz?

[Michael W Richards]

This Lady occupied the room directly above Mary Kelly's. Kelly was the Ripper's Opus, so to speak, I mean he had time to just lose it. You don't butcher anything to that degree without making noise. I am just wondering how the hell the Ripper did his "work" without any of the victims so much as getting a scream out, a noise, something. Did I miss something? I remember reading that she was awoken by her cat or something like that. But did she say anything?

Cutting someone to pieces doesn't have to be very noisy if done with some care, and killing Mary while she is in bed with her back turned to the killer doesnt have to be all that noisy..if other residents are sleeping. Someone called out to wake Diddles and alert Sarah. Is that the kill time? Nope...Prater is awake and would hear something of the murder. She went back to sleep, and Mary Ann heard boots leave the court between 5 and 6.

You have all the relevant data you need there. It was Mary that called out, and she was not being attacked at that time. She is killed later, after allowing whomever startled her to stay in her room for enough time for Prater to fall asleep again. Her killer left between 5 and 6am.