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Hi all
I have identified a particularly interesting article relating to a serious incident that occurred in Berner Street a few weeks before Stride was murdered.
The incident took place inside a chemist shop located at number 82 Berner Street; on the corner of Berner Street and Ellen Street.
It involved the shopkeeper called John Simkin; who was the victim of an attempted murder.
The man that attacked him was a builder called William Seaman; a builder from Princes Street in Whitechapel.
The attack itself isn't the main reason why I was drawn to the article; it was the fact that a man was almost murdered inside a Chemist on Berner Street
Firstly, the location; it was a chemist located on the corner of Ellen Street and Berner Street
secondly, the timing...
The attack occurred at 11.50pm, just before Mr Simkin the chemist was about to close up for the night.
This is important because it tells us there was a Chemist open up until midnight.
And if it was open until midnight on the night of the attack on Mr Simkin, then it would fair to say that it would have also been open on the night of the Stride murder
Now, let's add the witness Marshall.
He claimed to have seen Stride with a man within close proximity to his house on Berner Street.
The couple were standing north of his position between him and the junction with Faircloth Street.
There was also another public house just south of where Marshall lived; namely the George IV pub
This pub is located approximately half way between the junctions with the Berner Street junctions meeting Faircloth Street in the north and Ellen Street in the south.
I have suggested previously if the couple seen by Marshall was Stride, then it places her SOUTH of Faircloth Street.
And what is south of Faircloth Street that could be important as to why Stride was there?
Either the George IV pub...
OR the Chemist as 82 Berner Street; on the junction with Ellen Street.
But why is this relevant you may ask?
Well...
What could you buy at a Chemist?
CACHOU
My question is...
Is Simkins Chemist located at no.82 Berner Street the shop where Stride obtained her Cachou from?
If so, then she would have needed to have bought them before midnight when the shop closed.
My hypothesis is this...
After leaving the Bricklayers Arms Stride and her companion headed toward Berner Street
However, they entered Berner Street by walking East along Ellen Street and then turning left into Berner Street and walking North, either TO the George IV Public House, or PAST the pub. Either way, they stopped at the Chemist on the corner of the junction where Ellen Street meets Berner Street and purchased some Cachou.
Cachou used for the purposes of sweetening the breath.
Cachou were primarily marketed and aimed at FEMALE SMOKERS, who could enjoy a smoke before taking some Cachou to take away the TASTE and the SMELL of the cigarette/Cigar. They could also be used before or after kissing IF one of both parties were smokers and the other perhaps wasn't.
Let's continue...
So, Stride and her Bricklayer's Arm companion walk along Ellen St, go into the chemist to buy some Cachou from a place that would have SOLD CACHOU (Unlike Packer's FRUIT shop)
After purchasing the Cachou, they walk north and are then spotted by Marshall just moments after they have walked past his location. I believe had Marshall observed the street minutes before, he would have seen Stride and her companion walk past him.
After the "You'd say anything but your prayers" line, they continue walking north towards Faircloth Street and then cross the junction and enter the northern section of Berner Street by the Nelson Beer House.
The next question is... did they have time to go anywhere BETWEEN being seen leaving the Bricklayer's Arms, to my hypothesis of them walking EAST along Ellen Street and then purchasing the Cachou from the Chemist BEFORE midnight?
If they did have time, then where did they go?
Is Ellen Street significant?
Furthermore, where was 22 Ellen Street located in relation to the Chemist on the corner of the junction with Berner Street?
Does Stride's route along Ellen Street and into Berner Street from the south add any new dynamic to the story told by Schwartz?
We know that Stride had Cachou in her hand.
I would suggest that the Simkins Chemist is where she or her companion purchased them.
If my hypothesis is correct, then it adds significance to the sighting made by Marshall and increases the likelihood that Marshall saw Stride with her companion.
Another question springs to mind...
How closely does the man seen by Marshall resemble the man seen with Stride outside the Bricklayer's arms?
But there is one other tantalizing question...
IF Stride and her companion DID purchase Cachou from the chemist at no.82 Berner Street, then WHY did Mr Simkin not report it?
There is no evidence to suggest my hypothesis is true...however...
Did Packer change his story to one whereby he witnessed Stride and her companion buy grapes from him shortly before the murder, just as a perfect way to divert attention from the real source of the items in Strides hand; the chemist at no.82
And finally...was Schwartz's story also made up because the man who played the part of Schwartz was connected with the murder itself...or another hired hand to come in and fabricate and make up an entirely fake account of what truly transpired the night Stride was killed.
Lots to discuss
RD
I have identified a particularly interesting article relating to a serious incident that occurred in Berner Street a few weeks before Stride was murdered.
The incident took place inside a chemist shop located at number 82 Berner Street; on the corner of Berner Street and Ellen Street.
It involved the shopkeeper called John Simkin; who was the victim of an attempted murder.
The man that attacked him was a builder called William Seaman; a builder from Princes Street in Whitechapel.
The attack itself isn't the main reason why I was drawn to the article; it was the fact that a man was almost murdered inside a Chemist on Berner Street
Firstly, the location; it was a chemist located on the corner of Ellen Street and Berner Street
secondly, the timing...
The attack occurred at 11.50pm, just before Mr Simkin the chemist was about to close up for the night.
This is important because it tells us there was a Chemist open up until midnight.
And if it was open until midnight on the night of the attack on Mr Simkin, then it would fair to say that it would have also been open on the night of the Stride murder
Now, let's add the witness Marshall.
He claimed to have seen Stride with a man within close proximity to his house on Berner Street.
The couple were standing north of his position between him and the junction with Faircloth Street.
There was also another public house just south of where Marshall lived; namely the George IV pub
This pub is located approximately half way between the junctions with the Berner Street junctions meeting Faircloth Street in the north and Ellen Street in the south.
I have suggested previously if the couple seen by Marshall was Stride, then it places her SOUTH of Faircloth Street.
And what is south of Faircloth Street that could be important as to why Stride was there?
Either the George IV pub...
OR the Chemist as 82 Berner Street; on the junction with Ellen Street.
But why is this relevant you may ask?
Well...
What could you buy at a Chemist?
CACHOU
My question is...
Is Simkins Chemist located at no.82 Berner Street the shop where Stride obtained her Cachou from?
If so, then she would have needed to have bought them before midnight when the shop closed.
My hypothesis is this...
After leaving the Bricklayers Arms Stride and her companion headed toward Berner Street
However, they entered Berner Street by walking East along Ellen Street and then turning left into Berner Street and walking North, either TO the George IV Public House, or PAST the pub. Either way, they stopped at the Chemist on the corner of the junction where Ellen Street meets Berner Street and purchased some Cachou.
Cachou used for the purposes of sweetening the breath.
Cachou were primarily marketed and aimed at FEMALE SMOKERS, who could enjoy a smoke before taking some Cachou to take away the TASTE and the SMELL of the cigarette/Cigar. They could also be used before or after kissing IF one of both parties were smokers and the other perhaps wasn't.
Let's continue...
So, Stride and her Bricklayer's Arm companion walk along Ellen St, go into the chemist to buy some Cachou from a place that would have SOLD CACHOU (Unlike Packer's FRUIT shop)
After purchasing the Cachou, they walk north and are then spotted by Marshall just moments after they have walked past his location. I believe had Marshall observed the street minutes before, he would have seen Stride and her companion walk past him.
After the "You'd say anything but your prayers" line, they continue walking north towards Faircloth Street and then cross the junction and enter the northern section of Berner Street by the Nelson Beer House.
The next question is... did they have time to go anywhere BETWEEN being seen leaving the Bricklayer's Arms, to my hypothesis of them walking EAST along Ellen Street and then purchasing the Cachou from the Chemist BEFORE midnight?
If they did have time, then where did they go?
Is Ellen Street significant?
Furthermore, where was 22 Ellen Street located in relation to the Chemist on the corner of the junction with Berner Street?
Does Stride's route along Ellen Street and into Berner Street from the south add any new dynamic to the story told by Schwartz?
We know that Stride had Cachou in her hand.
I would suggest that the Simkins Chemist is where she or her companion purchased them.
If my hypothesis is correct, then it adds significance to the sighting made by Marshall and increases the likelihood that Marshall saw Stride with her companion.
Another question springs to mind...
How closely does the man seen by Marshall resemble the man seen with Stride outside the Bricklayer's arms?
But there is one other tantalizing question...
IF Stride and her companion DID purchase Cachou from the chemist at no.82 Berner Street, then WHY did Mr Simkin not report it?
There is no evidence to suggest my hypothesis is true...however...
Did Packer change his story to one whereby he witnessed Stride and her companion buy grapes from him shortly before the murder, just as a perfect way to divert attention from the real source of the items in Strides hand; the chemist at no.82
And finally...was Schwartz's story also made up because the man who played the part of Schwartz was connected with the murder itself...or another hired hand to come in and fabricate and make up an entirely fake account of what truly transpired the night Stride was killed.
Lots to discuss
RD
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